Ukraine says good-bye to its largest Lenin statue

Ukraine’s largest monument to Bolshevik Revolution leader Vladimir Lenin was dismantled on Thursday in a bid to rid the southeast city of Zaporizhia of Communist-era symbols.

The operation to topple the 20-meter statue took some 30 hours and was broadcast live on YouTube gathering crowds of local residents.

The statue was erected in 1964 at the entrance to the Dnieper Hydroelectric Station, the largest power plant on the Dnieper River.

• Attempts to topple the huge monument were made twice over the past two years. The bronze Lenin was also dressed in uniform of Ukraine’s national football and the embroidered Ukrainian national costume.

The dismantling began with the removal of workers’ figures surrounding the statue and all inscriptions, including Lenin’s words, "Communism is Soviet power plus the electrification of the whole country."

The dragging effort to topple the statue was much discussed on the Internet and the Twitter account offering ironical coverage of the ordeal got over 1,100 followers in the two days.

The so-called ‘decommunization’ law banning Soviet symbols and propaganda was adopted in Ukraine last year.
 [/tass.ru]
17/3/16

Vladimir Lenin statue in Zaporizhia
© Konstantin Sazonchik/TASS