Monument to Lenin

In the north-eastern forests of Latvia, two relics of the past stand as reminders of history. The first is a handful of remaining buildings from a R-12 Dvina missile base, decorated with artwork created to celebrate the technicians and radio personnel who once worked there.

The second is a massive three-metre-tall granite head of Lenin...

After the fall of the Soviet Union, this larger-than-life statue of Lenin was relocated from the nearby town of Alūksne to the already defunct missle base in hopes of protecting it from destruction. The effort proved successful, as Lenin remains over 30 years later in excellent condition, gazing stoically north-east toward St. Petersburg.