A Soviet-era obelisk, the centrepiece of a monument celebrating the Red Army’s liberation of Latvia and its capital Riga from Nazi Germany, was demolished on Thursday.
The 80-metre concrete spire adorned with red five-pointed stars on top was a prominent feature in downtown Riga until it crashed into the nearby pond after heavy machinery brought it down, as onlookers cheered and applauded.
The demolition of the obelisk -broadcast live by Latvian media outlets- is the latest in a series of Soviet monuments brought down after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The monument stood between two groups of statues — a band of three Red Army soldiers, and on the other side, a woman representing the “Motherland” with her arms held high.
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Latvia said goodbye to the Soviet Union today.
The time for full decommunization across Central Eastern Europe has finally come. pic.twitter.com/l1UHowRRlP
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) August 25, 2022
The Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders was built in 1985 while Latvia was still part of the Soviet Union.
It has stirred controversy since Latvia regained independence in 1991 and eventually became a NATO and European Union member.
Read more: Euronews
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