Part 4/10:
Despite his immense popularity and a public persona as the "little father of the people," Stalin lived in profound loneliness, exacerbated by the tragedies of his private life, including the suicide of his second wife, Nadia. Since that fateful event six years prior, he had retreated further into isolation, with only Valentina remaining a constant presence in his life. Their relationship, shrouded in secrecy, served as a rare faucet of intimacy in an otherwise stark existence.
Yet, behind his facade of invulnerability, Stalin confronted health issues—a truth hidden beneath layers of manipulation and fear. Chronic health problems and the ghosts of violence and suffering hung over him, stemming from a tumultuous upbringing rife with violence and loss.