The Soviet era left behind many monuments, stelae and monuments, the attitude to which today is ambiguous. One of them is a monument to the Chekists, which was installed in Kiev on Lybed Square.
Soviet Union in stone and bronze
The Soviet government paid great attention to the ideological education of its citizens. Huge money was allocated from the country's budget for the construction of various monuments and monuments throughout its territory. As a result, thousands of sculptural sculptures, stelae, memorial complexes of the same type have grown in every city, town and village of a great power.
Monuments of the Soviet era were made from a wide variety of materials. Most often made of bronze, stone or plaster. Particularly beautiful and expressive examples of Soviet monumental art were installed in large cities and capitals of the former republics. The city of Kiev was no exception.
On the streets and squares in the modern Ukrainian capital during the USSR, at least hundreds of various monuments, memorials and plaques were installed. Among them are the majestic equestrian monument to Shchorsu, the twelve sculptures of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, the massive monument to the Chekists - fighters of the Revolution, and many others. Almost all of them have already been demolished or will be dismantled in accordance with the Law on Decommunization adopted in the country in spring 2015.
Chekists - who are they?
The monument to the Chekists on Lybedskaya Square is one of the most controversial monuments in Kiev. The attitude towards him among the people of Kiev is mostly negative. Before proceeding to the description of the monument itself, it is worth finding out who the KGB are, what role they played in the Soviet state.
In the narrow sense of the word, the Chekist is an ordinary employee of the so-called Cheka (All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter-Revolution and Sabotage). From the abbreviated abbreviation of this state body comes the term "Chekist".
The Cheka existed from 1917 to 1922, after which it transferred its authority to another structure with the equally ominous acronym NKVD. According to V.I. Lenin, the Cheka was to become "a smashing weapon against all kinds of attempts on the Soviet regime." In fact, the active struggle against counter-revolution has turned, in fact, into mass repression and the extermination of opponents of the USSR.
Kiev monument to the Chekists: history and description
Another Soviet creation of red granite grew on Lybedskaya Square in 1967 (although at that time it bore the name of Felix Dzerzhinsky). At the end of May 2016, the monument to the Chekists in Kiev was finally dismantled. According to unconfirmed information, an office building will soon be built in its place.
“A work of socialist art”, “tasteless and rude monument” - the monument to the KGB was called differently. Its author was the Kiev sculptor Vasily Boroday. By the way, other equally famous creations of his hands are a monument to the founders of Kiev, as well as the grandiose monument "Motherland".
The monument on Lybed Square was a cubic-shaped granite stele with the carved faces of two Cheka employees. Below was a black inscription of the following content: "To courageous Chekists - fighters of the Revolution." First of all, this monument was dedicated to the Cheka employees who died in the battles for Soviet power.
Demolition of the monument to the Chekists: how it was
The idea to demolish the monument described above arose among representatives of the metropolitan public back in the 90s. More than once this question was discussed by deputies of the Kiev Council.
The first act of vandalism in relation to the monument on Lybid Square occurred in December 2009. On one of the winter nights, a group of unidentified persons damaged a part of the stele, having beaten off the cap and nose of one of the stone Chekists. In 2013, the inscription appeared on the granite of the monument: “Executioners of Ukraine”.
They started talking more actively about the demolition of this monument during the events of Euromaidan in 2013-2014. In particular, on February 23, 2014, radical revolutionaries made a serious attempt to tumble down the monument. However, a powerful and monolithic stele of red granite withstood this attack.
After the adoption of the law on de-communization in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the fate of the monument to the KGB was predetermined. May 25, 2016 heavy equipment arrived at Lybid Square. Four days later, the stele was completely dismantled.