MÍSTO STALINA

Inaugurated with pomp and ceremony, the monument was soon demolished: the process of De-Stalinisation was already well under way in the Soviet Union, and yet that didn't put an end to the absurdities surrounding the colossus, dismissively labelled by locals as the “queue for meat” with reference to its composition. A number of absurd plans, such as a gigantic shark aquarium, and more practical alternative uses such as a potato cellar offer up proof that the locals were and remain unsure what to do with the remaining plinth. A blessing in disguise for local skaters, who have managed to capture this urban realm as their own. CF