Statue of Lenin

The Statue of Lenin is a 16-foot bronze statue of Russian communist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin located in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. Created by Bulgarian-born Slovak sculptor Emil Venkov, it was originally displayed in Czechoslovakia in 1988. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the statue was bought from a scrapyard by an American and brought to Washington State, where it has been on display on a prominent street corner since 1995. The statue has become a local landmark, often decorated or vandalized, and sparks political controversy over its symbolism. It is privately owned and installed on private property, meaning the public has no say in its presence. Visitors can view this unusual piece of Cold War history in an everyday urban setting.