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America’s largest statue of Lenin is found in Fremont. The 16 foot tall Lenin statue was crafted in Poprad, Slovakia in 1988 in honor of Communist leader Vladimir Illych Lenin. However, when the Soviet Union disbanded in 1989, the Lenin statue was relegated to the Poprad Dump. American entrepreneur Lewis Carpenter, appreciating the artistry of the statue, mortgaged his house to buy the statue and ship it to Seattle. Carpenter died in 1994, and his family, hoping to recover the statue debt, loaned it to the Fremont district until a buyer emerged willing to pay $150,000 for the 7-ton hunk of metal. In 1995 Fremont erected the statue in the middle of the neighborhood. More than ten years after setting up residence in Fremont, the Lenin still remains. During Gay Pride Weekend, pranksters adorn Lenin head to toe in pink, with crimson lipstick livening up his stony expression. |
