Riga mayor Mārtiņš Stakis said that none of the monument’s elements have artistic value, so they will all be thrown away.
In Riga, the dismantling of the 79-meter stele monument to the liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the Nazi invaders was completed. Delphi reports.
The dismantling of the monument began on 23 August.
Since August 22, police have detained 27 people near the monument. The Russian embassy said it had begun issuing visas to local residents who had been harassed for protesting the demolition.
The monument was built in 1985.
“In May 2022, the parliament of the republic denounced a clause of the agreement with Russia on the preservation of memorial structures, thereby legally allowing the demolition of Soviet monuments. The deputies named the entry of Russian troops in Ukraine as the reason for their decision Subsequently, the Riga City Council voted to demolish the monument to the liberators, the message said.
Riga mayor Mārtiņš Stakis said that none of the monument’s elements have artistic value, so they will all be thrown away.
The Russian embassy sent a note of protest to the Latvian Foreign Ministry over the demolition of the monument, calling the decision of the local authorities a manifestation of Russophobia and barbarism, the Investigative Committee of Russia opened a criminal case in under Art. 243.4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Destruction or damage to military graves, as well as monuments, steles, obelisks, other memorial structures or objects that perpetuate the memory of those killed in defense of the Fatherland or its interests, or devoted to the glory days of the Russian military”).
In the Polish city of Brzeg, a monument to the Russian invaders was also demolished, according to Operativny ZSU TG channel.
Recall that Soviet monuments began to be dismantled in Estonia.
News from Correspondent.net on Telegram. Subscribe to our channel Athletistic
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.