A new statue of Vladimir Lenin has been unveiled in the city of Ufa in the Volga District.
The first in Russia this century, it is actually the city’s third statue of the Bolshevik leader to stand on the same spot.
The first was erected in 1924 and stood there for 14 years; the second was taken to St. Petersburg in 1984 for restoration but was then lost.
Lenin-loving locals then petitioned to get their statue back.
Twenty years after the collapse of the USSR, Vladimir Lenin remains quite an important figure for many Russians, especially those with a Soviet upbringing.
At the same time, for many citizens Lenin is a symbol of excessive ideology influencing all spheres of life. Thus, memories of the legendary Bolshevik leader have turned out to be seriously detrimental to business in his native region.
The region’s officials found out that Lenin’s image is not only failing to attract more tourists, but is also hampering the economic progress of the place by putting off potential investors.
After years of proudly bearing the title of “the place where Vladimir Lenin was born,” Ulyanovsk Region has finally decided to re-brand.