Talking about a big ego:



This statue of Stalin, which stood at the mouth of the Volga-Don Canal, was so large, that three taxis would have fit in his hat.

Founded as Tsaritsyn in 1589, it was long an important strategic post on the Volga. Once things named after tsars went out of fashion after the Bolshevik revolution, it was renamed Stalingrad in 1925 by Stalin himself. Once things named after Stalin went out of fashion during Khrushchev's time, it was renamed Volgograd, this in 1961.

By the way, in 1918 Stalin fought in Tsaritsyn so actually the area was familiar to him in WW2 battle´s time in 1942-43.

__________________