Lenin statue in Seattle remains a controversial landmark

A five-meter, seven-ton bronze statue of Vladimir Lenin stands in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, serving as a controversial local landmark. The monument originated in the Soviet Union and ended up in a Slovakian scrapyard following the collapse of the USSR.

American construction entrepreneur Lewis Carpenter rescued the monument by taking out a mortgage to fund its transport back to the United States, though he passed away in an accident shortly after. While initial attempts to display the statue met with public outrage, the local Chamber of Commerce eventually placed it on private property in 1995 as a marketing attraction.

The statue remains a polarizing figure, surrounded by political slogans and featuring a hand painted blood-red. It is currently officially listed for sale at a price of $250,000.