Ukraine's Biggest Lenin Statue Is Brought Down, But Not Everyone Is Happy

According to one count, 168 Lenin statues have been toppled since the start of Ukraine’s protests. News’ Max Seddon reports from Kiev.
















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KIEV, Ukraine — As the grinder sawed through the legs of Europe's largest Lenin statue on Saturday, causing the massive granite structure to land on its face, hundreds of protesters in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv waved Ukrainian flags, leapt for joy, and scrambled to break off souvenirs.

The euphoria of the surprise assault on the statue of the first Soviet leader, however, could barely mask deep tensions between hardcore pro-Ukrainian activists, the police, and the government, highlighting the difficulty the country faces in remaining united while shaking off its stagnant, corrupt past.

















Several hundred pro-Ukrainian activists and soccer fans gathered early Sunday evening and spent several hours trying to pull down the statue with a cable.






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