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Nearly six decades after being hidden from public view, a statue of Joseph Stalin has reemerged in a Moscow subway station, creating fresh discussions about Russia's complex relationship with its former leader. Installed this month, the statue is a replica of a relief that was initially removed during a 1966 effort to distance the city from Stalin's violent legacy against his own citizens. The reproduction shows Stalin looking forward as children and workers present him with flowers.

This artwork has swiftly become a popular spot for photos and tributes. Kremlin officials have been selectively reviving parts of Stalin's legacy to inspire national pride and project strength, especially since the onset of Russia's conflict with Ukraine. Indications are that the government seeks to frame a victory in Ukraine as another chapter in the nation's history of triumphs.

Since the beginning of President Vladimir Putin's tenure, over 108 monuments to Stalin have been erected, despite the grim history of mass purges that saw more than 700,000 people killed during the Great Terror of 1936 to 1938, as well as the removal of entire ethnic groups. While Putin has condemned Stalin and acknowledged his heinous acts, he remarked in a 2017 interview with filmmaker Oliver Stone that portraying Stalin as excessively evil has been a tactic used to tarnish the Soviet Union and Russia.

Lev Shlosberg, an opposition politician, initiated a petition to remove the new monument, arguing that re-establishing Stalin's image is perilous both for society and the state. "The creeping re-Stalinization of the country is dangerous not only for society, as it justifies the largest government atrocities in the country's history, but also for the state," Shlosberg stated. "Sooner or later, repression consumes the government itself."

Public opinion remains divided, with some individuals expressing approval of the statue's return. Liliya Medvedeva, a pensioner visiting the monument, admitted she was "very happy that our leader got restored." Medvedeva credited Stalin with winning World War II and acknowledged his mistakes, but minimized them by saying, "everybody makes mistakes."

The statue's reappearance has clearly struck a chord in Russia, highlighting contrasting views on Stalin's legacy and the nation's future direction.