I think it has to do with the “presentation.” I would probably enquire about why they had them up. If the answer was “ we met in Moscow when we were assigned there,” that would be an OK answer.
I mean they are not Lenin or Marx.
My MIL who now lives with us will be 100 next month. Her father was a German Mennonite farmer in Ukraine and left to study in Berlin just a short time before the country was communized. After a short hiatus in Berlin, the family (he had married in Ukraine a widowed English woman with 4 children, had another in Russia, and one more born in Berlin {my MIL}) they were forced to leave again (WWI was breaking out) and went to England, then found a relative to support their immigration to America.
Years later he found out his entire family of 13 siblings had either been shot or sent to Siberia-the males shot, the females exiled.
It was common before WWI, apparently, for all males to join the army for a certain amount of time-2 years I think. The Mennonites would not carry arms and were allowed to serve in the Forestry Service instead.
My MIL can keep me on the edge of my seat with her memories.