Authorities in Kyrgyzstan's second-largest city, Osh, have removed the imposing statue of Vladimir Lenin, considered the tallest monument to the Soviet revolutionary in Central Asia, the Associated Press reported, quoted by dariknews.bg.
The monument, which is 23 meters high, was erected in 1975, when Kyrgyzstan was part of the Soviet Union. Photos appeared online today showing the statue lying on the ground after being lowered by a crane.
While many former Soviet countries have sought to downplay their ties to Russia as part of efforts to change national identity, the monument was taken down without much public display, with officials in Osh describing its removal as routine urban planning.
In a statement, the Osh city hall called the move a “common practice” aimed at improving the “architectural and aesthetic appearance” of the area.
Officials also noted that Lenin monuments had been “dismantled or moved to other locations” in Russian cities including St. Petersburg and Belgorod, and said the issue "should not be politicized." They said the monument would be replaced with a flagpole, as was the case when another statue of Lenin was moved to the capital, Bishkek. The move came a week after Kyrgyzstan's ally Russia unveiled a monument to the brutal Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin at one of Moscow's busiest metro stations. Source: dariknews.bg