Copenhagen, Denmark: A concrete obelisk topped by Soviet stars that was the centrepiece of a monument commemorating the Red Army’s victory over Nazi Germany has been taken down in the Latvian capital — the latest in a series of Soviet monuments demolished after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Heavy machinery was spotted behind a green privacy fence at the foot of the nearly 80-metre obelisk shortly before it was felled. The column, which had stood like a high-rise in downtown Riga, crashed into a nearby pond, causing a huge splash at Victory Park.

A Latvian media outlet broadcast the event live as onlookers, some with Latvian flags wrapped around their shoulders, cheered and applauded.

The obelisk, made up of five spires with three Soviet stars at the top, stood between two groups of statues – a band of three Red Army soldiers and, on the other side, a woman representing the “Motherland” with her arms held high.

The monument was built in 1985 while Latvia was still part of the Soviet Union. It has stirred controversy since the country regained independence in 1991 and eventually became a NATO and European Union member.

On Twitter, Latvian foreign minister said by taking down the monument, this country was “closing another painful page of the history and looking for a better future”.

The country shares a 214-kilometre border with Russia and has a large ethnic Russian population. On Russia’s annual Victory Day, which commemorates the Soviet victory over Germany in World War II, people gathered in front of the Riga monument to lay flowers.

But parliament voted to approve the demolition of the monument in May, and the Riga City Council followed suit. Work to clear it away started mid-week with the removal of statues. The area was then cordoned off and authorities issued a flight ban for drones. Police temporarily closed traffic near the park, citing security reasons.