Standing nine metres tall and weighing 17,000 kilograms, this bronze Lenin is one of the more surreal things you will encounter in rural Groningen. It lives on a private farm on the edge of the village, visible from the road but not publicly accessible. Henk Koop, a local construction entrepreneur, bought it in 1997 along with a former Soviet air base in the former East Germany. Getting it to Tjuchem required a heavy transport convoy and no small amount of paperwork.
The statue has had an itinerant life since then — it toured exhibitions and stood for several years at a wellness spa in Bad Nieuweschans before returning to Tjuchem in 2023. It now stands in a quieter corner of Koop's property. Various Oldambt municipalities have floated plans to give it a more prominent public home, possibly near the Hamer and Sickle Lane in Nieuw-Beerta, but for now it remains a private curiosity. Drive slowly past the farm and you will spot it; do not expect to walk up for a closer look.