Monuments to Vladimir Lenin still adorn Kyiv, much to the chagrin of anti-Soviet nationalists. Police say they've arrested five people for smashing the face and cutting off an arm of a Lenin statue prominently displayed in Ukraine's capital.

Kiev police say the five have ties to a Ukrainian nationalist organization that has been pushing for removing all Soviet monuments from the country.

Police say the decades-old statue that occupies a prominent position on one of Kiev's most famous streets will be torn down.

The incident comes as Ukraine and Russia clash with growing frequency over how their shared history is interpreted.

The countries had different views of the anniversary Saturday of a key 18th century battle that symbolized the rise of the Russian empire but crushed Ukraine's hopes for independence.