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Monument to Vladimir Lenin, Yekaterinburg

Monument to Vladimir Lenin in Yekaterinburg is a Soviet monument to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and one of the city’s landmarks. Created by sculptor Vladimir Ingal with architects Anatoly Pribulsky and Petr Demintsev, it was opened on 5 November 1957 on 1905 Square in the city center. The monument was cast at the Monumentsculptura plant in Leningrad. Its site has a long history: the square once held the Epiphany Cathedral, then a monument to Alexander II, later a Statue of Liberty, a bust of Karl Marx, a monument to Liberated Labour, and a tribune with Stalin imagery before Lenin’s monument was erected.

Lenin Monument stands on a tall pedestal in a city square with steps, people, cars, and surrounding buildings.
The Lenin Monument rises from the center of a large urban square.
March 2015 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Lenin Monument on a stone pedestal with a modern glass building behind it
Lenin Monument stands in front of a modern building with blue glass windows.
May 2024 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Lenin Monument on a snowy stone pedestal beside a light pole, with an ornate building in the background.
Lenin Monument stands on a snow-covered pedestal near an ornate building in Yekaterinburg.
February 2019 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Lenin Monument seen from behind with one arm raised, in front of a large historic building and parked cars.
The Lenin Monument stands in front of Yekaterinburg’s City Duma building on a cloudy day.
© · CC BY 3.0
Lower part of the Lenin Monument with Russian text carved into the stone base, with snow falling nearby.
The lower section of the Lenin Monument in snowy weather, showing carved Russian text on the stone base.
February 2019 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleMonument to Vladimir Lenin
Alternative titleMonument to Lenin on 1905 Square in Yekaterinburg
TypeMonument; statue
SubjectVladimir Ilyich Lenin
Subject descriptionSoviet statesman

Historical context

Installation contextInstalled for the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution
Planned erection dateIn the 1950s of the 20th century
Previous monuments at the siteMonument to Alexander II Romanov, a statue symbolizing freedom, a bust of Karl Marx, a monument of a naked man personifying the liberation of the working masses, and a Stalin monument
Earlier planned designA monument project in which sculptures of Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin were to be placed in the center
Nearby landmark demolished in 1930Cathedral of the Epiphany
Site historyThe Cathedral of the Epiphany and the remains of the pedestal were blown up by the Bolshevik city authorities in 1930

Creator

SculptorVladimir Ingal
ArchitectsAnatoly Pribulsky; Pyotr Demintsev

Discovery and provenance

Casting locationLeningrad factory "Monumentskulptura"
Unveiled byRepresentatives of three generations of Ural residents: veteran communist Ivan Petrovich Sapozhnikov, Uralmash factory smith and Komsomol member Anatoly Shatunov, and School No. 9 student pioneer Masha Stepanovich

Physical characteristics

Height6 meters
Pedestal height10.2 m
Pedestal formHigh pedestal with a base; stairs lead up to it

Materials

Statue materialBronze
Pedestal materialGray granite

Appearance

PoseRight arm raised; left hand holding an open coat
ClothingCoat
StyleIdealized portrayal of Lenin in a typical Soviet monumental style popular in the second half of the 20th century

Iconography and meaning

InscriptionA quote by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin is carved on the south side of the pedestal

Location and ownership

CountryRussia
Tourist route associationThe Red Line pedestrian tourist route begins at the monument
Location significanceStands on the site of the former bell tower of the Church of the Epiphany
Location1905 Square, central Yekaterinburg, Russia
CityYekaterinburg
Former city nameSverdlovsk
Original locationAbove the tribune on Cathedral Square, Yekaterinburg
Associated structureGranite tribune in the center of the square

History and restoration

Current heritage statusListed in the federal unified state register of cultural heritage objects located in Sverdlovsk Oblast
Protected status in 1998Declared a regional cultural heritage object of the Russian Federation by a resolution of the Government of Sverdlovsk Oblast
Protected status in 1997Removed from the list of objects of federal historical and cultural significance by a decree of the President of the Russian Federation
Protected status in 1960Included in the "List of monuments of art subject to protection as monuments of state significance" by a resolution of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR
Anniversary55th anniversary celebrated in 2012
Estimated repair budgetAbout one million rubles
Restoration tendersThe city announced a repair contractor competition twice from 2011, but both tenders were canceled because there were no bidders
Restoration statusListed by city authorities for repair in 2011
ConditionDeteriorating; cracks and chips have accumulated over the years on both the granite pedestal and the statue
Unveiling date6 November 1957
Opening date5 November 1957

Significance

City landmark statusOne of the landmarks of Yekaterinburg
Popular use of siteThe area in front of the monument is one of the favorite places for demonstrations by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation
Country contextThe square placement was typical for Lenin monuments in most cities of the Soviet Union

Other

Opponents of the monumentThe Ural Cossacks called for the monument’s demolition and said in a 2011 statement that the monument to "Ulyanov-Lenin" was a shame and should be destroyed
Proponents of keeping the monumentRepresentatives of the Sverdlovsk Oblast authorities opposed its removal
Associated image filenames"Памятник Ленин.jpg"; "Памятник Ленину Екатеринбург площадь 19̈05 года 2.jpg"; "Architecture of Ekaterinburg, Russia. - panoramio (120).jpg"; "Памятник Ленину Екатеринбург площадь 19̈05 года 1.JPG"; "Square of 1905 year, Yekaterinburg (August 2022) - 2.jpg"