Is there a moment in the life of every government when it decides it must, absolutely must, build a monument? Power is fleeting in a democracy, thank heavens, and governments aren’t made of concrete.
But monuments are made of that sturdy stuff. They last, no matter how ugly. For prime ministers and potentates who want their legacies preserved, monuments are irresistible.
Communist-era Russians loved colossal statues, installing titanic Motherland monuments in Volgograd and Kiev. Both those big mothers really were built to venerate the communist party and its works.
They’re still building ostentatious monuments in enlightened states such as North Korea and Turkmenistan. …read more
Source: National Newswatch
