Moscow’s Metro installed a replica of a long-removed monument to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, further fueling debate over Russia’s steady rehabilitation of his image under President Vladimir Putin.
The life-sized bas-relief, first unveiled in 1950 at Taganskaya Station, was dismantled in the 1960s during the Soviet Union’s de-Stalinization campaign. The removal made way for a new transfer corridor, and the original sculpture is believed to have been destroyed.
“Experts are currently recreating the composition from archival photographs and documents. We plan to complete the work in the near future,” Moscow’s Metro had said in a statement released Saturday.
The monument was unveiled to the public on Thursday, following Victory Day celebrations last week and the 90th anniversary of the Moscow Metro, which was first opened during the height of Stalin’s rule.
Architectural historian Alexander Zinoviyev said several key elements of the original relief were not preserved in the recreation, including the ceramic panel, certain colors and ornamental details around the edges.
“Ultimately, this resulted in more of an ideological gesture than a genuine attempt to restore the historical architectural appearance,” Zinoviyev wrote on Telegram.
Stalin’s image has gradually returned to public spaces across Russia in recent years, despite his brutal purges and the estimated deaths of millions under his rule. Independent media outlets estimate that 105 of Russia’s 120 Stalin monuments were erected during Putin’s 25-year rule.
Last week, Putin said he would consider renaming the southern city of Volgograd back to Stalingrad, a move that Russian communist party leaders have long supported.
The name “Stalingrad” is already temporarily used during major national holidays and wartime anniversaries.
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