Tbilisi, January 1, 2014
The monument was erected in September with the participation of the Union of Veterans and the "Stalinist" international organization near the memorial to the soldiers, fallen in the Second World War. Not long afterward, unidentified people smeared red paint all over the monument.
The local administration states that the monument was set up illegally and no permit was granted for setting up such a monument. Soon the authorities announced a bid for its dismantlement and it was won by "The civil development foundation". 650 Lari (about 380 USD) were appropriated for abolition of the monument from the local budget.
In his turn, the leader of the "Stalinist" public organization Shota Lazareashvili has referred to the dismantling as "vandalism".
