Stalin’s supporters in Russia point to the Soviet Union’s rapid industrialization under his rule, saying harsh policies used to accelerate it were justified. They also cite the Soviet Union’s enormous contribution in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II as testament to Stalin’s credentials as a leader though critics say victory came despite errors by Stalin, not thanks to his role.
The result has been a slow but linear rehabilitation of the dictator, who today enjoys more widespread approval among Russians than at perhaps any time since his successor Nikita Khrushchev denounced his legacy in a fiery speech to the Soviet Politburo in 1956, ushering in a period known as destalinization.