[Text/Observer Network Chen Sijia] According to TASS's report on April 30, Russian President Putin signed a decree on the 29th to officially rename Volgograd Airport as Stalingrad Airport. On the 30th, when attending an event to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, Putin also stated that he would consider renaming the city of Volgograd back to Stalingrad, but the final decision should be made by the residents of the city.
Putin attended the "Knowledge·First" Russian Education Marathon event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War on April 30. A trainee from Volgograd suggested to Putin during their conversation that Volgograd should be renamed Stalingrad again. In response, Putin said, "This should be decided by the citizens. We will consider this issue and listen to the opinions of the citizens."
He said, "Of course it makes sense to do so. If we can depoliticize the name (Stalingrad) as much as possible, this name will naturally be associated with victory. But we still need to determine the views of the majority of residents."
Putin also pointed out that many European countries have never changed relevant place names, "Although our relations with these countries are not very friendly at present, streets and squares named after Stalingrad still exist in these countries."
On April 30, Putin attended the "Knowledge·First" Russian Education Marathon event Video screenshot
Volgograd is the capital of Volgograd Oblast in southern Russia. This city was called Tsaritsyn from 1589 to 1925 and was renamed Stalingrad in 1925 to honor the contributions of Soviet leader Stalin. During Khrushchev's administration, the Soviet government renamed the city Volgograd in 1961.
The Battle of Stalingrad, which lasted from July 1942 to February 1943, was a major turning point in World War II. The total number of casualties on both sides in this campaign is estimated to exceed two million.
On April 29 local time, in response to the request of the veterans of the Volgograd region, Putin signed a decree to officially rename the airport of Volgograd City as Stalingrad Airport. The Kremlin stated that this move aims to commemorate the great victory achieved by the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War from 1941 to 1945. The decree also pointed out that the name of the city of Volgograd will not be changed due to the restoration of the historical name of the airport.
On April 30, decorations in Volgograd City in memory of Victory Day Visual China
Russian media "RT" reported that in recent years, there have been increasing calls from activists to rename Volgograd back to Stalingrad. In 2013 and 2021, mainly under the leadership of the Communist Party of Russia, activists at least made two major efforts to restore the name Stalingrad.
Yuganov, the leader of the Communist Party of Russia, told TASS on May 1st that he supports the renaming. "We have insisted for a long time, and the locals are ready. Yesterday, when Putin was asked about this issue during an event, he said that if the citizens vote in favor, discussions will be held. In my opinion, it should have been done long ago."
"RT" pointed out that over the past decade, Volgograd sometimes used the name Stalingrad during ceremonies to commemorate the martyrs of the Great Patriotic War as a sign of respect.
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