Posted by Sean on January 3, 2008
Third Congresses seem to have great significance in the history of Russia’s pro-state youth organizations. The 3rd Komsomol Congress held in 1920 steered the organization away from Civil War to socialist construction. It was there that Lenin gave his famous “The Tasks of the Youth Leagues” speech that urged that young communists must “learn communism.” Lenin said,
“I must say that the tasks of the youth in general, and of the Young Communist Leagues and all other organisations in particular, might be summed up in a single word: learn. . . The teaching, training and education of the youth must proceed from the material that has been left to us by the old society. We can build communism only on the basis of the totality of knowledge, organisations and institutions, only by using the stock of human forces and means that have been left to us by ..read more
Posted by Sean on January 3, 2008
I have yet to read Simon Sebag Montefiore’s acclaimed Young Stalin. Now I might not have to. According to the Guardian, Montefiore has signed a contract with Miramax, producer Alison Owen of Elizabeth fame, and screenwriter John Hodge of Trainspotting to do a celluloid version of the book. Not a bad follow-up to receiving the Costa Book Award for Best Biography of 2007.
The real question is who should play the young Stalin? If it was up to Montefiore, Koba’s salad days in the revolutionary underground would be played by none other that Johnny Depp. “If it’s not done in Georgian, Johnny Depp would be perfect for the lead role,” he told reporters.
Given the supposed attention Montefiore gives to Koba’s many love affairs, Depp sounds like a perfect choice to play the Georgian Don Juan turned Communist dictator.
Photo: Lenta.ru
