17 May 2026

A rally for traditional values and a rally against the Civil Code meet in the center of Odesa

(PHOTO: Intent/Kateryna Halenko)

For the second Sunday in a row, a group of more than 100 Odesa residents went to Exchange Square and staged a protest against the adoption of the new Civil Code in front of the Odesa City Council building.

According to an Intent correspondent, during the rally, participants held cardboard posters with slogans against the code.

This time, however, a small group of activists from public organizations that defend traditional values came to the square. And while the posters of the critics of the Civil Code protested, among other things, against the introduction of the term "customary", which has not yet been explained by lawmakers, the supporters of "traditional values" had posters reading "Traditional Family - Healthy Ukraine" and "Odesa is not Sodom".

The fact is that the draft Civil Code has united among its critics: women's rights activists, representatives of queer culture, and lawyers who are not related to these two categories of citizens but who have noticed possible problems with private property in the code.

In turn, the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk ,said that the draft of the new Civil Code does not provide for provisions that narrow the rights of the LGBT community, but only preserves the current legal regulation without additional restrictions. The speaker assured that the draft Civil Code does not narrow any rights and preserves the status quo that exists now. He also said that the term "customary good faith" in the draft Civil Code is the Ukrainian equivalent of the European concept of boni mores.

It should be noted that on May 10, a group of more than 100 Odesa residents went to Exchange Square and staged a protest against the adoption of the new Civil Code in front of the Odesa City Council.

Кирило Бойко

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