I am not the most well-read about the history of the USSR and Stalin. So, I need someone who is more well read to separate fact from fiction. I am sure that capitalist propaganda has definitely affected my knowledge so here we gooooo! Was Stalin as brutal as he is made out to be? Was he a dictator? What were Gulags, were they inhumane, and who were the kulaks? Did Stalin have public support? Was the USSR totalitarian? Was democracy happening? What were the secret police and why were they secret?

I appreciate any answer from any tendency pro-Stalin and against-Stalin, If you mention any statistics and stuff like that I would also appreciate a link to where I can find them. Thanks in advance comrades!