King Kong, Lenin and the Ghostbusters’ Marshmallow man meet in Barcelona

It is difficult to think of a place where historical figures such as the Russian Revolution leader Vladimir Lenin can be seen next to fictional characters like King Kong, the Ghostbusters’ Marshmallow man and Falkor the Luckdragon from Michael Ende’s Neverending Story —  except for Barcelona’s Gràcia Festival, of course.

The streets of Barcelona’s Gràcia neighborhood — which is said to look like a small village within the city — come to life to compete in a contest where the best decorated street will be recognized. Neighbors take the competition seriously: each year, a different theme is chosen by each street and everything is covered by colorful ornaments and characters of all shapes and sizes.

One of this year’s themes is the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, chosen by Progrés street, which include hundreds of communist symbols, like the red star and the sickle and hammer, hanging down in the roofless streets. Meanwhile, Llibertat street neighbors decorated their houses with red skulls and scary skeletons. The entrance of this hellish street is a giant monster that threatens to swallow every new visitor.