A Huge Louis Vuitton trunk on red square upset many.

Muscovites were outraged last week, when a huge Louis Vuitton trunk was assembled on the historical Red Square. The 30-foot-tall and 100-foot-long suitcase was strategically placed in front of GUM Department Store and Lenin`s Mausoleum. The trunk dominated Red Square and even St. Basils Cathedral had to fight for a spot to be seen.

Red Square is no stranger to events and military parades. When we visited Moscow last year we were also disappointed when huge pavilions were being erected and we couldn’t get up close to St. Basil`s Cathedral. Imagine arriving in Moscow to see the historical sites and being greeted by a huge Louis Vuitton trunk. It created a lot of controversy and unhappiness.

Why the Louis Vuitton trunk on Red Square?

Nobody suspected the innocent advertisement would create such an outrage. This suitcase or trunk was an identical replica of  the one given to Russian Prince Vladimir Orlov, more than a century ago. He was a member of the Tsar`s family. Luis Vuitton has a shop in GUM, the famous and most expensive Department store in Moscow. It was all meant to be part of an exhibition by Luis Vuitton that covers luggage over the ages and was supposed to run from December to the end of  January.

Who authorized the Louis Vuitton trunk advertisment on red square?

The Communist Party in Russia was highly upset because they feel that Red Square is the sacred heart of Russia. The there is the delicate issue of the letters on the trunk. The letters on the suitcase LV, upset others because it reminded them of  Vladimir Lenin. I must add that most people in Russia don`t want to be reminded of him and his Mausoleum is already a sight for sore eyes to many. Nobody knows who authorized it but many bloggers were having fun with a photoshopped image of the trunk and the mausoleum of Lenin. This off course was done to infuriate the Communist Party.

Giant trunk ordered to be removed from Red Square

It didn’t take long before orders were given to have the trunk removed. I have no idea where they are going to put it now. In my opinion this is not the place to showcase such a huge trunk. If I was a Muscovite I would have been upset too. I would have been more upset if I traveled thousands of miles to see the famous Red Square and be greeted by a large Louis Vuitton suitcase. Read more in the Moscow Times about this here.