Soviet monument in Riga to be demolished
A Soviet-era monument in Riga will be dismantled in one fell swoop rather than in stages, following city government decision in the Latvian capital.
The monument, in Uzvaras parks ("Victory Park") in central Riga, was erected in 1985, but following the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation from late February onwards, Latvia's prime minister, Krišjanis Karinš, said that the edifice's removal was "inevitable".
Rīga City Council said Thursday that dismantling the monument step-by-step would be a too time-consuming process, the English-language portal of public broadcaster LSM reports, also taking into account bronze statues and a pool in the vicinity, which are also to be removed.
The precise method of removal has yet to be announced, though Mayor of Riga Martinš Stakis stated: "the method of removal does not mean there will be an explosion".
While a company has been selected for the job from five bidders, its name has not been made public at the time of writing; the contract was due to be signed Friday.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
