Monuments to the Wrong People. Rulers Who Deserve No Glory

In different corners of the world, curious tourists occasionally come across statues of formidable men — both on foot and on horseback. Local residents no longer notice these pompous monuments, considering them an integral part of the urban landscape. Most often, the hero's brow is furrowed, his piercing gaze is directed into the distance, his posture is proud, and he holds a weapon or points one of his hands towards a bright future. Immortalized in stone and bronze, these leaders are familiar to city dwellers from history textbooks, novels, and films. Meanwhile, it was these individuals who once brought glory to their countries and defined their positions on the world map.
The book by Finnish writer and researcher Ari Turunen reveals to us not the heroic, but the unsightly sides of powerful figures. Rulers, politicians, conquerors — the more people they killed, conquered, and subjected to their will, the more likely they were to have monuments erected in their honor. Great heroes of their homeland in neighboring states were usually regarded as villains and criminals. Alexander the Great, Vladimir Lenin, Vasco da Gama, Ivan the Terrible, Martin Luther, and other figures here are not heroes, but "bad guys" united by one trait: arguing with them was damn dangerous.
Ari Turunen's book became a bestseller in Finland, just like the author's previous books — "The Global History of Arrogance, Snobbery, and Pretentiousness" and "Only After You".