On This Day: Death of Stalin

The photo to the right is the death mask of Joseph Stalin. Today is the anniversary of his death on March 5, 1953.

The BBC summed up his life in this way:

"One of the most powerful and murderous dictators in history, Stalin was the supreme ruler of the Soviet Union for a quarter of a century. His regime of terror caused the death and suffering of tens of millions, but he also oversaw the war machine that played a key role in the defeat of Nazism."

One of our historical consultants on our feature film, Under Jakob's Ladder, put it this way in his blog today:

"[Stalin's] regime killed millions in man made famines, firing squads, labor camps and special settlements. Only Hitler and Mao had comparable records of mass murder in the 20th century."

Yes, Stalin was in power at the time when our movie, Under Jakob's Ladder, is set. He was the one who created an atmosphere of fear and paranoia that filled up the Soviet prison system. Our movie takes place in one of those prisons...