A statue of Stalin is unveiled in the Moscow subway as Russia tries to revive the dictator's legacy

MOSCOW -- A monument to Josef Stalin has been unveiled astatine 1 of Moscow's busiest subway stations, the latest effort by Russian authorities to revive the legacy of the brutal Soviet dictator.

The sculpture shows Stalin surrounded by beaming workers and children with flowers. It was installed astatine the Taganskaya presumption to people the 90th day of the Moscow Metro, the sprawling subway known for its mosaics, chandeliers and different ornate decorations that was built nether Stalin.

It replaces an earlier tribute that was removed successful the decennary pursuing Stalin's 1953 decease successful a thrust to basal retired his “cult of personality” and reckon with decades of repression marked by amusement trials, nighttime arrests and millions killed oregon thrown into situation camps arsenic “enemies of the people.”

Muscovites person fixed differing responses to the unveiling earlier this month, with immoderate recalling however the state lived successful fearfulness nether his rule. Many commuters took photos of the monument and immoderate laid flowers beneath it.

Aleksei Zavatsin, 22, told The Associated Press that Stalin was a “great man" who had “made a mediocre state into a superpower.”

“He raised the state from its knees,” helium said.

Activists from Society.Future, a Russian governmental question that voices pro-democratic and nationalist views, protested by placing posters astatine the ft of the monument that quoted apical politicians condemning the dictator.

One poster, featuring President Vladimir Putin, cited him arsenic bemoaning Stalin's “mass crimes against the people," and saying his modernization of the USSR came astatine the terms of “unacceptable” repression.

The unveiling came weeks aft Putin signed a decree renaming the airdrome successful Volgograd arsenic Stalingrad — arsenic the metropolis was called erstwhile the Soviet Red Army defeated Nazi German forces determination successful 1 of the bloodiest battles of World War II.

Volgograd itself concisely reverted to its erstwhile sanction connected May 8-9 for Victory Day celebrations and volition beryllium temporarily renamed 5 much times this twelvemonth to people related wartime anniversaries.

Putin has invoked the Battle of Stalingrad, which lasted 5 months and saw up to 2 cardinal soldiers and civilians killed, arsenic justification for Moscow's actions successful Ukraine.

Russian governmental expert Pyotr Miloserdov said the Kremlin has utilized a broader thrust to clasp Stalin's bequest to warrant some the struggle successful Ukraine and crackdown connected dissent astatine home.

“Stalin was a tyrant, a despot, and that’s what we need," helium told AP. Authorities privation to revive Stalin's representation to popularize the thought of strongman rule, helium added, and overgarment unit and repression arsenic justified nether bonzer circumstances.

“This tin pb to justifying immoderate senseless, forceful actions. Under Stalin, this was allowed, determination was a war. ... So, present is our peculiar subject operation, and present this is allowed too. This is simply an effort to warrant the usage of unit connected people," Miloserdov said.