Odesa Plans Lesya Ukrainka Monument in Cosmonauts Park Amid Debate

The issue of erecting a monument to Lesya Ukrainka was again discussed at a meeting of the Standing Committee in Odesa. It is planned to be placed in the Cosmonauts Park, which will be named in honor of the prominent Ukrainian poetess.

This was discussed at a meeting of the commission on planning of development of territories, urban design, architecture and protection of cultural heritage.

According to a representative of the historical and toponymic commission, several options for the monument's location were considered. Initially, Shevchenko Park was chosen as the location, but it was considered not very successful because of the presence of an underground toilet nearby, over which a cafe is being built.

As an alternative, Cosmonauts Park was proposed, not far from the OCU church, which is to be built on the site of the current building.

At the same time, EU MP Yulia Bolshedvorova questioned the feasibility of such a location and initiated a second discussion.

Intent asked Olha Kvasnytska, a member of the Odesa City Council, for a comment, who noted that the process of immortalizing Lesya Ukrainka has been going on for more than seven years and has been accompanied by obstacles all this time. According to her, the city authorities have systematically refused to consider proposals for iconic locations.

In Shevchenko Park, it was first proposed to place the monument next to public restrooms, then near the fountain, which, according to the deputy, is a manifestation of disrespect for the famous poetess. Kvasnytska emphasized that Lesya Ukrainka needs a separate, symbolic place that would not be "lost" against the background of other monuments.

As part of a compromise, she suggested placing the monument in Kosmonavtiv Park, a logical extension of renaming Gagarin Avenue to Lesya Ukrainka Avenue. After the initial refusal of the deputy corps, the proposal was supported by the historical and toponymic commission, as well as representatives of the artistic community, NGOs, and activists.

However, at a new stage of the discussion, Yulia Bolshedvorova reopened the debate on the location. Kvasnytska expressed surprise that despite years of struggle over one issue - the choice of location - the discussion was returning to the starting point.

"She did not take part in this 7-year struggle to decide on the location only, not the monument itself. Because the location is not all that is needed. We need a competition, a sculptor who will do the work professionally, and money, which no one else has. And if people want to give this money, I think we could have avoided asking why it's not somewhere in Kotovskoho or in another part of the city, as Bolshadorova suggested, and she also wanted this discussion to continue for another 5 years," Kvasnytska summarized.

It is worth noting that the decision to erect a monument to Lesya Ukrainka in Odesa was approved by the Commission on Culture, Tourism and International Relations in the spring of 2024. However, the question of the monument 's location remained open, with options for Oleksandrivskyi Avenue and Shevchenko Park being considered.

Ірина Глухова