The reach of the Galactic Empire has extended far beyond the Outer Rim to Ukraine, where a statue of former Russian leader Vladimir Lenin has been transformed into a monument to Darth Vader.

Citing local reports, the Russian news agency TASS states the plaster statue resides at a factory in the port city of Odessa, where workers and local residents decided "it is time for new heroes."

So they turned to sculptor Alexander Milov, who changed the tribute to the communist revolutionary into an homage to the Dark Lord of the Sith. The statue reportedly now houses a free Wi-Fi router, so how villainous could Vader possibly be?

The move follows a law enacted in the spring by the Ukrainian government to erase reminders of the nation's Communist-era past. The statue will be officially unveiled on Friday.

The choice of Darth Vader may not be as random as it seems: Last year the Odessa-based Internet Party of Ukraine floated the Sith Lord and several other Star Wars characters as candidates for local and national offices. However, despite being a candidate for parliament, Vader was turned away when he showed up to vote (see below).

(via Reddit)