In the months after the 'Stalin Today' seminar which was held in Moscow on November 5th and 6th, 1994, a number of journals have published the papers and resolutions of this conference. Issues 9 and 10 of the journal 'Alliance Marxist-Leninist' of Canada and the United States have carried a comprehensive collection of presentations in the seminar. 'Trudovaya Rossiya', one of the Moscow papers of the Russian Communist Workers' Party has translated and published a number of presentations. Papers have been also published in 'La Nostra Lotta' in Italy; by 'Lalkar' in the U.K; 'Red Dawn' journal of the Marxist-Leninist Communist Foundation of Turkey and North Kurdistan; and in the inaugural issue of 'Unité et Lutte', the new journal of the International Marxist-Leninist Communist Movement, published from Paris. The resolutions of the seminar were published in the journal 'L'Uguaglianza', Italy and in 'People's Voice', the bulletin of the New Zealand Marxist-Leninist Reconstruction Collective. Below we publish a statement of the Communist Party of Albania on the resolutions of the seminar as well as an evaluation of the seminar published in the Russian communist press.
The organisational bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Albania in one of its meetings examined the Resolutions of the international seminar "Stalin Today", held in Moscow on 5th and 6th November, 1994 and unanimously approved them restressing:
I. Defending Stalin, studying his Marxist-Leninist work and the experience of the revolution and the building of socialism in the USSR, and keeping high, as did Stalin, the flag of communism, has been and always will be the duty of communists everywhere in the world; not only that, it is in this manner the historical truth of this classical Marxist-Leninist of world dimensions comes to light; moreover, only in this manner may we renew the communist and revolutionary movement and force the Communist parties to again take up their historical mission.
Albanian comrades, educated by Comrade Enver Hoxha, who was the first to come out to defend Stalin from the attacks of the Khrushchevite revisionists with boldness and determination, are loyal pupils of Stalin and have had and still have his work of genius in their hearts and minds. They are determined to go forward in this road of struggle against imperialism, the bourgeoisie and the opportunist and revisionist tendencies, which have been and will be the internal undermining factor for the socialist, communist and revolutionary world movement in every country of the world.
He who denies the work of Stalin or is helping to destroy his figure is not a Communist and a real Marxist-Leninist.
2. We especially greet the resolutions of solidarity with the Communists and Communist parties who are suffering in the USSR and Eastern Europe as well as in Turkey and Kurdistan.
The support which is given to us, Albanian Communists, in the heavy period of reactionary rule with neo-fascist tendencies, encourages us to follow our Marxist-Leninist road with an unshaken belief that we will always go forward and will achieve great success in the future. At present we witness growing dissatisfaction, the revolutionary sentiment of a good part of the people and the interest they show in the word of the Communists who tell them how to better organise work in the future. This decisive internal factor becomes stronger from the international solidarity of Communists, which in conditions when the Communist Party of Albania is out-lawed and when the Communists are suffering is of special importance. That is why we have welcomed and will welcome every communication and link, we are happy for every success of the Marxist-Leninist parties, have propagandised and will propagandise in the Party and among the people the achievements of the Communist and revolutionary parties and demonstrate our belief that the international links between the Communist parties will become stronger based on the Marxist-Leninist ideas which are leading us and will not allow them to be destroyed within our Party and in its international relations.
At the moment the status of illegality and the severe material and financial constraints are obstacles to undertaking initiatives for approaches and cooperation with the other Communist parties of different countries. These are the reasons that despite our desire we were not able to take part in the Moscow seminar. But we are convinced that friends from the other parties understand our situation and will react positively. exploiting every possibility that is given by the so-called "free circulation of men and ideas." We will welcome every initiative in this direction.
Let us raise high the great common flag of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin, the flag of the revolutionary struggle and the victory of Communism.
Long live the solidarity and world unity of the Marxist-Leninist Communist Parties.
The Organisational Bureau,
Central Committee,
Communist Party of Albania.
Tirana,
March 5th, 1995.
G. Gogiya
On the eve of the 77th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution a two-day international seminar took place in Moscow with the theme "Stalin Today". Representatives took part from progressive left organisations from Turkey, Great Britain, Germany, India, Denmark, Canada, Brazil and other countries. There were also representatives of the Russian Communist Workers' Party and the All-Union Communist Party (Bolshevik). This was the first international arrangement of such a type and so, therefore, it was of an historical character. The participants, however, were little conscious of the historicity of the event. In the seminar were those of the motherland who frequently risk their life for belonging to the ranks of those engaged in the struggle for the cause of Marx-Engels-Lenin-Stalin in Yeltsin's Russia and who think of the lofty principles of the vanguard of the international movement for freedom.
Today a serious crisis is experienced which has come to a head with the disintegration of the socialist camp, the overthrow of the CPSU and the demolition of the USSR. How did this come about and what are the ways out of the crisis? In answering these questions not one investigator in the world can avoid looking at the connection of these questions with Stalin and Stalinism. It is understood that for the opportunists and the open enemies of socialism this personality and this scientist is unacceptable and odious. It is also clear that without realising the fact of the indivisibility of Marxism-Leninism-Stalinism it is not possible to either analyse correctly or properly organise the struggle against capitalism.
The most profound and striking contributions were those of Vijay Singh of Delhi University and Aleksei Golenkov of the A-UCP(B). The content of the reports of the comrades from Britain, Italy and Canada were notable. At the same time it is necessary to note that a number of the reports bore a weak character. This was revealed in some of the discrepancies and appraisals of Stalin, the CPSU and the USSR. This was not a question of the failure to converge on tactical matters - this is natural and normal for every constructive discussion - but an incorrect understanding on strategical questions. Above all this was apparent in the defective determination of the place and role of Stalinism in the theory and practise of our struggles.
It is known that there are many sincere and legendary comrades of Communist ideas, both Soviet and foreign, who avoid utilising the term 'Stalinism', thereby negating it. Amongst this number are those who use the absurd ground that even Stalin it is said was against the use of this term. They forget, however, that the terms 'Marxism' and 'Leninism' were only established some time after the death of Karl Marx and Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. During their lifetimes both of them rejected these terms in their current forms. Just as Leninism is the logical and genuine development and continuation of Marxism, Stalinism is the development and continuation of Leninism. Expressed figuratively, we are dealing with the foundation and the latest storey of the building, standing on (till the mid-1950s) carefully thought-out plans, taking into account the latest achievements of technique and technology and the changing needs of the proletariat. Today to utilise the expression 'Marxism-Leninism' in place of 'Marxism-Leninism-Stalinism' signifies the distortion of the plan of construction and worse than that it destroys the already erected second floor of the building and sticks to the level of the foundation and the ground floor.
Each component of this harmonious triple unity presents its own intact system of theoretical views and practical accomplishment. Of course, Marxism, Leninism and Stalinism (that most developed entity of these systems) may be examined and studied separately. But there has to be a clear understanding of their organic, dialectical unity, and the destruction of the artificial opposition between them.
Regretfully the seminar did not sufficiently formulate a complete, clear and unambiguous position on this question. It is possible that this happened as the organisers of the seminar could not secure the participation, except for the afore-mentioned A. Golenkov. of other leading Soviet specialists on a large-scale of philosophers, historians and economists of Marxist-Leninist-Stalinist orientation. The circumstance that a whole number of comrades invited from abroad could not attend the seminar for political, financial and organisational reasons, played its own negative role. Some of them sent reports in a written form which were read out at the seminar.
A weak financial basis is a general, distinguishing feature of those detachments of the contemporary communist and workers' movements which are not frightened by the onslaught of reaction and have not crossed over to a position of conciliation with opportunism. They are, therefore subject to the most persecution by the government, are trained in opposition and tested in the moral and material difficulty.
In conclusion we can say that the situation has improved for the fulfillment of our work. The international seminar 'Stalin Today' must become a true school of Communism. In addition similar arrangements must be periodically made for "our" Soviet comrades. It was important that they invited their foreign friends, anxious for an answer to the actual problems of history, politics and ideology. Stalinism today gives them the most reasoned arguments and the most precise replies.
Krasnaya Molodyozh No. 1, 1995, Vladikavkaz.
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