• Civility [none/use name]
      ·
      2 years ago

      Montefiore, the man who wrote the book, is a published historian and was already rich, famous and connected at the time he wrote the book the claim was in. The claim wasn't the centrepiece of the book and it wasn't accompanied by any real larger propaganda push to tarnish Stalin's legacy, Montefiore had everything to lose if he was caught lying about or falsifying historical records and very little to gain by doing so.

      There were rumors at the time, that's a matter of public record, that were dismissed as baseless slander. Montefiore had access for the first time to unsealed Soviet records he says were about Beria investigating the rumors, finding out to his shock they were probably true and covering it up again. Montefiore did have access to previously sealed Soviet records about Stalin's personal life and the keepers of the records haven't contradicted him, nor have Stalin's family.

      There was a DNA test a few years later (one of Stalin's grandsons by Vasily volunteered) which corroborated Montefiorre's story.

      It's not a pleasant piece of history but I don't see any reason to doubt it.

      • TankieTanuki [he/him]
        ·
        2 years ago

        Apparently Montefiore was in Epstein's little black book. :what-the-hell:

        https://www.reddit.com/r/conspiracy/comments/i5orop/a_notsobrief_rundown_of_the_letter_s_in_jeffrey/

      • TankieTanuki [he/him]
        ·
        2 years ago

        Montefiore had access for the first time to unsealed Soviet records he says were about Beria investigating the rumors, finding out to his shock they were probably true and covering it up again.

        Did he publish the records? According to the reddit post:

        [Montefiore] cites a statement by KGB head Serov that supposedly confirms the story but there is no actual reference to this document in the bibliography, nor an image of the document in question. The only direct quote from this source is: “J. V. Stalin started living together with her.” [i.e. in the same house as her parents]

      • TankieTanuki [he/him]
        ·
        2 years ago

        Thanks for the context. I don't remember the details of the discussion I read, so I'll take the doubts with a grain of salt then.

        There was a DNA test a few years later (one of Stalin’s grandsons by Vasily volunteered) which corroborated Montefiorre’s story.

        I saw this too, in the Siberian Times, but when I shared it comrades told me it wasn't a reputable newspaper. Could have just been cope, idk.

        Edit: I think this may have been what I saw. I'm reading it now.