Lenin Park

The square by the Hanoi Flag Tower grew out of the triangular Chi Lang Flower Garden. In front of the tall stone pedestal, a broad, level paved surface and steps were left; the former name recalled the Vietnamese army's victory over the Ming army in the fifteenth century. Later, the park received Lenin's name.

The bronze Lenin has already taken a half-step off the pedestal: his body leans forward, the tail of his coat is swept back. The Soviet sculptor Alexander Tyurenkov depicted Vladimir Ilyich Lenin—the leader of the October Revolution and creator of the first Soviet state—in motion.

In the early nineteen eighties, the Vietnamese leadership decided to erect a monument to him with the assistance of the Soviet Union. The triangular Chi Lang Flower Garden opposite the Hanoi Flag Tower was chosen for the statue. Chi Lang was the name of the place where the Vietnamese army defeated the army of the Chinese Ming dynasty in the fifteenth century. The five-meter bronze figure was unveiled on August twentieth, nineteen eighty-five. The park itself officially received Lenin's name much later—in two thousand three.

Around nineteen ninety-nine, Huy, who worked at the New Century nightclub, came here and brought a skateboard. In Hanoi, the pastime was only just beginning then. A reliable imported board cost from seven hundred thousand to two million dong, while a cheap one could break on a stone step. Huy chose the square in front of the monument: its large, level surface made it possible to pick up speed, while the edges and steps of the pedestal made it possible to learn jumps.

Other teenagers saw him and began to imitate him. First, they had to stay on the board, then jump together with it; mastering one basic jump took months. By two thousand four, around thirty Vietnamese riders and almost a dozen children of foreigners were already gathering here. They called themselves the “Lenin team”—after the place where they met and trained. One experienced member, Viet Anh, opened a skateboard shop and, on days of group meetups, hung a “closed” sign on the door so that he could go out to the square himself.

Several generations of Hanoi skaters grew out of this group. Later, a local board and clothing brand took the name “Leninn”—with two n's—in memory of this very community. The statue retains the step set by Tyurenkov, and the square where Huy first got his board up to speed still serves as a place for gaining speed.