July 23, 2023

What's in a Name? Stalin.


What's in a Name? Stalin.
"The Motherland Calls," a monument in the Russian city that used to be called Stalingrad. The Russian Life files.

The government of Volgograd, the city famed as the former StalBattle of Stalingradingrad, has added September 3 to the roster of days when it takes on its old Soviet name.

According to the city duma in a July 19 press release, this new date marks "the day of victory over militaristic Japan and the end of World War II." On September 3, city signs will be changed to "Stalingrad" as a nod to the Soviet past.

This is not the first temporary renaming that Volgograd has adopted. Since 2022, nine other dates throughout the year have been selected as annual times when the city goes by Stalingrad, including May 9, Russia's main patriotic holiday.

Volgograd was founded as Tsaritsyn in the sixteenth century. However, in 1924, the Soviet government changed the city's name to Stalingrad to honor the USSR's new general secretary. In 1961, during de-Stalinization, the name was changed to Volgograd, after the Volga River which runs through it,

During World War II, Stalingrad was the site of the largest battles in human history, in which nearly 2 million lost their lives as Nazi Germany obliterated the city while trying to take it.

Later in the war, in August 1945, the Soviet Union declared war on Germany's ally Japan and invaded Manchuria, attacking from the north and west as the US and Western allies fought in the Pacific. The war ended less than a month later, with Japan's surrender.

The choice to adopt renaming days for Volgograd comes amid a surge in Russian patriotism as the war in Ukraine wears on.

You Might Also Like

Stalin Returns to Volgograd
  • February 05, 2023

Stalin Returns to Volgograd

A new bust of Stalin has been erected in Volgograd, raising questions about the identity of the city.
Battle of Stalingrad
  • January 01, 1998

Battle of Stalingrad

One million Russia lives were lost, but, Hitler was turned back and Russia can be credited with changing the tide of WWII in Europe.
Women Combat Aviators of the Patriotic War
  • August 08, 2000

Women Combat Aviators of the Patriotic War

Told that the Rodina was not in so bad a shape that she needed girls to protect her, these future heroes were sent home to their mothers.  Soon, they were called back and became a crucial element in the protection of their homeland and victory over Nazi Germany.
A Patriotic Statement Piece
  • June 30, 2022

A Patriotic Statement Piece

Russian schools have been given a billion rubles to purchase state symbols to decorate their walls.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955