Comments on: Stalin in London

By: varske

varske — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 20:45:32 +0000

When I worked in Kiev in 1995-7 our office manager was called Karl Marx. As far as I know he is now in London but I suspect not in the British Museum.

I also knew somebody whose first name was Vilen, apparently a quite common name.

By: Andy

Andy — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 08:30:21 +0000

I haven’t actually met the Stalin in question, so can’t really enlighten you all that much.

His surname is Portugese, however, so in my mind, I imagine he is from South America somewhere, presumably with left-wing parents.

As for Soviet names generally, I hear that names like Stalin and Lenin are very popular in parts of India. There’s even a town in Kerala called Moscow. This BBC article reports on a reunion of six Lenins, two Gagarins and a pair of Pushkins.

By: Global Voices Online » Blog Archive » Ukraine, FSU: Stalin

Global Voices Online » Blog Archive » Ukraine, FSU: Stalin — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 13:19:12 +0000

[...] at Siberian Light, readers discuss weird first names, such as Stalin, Ninel, and Vladlen. Carpetblogger writes about the Donetsk [...]

By: N.S. Rubashov

N.S. Rubashov — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 09:27:01 +0000

Lyndon’s initial point about Stalin as a first name is right on the money – it’s highly unsual compared to the usual “Soviet glory” names, which is why I’m still curious to know when he was born. And more specifically, I’d like to know under what circumstances he came to have that name in the first place (is he even Russian? Were his parents communist sympathizers? Just a really, really unfortunate coincidence?)

Let’s hear more about this guy!

By: Heribert Schindler

Heribert Schindler — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 09:07:20 +0000

To add a humourous “comment”:

A common joke here goes …

A girl applies for a job. She is asked about her first name …. She replies “Wazhsodasein”.

The interviewer askes if were of Middle Eastern origin.

No, she replies, the name is an abbreviation of my father’s first words when mother brought me home from hospital after birth.

Was zur h�lle soll das sein ?

(The phrase translates to :What the f*** is this supposed to be ?)

By: Blair Sheridan

Blair Sheridan — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 07:43:03 +0000

Er..”Marx Engels Lenin Stalin.” Sorry

By: Blair Sheridan

Blair Sheridan — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 07:41:57 +0000

I knew a Kazakh environmentalist named “????,” short for “????? ?????? ?????? ??????.”

By: Heribert Schindler

Heribert Schindler — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 18:11:46 +0000

In one of Boris Akunin’s books appears a character named “Mirat”. The character suggests his name to be a combination of “???” and “????” to symbolize the USSR’s intention to make only peacefully use of its nuclear technology. Unlike the evil capitalistic and imperialistic powers in the West

By: Sean

Sean — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 17:38:08 +0000

I actually have an article from Iunyi proletarii (one of the main Komsomol journals) from 1924 (No. 66, Jan 1924, p. 4)that addresses the issue of revolutionary names. Its says that the older generation gave their children saint names. “Our generation must be filled with revolutionary content,” it reads. “Our task, as komsomoltsy, is to reflect Komsomol life in the next generation.” The author suggests giving names like Ninel, Oktiabrina, Zvezdochka, Smena, Ucheba, Kim (which stands for Communist Youth International), Vil, Krasarm (for Krasnaia Armii), Miud (International Youth Day) Inkor, Mai and Trud. But my ultimate favorite is that the article suggests giving names for revolutionary events like Miud. Can you imagine? Gives a whole new meaning to red diaper baby.

By: Heribert Schindler

Heribert Schindler — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 17:25:27 +0000

Lyndon wrote: And Heribert, is it true that there is control over what you can name your kid in Germany?!

There is a so-called “Namensregister” (register of names) which lists all the names which will be accepted without any discussion. Should you come up with a name not in the register, then it’s up to the official to decide whether this name is a name or not (or up to you convincing him). But it clearly has to be a name, no attribute or condition. And it has to have some seriousness to it.

People tried to name their kids “Afrika” or “Asia” and couldn’t. “Europa” (Europe) passed as it is a ancient Greek name.

Popeye won’t pass. But there is always an exception to the rule. If you manage to convince the official to note it down, and the name ends in the birth certificate, then the “name” is a name.

Then even “Coca and Cola” or “Cosima Proxima” will pass for being names.