The Russian city of Volgograd — formerly known as Stalingrad — unveiled a bronze bust of former Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin on Wednesday.
The statue was commissioned to honor the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad, a major turning point in World War II.
RUSSIA TO REQUIRE BASIC MILITARY TRAINING IN SCHOOLS IN 'EVOCATION OF THE SOVIET UNION,' UK SAYS
Stalin's likeness is located near the Battle of Stalingrad Museum and is flanked by similar busts of World War II-era Soviet leaders Georgy Zhukov and Alexander Vasilevsky.
Statues of the communist despot became increasingly rare after the fall of the Soviet Union. His reign was marked by mass deaths across the Soviet Union caused by starvation, execution and genocide.
RUSSIAN LAWMAKERS PUSH BILL TO FINE ANYONE EQUATING USSR WITH NAZI GERMANY
Though hard figures are difficult to determine, historians attribute tens of millions of deaths to Stalin throughout his leadership.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Volgograd on Thursday for a commemoration of the battle which will include a military parade.
The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the bloodiest battles of WWII with casualties in the millions. It was also a crushing defeat for Adolf Hitler that forced his first surrender of the war.
Under Putin, the public image of Stalin has been extensively rehabilitated, with new statues erected in the dictator's honor becoming more common.
