Control over the past during Stalin's reign was one of the most important methods of manipulating public consciousness and mobilizing the masses. Using historical allegories as an ideological tool, propaganda used them to explain the current political situation to viewers and readers, creating a so-called useful past—an inexhaustible resource for maintaining the leader's power. Vitaly Tikhonov's book explores the complex relationship that developed between the Stalinist regime and historical scholarship. The author discusses how Stalin read historical works, perceived history, and intervened in the production of scientific knowledge, as well as the role of historical anniversaries and the cult of historical heroes in ideology. Significant attention is also devoted to professional scholars who found themselves hostage to the era—their place and role in historical policy. The book aims to answer questions about how this unique 'historiographic vertical of power' was structured and how ideological campaigns and debates changed the conceptual landscape of Soviet historical scholarship. Vitaly Tikhonov is a Doctor of Historical Sciences, a leading researcher at the Institute of Russian History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and a specialist in the social history of science, institutional history, and the history of historical science in the 20th century.