A Josef Stalin impersonator rides a Moscow subway escalator on his way to Red Square, where visitors will have their picture taken with him. The late Soviet dictator is enjoying a renaissance of sorts in Russia. (Sergei L. Loiko / Los Angeles Times)
Vera Atamanova, 77, shows a portrait of Stalin, and her support for him, at the Moscow courthouse. Some Russians were horrified that the case even made it to trial. (Sergei L. Loiko / Los Angeles Times)
A mother and daughter have lunch at the Soviet Meatpies diner in Moscow, where the faces of Josef Stalin and Vladimir Lenin are part of a mural. (Sergei L. Loiko / Los Angeles Times)