Scary Statue Removed Days After Unveiling Auctioned Off

Story By: Feza Uzay, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency:  Newsflash

This scary statue branded rubbish by locals who demanded it be scrapped has been sold for a whopping GBP 25K, which is more than twice what it cost when it was put up in a park.

The Alyonka monument was erected in the city of Novovoronezh in the Russian federal subject of Voronezh to celebrate the town’s 250th anniversary on 18th December 2020.

However, it was not for the faint of heart and upset locals insisted that officials remove it as they felt it “disgraced the city”. They had their demands met days later on 21st December.

@mikeryaz/Newsflash

The monument had been modelled after a Russian woman named Alyonka.

According to legend, Alyonka was a walker, a term used for people who went searching for new lands to settle.

Alyonka found an ideal place for her village but was killed by a thief named Kudeyar next to a stream.

@mikeryaz/Newsflash

Both the town and the stream took the name of Alenovka before turning into the city of Novovoronezh as it is known today.

After the sculpture was removed, a plaque was put in its place and the sculpture was kept in storage where it remained until a recent auction where it sold for RUB 2.6 million (GBP 25,450). The sum was over double the initial cost of RUB 1 million (GBP 9,785).

The bid was won by Elena Osipova who was representing a local business called Hamina during the auction, which had four bidders and went on for nearly two hours.

@nvktv/Newsflash

The sale was announced by businessman Yevgeny Khamin who reportedly works for Hamina on 15th February.

He wrote: “Other cities wanted to take what’s ours from us at the auction. Our Alyonka. We, residents of Voronezh, do not give up on what’s ours. And no stranger is needed.”

“Alyonka is ours. Another piece of art in the future sculpture park of the City Park Grad in our new satellite town Solnechny.”

@mikeryaz/Newsflash

He was referring to the fact that the scary statue is expected to be erected again at the City Park Grad sculpture park which is set to open in the new town adjacent to the city that will be called Solnechny, however, it is unclear when.

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