Kyrgyzstan takes down Central Asia’s tallest Lenin statue

Kyrgyzstan has removed a 23-meter statue of Vladimir Lenin, believed to be the tallest in Central Asia, which had stood in Osh for 50 years since the Soviet era. The decision to relocate the statue is part of efforts to reshape national identity, though officials cited aesthetic improvements rather than political motivations, especially in light of recent tensions with Russia following the unveiling of a Stalin statue in Moscow. The statue will be replaced by a flagpole, continuing the trend of diminishing Soviet-era symbols in the region since Kyrgyzstan’s independence 34 years ago.

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