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NEWS > EVERYONE ELSE > MOSCOW RESIDENTS STILL FEELING THE PAIN OF STALIN’S LEGACY WITH POPLAR INFESTATION
MOSCOW RESIDENTS STILL FEELING THE PAIN OF STALIN’S LEGACY WITH POPLAR INFESTATION
July 3 2011
Moscow, Russia – There are few who would argue that Russia is not better off now than it was under Stalin’s rule. Prosperity has returned to the ancient nation and her position in the world is probably more prominent now than it has been in a century. 
The people are happier and healthier and the country is largely respected by most of the globe. That is more or less exactly the opposite of life under Stalin.
Uncle Joe’s rule isolated Russia from the bulk of the world. While there was certainly some fiscal success in the early days, eventually the weight of that isolation and lack of innovation dragged Russia ever downwards. The nation was in a perpetual state of war and the inhabitants of this long civilized society were forced the stay still and even regress in the most progressive era in human history. Whether those issues were a result of Communism, tyrannical rule, global politics, or some combination of those factors the reality was very potent for the people of the country. For many people that legacy has still not ended nearly sixty years after Stalin’s death, as if he still reaches out from the grave to strangle the life out of the Russian people. While the economy has bounced back and Russia no longer stands a pariah, Stalin’s fierce and violent domination is still seen in the streets of Moscow in the form of menacing poplar trees.
“I must keep my windows closed and must take special medication everyday in the summer. It is terrible for my health. I feel ill nearly every day. I sneeze and sniff. My 
throat closes up and my eyes water. It is horrible,” said Moscow resident Vladimir Dvorzhetskii . “My grandparents lived under Stalin’s rule and now I finally understand their stories. Even from beyond the grave he cannot leave the people alone. I want merely to live like an ordinary man, but I am subjected to this type of treatment every day.”
At issue are the hundreds of poplar trees lining the streets of Moscow. The trees, Which were ordered planted by Stalin, are all female which shed fluff or ‘pukh’ every summer, which wreaks havoc on hay fever sufferers.
“In theory it was a good idea, and something that most people would not think of in respect to Stalin and Soviet-era Russia. Traditionally the idea runs that the Soviet empire was a concrete menace, a rugged industrial Mecca built on concrete and steel, but they planted these trees to combat exactly that,” said Scrape TV Horticultural analyst Michelle Wattaro. “Unfortunately they planted the female variety of the poplar which sheds this fluff every season. According to what I’ve read, from now declassified government documents, Stalin himself ignored the advice of experts at the time and went ahead and planted all females. The males don’ shed like that.”
Stalin chose the poplars because of their rapid growth rate. Reportedly anyone who objected to his choice has never been heard from since.
“From what I gather there was a major purge of all horticultural experts in the country
shortly before the trees were planted. That probably led to a limited pool of knowledge about what different trees did and for those handful of experts who did survive the purge they either vanished or just kept their mouths shut, which has led to the current situation,” continued Wattaro. “Now they are stuck with these trees. Tearing them down and replacing them is not really an option because it would take many generations for them to mature, which would create a blight on the city but so many people are suffering as a result they may have no option but to make a drastic move. It’s really a sad story. Once again Stalin’s long arm reaches out and causes turmoil in the lives of ordinary Russians and their trees.”
Reportedly Vladimir Putin loves the trees and is often seen gliding through the fluff with no shirt.
Emil Uliya, International Correspondent
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