15.08.2025, Aleksandrovskoye.
It is necessary to break the vicious cycle in which Russia constantly shifts from a positive Soviet myth to a negative myth, political scientist, philosopher, and leader of the Essence of Time movement Sergey Kurginyan wrote in his article The Sharp Turn, published in The Essence of Time newspaper, issue 637.
As an example, the political scientist cited the changing attitudes toward the founder and head of the Cheka [All-Russian Extraordinary Commission] Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky, throughout Soviet and post-Soviet history. In the 1970s, under strict Soviet censorship, Kurginyan attempted to stage his own play about this Soviet politician to show the multifaceted nature of the man – his toughness and gentleness, his vulnerability, his evident non-atheism, and much more.
“At that time, the censors told me, ‘Felix Edmundovich is sweet and nice – he saved homeless children, he was a friend of children, and that’s it. We don’t need any other Dzerzhinsky. And therefore, we will ban your play.’ I replied that this myth of the sweet and nice friend of children was extremely fragile. And it would inevitably collapse. That is exactly what happened,” the philosopher noted.
In his article, Essence of Time‘s leader recalled how, during the perestroika, Dzerzhinsky was first declared a bloody butcher, flipping the myth’s polarity from positive to negative, and then, following the logic of the new myth, the monument to the founder of the Cheka standing opposite the KGB was demolished.
The political scientist noted that, years later, the myth began to shift again. A smaller replica of the demolished monument was installed on the grounds of the former First Main Directorate of the KGB, now home to the SVR [Russian Foreign Intelligence Service], and the SVR chief spoke of Dzerzhinsky in exactly the same way it was customary in the 1970s.
The philosopher emphasized that the myth of Felix Edmundovich “as the sweet and nice friend of children” is not only highly unstable but also demands certain actions, such as restoring the monument in full size. Moreover, according to Essence of Time‘s leader, the time that has passed makes it possible not only to just reproduce what was said in the 20th century but also to study the full depth of the historical figure.
“Several decades have passed since 1991. Many archives have been opened. We can study our history differently. Will we really fail to take advantage of this priceless opportunity? And, having taken it, to break the vicious circle in which we spin from a positive myth to a negative one?” Sergey Kurginyan explained.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
