Stalin bust unveiled in Russia for Battle of Stalingrad's 80th anniversary

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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. 

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A picture shows the newly unveiled bronze bust of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin outside the museum dedicated to the Battle of Stalingrad in the southern Russian city of Volgograd on Feb. 1, 2023, on the eve of commemorations of the Soviet victory in the Stalingrad battle. (STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)

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.

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A picture shows the newly unveiled bronze busts of Soviet Marshals Georgy Zhukov, left, and Alexander Vasilevsky, right, and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin outside the museum dedicated to the Battle of Stalingrad in the southern Russian city of Volgograd on Feb. 1, 2023, on the eve of commemorations of the Soviet victory in the Stalingrad battle.  (STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)

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. 

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A picture shows the newly unveiled bronze bust of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin outside the museum dedicated to the Battle of Stalingrad in the southern Russian city of Volgograd on Feb. 1, 2023, on the eve of commemorations of the Soviet victory in the Stalingrad battle. (STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)

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.