Ministry of Culture prepares to deprive monuments to Pushkin in Odesa region of cultural heritage status

The Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine has considered an appeal by activists of the NGO Decolonization.Ukraine to dismantle the monuments to Pushkin located in Bolhrad and Tatarbunary in Odesa region.

This was reported on the organization's website.

As stated in the letter from the Ministry of Culture, work is currently underway to prepare a draft order to exclude the monument to Pushkin, located in the city of Bolhrad, from the Register of Cultural Heritage Sites of Odesa Oblast.

The monument to Pushkin in the town of Tatarbunary is not included in the official State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine, although it was recognized as a cultural heritage site in 1984 by a decision of the regional council.

At the same time, the Ministry of Culture noted that the Odesa Regional Military Administration did not send any documents to the Ministry of Culture requesting that these monuments be removed from the list or not included in the Register.

According to Mahala, the decision to demolish it was made by the executive committee of the Bolhrad City Council in the fall of 2024, but it was impossible to do so without the permission of the Ministry of Culture.

In Odesa, UNESCO was involved to find out whether the Pushkin monument on Dumska Square could be dismantled. In its response, UNESCO confirms that, in accordance with international regulations, the organization is "committed to promoting dialogue and participation of all stakeholders as an essential means of decision-making in the field of culture" and promises to enter into a dialogue with the relevant authorities in Ukraine on this issue.

Meanwhile, 115 representatives of culture, art and science in Odesa are asking to postpone the decision on the demolition of Odesa's monuments until the end of the full-scale war. Some citizens even organized a rally on Shevchenko Avenue.

Сергій Лозовський