The Statue of Catherine II ‘the Great’ or the Monument to the Odessa Founders
Ukraine
By Olivia Durand •
Ukraine By Olivia Durand May 2022… Read More
Monument
#93
Lenin Statue in Bishkek
Kyrgyzstan
By Contested Histories Initiative • May, 2022
The Lenin Statue in Bishkek was erected in 1984, during the 60th anniversary of the Kyrgyz Soviet Socialist Republic. Shortly after the fall of communism in 1991, all Lenin statues were taken down. However, Bishkek’s Lenin stood in the same square until 2003. This year, the square was going to… Read More
#57
Faidherbe Statue in Lille
France
By Contested Histories Initiative •
For the bicentenary of the birth of French General Louis Faidherbe in 2018, a protest campaign named ‘Faidherbe Doit Tomber’ (Faidherbe Must Fall) was organised contesting the Monument au Général Faidherbe (monument to General Faidherbe) located in Lille, France. The statue, which was erected in 1896, celebrates the general’s heroism… Read More
#325
King Frederik V Bust in Copenhagen
Denmark
By Contested Histories Initiative •
In autumn 2020 a bust of the 18th century King of Denmark and Norway Frederik V mysteriously disappeared from its pedestal at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. It was later found to have been thrown into the canals of Copenhagen in a filmed protest by a group of… Read More
#30
Plaza Baquedano & General Baquedano Monument in Santiago
Chile
By Jade •
Plaza Baquedano at the centre of Santiago was traditionally the central meeting point for protests and celebrations in the Chilean capital. Since the outbreak of social protests in October 2019, the square and its monument became a central focal point. The protestors have tried to rename the square to Plaza… Read More
Bremen’s Elefant: Memorialisation, politics, and memory surrounding German colonialism
By Berklee Baum • March 25, 2022
In 1932, German citizens gathered for the dedication of the Kolonialelefant in Bremen. The Bremen Colonial Society created this monument in memory of the German soldiers who died in the German colonies during the First World War. As well as to glorify colonialism and bolster the neo-colonial movement (after… Read More
Bremen’s Elefant: Memorialisation, politics, and memory surrounding German colonialism
By Berklee Baum • March, 2022
Germany By Berklee Baum March 2022… Read More
#84
Mussolini Bas-Relief in Bolzano
Italy
By Jade •
Unlike many monuments of past fascist leaders that have been eradicated throughout Europe, Bolzano, the capital of South Tyrol, Italy, still includes a monumental bas-relief that depicts Benito Mussolini and reminds locals of the Mussolini Fascist regime of Italy. For fifty years, the bas-relief divided opinions between left-wing groups, who… Read More
#247
African Renaissance Monument in Dakar
Senegal
By Jade •
The African Renaissance Monument is a 50-meter tall statue in Dakar, Senegal, erected in 2010 as the project of then-President Abdoulaye Wade. It serves to commemorate the ‘African Renaissance,’ a political ideology that heralds a goal of growth and prosperity for the African continent in the 21st century. However, the… Read More
#2
Monument to the Dead (Le Pavois) in Algiers
Algeria
By Jade •
Built after the First World War, ‘Le Pavois’ was meant to symbolise unification between Europe and Africa. However, to the people of Algier, it is a symbol of the colonial past and French oppression. After Algeria gained independence in 1962, discussions between city representatives and local artists arose about the… Read More
#62
Stalin Statue in Gori
Georgia
By Jade •
The removal of the Stalin statue from the central square in Gori represents a top-down policy implementation approach to a contested historical monument. Such implementations of Georgia’s Freedom Charter illustrate the legal framework under which symbols, monuments and names of sites related to the Soviet past become reconfigured. However, positions… Read More