Disappearing monuments

As the previously unthinkable horror of the war in Ukraine continues, moves to demolish Soviet monuments across Eastern Europe have been accelerating.

In July the Latvian government published a list of 69 monuments, memorial signs, commemorative plaques, memorials, architectural or artistic creations and other objects to be dismantled across the country. The highest profile monument on the list was the Victory Monument in Uzvaras Park, Riga, which was demolished in stages between 22nd and 25th August 2022, generating plenty of media attention from around the world.

The Victory Monument to the Soviet Army in 2016

It is strange seeing these monuments disappear, having visited some of them in the recent past. I find them curiously fascinating relics of the Soviet Union’s faded glory, but it must be entirely different for anyone who has lived through those difficult times. I visited the Victory Monument in 2016 and for the first time appreciated the immense scale and intimidating effect of the composition. It left me in no doubt that it was as much a statement of control as it was of remembrance.

The monument was originally constructed from 1982 to 1985, though time and money ran out before the museum that was intended for the basement could be installed. Six years later Latvia was an independent country again and the tide turned against the monument. Demolition and restoration of the park will not come cheap, with the cost put at 2 million euros, leading some to express a wish that past attempts to blow it up in the 1990s had been successful.

The Latvian language service produced a fascinating three part series of interviews with local residents in the wake of the demolition (see part one, part two and part three) that show the conflicting views of the Victory monument, ranging from a symbol of terror to a commemoration of heroes. Earlier news reports indicated that there were no plans to preserve any part of the monument.

Across the country work to demolish other monuments is already underway and some local authorities have already identified additional monuments beyond the original list. Similar move are afoot in Estonia, Lithuania and Poland. It is particularly fascinating to see the before and after photos captured by Amos Chapple in Then And Now: Soviet Monuments Disappear Across Poland and realise that you would hardly know these had ever existed.

Gallery