How did Stalin get his name?

nom de guerre. Steely. Denoting strength, tenacity, iron will, all in the fight for revolution Stalin kept it long after the need to be covert. Same with Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, he took his nom de guerre from (of) the river Lena. read more

Presumably, choosing Stalin was meant to signify the name bearer’s steel will to prevail in his revolutionary struggle. Lena is a river in Siberia, known for its savage beauty and fierce power. Lenin was exiled to Siberia and it is thought likely that he was inspired to choose his party name by that particular river. read more

In 1925, the Russian city of Tsaritsyn was renamed Stalingrad. In 1961, as part of the de-Stalinization process, the city, located along Europe's longest river, the Volga, became known as Volgograd. read more

Stalin is a pseudonym, lots of revolutionaries took a pseudonym back in the day. Stalin's full name is Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvilli. His previous pseudonym was Koba. read more