Ukraine Converts Lenin Statue To The Dark Side

By Danielle 1 min read

TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY OLGA SHYLENKO People dressed as characters from 'Star Wars' film take part in an inauguration ceremony of a Darth Vader monument, formerly a statue of Soviet founder Lenin, in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa on October 23, 2015. Just in time for the release of the latest "Star Wars" blockbuster, Ukrainians have transformed the statue of Lenin into one of Darth Vader, an oddly prominent figure in local politics. AFP PHOTO / VOLODYMYR SHUVAYEV (Photo credit should read VOLODYMYR SHUVAYEV/AFP/Getty Images)

Welcome to the Dark Side, comrade!

A statue of Soviet founding father Vladimir Lenin in Odessa, Ukraine, has been transformed into Darth Vader, according to several reports.

A recent law banning communist symbols led to the makeover, NBC News reported. Ukrainian artist Aleksander Milov fitted the monument with the “Star Wars” villain’s helmet and converted Lenin’s coattails into DV’s iconic cape. But the original bronze sculpting remains intact on the inside. May the Bolshevik be with you, DV.

The artist also rigged the movie bad guy’s helmet into a Wi-Fi hotspot, NBC noted.

“New heroes replace old ones, and this is how the world goes round,” warehouse manager Semyon Horbunov told the BBC.

Odessa’s political scene was already overrun by DV. A candidate named Darth Vader is running for mayor in Sunday’s election, Agence France-Presse reported. A candidate who assumed the same name threw his hat in the ring in both Odessa and Kiev mayoral campaigns last year.

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