The Soviet era left behind manymonuments, steles and monuments, the attitude to which in our days is ambiguous. One of them is a monument to the Chekists, which was installed in Kiev on the Lybid Square.
Soviet power paid great attention toideological education of its citizens. Huge money was allocated from the country's budget for erecting various monuments and monuments throughout its territory. As a result, thousands of sculptural sculptures, steles, and similar memorial complexes have grown in every city, village and village of a huge power.
Monuments of the Soviet era were made fromthe most diverse materials. Most often of bronze, stone or gypsum. Especially beautiful and expressive examples of Soviet monumental art were established in the large cities and capitals of the former republics. Kiev was not an exception.
On the streets and squares in the modern Ukrainianthe capital in the times of the USSR was established not less than a hundred different monuments, commemorative signs and memorial plaques. Among them are the majestic equestrian monument Shchorsu, twelve statues of Vladimir Lenin, a massive monument to the "Chekists - fighters of the Revolution" and many others. Almost all of them have already been demolished or will be dismantled in accordance with the "Decommunization Law" adopted in the country in the spring of 2015.
The monument to the Chekists on the Lybidska Square is one of themost controversial monuments in Kiev. The attitude towards him among the people of Kiev is predominantly negative. Before proceeding to the description of the monument itself, it is worthwhile to find out who the Chekists are, and what role they played in the Soviet state.
In the narrow sense of the word, the Chekist is an ordinaryan employee of the so-called Cheka (All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter-Revolution and Sabotage). From the abbreviated abbreviation of this state body, the term "chekist" occurs.
The Cheka existed between 1917 and 1922,after which she transferred her powers to another structure with a no less sinister abbreviation of the NKVD. According to V.I. Lenin, the Cheka was to become a "smashing weapon against all attempts on the Soviet power." Actually, the active struggle against the counter-revolution has, in fact, turned into mass repressions and extermination of the opponents of the USSR.
Another Soviet creation of red granitegrew up on the Lybid Square in 1967 (although at that time it bore the name of Felix Dzerzhinsky). At the end of May 2016, the monument to the Chekists in Kiev was finally dismantled. According to unconfirmed information, an office building will soon be built in its place.
"The work of socialist art,"Tasteless and rude monument" - a monument to the Chekists called differently. Its author was the Kiev sculptor Vasily Boroday. By the way, other no less famous creations of his hands are a monument to the founders of Kiev, as well as a grandiose monument "Motherland-Mother".
The monument on Lybidska Square was agranite stele of a cubic form, with carved faces of two employees of the Cheka. Below there was a black inscription of the following content: "To courageous chekists - fighters of the Revolution". First of all, this monument was dedicated to the staff of the Cheka, who died in the battles for Soviet power.
The idea to demolish the monument described above arose in the representatives of the Moscow public in the 90s. More than once this issue was discussed by the deputies of the Kiev council.
The first act of vandalism in relation to the monument onLybid Square occurred in December 2009. On one of the winter nights a group of unknown persons injured part of the stele, beating off a cap and nose to one of the stone Chekists. In 2013, on the granite monument appeared inscription: "The Executioners of Ukraine."
More actively on the demolition of this monument in Kievspoke during the events of EuroMaidan 2013-2014. In particular, on February 23, 2014, radical revolutionaries made a serious attempt to knock down the monument. However, a powerful and monolithic stela of red granite stood before this attack.
After the adoption of the law on decombination inThe fate of the monument to the Chekists was predetermined by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. On May 25, 2016, heavy equipment arrived at Lybid Square. After four days the stele was completely dismantled.
