April 18, 2025, 8:44 p.m.
The decision of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory to recognize objects associated with Mikhail Zhvanetsky, Ilf, and Isaac Babel as symbols of Russian imperial policy has sparked another round of discussion on social media. This is the focus of this week's article. An informative session of the Odesa City Council and the visit of a high-profile guest to Odesa also attracted attention. Read more in Intent's traditional digest.
Focus of the week: Odesa writers and conclusions of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory
- The expert commission of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory has found that geographical objects, names of legal entities and property rights, monuments and memorial signs dedicated to the Soviet and Russian satirist Mikhail Zhvanetsky are symbols of Russian imperial policy.
- The conclusions on Ilya Ilf (Yehiel-Leib Aryevich Feinzilberg) and Isaac Babel were also published.
- The conclusions regarding these three writers are the same: the objects (geographical objects, names of legal entities and objects of property rights, monuments and memorial signs) dedicated to Zhvanetsky, Ilf and Babel, in accordance with Article 2, paragraph 1, of the Law, belong to the symbols of Russian imperial policy.
- On July 29, 2024, the head of the Odesa Regional State Administration, Oleh Kiper, issued an order to rename Zhvanetskyi Boulevard to Naval Forces Boulevard. The same order renamed Ilf, Petrov, and Babel streets.
- On April 13, Intent wrote that activists of the public organization "We make your nerves" staged a performance on the bust of Alexander Pushkin, located on Primorsky Boulevard in the center of Odesa. A rope noose was thrown around the bust's neck, and an announcement was attached to the pedestal to find a bulldozer for dismantling.
- On April 14, activists of the NGO Decolonization.Ukraine updated the map with the number of streets that they believe should be renamed, counting 207 in Odesa region.
<span>A recent favorite of the mayor was expelled from the land commission without his will: </span>Odesa City Council session<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>
Photo: Intent/Natalia Dovbysh
- On April 16, the regular XXXIX session of the Odesa City Council of the VIII convocation was held. Intent was broadcasting the event online.
- The Odesa City Council has published less than a quarter of the minutes of the commission meetings. Out of 33 meetings on the eve of the session, only 8 minutes were available, and meetings of two more commissions were scheduled less than an hour before the start of the plenary session.
- Odesa city council members decided to create two new departments. One is the Department of Architecture, Urban Development and Land Relations. Another department will be for defense, mobilization and territorial security. The Department of Architecture, Urban Planning and Land Relations was created by merging the Department of Architecture and the Department of Urban Planning and the Department of Land Resources.
- Oleh Bryndak was removed from the Standing Committee on Spatial Development, Land Management and Regulation of Land Relations.
- Deputies of the Odesa City Council supported a draft decision on changes in school meals funding. The funds of the state subvention have been exhausted, so by the end of the school year, children will be fed at the expense of the Odesa budget. UAH 20 million will be allocated for this purpose.
- The municipal enterprise"Heat Supply of Odesa" will receive UAH 60 million from the city budget to install new cogeneration units that should provide autonomous energy generation within the city.
- In Odesa, deputies appealed to Ruslan Ruban, head of the Patrol Police Department in Odesa Oblast, over the violation of silence by vehicles with "straight-through mufflers" during martial law.
From lawyer to suspect
Photo: Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office
- The Security Service of Ukraine detained and then arrested lawyer Olga Panchenko, who defends the interests of Oleg Maltsev.
- According to the prosecutor's office, the female lawyer was a member of the so-called "Operational and Combat Unit", which was created to seize state institutions in Odesa and the region by force in the event of an attack by the aggressor state's troops.
- Earlier, Odesa media workers called on the head of the Odesa branch of the National Union of Journalists, Yuriy Rabotin, to resign and accused him of passing their personal data to Oleh Maltsev, who is accused of creating a combat group to overthrow the government.
- The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine also voiced its position. They reported that they were "concerned about the information about the conflict situation" and condemned the "dissemination of personal data."
Rutte and Zelensky in Odesa
Photo: Office of the President
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Odesa on April 15 and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, causing streets to be blocked in the city.
- The visit was not officially announced, but the police apologized for the temporary inconvenience on Odesa's roads due to the visit of the international delegation.
- In Odesa, the Secretary General and the President visited a hospital where Ukrainian defenders are recovering from their injuries. They also discussed strengthening Ukraine's air defense. Mark Rutte condemned Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, including the firing of two ballistic missiles at Sumy on Palm Sunday.
Students will not be detained in schools for June
Image generated by AI
Students of Odesa schools have returned to full-time education on Monday, April 14, after a break due to the drop in temperature.
To do this, on Sunday, April 13, the department's specialists checked the temperature in school classrooms.
Olena Buynevych, Director of the Department of Education and Science of Odesa City Council, commented on the reports of a possible extension of the school year in June.
According to the official, the school year in Odesa schools will end in May as planned.
Ігор Льов
