Russian MP Condems Stalin Statue Sales in Duma

Russian lawmaker Sergei Mironov on Monday condemned the sales of busts of Soviet leader Josef Stalin, one of the 20th century's most brutal dictators, at a kiosk inside the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament. Visitors to the State Duma can buy a small figurine of the former Soviet leader for 6,000 rubles ($194) or a bigger bust for 30,000 rubles ($967). A full-length statue of Stalin smoking his pipe is also for sale for an undisclosed sum. “I think such busts should not be sold inside the walls of the State Duma,” Mironov, the head of A Just Russia's parliamentary faction and former Federation Council chairman, told reporters on Monday. Critics have accused President Vladimir Putin of attempting to bolster Stalin’s reputation. Recently introduced state-approved school history books describe Stalin as an “effective manager,” and have significantly reduced the number of those estimated to have been killed by his regime.

http://en.ria.ru/russia/20130513/181118423/Russian-MP-Condems-Stalin-Statue-Sales-in-Duma.html