One of Odessa's most photographed landmarks is a full-height statue of Darth Vader — formerly a statue of Lenin — on the corner of Korolova and Staroportofrankivska Street. The transformation happened in 2015 after Ukraine's decommunisation law required the removal of Soviet monuments. Rather than simply demolishing it, the city allowed a local artist to cap the Lenin figure with a Vader helmet, creating an instant tourist attraction.
The statue is functional as well as comic: it contains a Wi-Fi router, and a plaque on the base carries text from the Ukrainian constitution. It has become a surprisingly fitting emblem for a city that has always had a mordant sense of humour about power and authority.