A cultural center dedicated to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin announced the creation of a new Komsomol, the Communist Party’s youth wing, as Soviet-era symbolism continues to resurface in Russia.The Stalin Center, located in the Altai region city of Byisk, launched the Stalin Young Communist League, aiming to attract members aged 14-20 who share the “principles of Stalinist views.”“Let’s unite the youth in true Stalinist fashion!” the Stalin Center wrote on the VKontakte social network on Saturday, promoting the Komsomol’s founding meeting.While the Stalin Center did not disclose membership numbers, a photo from the event showed 15 young men and women in red t-shirts printed with Stalin’s image and the slogan “Stalin’s Komsomol.”“We see how much the historical legacy of the Soviet state during Stalin’s leadership is in demand,” the Stalin Center noted in its announcement.Other communist youth organizations do exist in Russia, such as the Russian Communist Youth League, founded in 1993, and the Lenin Komsomol, connected to the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.

However, the Stalin Center’s new group appears to be the first to get its namesake from the Soviet dictator.The Stalin Center opened in the Altai regional capital of Barnaul last December, just ahead of the 145th anniversary of Stalin’s birth.

The center’s founder, Sergei Matasov, leads the regional chapter of the Communists of Russia party — distinct from the larger Communist Party of the Russian Federation.Under President Vladimir Putin, public opinion toward Stalin has gradually shifted, with the dictator’s image being rehabilitated as a “complex figure” in recent years.Stalin’s legacy remains a divisive issue in Russia, with supporters praising his role in the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, while critics focus on the mass repressions carried out during his reign.