# Mood whiplash courtesy of Wikipedia **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 28, 2012, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mood-whiplash-courtesy-of-wikipedia/645358 "2012-12-28T05:59:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mood-whiplash-courtesy-of-wikipedia/645358/1 "2012-12-28T05:59:48Z")
From today’s front page on Wikipedia: > [@](#): > > 1935 – Politician [**Pavel Postyshev**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavel_Postyshev) revived the New Year tree tradition in the Soviet Union when _Pravda_ published his letter asking for them to be installed in schools, children’s homes, Young Pioneer Palaces, children’s clubs, children’s theaters, and cinema theaters. Aww…that’s nice! _clicks on article_ > [@Wikipedia](#): > > **Pavel Petrovich Postyshev** (Russian: Па́вел Петро́вич По́стышев) (September 18 [O.S. September 6] 1887 – February 26, 1939) was a Soviet politician. He is considered to be one of the principal architects of the man-made famine of 1932–33, or Holodomor…In his role of secretary of the Kharkiv Oblast and city Party committees Postyshev organized the purge of Trotskyists and Ukrainian national-communists as well as industrialization and collectivization campaigns in the region…Postyshev’s mission in Ukraine was to eliminate any remaining opposition to Stalin by purging all traces of “nationalist deviation” from the Party, to end the cultural policy of Ukrainization, and to bring collectivization to completion at any cost… In a prelude to the Great Purge, almost 100,000 members were expelled during Postyshev’s first year in Ukraine, and a further 168,000 through 1938. Postyshev wrote in his report that the majority were exiled or shot…In August 1937 Postyshev was removed from Ukraine and appointed first secretary of the Kuibyshev Oblast Party Committee. He was arrested in early 1938 and later shot at Kuibyshev. :eek: But–but–New Year’s Trees! Happy New Year’s Trees! For the children! _You better watch out, You better not cry, Better not pout, I’m telling you why: Stalin Claus is coming to town!_ _He sees you when you’re sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good, So be good or you’ll be shot!_ ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mood-whiplash-courtesy-of-wikipedia/645358/2 "2012-12-28T07:10:32Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > :eek: > > But–but–New Year’s Trees! Happy New Year’s Trees! For the children! Happiness is mandatory in the Worker’s Paradise, comrade! ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mood-whiplash-courtesy-of-wikipedia/645358/3 "2012-12-29T16:57:07Z")
In Soviet Russia, tree plants _you_!