internet humor about stalin netinalju stalinist - Eesti Rahvaluule

Arvo Krikmann
more! (No. 93). Stalin decides the fate of writer Sinyavski: there is already
a sports commentator called Sinyavski, we don’t need two of them (No.
114). Stalin says to Zinoviev: “Gratefulness – that is a kind of dog’s disease
(собачья болезнь)” (No. 32). At their first meeting, an agitated Ribbentrop
inadvertently greets Stalin with the words “Heil!”, to which Stalin answers
by curtseying (No. 252). Stalin introduces Beria to Charles de Gaulle: “is
is our Himmler!” (No. 86). Stalin strokes Khrushchev’s bald head while reciting
the alliterative words: “Мой маленький Маркс!” (My little Marx!)
(No. 175). In order to ensure that the precision of weather forecasts rises
from 40% to 60%, Stalin recommends reversing forecasts (No. 170). When
asked what should be done with Marshal Rokossovsky, who philanders with
other men’s women, Stalin replies: “Envy him!” (No. 126) – the latter is one
of those jokes that has been very extensively quoted and adapted in actual
journalistic, literary, conversational or other contexts.
Many of the Stalin jokes that attempt to give the impression of being
true stories are connected with the name Karl Radek. Radek was a Jew and a
Trotskyite who had at one point been expelled from the party, and then reinstated.
In 1936 he was arrested and in 1939 was killed in a labour camp. He
had become too well known as an author of witticisms and jokes. Radek does
not extol Stalin, he mocks him: Moses led the Jews out of Egypt, whereas
Stalin led them out of the Politburo (No. 31). Radek says: It wasn’t I who invented
the joke that Stalin is the great leader of peoples (No. 71). One story
has achieved international distribution: in a prison, three men are discussing
why they are there – one criticised Radek, the other praised him, and the
third was Radek himself (No. 29).
As mentioned above, there is no clear distinction between an aphoristic
item and a narrative that ends with a striking rejoinder. ere are also purely
aphoristic items in the Stalin-related material on the web, which are not connected
with specific story contexts. Of Stalin’s own, the most famous are, for
instance: “No person – no problem” (No. 97); “It doesn’t matter how people
vote, but who counts the votes” (No. 82); “e greatest happiness is to have
an enemy – to hunt him, destroy him and then have a glass of good wine”
(No. 85).
ere are also sayings about Stalin that have been ascribed to other heads
of state and politicians – these are usually critical or mocking, and less often
complimentary. A great number of sayings about Stalin have been ascribed
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