Watch as Soviet-era obelisk comes crashing down in Riga, Latvia

A Soviet-era obelisk, the centrepiece of a monument celebrating the Red Army's liberation of Latvia and its capital Riga from Nazi Germany, was demolished on Thursday.

The 80-metre concrete spire adorned with red five-pointed stars on top was a prominent feature in downtown Riga until it crashed into the nearby pond after heavy machinery brought it down, as onlookers cheered and applauded.

The demolition of the obelisk -- broadcast live by Latvian media outlets -- is the latest in a series of Soviet monuments brought down after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The monument stood between two groups of statues — a band of three Red Army soldiers, and on the other side, a woman representing the "Motherland" with her arms held high.

The Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders was built in 1985 while Latvia was still part of the Soviet Union.

It has stirred controversy since Latvia regained independence in 1991 and eventually became a NATO and European Union member.

On Twitter, Latvia's Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs said by taking down the monument, Latvia was "closing another painful page of the history and looking for better future".

But Latvia has a large population of ethnic Russians, some of whom have protested the dismantling of Soviet-era monuments.

The country shares a 214-kilometre border with Russia and has a large ethnic Russian minority, making up about 25% of the population. 

On Russia's annual Victory Day, which commemorates the Soviet victory in World War II, people gathered in front of the Riga monument to lay flowers.

Latvia's parliament voted to approve the demolition of the Victory Park monument in May, and the Riga City Council followed suit. 

Work to clear away the