Kyrgyzstan removes Central Asia’s tallest Lenin statue

Authorities in the southern Kyrgyz city of Osh have taken down a towering statue of Vladimir Lenin, which had stood for five decades and was once considered the tallest of its kind in Central Asia.

The 23-meter monument, a relic of the Soviet era, was originally erected when Kyrgyzstan was still part of the USSR. This week, it was removed with little fanfare, and photos circulating online show the statue lying flat on the ground after being lowered by a crane.

While many post-Soviet states have gradually reduced visible symbols of their Soviet pasts, local officials downplayed the removal, framing it as part of a broader effort to refresh the city’s landscape.

In a statement, Osh City Hall described the move as “common practice” intended to improve the “architectural and aesthetic appearance” of the city. Officials also noted that similar removals of Lenin statues have taken place in Russia.

The Lenin statue will be replaced by a flagpole, following a precedent set in the capital, Bishkek, where another Lenin monument was previously relocated.

Although Kyrgyzstan has been independent since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Soviet-era influences remain visible. Even in the absence of statues, symbols linger, such as Lenin Peak, the country’s second-highest mountain, which still bears the revolutionary’s name.