Russia erects Stalin monument in occupied Melitopol to mark Victory Day
The Communist Party of Russia unveiled a monument to Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in occupied Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, on May 8 to commemorate Victory Day in World War II, the party announced.
The statue carries a plaque that reads: "To the organizer and inspirer of the victory of the Soviet people over the Nazi invaders, Generalissimo of the Soviet Union Joseph Stalin, from grateful descendants."
The ceremony was attended by Russian-installed officials and local school students who laid flowers at the site.
Melitopol has been under Russian occupation since March 2022.
Stalin's legacy in Ukraine is marked by profound suffering. Under his rule, millions of Ukrainians died during the Holodomor, a man-made famine in 1932–1933.
The dictator also oversaw mass deportations, purges of Ukrainian intellectuals and leaders, and the suppression of the Ukrainian language and culture.
While some in Russia credit Stalin for leading the Soviet Union to victory in World War II, portraying him solely as a military hero ignores the brutal policies and immense human cost of his regime.
The monument comes amid a broader revival of Stalin's cult in Russia.
On April 29, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree renaming Volgograd's international airport to "Stalingrad." Days earlier, Russian media reported that Putin had endorsed the renaming of Volgograd's Gumrak airport to honor the dictator.
Chris York,
