Every era has an end. Apparently, Putin too has chosen his own way to end his own era. Let’s remember, the world’s strongest designs are based on flexibility and aesthetics, not just strength, nor bullying. Now let me tell you a story from the past.
My late father, Professor Erdoğan Alkin, loved to watch documentaries on TRT at night in the early 1990s. Watching TRT became a silent consensus between us after my mother had passed away. Although we disagreed on many issues, we did agree on watching documentaries together. The interesting thing is that whatever I resented about my father in those days, I do most of them myself today.
While watching TRT one evening, we came across a programme, which was called something like “German Art in the Time of Hitler”. According to the documentary, after the Second World War, Germans hid the inaesthetic paintings and sculptures, which Hitler had forced artists to do during his rule, in the basements of museums, almost as an attempt to escape from Germany’s past. Hitler not only had favourite wealthy people, commanders, athletes, around him at the time, but he also had artists in his circle. In a sense, everyone collectively supported this system that committed horrible crimes against humanity. Although they were not military men, those other people in Hitler’s circle contributed to those war crimes either by financially profiting from it, either by using their influence or simply by their works.
“Similarities Between Hitler and Putin…”
Allowing loot and desecration of the artworks in all countries he occupied, Hitler had these works hidden away, instead of exhibiting them to German citizens. He forced German artists to produce works that were unappealing but motivating people to war and had them hung in all available places in the country. After the war, German Artists wanted to bury this disgrace in the depths of history. However, in the 1980s, a group of intellectuals brought all these hidden works to light with the idea of teaching people a lesson, show them that they must stay determined not to experience that disgrace again, as a nation. “
In summary, when Hitler redesigned the state’s financial capabilities, military power, civil force, business, arts, sports, and culture based on fascism, Germany went off the rails and did shameful and regretful things. Just the fact that the corruption of art was revealed years later left the Germans in horror and shock. Those who committed and gave way to those terrible crimes were once again condemned in the documentary.
Today, following Hitler’s playbook, Putin is driving Russia into a great catastrophe. Russia, which was once known for its art, music, ballet, and culture, has today become a symbol and hub of cruelty, bullying, war crimes, black money, fraud, and many other illegal activities. Putin is causing the same harm to Russia, the same harm that Hitler once caused to Germany. Sadly, some commentators in Turkey are still trying to give a rationale to the things that are happening in Ukraine. There were people in history who supported Hitler blindly. The result was a human tragedy.
Putin is rapidly moving towards a point of no return. No matter how powerful they were, every tyrant, every oppressor criminal and his followers in history suffered the same fate. This is the lesson I learned from the documentary I watched almost 30 years ago: One day, the crowds who once supported the oppressors unconditionally and blindly will wish they had never done that, such things had never happened. Putin too has his favourite businesspeople, athletes, and artists. Just like Hitler. The execution of Putin’s dream of a ‘Greater Russia’ is the same as the execution of Hitler’s dream of a ‘Greater Germany’. And Putin’s dream too will end in disappointment.
Just like it happened with Hitler several decades ago, the fight to seize power will begin as the end approaches. This is a story as old as time and history tends to repeat itself.
