A Russian Communist party supporter holds a portrait of Joseph Stalin during a wreath laying ceremony at the memorial stone for World War II Hero City Stalingrad to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad in Moscow, Russia, 02 February 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE/MAXIM SHIPENKOV
Vladimir Putin has signed a decree renaming the international airport in the southern Russian city of Volgograd “Stalingrad” in honour of the upcoming 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, the Kremlin announced on Tuesday.
The announcement came following a meeting with Volgograd region Governor Andrey Bocharov, in which, according to the Kremlin, Bocharov conveyed the wishes of “veterans and participants of the special military operation” for such a move.
“Their word is law for me. … As soon as I return to Moscow, a decree will be prepared … on renaming the airport Stalingrad,” Putin said, according to state-affiliated news agency Interfax.
Responding to the decree, which the Kremlin said took immediate effect, Bocharov called the name “authentic, proud, courageous, and heroic”, according to independent news outlet Meduza.
The change will not affect the city of Volgograd, which was named Stalingrad from 1925 to 1961 in honour of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. The city was renamed after Stalin’s death by his successor Nikita Khrushchev as part of a wider de-Stalinisation programme that included removing his name from the state anthem, prominent monuments and other public landmarks.
Since 2013, Volgograd has temporarily been renamed Stalingrad several times in commemoration of the Battle of Stalingrad, a key World War II battle fought from 1942 to 1943. According to a 2023 poll by the state-owned Russian Public Opinion Research Centre, two thirds of Volgograd residents oppose permanently renaming their city.
