Only a few months have passed since the return of the monument to F.E. Dzerzhinsky at Lubyanka Square. There were a great many opponents and supporters of such a decision by the authorities. In order to understand the reasons for such a stormy social reaction, let us try to understand the role of the personality of Iron Felix in the history of the USSR.
Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky: biography
The famous statesman of the Soviet era began his life in the family of a small nobleman - Eduard Iosifovich Dzerzhinsky, who serves as a teacher of the local gymnasium. The name of the Soviet commissar - Felix - is translated from Latin as "happy." And it was given to the child that his mother, falling a few days before giving birth through negligence to the open cellar, not only did not break herself, but was also able to protect her child from injuries.
The Dzerzhinsky family did not live well. After the head of the family died of tuberculosis in 1882, the mother had to raise nine children alone, the oldest of which at that time was twelve years old, and the youngest was only a year and a half.
Despite all these difficulties, Felix Edmundovich had the opportunity to study at the Lithuanian gymnasium, where in 1895 he met with representatives of the Social Democratic movement and joined the party. With regard to diligence, contemporaries evaluated the knowledge of the young man as mediocre. So, from the documents it follows that Dzerzhinsky remained twice in the first grade and was unable to finish training, having received only a certificate of completion of the eighth grade. By the way, in Russian and Greek languages he had unsatisfactory marks.
However, failure to study did not interfere with successful underground activities. Since 1896, Dzerzhinsky has been actively promoting propaganda among artisans and factory workers, for which he has been repeatedly convicted and sentenced to exile and hard labor. Even in custody, Dzerzhinsky is preparing for the October Revolution, organizing the first Red Guard detachments in Moscow, and taking part in party meetings. After the revolution, he holds important posts in the Soviet government, becomes the head of the detachments of the People’s Commissariats (People’s Commissariat - the central authority in the Union Republics) and establishes the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission (All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter-Revolution and Sabotage).
Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky died of a heart attack caused by a nervous breakdown during a speech at a meeting of the Central Committee on July 20, 1926.
State activity
Occupying public office in the newly formed military government, Dzerzhinsky developed the same vigorous activity that was characteristic of a revolutionary during the years of underground activity. The figure of Iron Felix in the history of the formation and organization of the Soviet Union is still ambiguous. And to this day it causes a lot of controversy.
Having been appointed to the post of head of the Cheka, Felix Edmundovich has established himself as a tough and cruel leader, ruthlessly destroying any attempts to disobey. It was during his reign in the Cheka that the policy of terror was included in the constant practice. It is no coincidence that the most terrible rumors and secrets will be associated with the activities of the Cheka much later in the West.
Dzerzhinsky believed that any measures, including mass terror, are permissible in the fight against counter-revolution. It is he who is credited with the famous saying that the Cheka’s repressive policy is extremely important and necessary, even if "its sword accidentally falls on the heads of the innocent." He actively spoke out against the restrictions on the authority of the department, openly advocated the application of the most stringent measures against rioters.
At the same time, the name of the great “Chekist” is also associated with more creative activities. So, after the October Revolution, there are about five million street children, and it is under the leadership of Dzerzhinsky that temporary boarding schools, orphanages and orphanages begin to be built, where the children received all the necessary help and had the opportunity to study. Among the first natives of such institutions - eight former homeless children who became academicians of the USSR Academy of Sciences, and one of them - Nikolai Petrovich Dubin - went down in history as a world famous geneticist.
Another side of the political activity of Dzerzhinsky is his active participation in the country's sports. Realizing that the employees of the power department cannot live without a good athletic form, he creates the DSO Dynamo, which today is one of the most popular sports societies in Russia.
Felix Edmundovich took part in the economic development of the state. At the Supreme Economic Council, he was engaged in the development of small private trade, tried to create favorable conditions for the development of peasant markets, and looked for ways to reduce the cost of production.
The revolutionary also actively supported the country's industrialization policy. Under his leadership, a single metallurgical complex appears, which has become one of the most advanced in the world. At the same time, Dzerzhinsky criticized the government and saw the party’s main mistake in concentrating on the military metal industry. In connection with his disagreement with such an economic policy, he repeatedly asked for his resignation.
Dzerzhinsky in art
The image of the indestructible Iron Felix was often used by writers and filmmakers. Images of statesman decorated postage stamps. His work was sung in verses by Soviet authors and the speeches of pioneers of the USSR, and his fate was described in many bibliographic roms. In addition, there are autobiographies written by Dzerzhinsky in different years, as well as a number of works devoted to the state security of the country. An ambiguous portrait of a revolutionary is also found in the literary works-memoirs of his contemporaries.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the name “great and terrible” also did not remain forgotten. During the years of perestroika, the story of one person from the story of the infallible hero, an associate of the revolution, passed into the category of tales of a ruthless criminal and terrorist.
In the modern world, disputes about the importance of the Dzerzhinsky figure in the history of the USSR also do not subside, and his image continues to inspire modern poets and writers. So references to Felix Edmundovich are found in the works of such musical groups as Lapis Trubetskoy and Aquarium.
Settlements bearing the name of Dzerzhinsky
After death, the name of F.E. Dzerzhinsky was assigned to many cities and villages in various republics of the Soviet Union. Higher educational institutions, squares, squares and parks, military units, factories and ships were named after him. The name of Iron Felix was assigned to streets and schools. The famous Chekist was revered as the main associate of the revolution and a faithful friend and ally of Lenin.
In modern Russia, there are more than a dozen rural settlements bearing the name of Dzerzhinsky, in addition, in the Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow regions there are cities of the same name: Dzerzhinsk and Dzerzhinsky.
In the territory of the two post-Soviet republics - Belarus and Ukraine - there are also about forty different villages and towns, as well as several large cities named after the famous revolutionary. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, a number of attempts were made to rename or return the original names of the settlements, but the matter did not advance beyond open discussions and a few votes.
Geographical features
In addition to cities and towns, the name of Dzerzhinsky bears a number of geographical objects. So, the highest point in the territory of modern Belarus is Dzerzhinsky Mountain. And in the Pamirs (a mountain system located in Central Asia at the junction of Tajikistan, China, Afghanistan and India), the peak of the Zaalai Range is called Dzerzhinsky Peak.
Monuments in the Russian Federation
Monuments and busts dedicated to the memory of the great revolutionary leader exist in many cities on the territory of the Russian Federation and in some CIS countries. So, one of the most famous is considered the monument to Dzerzhinsky in Volgograd, which was installed immediately after the death of Felix Edmundovich. Naturally, in the city named after this statesman, there is a monument on Dzerzhinsky Square. Even a certain pun comes out: in Dzerzhinsk, there is a monument to Dzerzhinsky on Dzerzhinsky. Samara also has its own personal head of the Cheka, it is installed on the forecourt of the city. Of course, there is a monument to this politician in Moscow, and not in a single copy. One of them was installed on the territory of the LOETZ plant, the other on Lubyanka Square, we will talk about it in more detail below. The remaining monuments and obelisks are located in Izhevsk, Ufa, Donetsk, Barnaul, Astrakhan and Penza.
Special attention should be paid to the monument located in the city of Dzerzhinsky. The fact is that here once there was one of the communes created especially for young street children. It was the natives of this educational institution who subsequently managed to “beat out into people,” and put on their own funds the first, then still plaster, monument to the famous revolutionary. He stood invariably on the main square of the city directly opposite the red commune, once the former building of the local monastery. However, gypsum is not a very durable material, and therefore, in the fall of 2004, the monument finally fell apart. Then the city administration decided to restore the monument, but now from bronze.
It is interesting that, unlike the monuments to the same Lenin, the monument to Dzerzhinsky in each city is different. Not only the clothes, the position of the hands and head of Iron Felix are changing, but even the age of the revolutionary is different. Such a feature unusual for the Soviet school of sculpture can be caused by attempts to display different character traits and periods of Dzerzhinsky's life. Indeed, for residents of Volgograd, Iron Felix is precisely the famous Chekist and immortal leader of the NKVD, and in little Dzerzhinsky he is remembered and revered as the main benefactor who ensured a happy and carefree childhood for several hundred Soviet communards.
Busts and monuments in the CIS countries
In the post-Soviet space there are not many monuments to this statesman. Most of the sculptures and busts were dismantled in the early years of perestroika. The haste with which these measures were taken makes us believe that the demolition of the monument to Dzerzhinsky is a certain obligatory ritual, vital for the transition to the era of "wild" capitalism.
Despite a series of pogroms, in some cities there are still references to the existence of Felix Edmundovich. Such “reminders” can be found in squares and parks in Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Transnistrian Republic, and Kyrgyzstan.
Note that in these countries, the monument to Dzerzhinsky does not represent any particular cultural value. But no one wants to get rid of them. After all, this is still part of our history.
Demolition of the Dzerzhinsky monument in Moscow
And now about the most important monument. The Dzerzhinsky monument in Moscow was erected on a historical and almost mystical place - Lubyanka Square. It was located directly opposite the building, where in different years there were central offices of such power structures as the KGB, MGB, NKVD, NKGB and OGPU of the USSR. Today, the FSB of Russia is located in the same place. The sculpture was created by order of the party and Stalin's personal order, and the project of the future monument was developed by the famous sculptor Eugene Vuchetich at that time.
The sculpture stood in its rightful place until the 1991 coup , when an angry and disappointed crowd literally swept the "satrap and tyrant" from its rightful pedestal. In an atmosphere of constant tension and unmotivated aggression, the demolition of the monument to Dzerzhinsky seemed the smallest of the problems facing the new government. She had enough trouble without it.
Therefore, when the monument to Dzerzhinsky was demolished from Lubyanka Square, the monument itself was simply removed and transferred to the park zone. After all the unrest associated with the transition from one political system to another subsided, it turned out that the majority of the population of the city of Moscow did not feel in the monument all the previous hatred that was so widely broadcast on television screens and “poured” from the pages Russian and Western newspapers. Everyone suddenly forgot about the monument and the very role of the individual in history ...
The further fate of the monument
As mentioned earlier, after all the putsch, the monument to Dzerzhinsky on the Lubyanka was dismantled and moved to a less significant place, namely, the Moscow Art Park. Here he would have stood until the end of time, but in 2013 the public again “stirred up” and came up with a new proposal. Now the demolition of the monument to Dzerzhinsky in Moscow seemed almost the most barbaric and meaningless act of all the time of perestroika.
The Russians insisted that, no matter how famous the Soviet leader, his role in the history of the country should not be forgotten. According to the results of opinion polls, it was found that about half of the capital's inhabitants advocated that the monument to Dzerzhinsky in Moscow be restored. Only about twenty-nine percent of respondents spoke out frankly against such an initiative, and the majority were worried not so much about the deserved re-erection of the monument, but about the cost of this operation.
However, the return of the monument to Dzerzhinsky still took place in 2014, already after the monument survived repeated dismantling and thorough reconstruction. The return of the monument to its rightful place was dedicated to the 137th anniversary of the birth of Felix Edmundovich. Thus, historical justice has triumphed, and Lubyanka Square has gained its former appearance . The monument to Dzerzhinsky returned to its rightful place.
Expert Opinion: Pros and Cons
At a time when the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion conducted a population survey on whether they want to restore the monument to Dzerzhinsky, among other things, the opinion of Russians about the personality of the revolutionary was analyzed.
It turned out that the majority of the respondents (about seventy-nine percent) were familiar with the history and activities of Iron Felix, and forty-seven percent of respondents favored him and his actions. Moreover, every third Russian expressed the idea that, despite disagreements about the methods used, the activities of the famous Chekist deserve respect. Another twenty-six percent of respondents said that there should be a monument on Dzerzhinsky Square, although they do not experience any strong emotions towards this person. Summing up all of the above, we can note that in general, modern society is neutral-positive in relation to this historical figure.
However, after the monument to Dzerzhinsky in Lubyanka was returned to its place, expert opinions of opponents of such a sharp change appeared.
So, for example, a negative opinion was expressed by independent journalist Konstantin Eggert. He believes that Dzerzhinsky’s monument does not deserve such honors. Other representatives of the modern intelligentsia adhere to a similar opinion. According to them, this monument, like the Lenin Mausoleum on Red Square, is a remnant of a past era that is completely meaningless and absolutely undeservedly continuing life in modern Russia. Moreover, for many it became an unpleasant discovery that the monuments to the victims of the NKVD repressions and their main tormentor were erected (or reinstalled) with an interval of several months. Such "duality", according to many, borders on duplicity. And it can’t bring anything good to society.
On the other hand, a number of experts who positively assessed the return of the monument to its former place, note that this was necessary primarily so that society would not forget about its history and its heritage. Silence of real facts, they believe, will only lead to a repetition of past mistakes.