A century after the Russian revolution, the last tsar stands tall
(The Guardian Russia)

The events of 1917 still divide Russians - Lenin may dominate the landscape but he has a rival in Nicholas II thanks to a resurgent Orthodox churchVladimir Lenin gazes impassively into the middle-distance from his pedestal outside the courthouse in Leninsk-Kuznetsky, a Siberian mining town that bears his name. Lenin, who called for `bloodsucking` rich men to be hanged, seems an incongruous figure to stand guard outside a court of law in capitalist Russia.Recently, an even more surprising monument has appeared in the town´s main square. A group of enthusiasts, with the full support of the mayor, unveiled a statue of Nicholas II, amid fanfare and the blessings of an Orthodox priest: a monument to Russia´s last tsar in the central square of a town named after the man who ordered him killed.When we look at the lessons from a century ago, we see how ambiguous the results were Continue reading...