19 November 2025
(Petro Obukhov and Serhiy Bondarenko. COLLAGE: Intent)
At a session on November 19, members of the Odesa City Council adopted a new Odesa City Charter, which excluded references to the heroism of the Russian military and approved a new version of the Odesa anthem in Ukrainian.
However, according to Odesa civic activists, the new document is still not perfect.
What is wrong with the new Charter of Odesa was discussed on the air of Intent.Insight with Petro Obukhov, a member of the Odesa City Council, and SerhiyBondarenko , the author of a petition to the mayor to change the Charter, which received the number of votes necessary for the mayor to consider almost simultaneously with the deprivation of Gennadiy Trukhanov of Ukrainian citizenship and the powers of the mayor.
In accordance with the laws of Ukraine, the city charter defines the city symbols, city holidays and memorable dates, honors and awards of the territorial community, the basic principles of the administrative-territorial division of the city, as well as the development of the city, the system of local self-government in Odesa and the principles of interaction between its elements, forms and procedures for direct participation of members of the territorial community, civil society institutions in the implementation of local self-government, the principles of preserving cultural heritage and promoting socio-cultural development.
On the eve of the session, a protest action was held in which participants identified some of the nuances of the new Statute that they did not like. In particular, although Empress Catherine II is no longer mentioned in the new Charter as the founder, September 2 is still the official day of the city, and April 10 is celebrated as the day of Odesa's liberation from the Nazis. In addition, according to civic activists, the Charter should recognize May 2 as the day of resistance against the "Russian Spring" (this refers to the events of May 2, 2014, when 48 people died in clashes provoked by pro-Russian activists in Odesa - ed.) They also believe that Odesa is still too much positioned as a multicultural city, forgetting about its Ukrainian identity.
It should be noted that Intent traditionally broadcasts the session online.
Every week, the live studio of Intent.Insight discusses one of the issues that concerns Ukrainians and tackles topical issues and tries to solve specific problems and questions.
Кирило Бойко
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