November 06, 2025

Vologda Honors Ivan the Terrible


Vologda Honors Ivan the Terrible
The statue of Ivan "The Terrible" being installed at night in Vologda. Krovavaya Barynia, Telegram.

On November 3, Vologda installed a 9-meter-tall (29.5 ft) statue of the infamous Tsar Ivan "the Terrible" IV Vasilyevich in its city center.  The inauguration of the monument dedicated to the monarch known for his despotic rule and killing his own son took place on November 4, also known as the Day of National Unity. 

Vologda Oblast's governor, Georgy Filimonov, pushed the initiative to honor Ivan "The Terrible" in his region's capital. The kickboxer-turned-politician has referred to the controversial tsar as "[the] multiplier of Russian land," "a conquering Tsar in a good sense," and "a symbol of the Russian world."

Ivan the Terrible is not Filimonov's first statue. In December 2024, Vologda installed a Joseph Stalin monument. A court later ordered the removal of the statue of the former USSR leader. However, Stalin has not been removed and still stands in Vologda.

Aside from his statues, Filimonov is also known for his ultraconservative laws. Under his leadership, Vologda introduced the strictest "dry laws" in Russia, allowing alcohol purchases for only two hours a day during weekdays. Filimonov has also unofficially ensured that abortions in his oblast are impossible to perform even in private clinics.

Filimonov is one of Russia's most unpopular governors. According to Meduza, he may face firing along with other unfavorably viewed governors ahead of the State Duma's upcoming elections in September 2026.

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