The 99th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution saw Lenin statues subjected to protests and vandalism in two cities in Belarus on November 7.
Contrasting Styles Of 'Lenin' Protests In Belarus
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In the Belarusian capital, a Lenin monument was moved from inside the Minsk Tractor Works to a public location in time for the 99th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.
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An actor dressed as Lenin -- leader of the Bolsheviks and later the Soviet Union -- addressed the crowd in Minsk.
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Elderly women marched and sang before the Minsk ceremony. Belarus is the only country of the former U.S.S.R. that marks November 7 as a national holiday.
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In a protest against the celebrations, Malady Front (Youth Front) opposition movement leader Zmitser Dashkevich made his way into the thick of the crowd before lifting a sign with a slightly modified version of a notorious Lenin quote that said: "The more representatives of religious clergy that are shot, the better."
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Dashkevich and unidentified associates shouted, "Shame! Shame!" before being attacked by the head of Belarus's pro-government Youth Union, Syarhey Klishevich (lower right).
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As Klishevich attacked Dashkevich, Klishevich reportedly shouted communist slogans.
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Riot police then moved in to arrest Dashkevich.
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The Minsk ceremony continued slightly behind schedule, but the day wasn't over for Lenin.
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In the city of Lida, around 175 kilometers from Minsk, activists vandalized the town's Lenin statue with red paint.