The 4-meter high Lenin statue, which stands outside the Hermann Castle's walls but within the fortress courtyard, was removed from Narva's central square in 1993, after Estonia regained its independence from the Soviet Union.

The relocation was supposed to be temporary but lasted longer than expected.

His removal was agreed upon four years ago by the museum's council, long before the discussions about Soviet-era monuments reappeared on the news agenda this year.

Now the museum is seeking a new home for Lenin as there are plans to redevelop the area but they cannot proceed until a solution is found.

"Four years ago, it was agreed that Lenin would be relocated from here to somewhere else. If I have a project that says we have to build a road here, we will build a road here. If it says that Lenin will not stay here, then Lenin will not stay here, it is as simple as that for me. It would be a good thing if it were to leave so that we can continue working," said Narva Museum project manager Jüri Moor.

Some residents are against the idea and the issue could become as polarized as the T-34 Soviet tank, which was relocated to Tallinn's war museum in the summer, Wednesday's "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported.

The head of Narva City Council's historical heritage commission Aleksei Jevgrafov does not want the statue to leave the city.

"Lenin should stay in Narva. A suitable place must be found for him. It has both material value and moral, historical value," he told AK, adding the statue could be relocated to land owned by the city.

But placing the statue in the city's space would be even more inappropriate than leaving it in the courtyard of a medieval fortress, AK reported.

Narva Museum's Maria Smorževskihh-Smirnova said, unfortunately, a suitable place in Narva has not yet been found for Lenin.

"We do not see any place for Lenin here. And at the moment we are also negotiating with the [Estonian] History Museum [in Talllinn], which already has excellent experience in exhibiting Soviet monuments and has an excellent exhibition dedicated to political history," she said.

If negotiations are successful, the statue could be relocated at the start of 2023.

Vladimir Lenin was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of the government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1924 and of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1924.

Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union twice, from 1940-1941 and from 1944-1991.

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