Vladivostok removes Solzhenitsyn monument at military's request, then reinstalls it a day later
Authorities in the Russian city of Vladivostok took down a monument to Soviet dissident writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn at the request of the Pacific Fleet's leadership and veterans, then put it back a day later. Officials gave two different explanations.
A monument to the Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn was removed in the Russian Far East city of Vladivostok on October 20 and returned the following day, October 21. The episode shows how the views of the military and local officials can shape the fate of memorials in Russian cities.
Why it was removed
Authorities said the monument was taken down at the request of the Pacific Fleet's leadership and of veterans. They considered it out of keeping with the themes of the memorials and monuments along the waterfront.
Why it was returned
When the monument went back, officials offered a different rationale. They said it did not fit its intended site in Vera i Nadezhda Park, and that its dimensions "do not fully suit the park's current layout." The source does not say where the monument now stands.
Putin's view of the writer
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly described Solzhenitsyn as a "patriot" and as a nationalist "in the civilized sense of the word."
The source gives no further details about the monument's author, when it was first installed, or whether further decisions on its location are planned.
