Lithuania Begins Demolition Of Largest Memorial To Soviet Soldiers In Vilnius - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th December, 2022) The demolition of six stelae of the memorial to Soviet soldiers at the Antakalnis cemetery in Vilnius, where the largest burial in Lithuania is located, began on Tuesday, Lithuanian media reported.

"As planned, the statues will be taken down in an orderly manner, in separate segments, which may take up to three weeks," Vilnius mayor was quoted as saying by LRT media.

The stelae are being removed despite the decision of the UN Human Rights Committee, which imposed the interim protection measures after it received a petition signed by several people who identified themselves as "ethnic Russians.

"

In June, the Vilnius City Council decided to demolish the memorial to Soviet soldiers at the Antakalnis cemetery. Later, the mayor of Vilnius announced that he would initiate the procedure to exclude six monuments to Soviet soldiers in the capital's cemetery from the register of cultural heritage for their subsequent demolition.

The Baltic states have intensified the demolition of Soviet-era memorials after the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine, following Kiev's example of what they call is a fight against the history of "Russian occupation."