Removal of Riga's Soviet 'Victory' monument gets underway
Work is set to begin on Monday to dismantle the Soviet 'Victory' monument in Riga's Uzvaras Park, Latvian national broadcaster LSM reports.
Riga City Council ordered the demolition of the Soviet monument in May this year, with a law later passed on the removal of objects glorifying the Soviet regime from throughout the territory of Latvia. The process of dismantling the monument involves toppling the 79-meter tall obelisk as a whole, rather than removing it in stages.
Preparations to the area around the monument will begin on Monday, with the machinery required to remove it set to be brought to the site on Tuesday, August 23.
Riga City Executive Director Jānis Lange said that, following an evaluation of possible approaches to remove the monument, which is located in the city's Pardaugava district, no explosives will be used in the process.
The Latvian State Security Service (VDD) anticipates the possibility of increasingly aggressive disinformation campaigns from pro-Kremlin activists in an attempt to disrupt the removal process, and has been working closely with the State Police to prepare for any potential security threats that may result.
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Editor: Michael Cole
Source: LSM
