Love is a Warm Bullwhip

The Soviet dictator, who was responsible for the deaths of around 15 million people during his 31-year reign of terror, is in second place in online voting for the Name of Russia competition.

An inspiration to the likes of Mugabe. A goal in life for Mobutu Sese Seko. It’s a long tradition, one that’s brought us centuries of soul-killing strongmen. Europeans have always liked being under the boot of authority. It either offers the reassuring quality of “getting the putsch over with” or was and probably still is their form of aspiration to greatness, that is, wanting to be the cruel Dominator:

"Stalin is the most popular name in Russia," said Sergei Malinkovich, the Communist party leader who is driving the Stalin canonisation campaign.

"The people have forgiven him for the repressions, the collectivization, the elimination of cadres of the Red Army and other inevitable errors and tragedies of those cruel military and revolutionary times.

"Stalin has become the true national leader of Russia. He turned a backward country into an industrial giant."

How then, looking back on their path through the 20th century, could anyone say that they even have a living culture at all, as so many of them are font to say of the new world?

Despite the church's reluctance, St Petersburg's Communists are convinced their vision will come to pass. They have already commissioned religious icons depicting Stalin with a halo round his head that have reportedly sold very well around the city.

"By the end of the 21st century, icons of St Josef Stalin will be in every Orthodox Church," Mr Malinkovich said.