Joseph Stalin was chosen as the world's greatest historical figure by Russians in a poll titled, "10 most outstanding people of all time."

The dictator received 38 percent of votes compared to 34 percent for current Russian President Vladimir Putin and 34 percent for poet Alexander Pushkin. Stalin ruled the Soviet Union for more than two decades and transformed the country into an industrial and military superpower but did so by imposing strict targets which were harshly enforced – workers were imprisoned or executed as enemies of the state if they failed to meet the marks.

The poll was conducted in April by the Levada Centre independent pollster and had 1,600 respondents aged 18 and older. Participants were asked to list the 10 greatest individuals of all time. Other names on the list include Russian communist Vladimir Lenin, Tsar Peter the Great and first man in space Yury Gagarin. Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet Union leader, only scored six percent.

Seventeen of the 20 people on the list were Russian figures, with three outsiders: Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and Napoleon Bonaparte. Stalin topped the list in 2012 with an even higher score of 42 percent.

• Report: CNN Changing Russia Reporting Procedures Following Retraction
• Report: US Officials Found Destroyed Materials in Russian Compounds