This 1966 Soviet postcard features the Monument to V.I. Lenin, which was located in Kyiv at the intersection of Taras Shevchenko Boulevard and Khreshchatyk Street.
What is shown on the postcard
The image captures a full-figure statue of V.I. Lenin mounted on a tall, cylindrical pedestal of polished red granite bearing the Ukrainian inscription “Ленін”. At the base of the monument is a large floral display with people in summer attire nearby. On the left, red flags flutter, and the lush green trees of the boulevard form the background.
Historical note
The monument was unveiled on December 5, 1946. The statue was designed by the prominent sculptor Sergey Merkurov, and the pedestal was designed by architects Aleksandr Vlasov and Viktor Yelizarov. The 3.45-meter figure was carved from red Karelian quartzite and set upon a 6.8-meter-tall pedestal.
Present day
On December 8, 2013, during mass protests in Kyiv, the monument was toppled and dismantled by activists. Today, the monument no longer exists at this location, while the remaining pedestal is occasionally used for contemporary art installations.
Location (map)
Address: Taras Shevchenko Boulevard, Kyiv, Ukraine
Coordinates: 50.442806, 30.520444
(Google Maps)
Coordinate source: Coordinates of the site of the former monument on Taras Shevchenko Boulevard.
Questions and answers
- Where exactly was this monument located in Kyiv? The monument stood at the beginning of Taras Shevchenko Boulevard, opposite the Bessarabsky Market.
- Who was the author of the sculpture? The statue was created by the renowned Soviet sculptor Sergey Merkurov.
- Does this monument still exist today? No, the monument was toppled and dismantled in December 2013 during socio-political events in Ukraine.
See also
The «Old Postcards» archive includes other views of Kyiv from 1966.
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