13 of the world's most controversial monuments

Gabbi ShawJun 11, 2020, 00:23 IST

The Christopher Columbus statue at Columbus Circle in New York.Bebeto Matthews/AP Images

Not all monuments are universally beloved.
While some simply took a while for locals to come around to, others still inspire controversy. That could be due to their subject matter, their histories, or their appearance.
Monuments dedicated to Christopher Columbus are coming under fire for memorializing a polarizing figure.

When you think of monuments, you might think of impressive structures like the Washington Monument or the Eiffel Tower that millions of people have visited throughout the years.

But not all monuments receive universal acclaim. From memorials for war criminals or army deserters to statues constructed under dubious circumstances, these 13 monuments have seen their fair share of controversy since their construction — especially now as monuments dedicated to Confederate figures and Christopher Columbus are being toppled, and in some cases beheaded, around the US.

Keep scrolling to learn more about these problematic attractions.

Mount Rushmore was designed by a sculptor who allegedly had ties to the Ku Klux Klan, and it was built on seized land.

Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. J. Pat Hodges/Shutterstock

Stone Mountain depicts leaders of the Confederacy.

Stone Mountain in Georgia. Fox Photos/Getty Images

Christopher Columbus is an increasingly controversial historical figure, so the many statues across North America dedicated to him are not popular with everyone.

The Christopher Columbus statue at Columbus Circle in New York. Bebeto Matthews/AP Images

A memorial for Sioux leader Crazy Horse has been called hypocritical, and it remains unfinished after seven decades.

The Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota. Edward J. Winter/Shutterstock

The Yasukuni Shinto Shrine in Tokyo memorializes war criminals along with Japanese soldiers.

The Yasukuni Shrine in Japan. Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images

The Valley of the Fallen is a memorial for those who died in the Spanish Civil War, but it's also the final resting place of bloody Spanish dictator Francisco Franco.

The Valley of the Fallen in Spain. Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Not everyone supported the brutal ways revolutionary Che Guevara went about attaining power, making this statue a polarizing tribute.

The Che Guevara monument in Bolivia. Antonio Suarez/AP Images

The Fallen Angel statue in Spain is dedicated to Satan himself.

The Statue of the Fallen Angel in Madrid. elRoce/Shutterstock

A memorial for Austrian World War II deserters, formally called the Memorial for the Victims of Nazi Military Justice, is not popular with everyone.

The Memorial for the Victims of Nazi Military Justice in Austria. Ronald Zak/AP Images

The Don Juan de Oñate statue in New Mexico has been vandalized multiple times.

The statue of Don Juan de Oñate in New Mexico. Google Maps

The Monument of the African Renaissance in Senegal has come under fire for its immense cost and claims of corruption.

The African Renaissance Monument in Senegal. BOULENGER Xavier/Shutterstock

This Peter the Great statue calls Moscow its home. However, Peter famously hated Moscow and moved the country's capital city to St. Petersburg.

The Peter the Great Statue in Russia. Ververidis Vasilis/Shutterstock

The Brown Dog Statue in London caused what has since been named the "Brown Dog Riots."

A Brown Dog demonstration in 1910. Public domain

John Lennon and Yoko Ono bought a Palm Beach summer retreat for $725,000 just before his murder. Now, it's on the market for $47.5 million — take a look inside.

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