AUTHORITIES in the second-largest city in Kyrgyzstan, Osh, have removed a towering statue of Vladimir Lenin thought to be the tallest of the revolutionary Communist leader in central Asia.

The 75-foot monument was erected in 1975 when Kyrgyzstan was part of the Soviet Union. Photos appeared online on Saturday showing the statue flat on the ground after being lowered by a crane.

While many countries formerly part of the Soviet Union have moved to downplay their ties to Russia, the monument was removed with little public fanfare and officials in Osh framed the act as routine city planning.

In a statement, Osh City Hall excused the move as “common practice” aimed at improving the “architectural and aesthetic appearance” of the area.

Officials also noted that Lenin monuments have been “dismantled or moved to other places” in Russian cities including St Petersburg and Belgorod, and said that the issue “should not be politicised.”

The monument, they said, will be replaced by a flagpole, as was the case when a different Lenin statue was relocated in the capital, Bishkek.

The move came a week after Kyrgyzstan’s ally Russia unveiled a monument to Soviet leader Joseph Stalin at one of Moscow’s busiest subway stations.