Russia Unveils Stalin Monuments in Moscow, Occupied Ukraine Amid 80th WWII Victory Anniversary

Amid growing nostalgia and state-backed efforts to rehabilitate his image, several new monuments to Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin have been erected in Russia and Russian-occupied Ukraine. A bas-relief sculpture originally destroyed in the 1960s at Moscow's Taganskaya metro station is set to be recreated by 2025, reflecting a broader trend of commemorating Stalin's role in World War II. In the Russian-controlled city of Melitopol in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, a bust of Stalin was unveiled by pro-Russian Communist Party members to mark the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany's defeat, marking the first Stalin monument in occupied Ukrainian territory since the 2022 invasion. The monument in Melitopol was reportedly funded by local donations and features a plaque honoring Stalin as the organizer of victory over Nazi forces, despite widespread condemnation of his atrocities, including the Holodomor famine in Ukraine. This resurgence aligns with Russian President Vladimir Putin's campaign to revive Soviet-era symbols and glorify Stalin's legacy, including renaming landmarks and erecting numerous busts across Russia. The monuments have sparked controversy, with many Ukrainians and international observers condemning the glorification of a leader responsible for mass repression and genocide.