Ukrainian city plans to tear down UNESCO-protected monument
Odessa has chosen to take down a statue of poet Alexander Pushkin in line with Ukraine's efforts against Russia. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Odessa has taken steps to dismantle a statue of Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, as the city council approved the plan on Wednesday, despite the monument being recognized as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.
Erected on Primorsky Boulevard in 1889, the statue was funded by local residents to commemorate the time Pushkin spent in the city. The renowned poet, often regarded as the father of modern Russian literature, lived in the Black Sea port town for 14 months when it was part of the Russian Empire.
According to the news outlet Strana.ua, city lawmakers unanimously approved budget amendments to allocate resources for the removal of 12 monuments featuring “imperial symbols.” In addition to the statue on Primorsky Boulevard, another statue of Pushkin on Italyanskaya Street, which was formerly known as Pushkinskaya before its renaming in July, is also on the list.
The proposal to remove the statue was initiated by regional governor Oleg Kiper, who stated in September that the Kiev government had taken Soviet and Russian monuments off the national register of cultural sites, effectively withdrawing them from UNESCO protection.
Since the onset of Moscow’s military actions in 2022, Ukraine has intensified efforts to sever historical ties with Russia and its culture. This initiative includes implementing a law on the “decolonization” of street names, monuments, memorials, and inscriptions.
Odessa Mayor Gennady Trukhanov has voiced his opposition to the removal of these monuments, including those of Pushkin and 19th Century political figure Prince Mikhail Vorontsov. He drew a parallel between those advocating for their removal, due to the ongoing conflict with Moscow, and ostriches burying their heads in the sand. Trukhanov emphasized that the structures built by “our great-great-great-grandfathers and grandmothers” should be preserved.
The city witnessed the removal of a statue of Catherine the Great in December 2022, despite her role in the city’s founding in 1794. Other Ukrainian cities, such as Dnepr and Chernovtsy, have also taken down statues and memorial plaques dedicated to Pushkin.
Moscow has consistently criticized Kiev’s actions against Russian culture and language, claiming that such measures of “forced Ukrainization” violate international law and encroach upon the rights of approximately a quarter of Ukraine’s population who are Russian-speaking.
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
Erected on Primorsky Boulevard in 1889, the statue was funded by local residents to commemorate the time Pushkin spent in the city. The renowned poet, often regarded as the father of modern Russian literature, lived in the Black Sea port town for 14 months when it was part of the Russian Empire.
According to the news outlet Strana.ua, city lawmakers unanimously approved budget amendments to allocate resources for the removal of 12 monuments featuring “imperial symbols.” In addition to the statue on Primorsky Boulevard, another statue of Pushkin on Italyanskaya Street, which was formerly known as Pushkinskaya before its renaming in July, is also on the list.
The proposal to remove the statue was initiated by regional governor Oleg Kiper, who stated in September that the Kiev government had taken Soviet and Russian monuments off the national register of cultural sites, effectively withdrawing them from UNESCO protection.
Since the onset of Moscow’s military actions in 2022, Ukraine has intensified efforts to sever historical ties with Russia and its culture. This initiative includes implementing a law on the “decolonization” of street names, monuments, memorials, and inscriptions.
Odessa Mayor Gennady Trukhanov has voiced his opposition to the removal of these monuments, including those of Pushkin and 19th Century political figure Prince Mikhail Vorontsov. He drew a parallel between those advocating for their removal, due to the ongoing conflict with Moscow, and ostriches burying their heads in the sand. Trukhanov emphasized that the structures built by “our great-great-great-grandfathers and grandmothers” should be preserved.
The city witnessed the removal of a statue of Catherine the Great in December 2022, despite her role in the city’s founding in 1794. Other Ukrainian cities, such as Dnepr and Chernovtsy, have also taken down statues and memorial plaques dedicated to Pushkin.
Moscow has consistently criticized Kiev’s actions against Russian culture and language, claiming that such measures of “forced Ukrainization” violate international law and encroach upon the rights of approximately a quarter of Ukraine’s population who are Russian-speaking.
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
