For much of Russia’s post-Soviet history, communists and other leftists found themselves on the political margins. That is starting to change.
During Russia’s recent regional elections, the Communist Party made major gains at the Kremlin’s expense — the second year in a row that it did so. Communists also played a major role in organizing mass anti-Kremlin protests that rocked Russia two summers ago. Beyond politics, a growing number of Russians feel nostalgia for the USSR and even for Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.