Soviet sculptures have no value

On a bridge in Vilnius stand four groups of Soviet-era sculptures that are in urgent need of repair. The daily Lietuvos Rytas sees little point in their being preserved: "Historical arguments are often used: collective farming and the Red Army are also part of our history and therefore deserve a place in the centre of Vilnius. But if we are so consistent with historical relicts why did we bring down the Lenin monument? And why do we have relatively little problem getting rid of other art works from socialist realism? It is difficult to understand what precise value the sculptures on the Žaliasis tiltas [bridge] are supposed to have. ... If we are seeking a didactic moment then we would be better off putting the camps in Siberia and the treatment Lithuanians suffered at the hands of the KGB on the curriculum. And if we want sculptures that remind us of the Soviet times they should be dedicated to the victims of communism, not the ideological symbols of the occupiers."

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