Kyrgyzstan Quietly Removes Tallest Lenin Statue in Central Asia, Urges Not to "Politically Charge" the Decision
AFE News, Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, July 7 - As a Russian ally, Kyrgyzstan today quietly removed the tallest Lenin statue in Central Asia. Officials from the country urged not to "politicize" this decision.
With the former Soviet republics in Central Asia seeking to strengthen their national identities, they have been changing city names with Russian connotations and replacing statues of Soviet leaders with those of local or national heroes. Lenin was the founder of the Soviet Union (USSR).
Russia is striving to maintain its influence in Kyrgyzstan as it faces competition from both China and Western countries amidst its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia has military bases in Kyrgyzstan.
This 23-meter-tall Lenin statue stood in the central square of Osh, the second-largest city in Kyrgyzstan. Local officials urged not to "politicize" this decision, and the municipal government will "relocate" the statue.
The Osh municipal government issued a statement saying that this decision "should not be politicized," and noted that there were also several cases in Russia where "Lenin monuments were removed or relocated."
The statement also said: "This is a common practice for improving urban architectural and landscape aesthetics."
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