DUSHANBE, March 6, Asia-Plus  -- The Lenin monument handed over to the Arts Stock will be restored and preserved for future generations, Vafo Nazarov, a chief painter with Tajikistan''s Arts Stock, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.  

According to him, the Lenin monument is on the national register of historical and cultural relics of the country.  “The monument is currently in a poor state and needs restoration,” said Nazarov.  “The bronze monument was erected in 1926 and over the past years some its parts have been oxidized.  Moreover, the monument has some inconsiderable damage.” 

 “If there is nobody to take the statue, while we are ready to give it, the statue will remain in the Arts Stock as historical relic for the future generation,” Nazarov said.  

We will recall that by resolution of the Dushanbe mayor’s office the monument to Lenin, erected in the Dushanbe Central Park in 1926, was dismantled on the night of March 1-2 and handed over to Tajikistan’s Arts Stock.  

The Communist Party (CPT) leader also deputy of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) Shodi Shabdolov on March 4 sent an open letter to President Emomali Rahmon over the dismantlement of the Lenin monument in Dushanbe.

 In his letter, Shodi Shabdolov, in particular, noted the Ministry of Culture and the Dushanbe Mayor’s Office had not submitted any proposal to the government on preservation, keeping, restoration or relocation of the monument, violating requirements of Articles 5, 8, 9, 10, 20 and 22 of the RT Law “On Protection and Use of Historical and Cultural Relics,” the letter noted.