Mykolaiv wants to show the legacy of totalitarianism

A museum of the totalitarian period could be created in Mykolaiv, with dismantled Soviet-era monuments on display. Currently, most of these objects have already been collected and stored in the regional museum of local lore.

This was reported by the head of the city's culture department, Yuriy Lyubarov.

According to him, the dismantling of the monuments has been going on since 2014: some were moved, some were demolished, and some objects were destroyed, in particular due to illegal explosions. At the same time, everything that was saved was transferred to museum collections.

The city hopes that over time, these exhibits will become the basis of a separate museum that will showcase the legacy of the totalitarian era. Similar spaces already exist in different countries and cities of Ukraine. Work on the realization of this idea is ongoing.

At the same time, the process of dismantling Soviet symbols has not been completed as part of the implementation of the law, and some monuments are still planned to be moved.

Separately, the city council recalled the state of cultural heritage during the war. During the full-scale invasion of Mykolaiv, about 40 objects with protected status were damaged.

According to Yuriy Lyubarov, in 2026, no new damage to monuments as a result of shelling was recorded. The restoration of previously destroyed and damaged buildings is currently underway.

As a reminder, due to the status of a monument of monumental art, demolition or relocation of the Makarov monument is currently legally impossible. In addition, any attempts to move the object will be a significant financial burden for the budget of Mykolaiv, as the cost of such work is estimated at millions of hryvnias.

As Intent previously reported, members of the Mykolaiv Regional Council supported the change of the regional coat of arms. The new symbol of the region will be the version with the image of St. Nicholas.

Two options were put forward for consideration: with St. Nicholas and with elements of ancient heritage associated with the ancient settlement of Olbia.

Андрій Колісніченко