Although Stalin's totalitarian dictatorship profoundly shaped the history of the 20th century and claimed countless victims in the Soviet Union and its sphere of influence, the history of his reign of terror remains inadequately addressed in Russian society even more than 70 years after his death. Moreover, since the 2000s, Stalin seems to be experiencing a renewed appreciation. Against this backdrop, Anna Becker's investigation explores the following questions: What role does history, specifically the era of Stalinism, play in post-Soviet Russia? How does the government handle this period, and what image of the regime and the dictator does it attempt to convey? What are the current aims of historical policy, and how is it conducted today in a state that has lost its monopoly on interpretation? The book examines both historical political currents.