Communist countries having banners, paintings, and statues of the ‘great leaders’ isn’t unlike Americans using Washington’s image to visually describe their patriotism. That’s really all it is, respect for the “founders” of communism in their country or the “founders” of ideology for their particular form of Marxism. It doesn’t really have much of a life outside of this. (other than in NazBol types, and western depictions of communists)

Peasants in Russia and the EX-SR states still proudly display framed pictures of Lenin and Stalin, because they represent a better time for those regions. Modern communists the world over proudly display Lenin out of respect for the importance of Leninism in modern communist theory. DPRK displays the Kim family out of admiration of Il-sung and he and his son’s contributions to the Juche ideology.

It’s a western narrative that these are “cults of personality”, built by people who cultishly support figures like Thatcher, or Reagan, or Obama. They looked at communist countries proudly displaying their historic leaders and their important figures for ideology, and decide to create a myth around this. Specifically to push an anti-communist ideal that communism was for the mentally unwell. Orwell likened Communists to “sandal wearers”, for instance.