Destroying a statue of a mythological persona means completely denying their successful Soviet history which would be pathetic because their modern history is not better. Instead, you leave it to acknowledge your role, then appropriate it to change the narrative to fit your new image. “We were successful, but the ruskies held us down!” It’s essentially nationalist nostalgia and desire for when they mattered and had strength but discarding the ideology that got them that strength.

I'm not trying to be arguitative but if I claim myself as this grand industrial producing bootstrap nation replacing bits of symbols on our national treasured / hated monument still feels odd