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CNN
a day ago
- Politics
- CNN
Kyrgyzstan removes towering Lenin statue from second city
Authorities in the second-largest city in Kyrgyzstan, Osh, have removed a towering statue of Vladimir Lenin thought to be the tallest of the revolutionary Soviet leader in Central Asia. The 23-meter (75-foot) monument was erected in 1975 when Kyrgyzstan was part of the Soviet Union. Photos appeared online Saturday showing the statue flat on the ground after being lowered by a crane. While many countries formerly part of the Soviet Union have moved to downplay their ties to Russia as part of efforts to reshape national identity, the monument was taken down with little public fanfare and officials in Osh framed the removal as routine city planning. In a statement, Osh City Hall called the move 'common practice' aimed at improving the 'architectural and aesthetic appearance' of the area. Officials also noted that Lenin monuments have been 'dismantled or moved to other places' in Russian cities including St Petersburg and Belgorod, and said that the issue 'should not be politicized.' The monument, they said, will be replaced by a flagpole, as was the case when a different Lenin statue was relocated in the capital, Bishkek. The move came a week after Kyrgyzstan's ally Russia unveiled a monument to brutal Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin at one of Moscow's busiest subway stations.
CNN
a day ago
- Politics
- CNN
Kyrgyzstan removes towering Lenin statue from second city
Authorities in the second-largest city in Kyrgyzstan, Osh, have removed a towering statue of Vladimir Lenin thought to be the tallest of the revolutionary Soviet leader in Central Asia. The 23-meter (75-foot) monument was erected in 1975 when Kyrgyzstan was part of the Soviet Union. Photos appeared online Saturday showing the statue flat on the ground after being lowered by a crane. While many countries formerly part of the Soviet Union have moved to downplay their ties to Russia as part of efforts to reshape national identity, the monument was taken down with little public fanfare and officials in Osh framed the removal as routine city planning. In a statement, Osh City Hall called the move 'common practice' aimed at improving the 'architectural and aesthetic appearance' of the area. Officials also noted that Lenin monuments have been 'dismantled or moved to other places' in Russian cities including St Petersburg and Belgorod, and said that the issue 'should not be politicized.' The monument, they said, will be replaced by a flagpole, as was the case when a different Lenin statue was relocated in the capital, Bishkek. The move came a week after Kyrgyzstan's ally Russia unveiled a monument to brutal Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin at one of Moscow's busiest subway stations.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kyrgyzstan removes towering Lenin statue from second city
LONDON (AP) — Authorities in the second-largest city in Kyrgyzstan, Osh, have removed a towering statue of Vladimir Lenin thought to be the tallest of the revolutionary Soviet leader in Central Asia. The 23-meter (75-foot) monument was erected in 1975 when Kyrgyzstan was part of the Soviet Union. Photos appeared online Saturday showing the statue flat on the ground after being lowered by a crane. While many countries formerly part of the Soviet Union have moved to downplay their ties to Russia as part of efforts to reshape national identity, the monument was taken down with little public fanfare and officials in Osh framed the removal as routine city planning. In a statement, Osh City Hall called the move 'common practice' aimed at improving the 'architectural and aesthetic appearance' of the area. Officials also noted that Lenin monuments have been 'dismantled or moved to other places' in Russian cities including St Petersburg and Belgorod, and said that the issue 'should not be politicized.' The monument, they said, will be replaced by a flagpole, as was the case when a different Lenin statue was relocated in the capital, Bishkek. The move came a week after Kyrgyzstan's ally Russia unveiled a monument to brutal Soviet dictator Josef Stalin at one of Moscow's busiest subway stations.
Associated Press
a day ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Kyrgyzstan removes towering Lenin statue from second city
LONDON (AP) — Authorities in the second-largest city in Kyrgyzstan, Osh, have removed a towering statue of Vladimir Lenin thought to be the tallest of the revolutionary Soviet leader in Central Asia. The 23-meter (75-foot) monument was erected in 1975 when Kyrgyzstan was part of the Soviet Union. Photos appeared online Saturday showing the statue flat on the ground after being lowered by a crane. While many countries formerly part of the Soviet Union have moved to downplay their ties to Russia as part of efforts to reshape national identity, the monument was taken down with little public fanfare and officials in Osh framed the removal as routine city planning. In a statement, Osh City Hall called the move 'common practice' aimed at improving the 'architectural and aesthetic appearance' of the area. Officials also noted that Lenin monuments have been 'dismantled or moved to other places' in Russian cities including St Petersburg and Belgorod, and said that the issue 'should not be politicized.' The monument, they said, will be replaced by a flagpole, as was the case when a different Lenin statue was relocated in the capital, Bishkek. The move came a week after Kyrgyzstan's ally Russia unveiled a monument to brutal Soviet dictator Josef Stalin at one of Moscow's busiest subway stations.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Central Asia's tallest Lenin statue taken down
Kyrgyzstan has taken down a huge statue of the revolutionary Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin, which was thought to be the tallest in Central Asia. First erected when Kyrgyzstan was part of the Soviet Union, the 23m-tall monument towered over the city of Osh for 50 years before it was quietly removed this week. Photos emerged on Saturday showing the communist revolutionary - who features prominently in Soviet iconography - lying on his back on the ground, having been lowered by crane. Many former Soviet republics have recently sought to recast their national identities with less emphasis on their previous ties to Russia, though local officials downplayed the decision to move the statue. Authorities in Kyrgyzstan will be aware of the risk of offending its ally, Russia, a week after the latter unveiled a brand new statue of another Soviet figurehead, Josef Stalin, in Moscow. A statement from City Hall in Osh - the landlocked nation's second-largest city after the capital, Bishkek - said the figure would be relocated as part of "common practice" aimed at improving the "architectural and aesthetic appearance" of the city. It pointed to examples of Lenin statues previously being taken down in Russia. The statue will be replaced by a flagpole, as was the case when a different Lenin statue was relocated in Bishek, according to local media. Kyrgyzstan gained its independence 34 years ago when the Soviet Union collapsed. But reminders of its Soviet history can be found across the country, even where there are no statues. For instance, its second-tallest mountain is named Lenin Peak.
