Ukrainians transform famed Lenin statue into Darth Vader

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Soviet founder Lenin -- long despised by most in non-separatist parts of Ukraine -- fell victim to a law adopted in April that ordered the removal of all symbols and insignia reminding the country of its communist past.

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"After the de-communisation law was adopted earlier this year, we had to decide what to do with the monument (of Lenin)," Oleksandr Milov, the new statue's sculptor, told AFP.

"Honestly, I did not like the idea of destroying it, so we decided on a more flexible solution."

New elements were added to the original plaster statue without causing it any harm.

"The idea was obvious since the Darth Vader movement has been at the centre of Ukrainians' attention in recent years," Milov said.

There are plans to build a Wi-Fi router into the statue's head so he can "communicate with the other Siths", he added.

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