VI Lenin in Semiplatinsk, Kazakhstan

This very large statue of VI Lenin is presently ‘hidden’ in a small park in one of the older parts of present day Semey. It hasn’t moved to far from its original location, which was in Central Park, in a direct line from the statues present position towards the river. It stands four stories high and I don’t know what the local people think when they open their curtains in the morning. Despite its size it is only when you are next to it that you are aware it is there. The surrounding trees mask it, even more so in the summer, and I’m sure that was the intention of the authorities who decided on its location.

There used to be other, much smaller statues of Lenin, as well as some busts (one or two showing signs of vandalism) in this park known as ‘Lenin Alley’ but this was too much for the present governors of the city/country and they are now in some unknown (to me) location. This is all part of an accelerating campaign to eradicate the Soviet/Socialist past. As an example of this one of the roads that runs from this park to the river was known as Lenin Avenue but that (I think within the last year or so) has been renamed. This is not just a local trend as a similar renaming has also taken place relatively recently in the city of Pavlodar and the two statues of VI Lenin that were still on public display there have also been removed from the locations they had occupied for years – the second one very recently as the destroyed remains of the plinth are still in evidence.

Not only is it difficult to track down the surviving statues and monuments of the Socialist period it is almost impossible to readily find information about the sculptor or any other relevant details such as when and why the sculpture was originally commissioned.

Presently, (early summer 2025) there is construction work taking place in the park but this follows ‘renovation’ of the area with the installation of seating and the improvement of the paths so it doesn’t seem that there are any plans to re-site this particular statue yet again.

Despite it being relegated to a less prestigious location the past movements have obviously been carried out with care as the statue looked in almost perfect condition and any signs of wear were related to age and not to manhandling when being moved from one site to another.

The biggest statue to VI Lenin in the world is the one that stands at the entrance to the Volga-Don Canal, just outside the city of Stalingrad (Volgograd), but I think that takes into account the plinth and the architectural arrangement that leads down to the river. When it comes to the actual statue itself the one in Semiplatinsk must be very close in height.