Photo: Pressa.Kg
In the early hours of June 7, 2025, authorities in Osh, Kyrgyzstan’s second-largest city, dismantled a 25-meter statue of Vladimir Lenin, one of the tallest of its kind in the world and the largest remaining monument to Lenin in Central Asia. Erected in 1975 in front of the city administration building and weighing 7.5 tons, the statue had long been a subject of public and political debate in Kyrgyzstan.
According to the Osh mayor’s office, the monument is slated to be relocated to nearby “Meerim Park” (“Park of Love”), though officials have not ruled out a full removal. In its place, the city plans to install a 95-meter flagpole—similar to the one recently raised in Bishkek—as part of an effort to improve the city’s architectural and aesthetic landscape. Local authorities emphasized that the decision should not be politicized, pointing to similar actions taken in cities across Russia.
Ongoing dismantling
The dismantling has sparked mixed reactions. Kyrgyz MP Iskhak Masaliyev condemned the move, calling it “ignorance and cultural amnesia,” and argued that it represents an attempt to erase the Soviet legacy, disregarding the achievements of that era. He also highlighted Lenin’s role in the formation of Kyrgyzstan’s independence and territorial integrity. Some residents, however, supported the decision, viewing the monument as an outdated relic incompatible with the country’s modern national identity.
