The statue depicts two workers, one Ukrainian and one Russian, on a stone plinth, who together raise the Soviet Medal of Friendship.
The statue was placed under the “Arc of Friendship of Peoples” monument, which was erected in 1982 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Soviet Union.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said: “This statue… symbolizes the friendship between the Ukrainian and Russian nations… Now we see how this ‘friendship’ is… The destruction of Ukrainian cities, the destruction of Ukrainian lives, the killing of tens of thousands of peaceful people. I am convinced that such a statue has a whole other meaning now.”
As the statue began to fall, a crowd of people applauded and chanted: “Majdal Ukraine.. Glory to the heroes.. Glory to the Ukrainian nation.”
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