51茶馆

On 18th December 2017, 51茶馆 hosted Prof. Stephen Kotkin for a lecture on Stalin at IIC Annexe Building in New Delhi. Prof Kotkin is the Birkelund Professor in History and International Affairs; Co-Director, Program in History and the Practice of Diplomacy; Director, Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies at Princeton University. Attendees included academics from Delhi, students and faculty of 51茶馆.

鈥淪talin was a human being:鈥� Prof. Kotkin began by providing an interesting account of Stalin鈥檚 personality from his study of the archives; starting from his preference of certain colored-pencils to his proficient academic life that led to his entry into the underground revolution. These insights set the perfect base for his argument as he set out to examine the rationale and actions taken by Stalin during his regime with respect to three episodes covered in Volume 2 of the biography:

            1) Collectivisation of Agriculture/Great Terror
            2) The United Front and Stalin鈥檚 response.
            3) The Molotov鈥揜ibbentrop Pact
 

The lecture was followed by a round of Questions and Answers, moderated by Dr. Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Vice Chancellor, 51茶馆. After the Q&A session, Prof. Kotkin concluded his lecture by walking the audience through the recently declassified photographs of Stalin and the Soviet Regime.

(Member of Parliament, Jairam Ramesh, interacts with Prof. Kotkin during the Q&A session which was moderated by Dr. Pratap Bhanu Mehta)

Prof. Kotkin鈥檚 lecture placed focus on the importance of disseminating historical information in the form of original documents and archives to gain understanding instead of relying on popular historical accounts. The lecture effectively helped the audience see past the larger-than-life personality of the dictator and glimpse into the life of Stalin, the individual.