Even this slaughter of his intimates doesn’t begin to capture the depths of Stalin’s murderous paranoia or the depravity of his rule. Determined to leave no potential revenge-seekers behind, after eliminating his perceived enemies the Soviet dictator often killed the dead men’s wives. After the liquidation of the wives, it might be the turn of their children, even infants, and then of his victim’s extended families. In just this way, many notable Russian families were virtually scrubbed out of existence during Stalin’s reign.
