Odesa to Rename Cosmonauts Park as Lesya Ukrainka Park

The members of the historical and toponymic commission at the city council decided to rename the Cosmonauts Park to Lesya Ukrainka Park in Odesa. In addition to the renaming, a monument to the prominent Ukrainian poetess is also planned to be erected in the park.

This was reported by Olga Kvasnytska, a member of the Odesa City Council.

According to her, funding is currently being sought for the creation and installation of the monument. To discuss the initiative to erect the monument, a public discussion will be held on February 25 at 15:00 in the Scientific Library at 49 Troitska Street.

The deputy is also involved in the selection of sculptors who will be able to convey the freedom, strength and beauty of Lesya Ukrainka. In addition, it is necessary to determine the optimal location for the monument.

On December 4, 2024, MP Olha Kvasnytska submitted a request to the city council to erect a monument to Lesya Ukrainka in Odesa and rename the Cosmonauts Park in her honor. Intent has already written about this.

She proposed: to hold a competition, design, manufacture and install the monument in the Cosmonauts Park; to convene public hearings on renaming the park. She, the NGO Association of Women of Ukraine "Action" and the Odesa Regional Organization "National Union of Artists" were also officially notified of the results of the request.

However, the initiative did not gain enough support: 21 deputies voted in favor, three abstained, and 18 did not participate in the vote, which led to its rejection. Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov proposed to return the issue to the toponymy commission, emphasizing the importance of honoring the achievements of cosmonauts and developing Ukraine's space industry.

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