Webwhen dictator joseph stalin dies, his parasitic cronies square off in a frantic power struggle to become the next soviet leader. After being in power for nearly 30 years, soviet dictator joseph vissarionovich stalin (adrian mcloughlin) takes ill and quickly dies. Webthe death of stalin (2017) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Webthe death of stalin, set in the soviet union in 1953, is endlessly funny, but more absurdist than those earlier works. The story spins off from real events. When josef stalin suffers.