--- description: A statue memorializing Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin in the Ukraine has been transformed into a monument to Darth Vader. title: Ukrainian Lenin Statue Turned Into Darth Vader image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbba758557353a714/69876c37524fc0a702deb1ca/most-surprising-photos-of-2014-414.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Ukrainian Lenin Statue Turned Into Darth Vader  by [Justin Worland](/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Oct 25, 2015 1:53 PM CUT  An impersonator of Star Wars character 'Darth Vader' stands on the roof of a van during an election campaign event for the Ukrainian Internet Party. Party members have legally changed their names to resemble 'Star Wars' characters. Kiev, Oct. 21, 2014. An impersonator of Star Wars character 'Darth Vader' stands on the roof of a van during an election campaign event for the Ukrainian Internet Party. Party members have legally changed their names to resemble 'Star Wars' characters. Kiev, Oct. 21, 2014.SERGEY DOLZHENKO—EPA  by [Justin Worland](/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Oct 25, 2015 1:53 PM CUT A statue memorializing Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin in the Ukraine has been transformed into a monument to Darth Vader. The new statue, first reported by the news site [Dumskaya](http://dumskaya.net/news/pervye-v-mire-pamyatnik-dartu-vejderu-otkroetsya-051649/ "undefined"), was unveiled Friday in the city of Odessa. It comes in the wake of a law requiring “decommunization” in Ukraine. Instead of destroying the statue it its entirety, artist Aleksander Milov was selected to modify it. Much of the statue remained the same as Milov replaced Lenin’s head with a helmet and turned his coast into a cape. The statue is also now a wi-fi hotspot. The new statue comes as Star Wars fans [prepare for the first new film in the franchise in a decade](http://time.com/4078795/star-wars-7-trailer-watch-force-awakens/ "undefined"). _Star Wars: The Force Awakens_ hits theaters this December. > [](https://twitter.com/Powerful%5FPics/status/657631357074583552) \[[Dumskaya](http://dumskaya.net/news/pervye-v-mire-pamyatnik-dartu-vejderu-otkroetsya-051649/ "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4086228/ukraine-lenin-darth-vader/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4086228/ukraine-lenin-darth-vader/"},"headline":"Ukrainian Lenin Statue Turned Into Darth Vader","datePublished":"2015-10-25T13:53:14.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:26:18.805Z","description":"The transformation comes in the wake of a law requiring \"decommunization\"","url":"https://time.com/4086228/ukraine-lenin-darth-vader/","keywords":["Newsfeed","russia"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbba758557353a714/69876c37524fc0a702deb1ca/most-surprising-photos-of-2014-414.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Worland","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/justin-worland/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbba758557353a714/69876c37524fc0a702deb1ca/most-surprising-photos-of-2014-414.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Campaigning for parliamentary elections in Ukraine","caption":"An impersonator of Star Wars character 'Darth Vader' stands on the roof of a van during an election campaign event for the Ukrainian Internet Party. Party members have legally changed their names to resemble 'Star Wars' characters. Kiev, Oct. 21, 2014.","creditText":"SERGEY DOLZHENKO—EPA","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4086228/ukraine-lenin-darth-vader/","name":"Ukrainian Lenin Statue Turned Into Darth Vader"}}]}] ```