Yesterday in the center Of Ukraine’s second largest city a pro-Ukraine crowd cut the legs from underneath Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and pulled his image to the ground!
Lenin falls in Kharkiv AP Photo/Igor Chekachkov
You may think, “Big deal, it was just a statue!”
It was a big deal and let me tell you why!
Lenin Was More Than a Leader, He Was Divine
One thing the leaders of the USSR quickly realized was that they couldn’t just get rid of the idea of God. People need a god, they need something or someone to worship.
It was clear by the time Lenin died that in the eyes of many people he had already risen to divine status. Nearly a million people passed by his body within the first 3 days after his death.
Soviet leaders decided that it would be good to keep Lenin around and had his body embalmed and placed for viewing in the Lenin Mausoleum. They also quickly renamed St. Petersburg, one of the most significant Russian cities, to Leningrad.
What followed in the years after was the creation of thousands of monuments, stories of how he loved children, songs of praise and many romanticized paintings of Lenin! His portrait hung in every classroom and children learned from an early age how amazing Lenin was and that he loved them and that he was their “grandfather.”
They even had a saying about Lenin that went like this:
Lenin was, Lenin is, Lenin will be!
Does that sound familiar? Maybe because it describes the nature of God!
Here’s an excerpt from nice song that children would sing about Lenin.
Lenin – is the blossom of spring,
Lenin – a victory cry!
Hail the centuries, Lenin,
Our dear Ilyich!The fate of peoples dreams of generations
He foresaw with his eagle eye.
Immortal, in life, Lenin will live forever
It was his wise work that created the communist party.
Lenin Was Really a Russian Leader
They may have called it the Soviet Union but in reality the former USSR was a Russian led and Russian dominated state. Moscow was the capital and the glory of the Soviet Union. Russians saw it as their empire, their dominion.
Everything significant happened in Moscow. The communist party headquarters was in Moscow and from it flowed all power and authority. Although Russia was technically a republic of the USSR it had by far the largest population and the greatest landmass. The other republics recognized that the Soviet Union was really a Russian union.
Lenin Represents the Soviet Style Leadership
Soviet style of leadership is typified by a system that is held together with bribes, threats, fear and oppression. It is a system that allows only the dishonest to get rich and stay rich. It promotes cronyism and corruption.
If you grew up in Ukraine or Russia then it’s safe to say that if you see a wealthy person or a person with political power you immediately assume that they are corrupt. You know that there’s very little chance of getting to where they are with out being involved in some less than honest practices.
Many Ukrainians are demanding a new style of leadership. A style that looks more like Western Europe, where laws are meant to protect the people and not those in power. Where you can live honestly, obey the law and still do well. They don’t want to be forced back into this new form of the Soviet Union that is rolling across the border to the East.
Lenin Represents the Current Russo-Nationalistic Movement
The current movement of Russo-nationalism certainly looks much different than the communistic utopia that Lenin tried so hard to create. Honestly, I think Lenin himself would be horrified by what is happening in Eastern Ukraine right now. However, for Ukrainians Lenin represents Russian domination and authority.
Lenin represents the forceful expansion of the Russian Federation into places like South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Transnistria, Crimea and Eastern Ukraine.
What the Toppling of Lenin Means in Kharkiv
Kharkiv is Ukraine’s second largest city and it lies less than 20 miles from the Russian border. Kharkiv is primarily a Russian speaking city and historically has many close ties to Russia. Many people who live in and around Kharkiv travel back and forth to Russia on regular basis for business and to visit family.
Despite these close ties to Russia Kharkiv is making a bold statement! They are saying,
“We do not welcome a Russian invasion! We do not want Russian control! We do not want to go back to the Soviet Union!”
Thankfully, so far Kharkiv has managed to successfully keep Russia from slipping her fingers around the neck of this Ukrainian city. Now that the Lenin idol is down, I’m hopeful that this will mark a future free from Russian aggression!
Bryan Entzminger at Engaging M
September 30, 2014Wow Caleb! Thanks for sharing. This quote really stood out to me, “People need a god, they need something or someone to worship.”
Growing up in the US towards the end of the cold war, my information on Russia and USSR was largely informed by movies. I didn’t have any idea that some of the decisions were so strategic. Or that some of what I thought was romanticism or propaganda was rooted in reality.
Caleb
October 1, 2014Yes, there was a lot of thought that went into the propoganda machine in Moscow and I’d have to say that there still is.
Bill (cycleguy)
September 30, 2014Thanks for the history lesson Caleb. So much we don’t know.
Caleb
October 1, 2014You’re welcome Bill!
DS
September 30, 2014When we traveled to Ukraine this year I was amazed at the use of statues to promote a story. Every city we went to had a monument dedicated to the end of fascism. In Kyiv the gatekeeper of the city to protect it from fascism, and then of course the Lenin statues.
Great insight here Caleb. After hearing of some various undertones in and around Kharkiv, it was encouraging to see this action, as well as the governors action regarding it being removed.
Caleb
October 1, 2014In general it seems that the USSR used monuments way more than the West. Maybe it’s because they were trying so hard to brainwash people.
DS
October 1, 2014Historically they have always been masters of propaganda. I always read about it, but until I traveled to Eastern Europe, I had no idea the true impact of their effectiveness.
And the statues were one portion that was something I had not reflected on in the past. You didn’t mention that these statues are maintained, and flowers and wreaths are laid on them.
Even now, they utilize TV and the internet in ways that the West has yet to fully understand. I could tell within a few minutes which news people consumed based on the terms used while in Ukraine, because it was the same exact terms (almost verbatim) spoken by the government of Russia.
Caleb
October 1, 2014Yes, I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately because you cn really see it in action here much more than in the US, although it does exist there too. I think there are some deep lessons that the church can learn about the importance of always speaking truth and about the power of communicating truth to a world that is being deceived.
DS
October 1, 2014Wow. Well said. That’s something else I haven’t fully understood – the influence of the Orthodox organizations. Enjoyed this conversation Caleb.
Maureen Ray
October 1, 2014Reminds me of a documentary I once watched about Joseph Stalin when he was in charge of the Soviet Union. Children were instructed to ask God if they could be showered with candy from the ceiling of a building. They did so and no candy was forthcoming. They were then told to ask Comrade Stalin if he would shower them with candy and when they did government officials opened trapdoors in the ceiling and pushed the candy through so it fell to the waiting children. This was a very successful brainwashing exercise that convinced people that Stalin was divine.
Princess Diana was adored so much by some people that it verged on worship. The Roman Catholic Church venerates its saints to the level of divinity in that they pray to them as if they were God.
There is a deep need in people to have a God. However the vast majority of the world’s population do not know the true God. They are either atheists or trapped in some false religion like Islam, Mormonism or Roman Catholicism and most so-called Christian Churches are apostate. Our local Anglican Church does not believe in the Rapture and when we tried to explain it to them they became very hostile.
Matthew 22:14 Many are called but few are chosen.
We are indeed honoured and blessed to know Jesus as our Saviour.
Caleb
October 1, 2014Whenever a society tries to replace God with an idol it will end up falling sooner or later!
TCAvey
October 1, 2014Understanding a culture, their history and beliefs helps put new meaning on events. I think there’s much the world needs to learn (or re-learn) about people all over this world. So much is transpiring that can’t be easily explained or understood, therefore solutions are more complex than what many want to acknowledge or realize.
Thanks for sharing this. God bless you all.
Caleb
October 1, 2014It’s sad when you see history repeating it’s self! Unfortunately not many people are keen to learn from the mistakes of the past and other evil people are keen to repeat them.
TCAvey
October 1, 2014You’re so right, Caleb. Your comment brought two thoughts to mind:
1. The book “Rules for Radicals”
2. The Old Testament. God’s people have repeated history time and again. They trust God, He blesses them, they get comfortable and forget to keep Him first and then disaster strikes and they eventually cry out to Him again.
Maureen Ray
October 1, 2014Thank you for replying to me and generating so much thought on making false gods. I put my children on a pedestal and one by one He removed them and praise God replaced them with Himself. He is so totally sufficient. My greatest sin, I believe, was to be able to bring them up in a home where His light and life were honoured and upheld. Now I must trust Him and know our prayers will one day, be answered.
May God keep you all safe in His care.
floyd
October 2, 2014What a great history lesson. I learned more in the last couple of minutes about Russia and the Ukraine than I have in the last thirty years, I’m amazed at how other people must not know a lot about the history of the world either. If they did they’d realize that a Godless society always fails… Thanks Caleb.
Caleb
October 2, 2014Well put Floyd! It’s so easy to forget the mistakes of the past.