The mayor of Odessa, Gennadiy Trukhanov, has announced that the city has no plans to demolish the monument to the renowned Russian poet Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, citing its status as a cultural heritage site. This statement was reported by “Ukrainian Truth.”
“When we submitted our motivation dossier to UNESCO, we included this monument, and UNESCO recognizes it as cultural heritage,” Trukhanov explained.
He further emphasized that Pushkin is a figure known to representatives of all foreign delegations visiting Odessa, highlighting that the poet once lived in exile in the city. Trukhanov also mentioned that the monument was originally funded by the residents of Odessa.
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The context of this decision comes amid a broader movement in Ukraine, which began in 2015, to remove monuments related to Russia and the Soviet Union under the law of “decommunization.”
This campaign has led to the dismantling of numerous monuments and memorials dedicated to prominent scientists, writers, poets, and Soviet soldiers who fought against fascism. Additionally, many streets and towns associated with the USSR have been renamed.
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As of early 2022, over 2,500 monuments had been dismantled, and more than 900 settlements and 50,000 streets had undergone name changes in Ukraine. These numbers continue to rise.
