Russian TV talk show discusses Stalin's legacy

Abstract

In the view of Mikhail Barshchevskiy, a lawyer and former leader of the Civil Force party, [Iosif Stalin] was a "criminal" and "power-hungry oppressor". He described the Stalinist era as "the most nightmarish period" in the history of his state, and said that he was afraid that Russia may repeat this mistake. He argued that the "ideology of suppression" which reigned during Stalin's rule was counter-productive, and said that states can only prosper in an atmosphere of close cooperation.