Latvian authorities have begun dismantling the Soviet victory monument in the capital Riga. Construction workers removed several giant bronze statues from the monument on Tuesday, which was surrounded by a protective screen and blocked off by police.

It is not yet clear when the 79 meter-high Soviet star-topped tapering pillar will be totally demolished. Preparations are under way, but the city says explosives will not be used. Anything glorifying totalitarian regimes must be dismantled by Nov. 15, according to a Latvian parliamentary resolution. The regulation specifically addresses the demolition of the Soviet victory monument. However, Russia has strongly protested this.

The monument was erected in 1985 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Soviet World War II victory over Hitler's regime, as a "monument to the liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German fascist invaders."

Latvia was alternately occupied by Germany and the Soviet Union during World War II. After the war ended, the Baltic state was an unwilling part of the Soviet Union until 1991. Most Latvians therefore see the monument not as a symbol of victory over Hitler, but of the renewed occupation of their country by the Soviet Union.

At the monument, Russian-born residents of Latvia annually celebrate the Russian holiday Victory Day on May 9. About 25% of the population is made up of ethnic Russians. Several people were arrested on Monday evening during a small, unauthorized protest against the demolition of the monument.