-- from BBC

Russia's love affair with strong leaders

When Russian voters go to the polls on Sunday, many will be firmly convinced that President Vladimir Putin is the strong leader they are looking for. That is, the kind of authority figure that Russians have been used to and have admired over the centuries. Even a short glance at Russian history shows that it's the "firm fist" that has always won respect.
Black joke
Much of the brutality carried out on the orders of Stalin was simply a logical continuation of Lenin's thought.
A black joke of the later Soviet period supposedly quotes a history book of the 21st century: "Who was Adolf Hitler?"
Answer: "A petty dictator who lived in the time of Joseph Stalin."
It is estimated that as many as 20 million Soviet citizens perished in the network of labour camps - the Gulag - which Stalin perfected.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3506312.stm