Two streets renamed in Odesa and a park named in honor of Lesya Ukrainka

Odesa has updated the city's toponymy by renaming several streets and naming a park after Lesya Ukrainka. The changes affected both historical and new objects, taking into account public discussion and recommendations of the toponymic commission.

The decision was made at a session of the Odesa City Council.

The Odesa City Council decided to rename Chapaeva and Seredna streets in honor of the fallen soldiers Viacheslav Kyrylov and Oleksandr Svishcho. The park at the corner of Fontanska Road and Lesia Ukrainka Avenue was also named after the poetess. During the session, the deputies agreed to unite Sacco and Architect Dmytrenko streets under a single name - Architect Dmytrenko Street.

These changes were supported by Odesa residents during a public vote from May 1 to July 1, 2025. The proposal to rename Kanatny Lane in honor of Mihai Eminescu did not receive a majority of votes.

Viacheslav Kyrylov was killed in 2015 in the battles near Mariupol, he was a volunteer and activist of patriotic movements in Odesa. Oleksandr Svishch, Hero of Ukraine (posthumously), died in 2023 near Bakhmut, participated in the battles near Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk region.

The decision also provides for the harmonization of street names: Sacco Street is merged with Architect Dmytrenko Street. The heads of district administrations were instructed to produce and install appropriate signage, as well as notify postal services and the voter registry.

The park at the intersection of Lesia Ukrainka Avenue and Fontanska Road was officially named after the poetess, whose memory is preserved in Odesa through her literary and cultural heritage.

Recently, Odesa announced a competition for the best design of a monument to Lesya Ukrainka, which was a logical continuation of years of debate and bureaucratic obstacles around the monument's installation. On September 9, the Intent.Insight program discussed why Lesia Ukrainka Avenue and Park appeared on the city map only recently and what to expect from the competition; city council member Olha Kvasnytska explained that the renaming took place as part of the law on decolonization, which prompted the decision to erect the monument.

Анна Бальчінос