Volkogonov believed that Stalin's Marxism was shaped by his "dogmatic turn of mind", suggesting that this had been instilled in the Soviet leader during his education in religious institutions.
Namun, Volkogonov meyakini bahwa Marxisme Stalin dibentuk oleh "jalan pikirannya yang dogmatis", yang menunjukkan bahwa hal tersebut telah ditanamkan pada diri Stalin selama pendidikannya di lembaga-lembaga keagamaan.