The monument to Alexander Pushkin, a Russian poet widely considered the founder of modern Russian literature, has been removed from Riga’s Kronvalda Park and taken to a storage facility, Delfi reports, citing the Latvian capital’s administration.
According to the media outlet, the statue will later be moved to the Latvian Artists’ Union Museum which agreed to store and exhibit it in the future. It is not clear when this will happen.
Photo: Novaya Gazeta Europe
Delfi notes that the decision was made after the council for Riga’s historic centre maintenance and development along with the state inspection for monument protection did not approve the statue’s park location and recommended moving it elsewhere back in 2009. This recommendation meant that the monument was wrongfully staying in the park.
The statue was unveiled in 2009 with the support of the Latvian Pushkin Society, the Russian Embassy in Latvia, and the Riga City Council. The placement is believed to be unlawful.
Photo: Novaya Gazeta Europe
On 3 March 2023, the Riga City Council’s monument department supported the removal of the statue. Earlier, parliamentarians said that the Russian embassy could use the Pushkin monument as a “soft power” tool.
