Stalin Monument, Soviet monument in The Hague, Netherlands
The Stalin Monument is a conceptual artwork in The Hague consisting of a bust placed inside a street phone booth near the Museon and the Gemeentemuseum. The bust is only visible through the glass panels of the booth and is easy to overlook from a distance.
The work was made in 1986 by Russian artists Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid, who were known for using Soviet imagery in an ironic way. It was created just a few years before the fall of the Soviet Union, which adds weight to its original intent.
Placing a Soviet leader inside a phone booth turns a familiar street object into a quiet comment on how power is remembered in public space. Most passersby walk past without noticing the bust, which makes the discovery feel personal and unexpected.
The phone booth stands in a museum district that is easy to reach on foot, close to several parks and other cultural sites. Because it looks like any other phone booth, it helps to note the exact location before arriving.
Komar and Melamid rendered the bust in an official Soviet style, making it look at first glance like a sincere tribute rather than a commentary. The contrast between that formal style and the ordinary phone booth is what gives the work its quiet tension.
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