
<p>A new monument to Russian dictator Joseph Stalin was recently erected in Moscow’s Taganskava metro rail station. ; The life-sized wall sculpture &#8212; titled “Gratitude of the People to the Leader-Commander” &#8212; depicts Stalin surrounded by admiring civilians. ; It replaces the glorification monument that originally stood in the station until 1996 – having been removed after the fall of the Soviet Union.</p>



<p>This is just the latest example of Russian President Putin’s efforts to sanitize and rehabilitate the reputation of the Russian leader responsible for the deaths of millions of his own people – and for the brutal subjugation of the nations of eastern Europe. He launched the “Cold War” which resulted in numerous conflicts throughout the world.</p>



<p>Stalin’s reign of terror &#8212; from the 1920s until his death in 1953 &#8212; saw deadly purges, brutal labor camps, and widespread summary executions – some of which he is reported to have carried out himself. His policies led to the deaths of millions of Soviet citizens, including nearly 700,000 people executed during the Great Terror of 1937-1938. He established the Gulag system in which millions more perished from starvation and disease. His insane collectivization policies resulted in the deaths of more millions &#8212; particularly in Ukraine during the Holodomor. (You can see why the Ukrainians want no part of Putin’s Stalinist Russia).</p>



<p>The installation of the Taganskava monument is part of a decades-long effort by Putin to transform Stalin into a national hero. Putin has long downplayed the atrocities committed by Stalin while praising his leadership in World War II – ignoring the heinous war crimes committed by Russia during that conflict.</p>



<p>Under Putin, Stalin monuments have proliferated. ; More than 100 have been erected since Putin took power. ; The erection of monuments honoring Stalin is not just about history –but Putin’s own vision. His idolization of Stalin makes sense since the brutality of Stalin reflects Putin’s own leadership Style &#8212; including the assassination of rivals and the lust for empire. ; It is no small irony that the installation of the Taganskava monument coincided with Putin’s lavish celebration of Victory Day.</p>



<p>Not all share Putin’s affection for Stalin. ; The liberal Yabloko party condemned the monument and called for a monument honoring the victims of Stalin’s brutality. ; Millions of Russians are still around to recall the Stalin years with horror – a time when their parents and grandparents were slaughtered to his madness.</p>



<p>President George W. Bush once said he looked into Putin’s eyes and saw his soul. That is not possible. Putin has no soul. And if Bush had looked into his heart, he would have seen the devil. While the installation of the Taganskava monument may seem like a small event, the implications are enormous. We should understand the larger meaning in terms of the dangerous evil of a man in the Kremlin who sees Stalin as a personal hero.</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis.</p>

Stalin monument reveals Putin’s evil heart
