MAKHACHKALA, Russia -- Large posters with Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's portrait that were placed in public spaces earlier this week in Daghestan's capital, Makhachkala, have been removed.
The posters' appearance in Russia's North Caucasus city on April 27 sparked online criticism by local bloggers and Internet users.
Some posters showing Stalin together with other Soviet leaders and military commanders of the 1940s remain in the city's public spaces.
In Moscow and some other Russian cities, Stalin's portraits and banners depicting his image are being displayed in connection with the 70th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, which Russia celebrates on May 9.
Human rights activists in Russia have condemned the use of Stalin's image, saying he was personally responsible for the repression and deaths of millions of Soviet citizens.