UNCLE JOE'S DINER
Stalin-themed shawarma joint falls foul of Moscow authorities
Stalin Doner, a Joseph Stalin-themed Moscow takeaway selling coffee and shawarma (the tasty street food snack comprising slices of meat served in a wrap or pitta, accompanied by chopped or shredded vegetables, pickles and assorted condiments) has been forced to close, shortly after its opening. There were complaints about the shop’s branding, which featured the Soviet dictator’s portrait, and about shop staff uniforms – those of Soviet-era security service officers. Stalin Doner’s menu featured dishes named after Stalin himself, his infamous NKVD security service chief Lavrentiy Beria, and Nikita Khrushchev.
Owner Stanisla v Voltman explained how police had initially ordered him to take down the Stalin sign, but said that “colossal pressure” from municipal authorities later forced him to close Stalin Doner altogether. Local residents had filed a complaint, but Mr Voltman insisted there were no legal reasons for closure. He intends to reopen his controversial but lucrative shawarma shop as soon as he can hire new staff. Two previous employees had left due to unwanted police attention, he said: “There are people who are interested, but not everyone is willing to work under the conditions surrounding my poor spot.”
Conservative estimates put the number of Soviet citizens killed under Stalin’s regime at 3 million, with 1.2 million executions or deaths in detention during the Great Purge of 1937-1938. Of the 18 million people who passed through the Gulag labour camp system between 1930 and 1953, an estimated 1.7 million died. In addition, between 3 and 12 million Ukrainians died during the Holodomor (Great Famine) of 1932-1933, regarded by many historians as intentional Soviet state policy, and by some as deliberate genocide.
Post-Soviet Russia has seen the rehabilitation of Stalin; once regarded as a bloody tyrant, he is now feted as a strongman who defeated Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War (WWII) and a leader who transformed Russia from a backward, feudal country to a world power through his rapid industrialisation programmes. Vladimir Putin is in part responsible for Stalin’s renewed popularity, having revived the Soviet anthem, Soviet-style military parades, and reinstated a Soviet-era medal for labour during his presidency. In recent polling, 70 per cent of Russians approve of Stalin’s role in history. themoscowtimes.com, 11 Jan 2021.