MOSCOW, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- A TV series about Joseph Stalin's reign of terror is aimed at reminding Russians of their past at a time when many admire the war leader for his greatness.
Millions of viewers last week watched the first episode of "Moscow Saga," a documentary focused on Stalin's brutal regime from 1924 to 1953 allegedly responsible for the deaths of 32 million people, the Scotsman reported Wednesday.
The 24-part series, airing four nights a week through November, comes at a time when Russians favor increased government presence for security following the recent Beslan school massacre and when a national poll indicates 40 percent of Russians regard Stalin as the country's most outstanding historical figure. Eleven percent reportedly felt that way in 1989.
A second TV series, based on "Children of the Arbat," will air in early 2005. The international bestseller dramatized Stalin's development of the Siberian work camps where millions starved to death.
