Activists in the Siberian town of Surgut have erected a monument to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

Local civic group, “Russkiy Dukh” (The Russian Soul), spearheaded the project, having bought the bust of Stalin in an antique shop in Yekaterinburg. Some 150,000 rubles ($2,300) were raised to cover the cost of installing the monument.

An unveiling ceremony was held on Thursday, but town authorities have since announced that the statue was erected illegally. Catherine Shvidky, a spokesperson for the Surgut authorities, said that while acommission had been formed to consider the project, a decision had not yet been made.

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