Lenin Statue (Kotka)
The Lenin Statue located in Kotka, Finland, is a monument to Vladimir Lenin sculpted by the Estonian sculptor Matti Varik. The statue was unveiled on 26 August 1979, and was a gift from Tallinn, one of Kotka's sister cities.[1] The statue is a bust and stands over two meters tall. It is made of bronze and granite.[1] The statue was originally located in the western part of Kotka's city center, on Kotkansaari island, in a small park on Pohjoispuistokatu Street.[2] It is believed that Lenin stayed overnight in a wooden house next to the park in the early 1900s.[1] In 2022, the city of Kotka decided to relocate the statue to the regional museum. Proposals to move the statue were made because it was seen as offensive to the memory of those who perished as victims of Soviet war crimes.[3]
History
The idea for the statue began when the political leadership of the Soviet Union promised a statue to Kotka. After that, Kotka's sister city Tallinn was ordered to donate it.[4] The statue was unveiled by the Soviet Union's ambassador, Vladimir Sobolev, who gave a speech praising the good relations between Finland and the Soviet Union. On behalf of Kotka, the statue was received by city council chairman Arvi Forss. The speech for the handover was given by Karl Vaino, the first secretary of the Communist Party of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic. Among the invited guests were the ambassadors of Poland, East Germany, and Czechoslovakia, as well as the governor of the Kymi province, Erkki Huurtamo.[5]
The statue was vandalized in the 1980s, when it was covered in red paint.[6]
In Finland, Lenin statues in public outdoor spaces existed in Kotka and Turku. In addition, two Lenin statues are on display indoors at the Lenin Museum in Tampere.[7]
Lenin's Missing Arm
In 1995, as part of the Port of Kotka art exhibition, a sculpture by Polish sculptor Krzysztof Bednarski called Lenin's Missing Arm was unveiled near the Lenin statue.[8] From a certain angle, the arm of the sculpture appeared to be connected to the Lenin statue. The materials used were bronze and granite.[8] This work was also removed in October 2022.[9]
References
- 1 2 3 Tieaho, Matti (August 26, 2009). "Lenin is a pioneering work of refurbishment". Kymen Sanomat. Archived from the original on September 3, 2009. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ↑ Eija Anttila (May 25, 2022). "Kotka's city council decided to name Lenin Park in its 100th anniversary meeting". Kymensuu. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ↑ Kivimäki, Petri & Rautama, Heini (June 14, 2022). "Finland's last large Lenin statue is removed from public view". Yle News. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ Krautsuk, Satu (May 15, 2009). "Propaganda films bring Soviet nostalgia to Kotka". YLE Kymenlaakso. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ↑ Koski, Juha (August 21, 2009). "Over 3,000 people watched the unveiling of Lenin". DuoKymi. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ↑ Tieaho, Matti (August 26, 2009). "Lenin is a pioneering work of refurbishment". Kymen Sanomat. Archived from the original on September 3, 2009. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ↑ Tieaho, Matti (August 26, 2009). "Lenin is a pioneering work of refurbishment". Kymen Sanomat. Archived from the original on September 3, 2009. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- 1 2 Tieaho, Matti (August 26, 2009). "Lenin is a pioneering work of refurbishment". Kymen Sanomat. Archived from the original on September 3, 2009. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ↑ "The ironic message of Lenin's "smoking hand" that was taken out of sight went unnoticed by many – the artist explains how his work should be interpreted". Yle News. October 5, 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2025.