Villages with Russian names in Mykolaiv and Kherson regions decolonized

The Verkhovna Rada has renamed more than ten villages in different regions, replacing names that did not meet the standards of the state language. The changes are part of the decolonization of place names and the fight against Russian language influence.

This was reported by MP Oleksiy Honcharenko.

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has adopted a resolution to rename settlements whose names did not meet the standards of the state language. The decision was made in accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine, the Law "On Condemnation and Prohibition of Propaganda of Russian Imperial Policy in Ukraine and Decolonization of Place Names," as well as on the basis of recommendations of the National Commission on State Language Standards.

In Mykolaiv region, the new names were given to:

• Yurivka village in Voznesensk district is now Yuriyivka,
• the village of Guryevka in Mykolaiv district is now Guryevka,
• Novoyurivka village of Mykolaiv district - Novoyuriyivka,
• Syniukhin Brid village of Pervomaisky district - Syniushyn Brid.

In Kherson region:

• Muraveynyk village of Henichesk district became Murashnyk,
• Chaikyne village in Kherson district became Chaichyne.

The changes are aimed at cleansing the Ukrainian toponymic space from Russian language influences and returning authentic forms of names.

The Verkhovna Rada also renamed 8 villages and one town in Odesa region. This is part of a package of bills on renaming 185 settlements as part of large-scale decolonization and decommunization - 25 of them relate to the southern regions and were to be considered in May.

In 166 cases, the renaming is being done in accordance with the decolonization law, which prohibits place names that glorify Russian figures, the empire, or Soviet totalitarianism. Most of the new names were proposed by local authorities, while 19 were initiated by communities on their own. These are mostly historical or neutral names that reflect national identity.

Decolonization cannot last for a few years - its duration should correspond to the duration of the colonization itself. This is the opinion of the creative director of the Ukrainian Institute and researcher of the Ukrainian avant-garde Tetyana Filevska in an interview with Intent.

Анна Літман