Social media users criticize Maria Shukshina for supporting idea of renaming Volgograd

Actress Maria Shukshina spoke out in favour of renaming Volgograd to Stalingrad. Users of her Telegram channel expressed different opinions on the issue. Meanwhile, many Volgograd residents have noted the city needs to solve a lot of problems and renaming the city is not the main one.

In her Telegram channel, actress Maria Shukshina has proposed renaming Volgograd to Stalingrad. “In the name of our grandfathers (and great-grandfathers for the younger generation), who won with the Red Banner in their hands and the name of Stalin on their lips. Like my grandfather on my mother’s side, who reached Berlin,” Maria Shukshina wrote.

According to the information as of 05:00 a.m. Moscow time on May 12, the actress’s post raised more than 900 comments, and many of them were critical. In their comments, the social media users have voiced different opinions. Some spoke out for renaming of Volgograd, while others criticized both the idea itself and the Maria Shukshina’s opinion.

Telegram user Natalia considers the idea of renaming Volgograd to be correct, but notes that “many residents of Volgograd do not agree with the renaming,” which she personally cannot understand. “But I think that this should be decided at the highest level and by the whole country, because this is our common history,” the Telegram user added.

“I love Volgograd, and I want to live here, but believe me, there are things to spend money on in Volgograd without spending it on renaming,” noted user Tatiana Volovatova. “As for someone born in Volgograd, it is quite enough for me that the airport is now named Stalingrad. And on all holidays, the city is renamed for a day,” user vsv shared her opinion.

“I like Volgograd. Volga River is big and strong, and let the city be the same. And then I am against changing the name of the city, when several generations have already grown up with this city name,” user Yulia believes. “Ask Volgograd residents, not the whole country. It is not the country that should live here, but us, Volgograd residents,” user Elena suggested.

“More than one generation was born in Volgograd, and we are Volgograd residents. Honouring the memory of our ancestors, grandfathers, is a great and necessary idea, and we do this, especially in our city! However, there is no need to live in the past in the literal sense and immerse us in that pain, tragedy, and grief! We are already living on bones, the city has a heavy burden, and we have more people leaving the city than born here, every year,” user Anzhelika Lika expressed her opinion.

“I live in Volgograd, and the residents of my city are categorically opposing the idea of its renaming. Look at the users’ comments under any article where the topic of renaming the city is raised, as well as any questionnaires. The city is full of other problems: factories are closing en masse <...> The city has a fairly low standard of living in terms of income (duties for reissuing documents are a rather noticeable additional burden for residents). Men have to leave the city to work on shifts, leaving their families. Villages in the region are dying out en masse, and rural schools are closing. There is a terrible shortage of teachers in city schools <...> And to rename the city in a depressive, dying region only means to anger people, adding additional unnecessary problems to them,” wrote user Olga Kravchenko.

“By the way, being a Volgograd resident, I stood against it at first, but now I support the idea for the renaming. Let then the whole country listen to how the sewerage system comes out of control in Stalingrad, that it’s a depressive city, and how factories are collapsing. Maybe then the whole country will fork out some money for the image,” user R-uu noted.

“Stalingrad is a bygone history, the hard fate of millions that we can’t forget, but we want to live in a bright future in the city of Volgograd. No one must impose his opinion on the millions who live in this city,” user Marina Averina addressed the actress.

“We don’t have extra money and time in our poor city for all this paperwork on renaming,” user Victoria believes. “Before pompously renaming the city, they would better put the monuments in order. They cleaned up the centre for the Russian President’s arrival and calmed down,” user Svetlana shared her observations.

“When Stalingrad was renamed Volgograd, no one asked the residents’ opinions. Why are they being disingenuous now?” user Evgeniya wonders.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 12, 2025 at 05:39 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

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