Russia lodges protest with Poland over Soviet soldiers monument removal in Pyrzyce

Russia on Monday lodged a protest with Poland over the dismantling of a monument in the northwestern city of Pyrzyce dedicated to Soviet soldiers who died in World War II.

The Russian Embassy in Poland called the move a "sacrilegious act" that violates the two countries' Feb. 22, 1994 agreement on the protection of war graves and memorial sites for victims of wars and repression.

“The illegal dismantling of monuments is a blatant attempt to distort history and erase the memory of the heroism of Soviet soldiers from the consciousness of the Polish nation,” said the statement on Telegram.

The monument dedicated to Soviet-Polish military brotherhood was dismantled on July 31 by decision of local authorities.

The Monument to Heroes was erected in in 1984. In the 1990s, city authorities renamed it as the Memorial Monument.