How did a 7-ton statue of Vladimir Lenin—a symbol of Soviet communism—end up in Seattle’s artsy, free-spirited Fremont neighborhood? In this listener-requested episode, Shea and Jody uncover the bizarre journey of Fremont’s Lenin statue, from a scrapyard in post-Communist Europe to its quirky life as a holiday-themed, drag-clad Seattle oddity.
They dive into the statue's Cold War origins, the eccentric American who brought it to the U.S., and the ongoing debate: Is it art, satire, or an accidental shrine to tyranny? Expect laughter, social commentary, wild hypotheticals, and a heartfelt nod to Fremont’s fading weirdness.
📍 Chapters
00:00 – Welcome to Summer Silly Season
02:15 – Listener Request from Brian of Spirits and Monsters of Old Seattle
03:20 – Who Sculpted Lenin (and Why It Took 10 Years)
06:05 – From Poprad to the Scrapyard: Lenin's Fall
09:25 – Enter Lou Carpenter: The English Teacher Who Bought Lenin
13:55 – Issaquah Says “Nope”
15:10 – A Tragic Car Crash and a Statue with No Home
18:40 – Fremont to the Rescue
21:10 – Yes, It’s Still For Sale (for $300,000!)
23:30 – Dressing Lenin: From Jack-o’-Lanterns to Drag
26:45 – Art or Offense? Slavic Americans Weigh In
29:15 – When the Mayor Got Involved
32:40 – Can You Mock History Without Glorifying It?
35:00 – Final Thoughts: Quirky Art, Political Satire, or Both?
37:00 – Patreon Shoutouts, Sexy Bigfoot, and Thank Yous
🔗 Links
🌐 Website: www.rainydayarabbitholes.com
💰 Support the show: www.rainydayarabbitholes.com/support
🎧 Bonus Content & Merch: Patreon
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