Authorities in Semey have begun dismantling the last and largest monument to Vladimir Lenin in the region, a 15-meter statue, citing structural danger, infohub.kz reports.
According to KTK television, other statues and busts of Soviet leaders that once stood in a square on Zhamakaev Street in the city center were removed long ago and the square was renovated. Only Lenin remained, but now his turn has come.
The monument is considered one of the largest statues of Vladimir Ilyich not only in Kazakhstan but across the CIS. It was installed more than 50 years ago.
Recently, residents of nearby buildings began complaining about the statue, saying it looks bad and could collapse. The monument also alarmed a commission, whose experts concluded that the statue had tilted because of soft ground.
"The combination of identified defects, including damage to the support units and base plate, significant corrosion damage to the metal structures, as well as through-cracks and gaps, indicates a critical decline in the structure's load-bearing capacity and poses an immediate threat of collapse of the sculptural elements," the Semey akimat said.
City authorities do not yet know what will happen to the statue next.