AN Oscar winning director who fled to Colchester as a refugee in the 1960s has reopened a debate on a controversial road name.
Jan Pinkava came to Colchester in 1969 aged five after the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and went on to become known as the creator of family-favourite Pixar movie Ratatouille.
The honorary University of Essex graduate says he is “forever proud” to be British thanks to the generosity of the country upon his family’s arrival.
However, Mr Pinkava, 58, says Vladimir Putin’s ruthless attack on Ukraine has reminded him of his parents’ shock when they found Colchester has a road named after dictator Joseph Stalin.
He says his parents began to campaign against Stalin Road which they deemed poor taste and “as grotesque as a Hitler Lane or a Pol Pot Avenue”.
Read more: Why Colchester has a road named after Stalin (and is one of only two places in the UK)
He explained: “Having lived so long under the corrupting degradations of totalitarianism behind the Iron Curtain, my parents understood the meaning of freedom.
“They were shocked to find Colchester had a road named after Joseph Stalin - one of the worst dictators of the 20th century.”
But Mr Pinkava, who attended Colchester Royal Grammar School, says his parents efforts were opposed by officials who supported the controversial road name.
He explained: “They were met with indifference or condescending reminders that Joseph Stalin, whatever his faults, had, after all, been an ally in defeating the Nazis.
“They were told it was reasonable that Colchester, a military town, should include his name alongside Roosevelt and Churchill in commemorating the end of World War II and the Yalta Treaty.”
“Though disappointed, my parents took some small comfort in the knowledge that they could at least voice their opinion.
“In 1949, under Stalin’s totalitarianism, my father had narrowly escaped being sent to die for nothing more than speaking his mind.”
Mr Pinkava added: “Colchester still has a Stalin Road, and I am still free to speak my mind, unlike the citizens of Putin’s Russia.
“Putin is still small potatoes compared to Joseph Stalin, but given time, he may yet earn a Putin Street.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel