The past few months in Russia have been marked by yet another upsurge of discussions about Joseph Stalin and his role in the nation’s history.

 Influential internet personalities are exchanging sharp polemical blows, presenting their anti-Stalin/pro-Stalin opponents as a bunch of naïve simpletons being manipulated by evil puppet masters. The discussion has heated up, and abusive language is thrown around with little second thought.

However, the general trend is clear: Joseph Stalin has been steadily regaining popularity in Russia. This is driving a rather small, if vocal, group of liberal-minded pro-Western Russians crazy, but they can do little about this