Statue of Lenin in Kharkiv

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Statue of Lenin in Kharkiv
Памятник Ленину на площади Дзержинского в Харькове, 1973 год.jpg
Monument to Lenin on then named Dzerzhinsky Square (now Freedom Square) in 1973
Coordinates50°00′17″N 36°13′52″E / 50.00483°N 36.23119°E / 50.00483; 36.23119Coordinates: 50°00′17″N 36°13′52″E / 50.00483°N 36.23119°E / 50.00483; 36.23119
LocationKharkiv, Ukraine
DesignerAlexander Sidorenko
MaterialGranite, Bronze
Length720 metres
Width125 metres
Beginning date5 November 1963
Opening date1964
Dedicated toVladimir Lenin
Dismantled date28 September 2014
Statue was destroyed on 28 September 2014. Because of Ukrainian decommunization laws it shall not be rebuilt.

The Statue of Lenin in Kharkiv was a sculpture monument to Vladimir Lenin, located in the Freedom Square, Kharkiv, Ukraine. It was the largest monument to Lenin in Ukraine. Designed by Alexander Sidorenko which held on an opened competition to bulit the monument in 1963 while in the eve of the October Revolution anniversary.

The composition of the statue facing Lenin on centre an energetic gesture of his right hand, a crumpled cartouche in his left, a figure full of dynamism, on the pedestal - bas-reliefs: under the battle on the Red Flag - a worker, sailor and a soldier. The second composition: a worker, a collective farmer and a scientist who raised a model of an artificial satellite of the Earth high above his head. In the middle, the sculpture was empty and held on steel pins placed at its feet and inscribing his name in Ukrainian. [1][2] The monument ID was 63-101-0682.

History[]

The statue Ponting out to the Kharkiv Regional Administration Building in September 2007

The monument was placed and planned by the Kharkiv City Council through the memorandum placed to built the sculpture to the square in 1963, the comission was accounded by sculptor Alexander Sidorenko, the building was comissioned by Oleksiy Oliynyk and Makar Vronsky, the monument was opened on November of 1964,the eve of the October Revolution festives in the USSR.

After the collapse of USSR and restoration of independence of Ukraine, many activist, politicians and individuals to call on the destruction of the said sculture on the said manner to remove the brutalist era of colonization of Russians, in 1994 it was proposed to replace this monument with a chocolate one, and to distribute chocolate to children.

By order of the Ministry of Culture № 468 of May 30, 2013, the monument was entered in the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine as a monument of monumental art of local significance, protection number 27-Ha.

Destruction of the monument[]

Euromaiden and Ukrainian Revolution of 2014[]

The monument in February 22 2014, bearing protesters with red flags and Russian flags on protection.
Pro-Russian demonstrations beneath the statue on 28 February 2014
protesters bearing words "Protect Nationalism", "Caution! Fascism on "Freedom" " and "Benderovets. REMEMBER - KHARKOV IS NOT YOUR TERRITORY."

During the Euromaidan and Leninist events in Ukraine on February 22 2014, after thousand of Euromaidan activist march from the Palace of Sports to Freedom Square, discussed for the mass demolition of the monument and all other instigias of the Soviet past. During the discussion, it was decided to demolish the monument after a decision in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Groups of Kharkiv residents who identify themselves as the "St. George's Ribbon" which called pro-russian settlers and Anti-Maidan activists protecting the monument and organized a round-the-clock duty and siege around it. The mayor of Kharkiv Gennady Kernes opposed the overthrow of the monument.

In the evening of September 21, 2014, Right Sector activists painted the monument and burned the St. George's ribbons that remained there. The next day, the inscriptions were erased by utility workers.[3][4][5]

Demolition[]

Toppling of the statue of Lenin in Kharkiv, 28 September 2014.

On September 28, 2014, a pro-Ukrainian march and rally was held in Kharkiv under the slogan "Kharkiv is Ukraine" with the participation of about 5,000 people. After the pro-Ukrainian action, most of its participants (about 3,000) gathered in Freedom Square and began to demolish the monument to Lenin, which was attended by fighters of the Azov Battalion, activists of the Eastern Corps, Public Guard, Kharkiv Euromaidan and Kharkiv Ultras.[6][7][8][9][10]

Initially, it was planned to saw the monument in parts with the help of a car lift, in particular, to saw off the head and hands, but the police did not allow special equipment to the monument and blocked all entrances to the square. At the same time, activists with the flag of the Azov Battalion cut out the inscription "Glory to Ukraine" with a perforator, at about 19:00 UTC+2.[11][9][12]

During the action to demolish the monument to Lenin, the pedestal was mined and inspected, but the report on the demining turned out to be false. In addition, according to Adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs Anton Gerashchenko,[9][13] law enforcement officers surrounded Freedom Square during the demolition of the monument to Lenin in order to prevent armed provocations.[8][2].[14]

During the first attempt to demolish the monument, the cable broke, injuring one of the activists, after which the monument's legs continued to be sawn , and climbing ropes were replaced with steel ropes. Also during the overthrow of Lenin, a man who tried to harm this process was beaten by pro-Ukrainian activists for insulting the Ukrainian people.

At about 10:30 p.m., activists tied two ropes to the figures and pulled them down and knocked down a monument to Lenin on Freedom Square in Kharkiv. After that, a crowd of people rushed to the monument, lighting fireworks and smoke bombs, as well as greeting each other shouting "Glory to Ukraine" once more. Kharkivites also tried to seize a piece of the monument as a souvenir. In total, the process of demolition of the monument took about four hours.[8] Activists set Ukrainian flags in the shoes of the statue of Lenin that remained on the pedestal.[15][16][14][8].

The sculpture was severely damaged, it left a torso without one arm, head, front abdomen and a boots. The remains of the statue of Lenin were transported to the Malyshev plant and the Kharkiv regional highway near the ring road.

Initially, the police opened a criminal investigation into the attempt to overthrow the monument to Lenin under Part 2 of Article 298 (destruction, destruction or damage of cultural heritage sites) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. But the head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration , Ihor Baluta, signed an order forming the "settling the situation regarding monuments to totalitarianism", according to which he decided to take urgent measures to dismantle the monument and remove it from the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine. The criminal proceedings were also terminated, and the Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov announced the termination of the criminal proceedings on the fact of damaging the monument on the basis of this order. Some of the local media called it a "Vandalism". The next day, Kharkiv police officially announced the termination of the criminal proceedings.[17]

On September 29, 2014, the head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration Ihor Baluta noted that the fall of the monument did not damage the subway structures.

Later, activists of the Kharkiv public organization IT Sector offered Kernes to exchange the sculpture's nose for an armored personnel carrier or a T-80 tank for the Azov Volunteer Battalion , otherwise they will hold an auction. An ear of a 35 kg monument to Lenin was also put up for auction, which is being exchanged for a thermal imager for the Kharkiv-1 Territorial Defense Battalion.

On the morning of 4 October 2014, a cross 3.5 metres high, 1.5 metres wide and weighing over 100 kg with the inscription "Save and Preserve" was installed on the top of the pedestal, with the inscription "Save and Preserve" and "Put a cross on Lenin", which will stand temporarily.

In April 2015 a Kharkiv Court ruled that the destruction of the monument had not been illegal since on 28 September 2014 then Governor of Kharkiv Oblast Ihor Baluta had decreed that the monument should be removed.[18] In (this) court case the Kharkiv city council had tried to recognize this decree by Baluta as illegal.[18]

In November 2015 Kharkiv Mayor Hennadiy Kernes officially admitted that because of Ukrainian decommunization laws the statue of Lenin could not be rebuilt.[1] According to him in the near future architects, artists and the city council would decide how to give Freedom Square a "European appearance".[1] Radio Free Europe reported that Kernes would be pushing for the building of a "modern fountain", which once was located at the same spot as the toppled Lenin statue.[1]

The pedestal and foundation of the statue were dismantled and removed in April 2016.[19] In August 2016 pavers were laid on the site where the statue of Lenin stood.[20] On 8 August 2016 Kharkiv First Deputy Mayor of Kharkiv Ihor Terekhov stated "In the place where there was a monument to Lenin, there will be nothing."[21]

  • Protesters take the bronze remains of Lenin after the fall.

  • the first piece by an unknown man take as souvenier.

  • The vacant plinth on 29 September 2014

  • The dismantled Lenin statue on 7 October 2014

Fountain instead of statue[]

After an open competition it was decided on 3 February 2017 that Freedom Square will get a new 86 meters high monument.[22] At its top an angel with an Orthodox cross watching over four figures who somehow resonate with the history of Slobozhanshchina (Anacharsis, Igor Svyatoslavich, Semen Hulak-Artemovsky and Mykhailo Petrenko.[22] After the monument had been approved civil society in Kharkiv expressed its opposition to the competition, according to them the designed sculpture didn't fit in the context of the square obliterating the symbolic value of the space. A petition demanding to cancel the decision on installing the column was registered on the official website of the Kharkiv City Council and more than 5000 people voted, establishing the minimum number for the Kharkiv City Council give an official answer for the request. This petition was supported by Docomomo International.[23]

The 86 meters high monument was never built and on 17 April 2020, at session of the Kharkiv city council, Kharkiv Mayor Kernes announced that a new fountain would appear on the site of the former statue to be opened 23 August 2020 (23 August is Kharkiv's city day).[24] This fountain was indeed opened on 23 August 2020.[25]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d (in Ukrainian) Kernes: Lenin monument in Kharkov not restore, Radio Free Europe (11/20/2015)
  2. ^ a b Леонід Логвиненко. Падiння iдола. Главное. 29.09.2014.
  3. ^ У Харкові тривають сутички біля велетенського пам'ятника Леніну
  4. ^ Рада Євромайдану в Харкові відмовилася від ідеї знести пам'ятник Леніну
  5. ^ Харківський Євромайдан ухвалив демонтувати Леніна та обрати нового мера
  6. ^ У Харкові на проукраїнський марш вийшли тисячі людей (фото). ТВі. 28.09.2014.
  7. ^ У Харкові влаштували марш «за Україну». Українська правда. 28.09.2014.
  8. ^ a b c d Юлія Гуш. В Харкові знесли пам'ятник Леніну (фото). Справжня варта. 29.09.2014.
  9. ^ a b c У Харкові марш «за Україну» переріс у повалення Леніна. Українська правда. 28.09.2014.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference УП. Відкрито кримінальне провадження за повалення Леніна. 28.09.14. was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Татьяна Федоркова Участники акции на площади Свободы пришли к памятнику Ленину с ��ерфоратором. MediaPort 28.09.2014 (in Russian)
  12. ^ У Харкові після маршу «за Україну» почали руйнувати пам'ятник Леніну (фото). ТВі. 28.09.2014.
  13. ^ У Харкові трошки «попиляли» Леніна та висвердлили напис «Слава Україні!». Еспресо.tv. 28.09.2014.
  14. ^ a b Харків повалив Леніна офіційно. Провокаторів попередили: до пам'ятника — зась. Українська правда. 28.09.2014.
  15. ^ Памятник Ленину на площади Свободы в Харькове снесли. MediaPort. 28.09.2014. (in Russian)
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference Еспресо.tv. Пам'ятник Леніну повалили. 28.09.14. was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ "Ukraine nationalists tear down Kharkiv's Lenin statue". BBC News. 28 September 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  18. ^ a b (in Russian) The court denied the Kharkiv city council to recognize the illegal demolition of the monument to Lenin, UNIAN (07.04.2015)
  19. ^ (in Russian) On Freedom Square demolished pedestal the statue of Lenin (photo), SQ (11 April 2016)
    (in Russian) At the site of a monument to Lenin will not build anything on Freedom Square, SQ (11 April 2016)
    (in Russian) At the site of the monument to Lenin, there is a pit (photo, video), SQ (21 April 2016)
  20. ^ (in Russian) The reconstruction of the square in the square (photo), SQ (10 August 2016)
  21. ^ (in Russian) Liberty Square returned to original form, SQ (8 August 2016)
  22. ^ a b (in Ukrainian) Lenin in Kharkiv replacement found, Ukrayinska Pravda (3 February 2017)
    (in Russian) It is known to be a monument to the Freedom Square (photo), SQ (3 February 2017)
  23. ^ Under Threat: Freedom Square in Kharkiv, Ukraine (DATE: 27/2/2017)
  24. ^ (in Russian) Kernes showed what a "dry" fountain will look like in the square on Freedom Square, My Kharkov .info (18 April 2020)
    (in Russian) Kernes showed what the fountain in the square on Freedom Square will look like (video), My Kharkov .info (17 August 2020)
  25. ^ (in Russian) A new attraction has appeared in Kharkov (photo, video, updated), Gorod.X (24 August 2020)
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