On a facade of a lobby there are two dates: 1945 and 1949. These are dates of construction of the Small ring line. There is an opinion that Stalin has specially postponed date of opening of the first piece of the Ring line to 1950. In 1949 the leader celebrated own 70 anniversary and didn't want to combine an event, so significant for all country, with other celebrations.
In 1961 at the XXII congress it has been decided to change a decor of Kurskaya station. The monument to Stalin was dismantled, the high relief of the medal "For Defense of Stalingrad" was remade in connection with renaming of the city into Volgograd, and also have cleaned two last lines of the anthem:
We were grown up by Stalin – on fidelity to the people
On work and on feats I have inspired us.
During restoration of 2008-2009 have restored only the first two lines:
Through thunder-storms the sun of freedom shone to us,
And Lenin great to us has lit up a way.
The text was evenly distributed on all diameter of a dome. At night on October 24, 2009 all text has been restored in full that has caused rough reaction of the public.
The monument to Stalin wasn't restored, but the chief architect of the capital A. V. Kuzmin has declared that the station will be restored in full accordance with the original.