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LENIN STATUES EMBODY SOVIET LEGACY
A photo essay by Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert: 8/17/01
Central Asian states have adopted new heroes as they strive
to reshape national identities in the post-Soviet era. Uzbek
leaders, for example, have claimed Tamerlane as a historical
forebear. Meanwhile, Tajikistan is reconnecting with the Samanid
Dynasty, which experienced its heyday during the 9th and 10th
centuries. Turkmenistan has established a cult of personality
around president-for-life Saparmurad Niyazov. Kazakhstan has
rediscovered the bard Abai, and Kyrgyzstan has embraced the
legendary warrior Manas.
Despite their state-building efforts, the states of Central
Asia have not completely shed their Soviet identity. One of
the starkest reminders of the Soviet legacy is the many statues
of Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin that still stand in the
region. While Lenin statues have been removed from some prominent
locations in cities like Dushanbe and Tashkent, icons of the
Bolshevik leader still overlook central squares in other Central
Asian capitals, such as Bishkek, as well as in regional centers,
towns and villages.
Certainly, a shortage of funds is one reason that so many
Lenin statues remain in place. But with economic reforms languishing,
nostalgia for the more secure Soviet era remains high, especially
among older residents who have struggled to adapt to the post-Soviet
economic realities. Lenin statues, a visible link to those
less hectic times, thus enjoy a certain level of protection.
Their removal at this stage could provoke an emotional response
in some areas, among certain sectors of the population, that
governments, already confronted with myriad other problems,
do not want to face at this time.
It may be that time ends up doing the dirty work of dismantling
Lenin likenesses. Many statues are already suffering from
the ravages of neglect. It may not be long before the statues,
like the Soviet Union they represent, collapse under their
own weight.
Presented here is a photo essay compiled by Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert,
who documented Lenin statues during his travels in Central
Asia. The photos underscore that, for the time being at least,
Lenin’s image still looms large over daily life in Central
Asia.
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Posted August 17, 2001 © Eurasianet
http://www.eurasianet.org
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