Lenin Statue in Kiev, Ukraine

Today we have a statue of a forward-looking Vladimir Lenin by U.K. photographer Stacey Raven.  Raven, whose work can be seen at www.staceyravenphotography.co.uk,  took the photo during a much more peaceful time for Kiev and the Ukrainian people.

The people of Ukraine have had a monumental week.  Violent protests against the government last week led to the deaths of an estimated 77 people as police used live ammunition to quell the protests.  Protests initially broke out in November when Ukranian President Viktor Yanukovych rejected an accord with the European Union.  Protesters wanted closer ties with the western world, while Yanukovych’s government drew closer to Russia and the east.

Last week’s events led to the Ukranian parliament  ousting Yanukovych, the release of opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko from prison, and the looming threat that Ukraine could break in two along east-west lines.  In many ways, Ukraine is in-between two worlds: a European country that was once part of the Soviet Union.

One of the most potent symbols of the influence of old-school Soviet politics on the country was the statue of Vladimir Lenin, Marxist revolutionary and first Premier of the Soviet Union.  Statues to Lenin were ubiquitous in the Soviet Union, and many statues still exist.  According to The Daily Mail, over 100 monuments to the leader have been toppled as of this writing.  This particular Lenin became a so-called “reclining Lenin” on December 8 of last year.  He also lost his head.  Better monuments losing their heads than people, I suppose.

Paul Bunyan in Bangor, Maine

This week we travel to the northeastern United States.  This Paul Bunyan in Bangor, Maine.  The fiberglass statue of the legendary lumberjack is 37 feet tall and stands on Main Street of Bangor, a town once known as the lumber capital of the world.  The statue was designed by J. Normand Martin and built by New York-based company Messmoor & Damon in 1959.

The legend of Paul Bunyan is much older.  Bunyan is a legendary giant lumberjack in North American folklore of the mid-19th Century.  He is often seen with his companion Blue Ox “Babe,” who is also gigantic.  It was in the 20th Century, however, when Bunyan’s legend began to grow.  Bunyan’s giant stature and trusty Babe herself were concocted for an advertising campaign for the Red River Lumber Company of California in 1916.

Bangor is one of many U.S. towns that lay claim to being the birthplace of Bunyan–and many of them have erected statues and monuments to the mythic lumberjack.  Oscada, Michigan; Bemidji, Minnesota; Brainerd, Minnesota; Bay City Michigan; Wahoo, Nebraska; Eau Claire, Wisconsin all lay claim to the title.  Kelliher, Minnesota is home to Paul Bunyan Memorial Park, purporting to be Bunyan’s grave.  Rib Mountain in Wisconsin also lays claim to being the lumberjack’s final resting place.

Statues of the lumberjack, both with and without Babe, abound in the U.S.  A brief list includes: Klamath, California along Highway 101, Muncie, Indiana; Portland, Oregon; and the previously mentioned Eau Claire.

Cincinnatus in Cincinnati

This week we take a look at a close-up of Cincinnatus, a bronze sculpture with patina completed in 1982 by Eleftherios Karkadoulias. The statue stands in Bicentennial Commons at Sawyer Point, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Cincinnati was named after Cincinnatus, or more correctly, The Society of the Cincinnati. The society was a group of Revolutionary War officers who made a pact to keep in touch after the war. The society’s members included George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and 23 signers of the U.S. Constitution. The society had chapters in all 13 states of the new republic as well as France.

Who was this man that garnered such attention in the fledgling democracy? Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus (519 BC — 430 BC), was a Roman statesman who served as both Consul and Dictator. He lived humbly on his small farm until being called to serve Rome as dictator. After the crisis had passed, he gave up his absolute power and returned to his farm. He was considered a model of civic virtue in both ancient Rome and early America. Of course, he was also a staunch opponent of the Plebeians, the class of laborers and craftsmen in Rome–but such things get glossed over for the sake of a good role model.