You're reading: Lenin’s monument goes cheesy

Three citizens of Nahodka, a port town in Russia, got arrested after painting Vladimir Lenin’s pedestal in yellow and green on Oct. 11.

Nahodka city council described the incident as an act of vandalism and anti-social behavior in the press statement but also mentioned that vandals, whose names have not been released, “were just trying to make people smile.”

For a couple of hours, it looked like Lenin was sitting on a huge brick of cheese. City authorities, however, quickly painted over the bright colors with its native grey. The sculptor’s name, Mikhail Anikushin, carved in the granite can be barely seen now.

Caught on a security camera, street artists were quickly detained. It’s not yet clear whether their act will be interpreted as criminal or administrative offence, said Alexandra Pashkova from the city council.

(Lenin after repainting in grey, Nahodka, Russia)

Unveiled in 1987, the statue is not a typical Lenin’s monument. The Bolshevik leader is seen sitting on the steps instead of his usual standing position with a stretched out hand as if motioning people for action.