Communist Leader Urges Putin to Restore Stalingrad Name for Volgograd Before Victory Day

The leader of Russia’s Communist Party called on President Vladimir Putin on Thursday to officially change the name of the southern city of Volgograd back to Stalingrad, honoring its historical significance from World War II.

«We have been advocating for this for a considerable time,» stated party chief Gennady Zyuganov in an interview with the state-operated TASS news agency. «In my view, it is well overdue. If I were in the president’s position, I would have already signed the decree to coincide with May 9.»

Victory Day, observed on May 9, commemorates the Soviet Union’s triumph over Nazi Germany. In recognition of this occasion, Russia’s Communist Party has dispatched drones, motorcycles, and all-terrain vehicles to support Russian soldiers engaged in combat in Ukraine as part of a «humanitarian aid» mission.

«I was in Stalingrad yesterday. I referred to it as Stalingrad and will continue to do so,» Zyuganov remarked during the ceremony of the aid distribution on Wednesday.

«There are still ten days before May 9, which is sufficient time to restore the city’s original name,» he continued. «The entire nation is calling for this. The soldiers participating in the special military operation are advocating for it. Our veterans are expressing their support.»

During a visit to Volgograd this week, Putin instructed that the city’s airport be named «Stalingrad International Airport.» He mentioned that a complete name change could be feasible if the residents were in favor of it.

«I can certainly understand the reasoning behind it,» Putin said to a group of young people at a patriotic education forum in Moscow on Wednesday. «If we strip away the ideological aspect, the name is unequivocally linked to victory.»

However, he noted that authorities would need to «assess the majority’s viewpoint» and that he would «consider the matter.»

Zyuganov asserted that «the locals are prepared for it,» yet recent state polls have indicated that most residents of Volgograd oppose reverting to the name from the Stalin era.

The city was designated Stalingrad in 1925 and became a symbol of Soviet resilience during the pivotal battle from 1942-1943, which significantly influenced the outcome of World War II. It was renamed Volgograd in 1961 as part of the U.S.S.R.’s de-Stalinization efforts.

In recent years, the name «Stalingrad» has seen a temporary resurgence in the city during significant holidays and anniversaries related to wartime events.