The Wandering Scot

An occasional travel journal.
 Misc Statuary

Lenins

Stalins  

I was startled when I ran across my first Lenin "in the wild" in Kazakhstan, complete with fresh red flowers. I had vaguely assumed that Lenin had been swept into the dustbin of history, and his statues with him. But no, he still typically retains a prominent place in most of the major cities of Russia, and in scattered other parts of the former USSR. I've now seen him in about eighty cities, from Brest to Vladivostok.

The presence of Lenin is often a clue to how a country feels about the Soviet heritage and about today's Russia. He has vanished from public spaces in the Baltic republics, relegated to museum cellars. He remains prominent in Russia, Belarus and Transdniester. In some countries he is mostly absent, but occasionally surfaces in districts with a strong ethnic Russian presence, such as the Crimea, or Karaganda in Kazakhstan or Khojand in Tajikistan. And finally, for no good reason, he shows up in Seattle.

Almaty, Kazakhstan <small>(2016)</small> Exiled to a small subu, Lenin statues
Almaty, Kazakhstan (2016)
Exiled to a small suburban park.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan <small>(2008)</small> With a beautiful C, Lenin statues
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan (2008)
With a beautiful Central Asian plinth.
Astrakhan, Russia <small>(2011)</small> Looking rather starry-e, Lenin statues
Astrakhan, Russia (2011)
Looking rather starry-eyed.
Baikonur, Kazakhstan <small>(2010)</small> Getting ready to wel, Lenin statues
Baikonur, Kazakhstan (2010)
Getting ready to welcome 2011.
Balaklava, Ukraine <small>(2011)</small> Hiding among the trees, Lenin statues
Balaklava, Ukraine (2011)
Hiding among the trees.
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan <small>(2008)</small> Formerly in the main, Lenin statues
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (2008)
Formerly in the main square, now banished to a quiet side street.
Bratsk, Russia <small>(2019)</small>, Lenin statues
Bratsk, Russia (2019)
Brest, Belarus <small>(2010)</small>, Lenin statues
Brest, Belarus (2010)
Chelyabinsk, Russia <small>(2013)</small>, Lenin statues
Chelyabinsk, Russia (2013)
Chernobyl, Ukraine <small>(2014)</small>, Lenin statues
Chernobyl, Ukraine (2014)
Delhi, India <small>(2014)</small> Unveiled during Gorbachev's, Lenin statues
Delhi, India (2014)
Unveiled during Gorbachev's 1987 visit.
Derbent, Russia <small>(2013)</small>, Lenin statues
Derbent, Russia (2013)
Elista, Russia <small>(2014)</small> Looking skeptical in Buddh, Lenin statues
Elista, Russia (2014)
Looking skeptical in Buddhist Elista.
Ekaterinburg, Russia <small>(2013)</small>, Lenin statues
Ekaterinburg, Russia (2013)
Hanoi, Vietnam <small>(2017)</small>, Lenin statues
Hanoi, Vietnam (2017)
Havana, Cuba <small>(2014)</small> Giant Lenin head, Parque Len, Lenin statues
Havana, Cuba (2014)
Giant Lenin head, Parque Lenin.
With a laudatory quote from Fidel.
Havana, Cuba <small>(2014)</small> At Colina Lenin (Lenin Hill), Lenin statues
Havana, Cuba (2014)
At Colina Lenin (Lenin Hill)
Irkutsk, Russia <small>(2009)</small>, Lenin statues
Irkutsk, Russia (2009)
Kaliningrad, Russia <small>(2018)</small>, Lenin statues
Kaliningrad, Russia (2018)
Karaganda, Kazakhstan <small>(2008)</small> My first Lenin sigh, Lenin statues
Karaganda, Kazakhstan (2008)
My first Lenin sighting "in the wild".
Kazan State University, Russia <small>(2013)</small></br>My fav, Lenin statues
Kazan State University, Russia (2013)
My favorite Lenin, showing him as a student at the Kazan State University.
Kazan, Russia <small>(2013)</small> From student to Demigod., Lenin statues
Kazan, Russia (2013)
From student to Demigod.
Kerch, Ukraine <small>(2011)</small>, Lenin statues
Kerch, Ukraine (2011)
Khabarovsk, Russia <small>(2019)</small>, Lenin statues
Khabarovsk, Russia (2019)
Khabarovsk, Russia <small>(2019)</small> Encouraging a Red, Lenin statues
Khabarovsk, Russia (2019)
Encouraging a Red Army soldier
Kharkiv, Ukraine <small>(2014)</small>, Lenin statues
Kharkiv, Ukraine (2014)
Kherson, Ukraine <small>(2011)</small>, Lenin statues
Kherson, Ukraine (2011)
Khojand, Tajikistan <small>(2009)</small> A giant silvery statu, Lenin statues
Khojand, Tajikistan (2009)
A giant silvery statue in Khojand, formerly Leninabad, formerly Alexandria-the-furthest, on the Jaxartes.
Khorog, Tajikistan <small>(2016)</small> Hidden down a minor st, Lenin statues
Khorog, Tajikistan (2016)
Hidden down a minor street.
Kiev, Ukraine <small>(2009)</small> An unexpected discovery in, Lenin statues
Kiev, Ukraine (2009)
An unexpected discovery in Kiev, lurking in the street outside my hotel.
Komsomolsk-na-Amure <small>(2019)</small>, Lenin statues
Komsomolsk-na-Amure (2019)
Korolev City, Russia <small>(2013)</small> A rare white Lenin., Lenin statues
Korolev City, Russia (2013)
A rare white Lenin.
Krasnoyarsk, Russia <small>(2019)</small> Brash and dominat, Lenin statues
Krasnoyarsk, Russia (2019)
Brash and dominating
Krasnoyarsk, Russia <small>(2019)</small> Studious and thou, Lenin statues
Krasnoyarsk, Russia (2019)
Studious and thoughtful
Magnitogrosk, Russia <small>(2013)</small> In the snow, at the, Lenin statues
Magnitogrosk, Russia (2013)
In the snow, at the Steelworks Gates
Makhachkala, Russia <small>(2013)</small>, Lenin statues
Makhachkala, Russia (2013)
Minsk, Belarus <small>(2009)</small> At the bar of history?, Lenin statues
Minsk, Belarus (2009)
At the bar of history?
Moscow, Kaluga Square <small>(2013)</small>, Lenin statues
Moscow, Kaluga Square (2013)
Moscow, VDNKh <small>(2018)</small>, Lenin statues
Moscow, VDNKh (2018)
Murghab, Tajikistan <small>(2016)</small> Pointing to the Pamir, Lenin statues
Murghab, Tajikistan (2016)
Pointing to the Pamirs
Murmansk, Russia <small>(2011)</small></br>Grimly resolute in t, Lenin statues
Murmansk, Russia (2011)
Grimly resolute in the twilight of a mid-winter afternoon
Nizhny Novgorod, Russia <small>(2009)</small>, Lenin statues
Nizhny Novgorod, Russia (2009)
Novgorod the Great, Russia <small>(2011)</small>, Lenin statues
Novgorod the Great, Russia (2011)
Novorossiysk, Russia <small>(2011)</small> In a casual mood., Lenin statues
Novorossiysk, Russia (2011)
In a casual mood.
Novosibirsk, Russia <small>(2009)</small></br>
Novosibirsk, Russia (2009)
"Lenin and Acolytes Directing Traffic"
Nurek, Tajikistan <small>(2009)</small> Lurking nervously just, Lenin statues
Nurek, Tajikistan (2009)
Lurking nervously just downsteam of a giant Soviet hydroelectric dam.
Odessa, Ukraine <small>(2011)</small>, Lenin statues
Odessa, Ukraine (2011)
Omsk, Russia <small>(2009)</small></br>Looking particularly wis, Lenin statues
Omsk, Russia (2009)
Looking particularly wise, and strangely Asiatic.
Orenburg, Russia <small>(2013)</small>, Lenin statues
Orenburg, Russia (2013)
Orsk Russia <small>(2013)</small> Relaxed, human, and slightly, Lenin statues
Orsk Russia (2013)
Relaxed, human, and slightly green.
Osh, Kyrgyzstan <small>(2008)</small>, Lenin statues
Osh, Kyrgyzstan (2008)
Pavlodar, Kazakhstan <small>(2019)</small>, Lenin statues
Pavlodar, Kazakhstan (2019)
Perm, Russia <small>(2018)</small>, Lenin statues
Perm, Russia (2018)
Pinsk, Belarus <small>(2010)</small> Looking crude and grumpy i, Lenin statues
Pinsk, Belarus (2010)
Looking crude and grumpy in Pinsk.
Rostov, Russia <small>(2010)</small>, Lenin statues
Rostov, Russia (2010)
Ryazan, Russia <small>(2010)</small>, Lenin statues
Ryazan, Russia (2010)
St Petersburg, Finland Station <small>(2009)</small></br>There', Lenin statues
St Petersburg, Finland Station (2009)
There's a famous Lenin statue at the Finland Station in St Petersburg. But it suffered bomb damage shortly before my 2009 visit, and was off for repairs, leaving only a boarded-up plinth.
St Petersburg, Lenin at the Finland Station <small>(2011)</small></, Lenin statues
St Petersburg, Lenin at the Finland Station (2011)
Restored and reinvigorated in 2011.
St Petersburg, Moskovskaya Pl. <small>(2011)</small>, Lenin statues
St Petersburg, Moskovskaya Pl. (2011)
Samara, Russia <small>(2013)</small> Looking relaxed and cheerf, Lenin statues
Samara, Russia (2013)
Looking relaxed and cheerful.
Saratov, Russia <small>(2013)</small>, Lenin statues
Saratov, Russia (2013)
Semey, Kazakhstan <small>(2019)</small> A bronze titan, dom, Lenin statues
Semey, Kazakhstan (2019)
A bronze titan, dominating a small park
Sevastopol, Ukraine <small>(2011)</small>, Lenin statues
Sevastopol, Ukraine (2011)
Shymkent, Kazakhstan <small>(2016)</small>, Lenin statues
Shymkent, Kazakhstan (2016)
Smolensk, Russia <small>(2010)</small> Snowy but resolute., Lenin statues
Smolensk, Russia (2010)
Snowy but resolute.
Sochi, Russia <small>(2010)</small> With one of Sochi's pal, Lenin statues
Sochi, Russia (2010)
With one of Sochi's palm trees.
Sovetskaya-Gavan, Russia <small>(2019)</small>, Lenin statues
Sovetskaya-Gavan, Russia (2019)
Stavropol, Russia <small>(2014)</small>, Lenin statues
Stavropol, Russia (2014)
Suzdal, Russia <small>(2010)</small>, Lenin statues
Suzdal, Russia (2010)
Tiraspol, Transdniester <small>(2009)</small>, Lenin statues
Tiraspol, Transdniester (2009)
Tomsk, Russia <small>(2009)</small>, Lenin statues
Tomsk, Russia (2009)
Tula, Russia <small>(2013)</small>, Lenin statues
Tula, Russia (2013)
Tynda, Russia <small>(2019)</small>, Lenin statues
Tynda, Russia (2019)
Ulan Bator, Mongolia <small>(2011)</small>, Lenin statues
Ulan Bator, Mongolia (2011)
Ulan Ude, Russia <small>(2011)</small> "The World's La, Lenin statues
Ulan Ude, Russia (2011)
"The World's Largest Lenin Head"
Ulyanovsk, Russia <small>(2013)</small> The prophet in his home, Lenin statues
Ulyanovsk, Russia (2013)
The prophet in his home town.
Infant Lenin & Mother, Ulyanovsk <small>(2013)</small>, Lenin statues
Infant Lenin & Mother, Ulyanovsk (2013)
Vladimir, Russia <small>(2010)</small> Waiting for the Bank?, Lenin statues
Vladimir, Russia (2010)
Waiting for the Bank?
Vladikavkaz, Russia <small>(2011)</small> Looking rather sombre, Lenin statues
Vladikavkaz, Russia (2011)
Looking rather sombre.
Vladivostok, Russia <small>(2009)</small></br>
Vladivostok, Russia (2009)
"Marxism needs YOU, comrade!"
Volgograd, Russia <small>(2011)</small> A particularly grand Le, Lenin statues
Volgograd, Russia (2011)
A particularly grand Lenin in Stalingrad.
Voronezh, Russia <small>(2014)</small>, Lenin statues
Voronezh, Russia (2014)
Yalta, Ukraine <small>(2011)</small> Looking cheerful at the se, Lenin statues
Yalta, Ukraine (2011)
Looking cheerful at the seaside.
Yaroslaval, Russia <small>(2018)</small>, Lenin statues
Yaroslaval, Russia (2018)
Yaroslaval, Russia <small>(2018)</small> Unusually thoughtful,, Lenin statues
Yaroslaval, Russia (2018)
Unusually thoughtful, reading a notebook

Oddities and Empty Plinths

Bratislava, Slovakia <small>(2009)</small></br>In Bratislava, Oddities and Empty Plinths, Lenin statues
Bratislava, Slovakia (2009)
In Bratislava's "KGB Bar", looking both festive and rather the worse for wear.
Seattle, USA <small>(2009)</small> Lurking uneasily outside a T, Oddities and Empty Plinths, Lenin statues
Seattle, USA (2009)
Lurking uneasily outside a Taco del Mar at 600 N 36th Street. What is he doing here?
Kiev, Ukraine <small>(2014)</small>, Oddities and Empty Plinths, Lenin statues
Kiev, Ukraine (2014)
Sukhumi, Abkhazia <small>(2010)</small>, Oddities and Empty Plinths, Lenin statues
Sukhumi, Abkhazia (2010)
Zhytomyr, Ukraine <small>(2014)</small> Now commemorating the d, Oddities and Empty Plinths, Lenin statues
Zhytomyr, Ukraine (2014)
Now commemorating the dead of the Kiev Maidan
Vanino, Russia <small>(2019)</small>, Oddities and Empty Plinths, Lenin statues
Vanino, Russia (2019)

 Misc Statuary   Stalins