Workers have begun pulling up the plastic lavender from Lubyanka Square, an installation that drew divided reactions from Muscovites. The Russian news outlet Msk1.ru published video footage from the square showing the artificial flowers being replaced with pots of what appear to be live plants.
The maze of plastic purple flowers went up on Lubyanka Square in early May. City Hall described the installation as “lush lavender fields.”
Some Muscovites said the display near the FSB building “creates a good mood” and evokes the French region of Provence. Others called the artificial lavender tasteless and a pointless waste of money, likening the flower beds to a cemetery, and complaining about the distinctive smell of plastic.
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