Penza, 29 August 2013. PenzaNews. The ceremony of laying a memorial stone at the new location of Karl Marx bust monument took place at the intersection of Lermontova St and Kuibysheva St in Penza on Thursday, August 29.

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Commenting on the removal of the bust, Penza historian Igor Shishkin noted that his attitude was negative at first, but later he changed his mind.

“Now it is clear that the city is growing, changing its appearance, the cathedral is being built, and if the monument remained in the same place, it would have abutted against the cathedral,” the historian said.

In turn, the governor of the Penza region Vasily Bochkarev explained that the decision to remove the bust from Sovetskaya square, where Savior Cathedral is being constructed, was made by the regional and municipal authorities together with the representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Communist Party including the leader of Communists Gennady Zyuganov.

He also reminded that the new location is actually the third one for the monument, which was moved to Sovetskaya square from the one near the house of the governor.

“I believe it will rest here for centuries,” Vasily Bochkarev said.

Karl Marx monument, which was located in Sovetskaya square in Penza, was dismantled for restoration on July 13, 2011.