For Russians today, Joseph Stalin is once again the most significant historical figure. It's as if the Great Terror, repressions, arrests and persecutions have been completely forgotten.
There is no doubt who the most prominent figure of all time is according to Russians. At least that's what the latest poll by the independent Russian center "Levada" shows. In first place is Joseph Stalin with 42%, followed by Vladimir Putin (31%) and Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (28%).
Each of those surveyed must name their top 10 most significant figures. Albert Einstein (8%) and Isaac Newton (5%) are the only ones in the top 20 who were not born in Russia.
Apparently, ratings of Stalin's historical significance have increased significantly over the past 35 years - only 12% mentioned him in the same poll in 1989. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, ratings of Vladimir Putin have also increased - he was among the most significant figures for 15% of the population in 2021, and the growth in 2025 is as much as 16 percent, according to the "Levada" data.
"Order", "discipline" and victory in the war
But where does this enthusiasm for Stalin come from? Under his leadership, Russia achieved victory in the Great Patriotic War, as Russians call World War II, argues a random passerby in the center of Moscow. And another recalls the famous motto from the past: "We died for the homeland and for Stalin". She also told ARD that there was order and discipline back then and the people stood behind Stalin. Apparently, the Soviet dictator is directly associated with the victory over Nazi Germany, the publication commented. That is why his successor today, Vladimir Putin, at the end of April issued a decree to rename the airport in Volgograd back to Stalingrad.
This is also confirmed by Georgy Filimonov - the governor of the Vologda region, located northeast of Moscow. Filimonov is proud of the many new monuments to Stalin. He says that the victory in World War II bears his name. "The intelligence and leadership genius of the supreme commander-in-chief were decisive. That is why we must honor his memory," ARD quoted him as saying.
The Terror under Stalin seems to be forgotten
Stalin's role as a brutal dictator and architect of the Great Terror after 1936 has apparently been forgotten. The mass arrests, the purges in the party and army, the murders of hundreds of thousands of "enemies of the people" have been forgotten. Stalin is responsible for the mass deportations, forced labor, and catastrophic famine after the forced collectivization of agriculture.
Organizations that wanted this page of Soviet history to be read, such as "Memorial", were banned in Russia. "Currently, a process of re-Stalinization is underway. Why are monuments to victims of political repression being destroyed or desecrated, while monuments and busts of Stalin are being erected?" asks Boris Vishnevsky, a politician from the opposition party "Yabloko" in St. Petersburg.
Worship of Stalin to strengthen Putin's power?
Vishnevsky himself answers his question on the YouTube channel "Live Nail":
"Maybe those who are sentenced to 6, 7 or 8 years in prison for their words in this country today are just as innocent as those who were convicted during Stalin's time? In order for people not to make such analogies, the memory of Stalin's repressions must be erased, and the organizers of these repressions and executioners must be praised."
During Stalin's time, the state committed crimes - innocent people were deported, convicted and paid off in prisons or camps, many of them were shot, the opposition politician also recalled.
Criticism of the return of the cult is not allowed
A small protest was to be held on "Taganka" Square in Moscow this week at the request of Vishnevsky's opposition party "Yabloko". The occasion was the opening of the restored monument to Stalin at a nearby metro station. However, the Moscow city government did not allow the protest, justifying itself with rules from the time of the Covid pandemic.
Despite the ban, "Yabloko" The collection of signatures for the dismantling of the Stalin monument has begun - an undertaking that, however, does not have much chance of success. However, about 5,000 signatures have been collected so far, the ARD publication also states.