In Finland, a court has overturned the decision to dismantle the Lenin monument in the city of Turku

The Administrative Court of the Finnish city of Turku has ruled to overturn the decision of Mayor Minna Arve to dismantle the monument to Vladimir Lenin.

This decision was reported by the local publication Yle.

The lawsuit against the mayor was filed by a local resident. The court concluded that Mayor Minna Arve exceeded her authority when she decided to remove the Lenin monument in April 2022 due to “strong negative reactions” from the city’s residents.

Arve stated that the city does not plan to appeal the court’s verdict; however, she will make a new decision on the matter to avoid returning the statue to its original location.

The Lenin bust was installed in the historic center of Turku in 1977 as a gift from Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). The sculpture was created by the Soviet sculptor and academician Mikhail Anikushin. The bust was part of the city’s art collection, but it was sent to museum storage after its dismantling.

In October of the previous year, the last Lenin monument in Finland was removed in the city of Kotka. This sculpture was the work of Estonian sculptor Mati Varik, and it was presented as a gift from the Soviet twin city, Tallinn, in 1979.

Currently, only memorial plaques and bas-reliefs dedicated to Lenin remain in Finland.