Stalinist USSR surviving to this day

The concept here is as follows: Could a Soviet Union ruled by hardline Stalinists since 1953 hang on to life in spite of economic implosion, largerly via violence & repression, and exist 'till this very day? If so, what would be the effects on it and the world in general?
 
I think to survive they'd have to "bend" considerably, like China did, in the economic sphere. The Stalinists might've adopted capitalism while retaining tight control only politically. Not everyone may agree what worked in China could've worked in the USSR, but they'd have to try. In the '80s it was obvious the Soviets were falling behind economically and technologically. Their system was a failure, so demoralization and collapse were certain unless they could duplicate the Chinese achievement.
If they succeeded the USSR would've remained a superpower, so the "unipolar world," lamented by Putin, wouldn't have come about. That would've limited US options in the gulf in 1990-91, among other things.
 
Yet who would define as a Stalinist, at least in the post-Stalin period though? Obviously we'd have to discount Khrushchev since he was the one who ended it.
 
I think some sort of de-Stalinization lite is inevitable. The first mass amnesties of GULAG prisoners happened within months of Stalin's death. Even Beria supported them.
 
I can't see Stalinism continue after Stalin's death at least not as in orthodox form. Them have at least partially abandone that if they want Soviet state to survive.
 
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