Last week marked the 150th anniversary of the birth of Pyotr Stolypin. He remains very popular in Russia, and in 2008 a television poll voted him the second greatest Russian in history (although we should perhaps note here that Stalin came third !). The statue shown above was erected last year to mark the centenary of his assassination. It is also worth noting how keen modern Russian politicans like president-elect Putin are to associate themself with the former Prime Minister.
He is of course a contradictory figure. He is most know to us as the author of agricultural reform which could have made him “a potential saviour of Tsarism” (Hite). In his own words “give me twenty years of peace at home and abroad, and you will not recognise Russia.” Yet at the same time economic reform was coupled with political repression. He set up a system of field court-martials to deal with serious anti-governement crimes. All cases were conducted in two days, and without a defence counsel. The death penulty could not be commuted, and was carried out the next day. Chris Read estimates that thousands died this way, year after year. Indeed, the gallow’s noose became known as the “Stolypin’s necktie” (see below).
This newspaper biography of his life is well worth a read. It includes the view from a exhibition on Stolypin from the State Historical Museum that “in the opinion of many historians, Stolypin was the person who could have prevented World War and revolution.”
How far do you agree ?
Mr Kydd.
