Odesa residents do not support replacing Pushkin's bust with Trump's monument

The proposal to replace the monument to Russian poet Alexander Pushkin on Primorsky Boulevard with a bust in honor of the President of the United States of America in Odesa has not found support.

The petition was supported by only 41 Odessans, and 1,000 signatures are required for it to be considered by the mayor. Meanwhile, the deadline for collecting votes expired on April 8.

"Donald Trump is one of the most prominent figures in world politics of the 21st century, who has had a significant impact on international relations and the global agenda. The installation of his bust can be seen as a contemporary artistic statement and a reason for public discussion. At the same time, it is proposed not to destroy the cultural heritage, but to transfer the bust of Alexander Pushkin to a museum or specialized cultural space in order to preserve it in the appropriate historical context," the author of the appeal, Timur Vendin, stated.

Also on April 19, the deadline for collecting signatures for another petition regarding the bust of Pushkin on Exchange Square, proposed by activist Serhiy Hnezdilov, expired. He suggested that instead of Pushkin, a monument to film director Anton Ptushkin should be placed on the pedestal. He proposes to immortalize him for his outstanding achievements in the field of cinematography and the wonderful documentary Antarctica, as well as for the development of tourism in Odesa region.

As of the morning of the last day of signature collection, 54 Odesa residents supported this petition, so it also failed to find support among the citizens. It should be noted that the fate of the other two petitions will be determined in May.

One proposes to exchange the monument to Pushkin and the sculptures of the monument to the Founders of Odesa for Ukrainian citizens who were captured or illegally imprisoned during the Russian aggression. The second is to erect a monument to Petro Konashevych-Sahaidachny at this location. The inscription on the pedestal is proposed as follows: "Petro Konashevych-Sahaidachny (1577-1622), Hetman of the Zaporozhian Army, legendary naval commander. The sea is our power, and freedom is our shield."

For now, the monument to Pushkin has been covered with boards to protect it from vandalism and not to irritate the townspeople who insist on dismantling it.

Кирило Бойко