Alexander Nevsky chosen as greatest Russian
Tuesday December 30, 2008
I'm pleased to report that the soviet dictator Joseph Stalin was surpassed in a Russia-wide poll as the greatest Russian in history by reformer Pyotr Stolipin and, in first place, the medieval prince Alexander Nevsky. I must admit I'm surprised; I'd thought Peter the Great might have scored higher, being more recent and more well-known; but Russians apparently are conscious of their medieval history -- at least, those who voted in the poll appear to be. And perhaps Sergei Eisenstein's 1938 epic had some influence, as well.
Find out more about the poll in the item at Indopia or the article at the National Post. There's also a news clip from Russia Today at YouTube. For more about Alexander Nevsky, check out his Who's Who profile and the concise biography from your Guide.
Comments
My favorite Russians would not be butcherers or mass killers but men of culture and sophistication. Hence names like Tchaikovsky, Rimsky Korsakov, Alexander Borodin would be stellar in the category of men who have added dimension to the human experience in a world of frightful misery.