A life-sized statue of Joseph Stalin has been revealed in Moscow’s central Taganskaya metro station, causing a wave of strong disagreement and drawing attention to the complicated relationship between the Putin government and the Soviet dictator’s historical impact. The monument, described as a “gift” to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Moscow metro, shows Stalin surrounded by admiring workers and children, presenting him as a cherished leader.
This carefully crafted image is very different from the actual history of Stalin’s rule, which was defined by political executions, food shortages, and the harsh gulag system that led to the deaths of millions. The statue is a copy of one that was put up in 1950, three years before Stalin’s death, and later taken down during the 1960s when the Soviet Union moved away from honoring Stalin, per Sky News.
