A Vladimir Lenin statue has been transformed into Darth Vader

Vladimir Lenin is not very popular in Ukraine these days. There are still lots of statues left over from the Soviet days, but they’re slowly being taken down — or in this case, retrofitted into more inspirational figures from the capitalist mythos. With Vader-interest peaking as Lenin-interest tails off, it’s hard to say it’s not an improvement.

This particular statue was originally erected in the now-defunct Pressmash factory on the outskirts of Odessa. But when the city moved to tear down the statue, local artist and Burning Man alumnus Alexander Milov stepped in with an alternative proposal, transforming Lenin’s billowing coattails into the billowing cape of Darth Vader himself. As a bonus, Milov installed a Wi-Fi hub in Vader / Lenin’s capacious helmet, providing free connectivity to all who cower in his presence.