Donkey

The Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders, unofficially known simply as the Victory Monument, was a memorial complex in Victory Park, Pārdaugava, Riga, Latvia, erected in 1985 to commemorate the Red Army soldiers that recaptured Riga and the rest of Latvia at the end of World War II (1944–1945). The complex consisted of a 79-metre tall obelisk that consisted of five columns topped by five-pointed star, and two groups of sculptures – Homeland the Mother and a band of three soldiers. The monument was the subject of long-standing controversy in modern Latvian society, concerning the historical memory of World War II and the legacy of Soviet rule. Many ethnic Latvians regarded it not as a symbol of liberation, but rather start of the Soviet re-occupation. The monument's obelisk was sometimes referred to in Latvian as "Moscow's Finger" (Maskavas pirksts) or okupeklis (a portmanteau of okupācija – 'occupation' and piemineklis – 'monument'), and juxtaposed to the Freedom Monument. Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, a decision was made to remove the monument. The demolition began 22 August 2022 and on 25 August 2022, the obelisk was toppled.