Stalin? Not idealized so much...
In the years following his death, Stalin and his regime have been condemned on numerous occasions, most notably in 1956 when his successor Nikita Khrushchev denounced his legacy and initiated a process of de-Stalinization and rehabilitation to victims of his regime. Stalin remains a controversial figure today, with many regarding him as a tyrant.
“Stalin remains a controversial figure today, with many regarding him as a tyrant.”
Most fellow Russians I know still respect and credit Stalin for transforming the USSR into an advanced industrial power. Like an abusive father who whipped his son into greatness
The nickname for him was “horoshaya svoloch”. Or “good bastard/a**hole/SOB”
That said, average Russians stopped believing in the glory of socialism as soon as it impacted them and saw it as a sad joke propagated by the elites (”we’ll all be rich as soon as full communism comes to town!”). It was said in the 60s that you could find more communists believers on an average American block than a Soviet one.
Putin says Stalin got it right...The rehab of commies continues which really is my point.