‘What were they thinking?!’ Moscow Stalin statue sparks fury as Putin tries to normalize the tyrant

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.

Its return in such an important location is not a random event but part of a larger pattern under Vladimir Putin’s leadership. While Stalin’s image has reappeared in smaller Russian towns, this is the first time such a major monument has been placed in the center of Moscow, per Express.

Stalin statues are back up in Moscow

Public opinion about the statue has been deeply split. Some people in Moscow have welcomed the statue, seeing it as a meaningful part of history and a source of national pride. Others have reacted with anger, criticizing what they see as a clear effort to restore the reputation of a leader who caused enormous suffering. While some view it as honoring artistic and cultural history, many others believe it shows a disrespectful ignorance of the millions who died under Stalin’s rule.

Svetlana told Sky news, “What were they thinking?! How many died under his leadership? And suddenly he appears here, this bloodsucker. How is this possible?!”

Another citizen named Oleg said, “We should remember and honour some of his deeds… But to put him like this is disrespectful. He did a lot of bad things for the Soviet people.”

This divide is clearly shown by the mix of red flowers placed on the statue and the angry reactions from people who cannot believe it has been put there. Human rights activists see the statue’s appearance as a planned step by the Russian government to change how the country’s history is understood. They point out that under Putin’s rule, there has been a growing tendency to minimize or ignore Stalin’s crimes.

The recent shutdown of Memorial, a well-known human rights group that worked to expose Stalin’s brutality, is another sign of this trend. Activists argue that putting the statue in such a visible place helps make Stalin’s image seem normal and discourages people from questioning his legacy. They say this fits with the Russian government’s wider goal of putting the state’s interests above everything else, making it unacceptable to criticize past actions, including Stalin’s.

Putin’s own comments about Stalin have been inconsistent. In the past, he has criticized Stalin’s violent policies, but he has also said that Russia should not feel guilty about its history. This unclear stance allows for a selective view of the past, focusing on parts of Stalin’s rule that support the current government’s message while ignoring the worst actions.