In one of Moscow's central subway stations — Arbatskaya — the escalator leading up to the city exit ends in a spacious vestibule. On the front wall, a classic frame several meters high is covered with white plaster. It bears no image, and the white paint must be regularly renewed to avoid ugly cracks.
Not many Muscovites know that beneath the white plane is hidden a magnificent mosaic depicting "the Great Leader" — Josef Stalin in the apotheosis of victory in the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945).
I still remember how big and pompous that image looked and its intimidating influence on the weary people riding up the escalator.