The Tallest Stalin Statue Ever Erected

Stalin’s Statue in Yerevan (1950–1962)

On October 29, 1950, a grand statue of Joseph Stalin was unveiled in Yerevan. Considered a masterpiece by renowned sculptor Sergey Merkurov, the statue stood atop a towering pedestal designed by architect Rafayel Israyelian. The bronze figure itself measured 17 meters, while its monumental pedestal added another 33 meters, bringing the total height to 50 meters. At the time, this was the tallest Stalin statue ever erected.

Stalin Statue in Yerevan

A local legend suggests that Stalin himself visited Yerevan at night to see the monument and approved of it. However, no factual evidence exists to support this claim.

Total height: 50 meters

Sculpture height: 17 meters

Pedestal height: 33 meters

However, like many Stalin-era monuments, the statue was removed during the de-Stalinization process. It was dismantled in 1962, and in 1967, the Mother Armenia monument by sculptor Ara Harutyunyan was installed in its place, utilizing the original pedestal.

The Stalin Monument at the Entrance of the Volga-Don Canal in Stalingrad: The Tallest Ever. Stalingrad was renamed Volgograd on November 10, 1961, as part of Nikita Khrushchev’s de-Stalinization campaign.

On July 27, 1952, an even taller Stalin statue was unveiled at the entrance of the Volga-Don Shipping Canal, named after Vladimir Lenin. This colossal project was designed by sculptor Evgeny Vuchetich and architect Leonid Polyakov. To construct the monument, a special batch of native copper was mined.

The sculpture itself stood 24 meters tall, while its massive pedestal measured 30 meters, resulting in a total height of 54 meters—the tallest Stalin statue ever built. This record was never surpassed.

Total height: 54 meters

Sculpture height: 24 meters

Pedestal height: 30 meters

Despite popular belief that the monument was removed shortly after Stalingrad was renamed Volgograd in 1961, it actually remained standing until March 1962. And then in the course of a single night, as part of the de-Stalinization efforts, the statue was dismantled. The fate of the statue remains unknown.

For several years, the pedestal remained empty until it was repurposed for a monument to Vladimir Lenin.

Lenin monument at the entrance to the Volga-Don Canal (1973–Present)

At the initiative of the RSFSR Ministry of Culture, the empty pedestal was designated for a new Lenin monument. Once again, Evgeny Vuchetich and Leonid Polyakov were selected as the designers. Initially, a Lenin bust was proposed, but the artists of Volgograd rejected this idea, opting instead for a full-scale monument.

Construction began in 1969, and the monument was completed in time for Lenin’s 103rd birthday. The official unveiling took place on April 20, 1973.

The sculpture, like The Motherland Calls! in Volgograd, was made using pre-stressed reinforced concrete, with internal metal cables providing structural integrity.

Total height: 57 meters

Sculpture height: 27 meters

Pedestal height: 30 meters

By 2011, the monument showed signs of wear, requiring urgent repairs. In December 2024, a competition was announced for its restoration, with an estimated budget of 8.4 million rubles.