Twenty years after the fall of the Soviet Union, statue of Vladimir Lenin still dominates a square in central Bishkek.
A small group of stalwart communists commemorate the birthday, 141 years ago, of Soviet founding father Vladimir Lenin before his statue in central Bishkek on April 22. Some laid flowers.
Communist Party leader Iskhak Masaliev, recently released from house arrest after being cleared of charges related to last year's unrest, spoke to his followers. Others railed against the new government of "fascists" and "bourgeoisie."
In neighboring Tajikistan, authorities have begun dismantling the largest Lenin statue in Central Asia, a towering 74-foot likeness in Khujand, formerly Leninabad.
David Trilling is EurasiaNet's Central Asia editor.
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