“This is rewriting history,” says Maria Zakharova the spokeswoman of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Deconstruction works of the statue started this week. The decision stems from the bill of forbiddance of propagating communism or any other totalitarian system. This includes names of buildings and public spaces or devices.

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The monument commemorates the Soviet soldiers who died on September 1944 while fighting over the Praga district of Warsaw. The inscription on the monument says “Eternal glory to the heroes of the Red Army who fell in battle for the liberation of the Polish capital of Warsaw.”

The statue has been painted red or covered with anti-communist slogans on multiple occasions. The “Fighting Poland” sign also appeared.

The monument will be moved to the Institute of National Remembrance.