Last Lenin statue removed in Finland

Lenin statue in Kotka, Finland was donated to the city at 1979.| Photo: Reproduction Twitter

The monument that was received as a gift in the city of Kotka in southeastern Finland in, will be removed from the urban scene and directed to a museum in the country. The statue of Russian communist leader Lenin was sculpted by Estonian artist Matti Varikin and offered by the nearby city of Tallinn, which at the time was part of the Soviet Union.

Since before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the statue generates discussion in the city and is frequently vandalized. In recent months, debates have intensified until a municipal council held a vote this Monday (). With 41 votes in favor and nine against, Kotka decided to remove the monument.

With the decision, no other statue in honor of the Russian Revolution will be able to compose the Finnish city streets.

Finland made official in May the NATO entry application. And last week, the country declared that it intends to build fences and walls on the border with Russia. The initiatives show a clear change in the country’s geopolitical strategy, which until then was considered neutral.