Young Stalin - Two Reviews

Young Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefiore is a riveting book which looks into the depths on Stalin’s life before he comes to power in the early 1900’s.
The book explores each part of his life with such extreme detail that it makes you feel like are watching a film as you read it. This book is the first in years which goes into so much detail and truly shows what Stalin did in his life that it is a nice refresher.
The most interesting parts about the book, is Stalin’s “innocence” in the early years of his life. He was in the choir at school, he was a poet, and trained as a priest all before his twenty’s. This peaceful lifestyle he lead in his early life seems quite unrealistic and unreal compared to all the destruction and mayhem he created when he was in power, it’s almost like he was two different people.
He eventually found his true ‘mission’ – a revolutionary. He was a mastermind of bank robbery, arson, piracy and murder. He was in simple terms the most intelligent terrorist in Russia, and soon became the top henchman for Lennin.
Throughout the book we read of his many love affairs and illegitimate children, his friendships both good and bad, the true and the fake. We see he’s personality develop and twist into the man who ruled the USSR with such a ferocity that he is so well known in history for his flawed control.
This book truly reflects and represents Stalin in the most enthralling way that I couldn’t put this book down at all. JC

Through reading Young Stalin, the reader finds out about a bewildering adventure in which Stalin, a man who was born no more than ‘his mother’s beloved treasure’, goes on a journey to become the treasurer of the USSR. There is no doubt that Stalin’s extremist character, whether it was his brutal demeanour or strong work ethic, were the keys to him becoming the leader of the Soviet Union. However, the mystery remains on how the youthful ‘Soso’ transitioned to become the domineering Stalin.

The abundance of alcohol in the Town of Gori partnered with Stalin’s father’s undying love for a drink, left Stalin with a drunk and violent father, known as ‘Crazy Beso’. Stalin’s mother, Keke, also used physical discipline unreservedly leaving Stalin to become ‘heartless’, ‘truculent’ and frequently wanting to be ‘alone’. These violent actions were the foundations for which a pugnacious and unsympathetic leader was made.

The town of Gori, where Stalin lived, was known for ‘… town brawls, wrestling tournaments and school-boy gang warfare’. As a teenager Stalin was the most ‘immaculate streetfighter’ owning a ‘catapult and homemade bow’. Stalin’s lifestyle was made up of violent past-times, which some could argue, allowed actions like carrying out the genocide of millions of Russians easier.

Simon Sebag Montefiore has written a masterful biography however, he does not tell us about the historical significance of the events that occurred in Stalin’s youth, which limits the complexity of Stalin’s image. For instance, Stalin’s ‘webbed foot, pockmarks… and damaged left arm’ physically separated him from others. That may be the reason for his lack of empathy towards the 750,000 executed innocent military men and an essential part of him becoming the ‘man of steel’ he truly was. MK

Sashenka

The novel ‘Sashenka’ written by Simon Sebag Montefiore presents a century in Russia, by following the life of a dedicated Bolshevik revolutionary – Sashenka. The novel is split into 3 parts, with the first part focusing on the lead up to the March revolution. Montefiore’s presentation of Russian autocracy is shown through Sashenka’s mother Ariadna Zeletsin. Her unfaithful behaviour, dismissive interest in her daughter, and obsession with materialistic luxuries leads the reader to understand Sashenka’s dedication to the Bolshevik party, as she tries to escape from her mother’s lifestyle. Montefiore presents the Bolsheviks at first as a lacking party, with little resources and members, yet with a strong belief and dedication, shown through Sashenka’s uncle Mendel. Yet during Part 2 1939, the once small Bolshevik party had become an authoritative, dominant one party state, the extent of its growth shown to the reader through leap in time from 1917. Sashenka’s dedication and love for the party is still prevalent, yet her fear is for it is subtly hinted at, with the repeated mentions of the ‘terror years’. The absolute security of Communism in the USSR is demonstrated in the novel – ‘better to shoot a hundred innocent men than let one spy escape, better 1000’. Part 3 of the novel shows the loyalty towards Communism from its party members. Vanya Palitsyn, after being tortured into a false confession and sentenced to death still demonstrates his devotion, shouting ‘long live Stalin’, despite his treatment from the party. Montefiore describes Communism as a religion, and its influence on members such as Satinov shows how deeply rooted it is within such people. Satinov’s inability to tell Katrinka of how he rescued Sashenka’s children outright, since it was a betrayal to the party, shows his faithfulness and fear towards Communism, even 50years later. His web of deception and lies told towards Katrinka of his actions reflect the way he behaved during the era, and how the Communist party performed and acted in the USSR. YC

Sashenka

The presentation of Stalin as a person in ‘Sashenka’ contrasts with that of the Soviet scheme and system of fear that he ran to portray the common view of the dictator according to the view of contemporary public in the USSR.

The terror of the 1930s under Soviet control is never attributed directly to Stalin himself in the novel, in the same way that he would not have been openly blamed by citizens of the USSR at the time, for fear of suffering the same ordeal that they were associating him with. This suppression through fear is also presented through Sashenka’s job editing a Soviet magazine, which produces propaganda in support of the political system, and censoring any writing portraying it honestly. When she is presented with an article highlighting the negative aspects of a Soviet orphanage she explains that ‘the Party Committee would denounce’ the author and send them to a Gulag – one of the labor camps run under Stalin where ‘enemies of the people’ would be sent and forced to work tirelessly, tortured and often killed. In spite of the brutality applied through Stalinism Sashenka believes that ‘Comrade Stalin knows’ that she is innocent and maintains her devoted admiration and reverence of him throughout her suffering in the prison at the hands of his workers.

Stalin’s image was seen as incorruptible and his reputation as a good leader undoubtable from within the Communist party and Sashenka’s genuine belief in his virtue despite the knowledge of what was happening to innocent people under his instruction emphasises the extent to which his authoritarianism stretched, not just preventing people from voicing their negative opinions against Stalin, but indoctrinating them to convince them that his system was just. This conditioning influence did not end entirely after his death, or even the breakdown of the USSR as the final section of the novel, set in 1994, shows people still wary to investigate and expose the faults of Stalinism.

Contrary to the cruelness of his regime, Stalin is presented as personable and charming face-to-face. His likeable personality contradicts the inhumanity of his policies to create an enigmatic and intimidating leading figure who cannot be challenged, incorporating a political concept as well as an affable individual as a respectable figurehead of the Soviet system and for Communism.

MF

Stalin- The Court of the Red Tsar

To be perfectly honest, I'm only half way through Chapter 2, but so far this book has been really interesting.  Instead of portraying Stalin purely as a tyrant, Montefiore explores his human side by starting the book with his second wife's suicide and exploring their marriage. Personally, this has made me continue reading the book with a much more open view of Stalin; I'm sure this will prove useful when trying to understand why Stalin made certain decisions that, in the past, I may have just accepted were because he was 'evil'. Montefiore also takes quite a narrative, almost fictional approach with descriptions such as 'looked like a mad poet' which, although it makes the novel rather difficult to draw concrete facts from, makes it more interesting and stimulating to read.  It's amazing (so far) and I definitely recommend it. ED