Monument to the Chekists in Kiev: history, description, dismantling. Who are the Chekists?

The Soviet era left behind a lot of monuments, 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.

The Soviet Union in stone and bronze

The Soviet government paid great attention to the ideological education of its citizens. Huge money was allocated from the country's budget for the erection of various monuments and monuments throughout its territory. As a result, thousands of sculptural sculptures, steles, similar memorial complexes have grown in every city, village and village of a huge power.

Monuments of the Soviet era were made of a wide variety of materials. Most often of bronze, stone or gypsum. Especially beautiful and expressive samples 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 Ukrainian capital during the USSR was established not less than a hundred different monuments, commemorative signs and memorial plaques. Among them are the majestic equestrian monument Shchorsu, the twelve statues of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, the 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 Chekists - who are they?

The monument to the Chekists on the Lybidska Square is one of the most 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, what role they played in the Soviet state.

In the narrow sense, the Chekist is an ordinary worker 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 from 1917 to 1922, after which it transferred its powers to another structure with an equally 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.

Kiev monument to the Chekists: history and description

Another Soviet creation of red granite grew on the Lybidska Square in 1967 (although at that time it bore the name of Felix Dzerzhinsky). At the end of May 2016, a 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 a granite stele of a cubic form, with carved faces of two Cheka employees. 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 employees of the Cheka, who died in the battles for the Soviet power.

Demolition of the monument to the Chekists: how it was

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 against the monument on the Lybid 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 Kiev began talking 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 in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the fate of the monument to the Chekists was predetermined. May 25, 2016 on Lybid Square arrived heavy equipment. After four days, the stele was completely dismantled.