Neo-Stalinism
Neo-Stalinism (Russian: Неосталинизм) is a political term referring to the promotion of positive views of Joseph Stalin's role in history, the partial re-establishing of Stalin's policies on certain issues, and nostalgia for the Stalin period. The term is also used to designate the modern political regimes in some states. This is usually done by critics of those states, who argue that their political and social life bears similarities to Stalin's regime.
Definitions
There are two definitions of the term neo-Stalinism.
According to historian Roy Medvedev, the term describes the rehabilitation of Joseph Stalin, identification with him and the associated political system, nostalgia for the Stalinist period in Russia's history, restoration of Stalinist policies, and a return to the administrative terror of the Stalinist period while avoiding some of the worst excesses.
According to former General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, the term refers to a moderated Stalinist state, without large-scale repressions but with persecution of political opponents and total control of all political activities in the country.