Tensions rising in Kharkov

On 28 September 2014 one of the largest monuments of Lenin in Ukraine was pulled down in Kharkov. This was done by a group of masked men from nationalist circles and football supporters, and was supported by about 5000 pro-Ukrainian demonstrators. In recent months the statue had been the focal point for demonstrations by the pro-Russian part of the local community. The removal and destruction of the monument was supported by the governor of the Kharkov region Igor Baluta; the legal case that the local prosecutor's office initiated against those responsible for its demolition was also closed. Support for the demonstrators also came from Arsen Avakov, the head of the Interior Ministry, who is from Kharkov. The city’s mayor Gennadiy Kernes took the opposite position, promising the restoration of the monument.