Kyrgyzstan has dismantled a towering statue of Vladimir Lenin in the second-largest city, Osh, thought to be the tallest in Central Asia.
The 23-metre monument of the revolutionary Soviet leader was erected in 1975, when Kyrgyzstan was part of the Soviet Union.
On Saturday, June 7, photographs emerged on the internet showing the communist revolutionary lying on ground, after it was removed this week and towered over the city of Osh for 50 years.
While many former Soviet states have made major decisions to cut ties with Russia as part of their efforts to reshape national identity, the monument was taken down as routine city planning.
Why was the Lenin statue removed in Osh?
In an official statement, Osh City Hall called the move "common practice," which was aimed at improving the "architectural and aesthetic appearance" of the city.
Authorities have also noted that Lenin statues have been "dismantled or moved to other places" in Russian cities including Belgorod and St Petersburg, claiming that the issue should "not be politicised."
The monument will be replaced by a flagpole, similar to the case when a different Lenin statue was relocated in the capital, Bishkek.
Furthermore, the move came a week after Kyrgyzstan's ally Russia revealed a monument to brutal Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin at one of Moscow's busiest subway stations.
Notably, Kyrgyzstan gained its independence 34 years ago when the Soviet Union collapsed, however reminders of its Soviet history can be found across the country.
