Stalin ANS Revealing a Rare Playful Side with His Daughter, Svetlana

1p, measuring 4.25" x 6", No place, undated (Ca. 1937). A playful note, written in Cyrillic, between Joseph Stalin and his daughter, Svetlana Alliluyeva - nicknamed "Setanka". Written in both blue and red pencil, Svetlana has written and signed "Secretary to the Secretary the Order - I Order you to sign my diary immediately. Setanka - The Mistress." Below this text, she has drawn an arrow under which her father can sign the page. Joseph Stalin playfully writes back, "I submit Secretariar, Stalin." With a flattened fold at the lower margin and light toning throughout. There is a tear at the upper edge, affecting a very small amount of the text. The bottom margin is also ripped, likely from being removed from a larger notebook. Boldly signed by both.

Svetlana Iosifovna Alliluyeva(1926-2011) was the youngest child and only daughter of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and his second wife Nadezhda Alliluyeva. It is hard to reconcile this softer side of Stalin seen in such a note when at the same time, the Great Terror was also taking place. The Great Purge, or the Great Terror or the Year of '37, was Stalin's brutal campaign to solidify his power over the Soviet Communist Party and the state. Between 700,000 and 1.2 million people lost their lives in the executions of those still loyal to Trotsky, political rivals, and other dissenters.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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