KHARKIV - Two Lenin monuments were dismantled in high-rise residential areas of the city of Kharkiv in the early hours of Oct. 7.
The first case was registered in the Osnova district, a historical part of the city (southern Kharkiv): the sculpture was pulled down from the pedestal with a rope and smashed into pieces, a spokesperson for the Kharkiv city council said. Police were called to the scene, an inquiry is underway.
The second case took place near the Illich House of Culture, which was recently restored and reinforced with additional fittings. It, too, was pulled down with a rope and removed from the pedestal.
A video posted on Youtube shows the monuments being removed by young men of athletic built wearing balaclava. Sounds similar to gunshots are also audible in the background.
It was reported that the past month and a half saw multiple instances of disfiguring of Lenin monuments in Kharkiv, including the incident late at night on Sept. 28 when radically-minded activists removed a Lenin monument in Freedom Square.
The city authorities called the removal illegal and vowed to restore the monument.
