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The decision by Moscow authorities to restore Stalin’s name to the vestibule of the Kurskaya metro station on the 130th anniversary of his birth has sparked a storm of debate. Not surprisingly, not a single official from the Moscow Mayor’s Office has taken responsibility for reinstating the verse from the 1944 version of the Soviet anthem that reads, “Stalin raised us to be loyal to the nation; He inspired us to work and be heroic.” But it is clear that the decision could not have been made without the mayor’s approval.

The Kurskaya station is a classic example of 1950s Stalinist architecture with its signature deep columns. The station is associated with Stalin in another way as well: It is named after the 1943 Battle of Kursk during World War II,...