Kyrgyzstan Removes Statue of Communist Dictator Vladimir Lenin 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. more

11 Comments on Kyrgyzstan Removes Statue of Communist Dictator Vladimir Lenin from Second City

  1. JD Hasty — Hold on there! Not all of us are “XXXXbags”! And besides, the statue of Lenin in the Fremont neighborhood is just one of the many quirky statues and artifacts that Fremont has built its reputation as being “The Center of The Universe” in the past 70 years. No one “worships” Lenin’s statue. The red paint on the statue’s hands is frequently refreshed. Aside from that obvious statement, it usually just serves as a giant mannequin for various comical outfits. No one takes it as seriously as you do.

    Other Fremont oddities and wonders:
    – Bronzes of J.P. Patches, Gertrude and the I.C.U. 2 TV.
    – Neon light Repunzel in the Fremont bridge tender tower
    – The Rocket
    – ‘Waiting For The Interurban” (frequently decorated)
    – The Troll and his VW – under the north section of 99N

    So, lighten up, Francis. Most of us see the statue — which is on private property and purchased with private funds — as nothing more than “a trophy of Western triumphalism.”

    P.S. It wasn’t supposed to end up in Seattle. The new owner died before he could move it to Issaquah, where he was going to open up an eastern European restaurant. A friend of the owner, who had room for it, has been storing it until a new buyer comes forward.

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  2. geoff the aardvark — Yeah, I could kinda see Wallace claiming that title, too. But methinks Fremont predates the claim by quite a lot. LOL! Town boosters! Gotta love ’em! My hat is off to the person who can take a sleepy, even hard-luck, berg and turn it into a notable tourist attraction.

    I don’t know about the Troll. You have to go out of your way to be offended by him. He’s so tucked-up under the bridge and all. Certainly a surprise when he comes into view. I think he has to grow on you. It’s a pretty wry piece of public “art”.

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  3. …my personal favorite is J.P. and Gertrude. I’m a very devoted, life-long Patches Pal. A segment of J.P.’s kids’ show was when he sat down in front of the I.C.U. 2 TV where he would make birthday wishes to children and tell them where to look for their birthday presents. As he never once said “Happy Birthday” to me, I always felt disheartened.

    A very close friend was a producer and editor for KIRO TV, home of J.P. On my 40th birthday, he brought me a video tape of J.P. (Chris Wedes), sans his clown make-up, finally wishing me a happy birthday! I’m the only Patches Pal who has birthday greetings from J.P. It’s one of the highlights of my life.

    Moral of story: Go out and make someone’s day!

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