Historical and Toponymic Commission of Odesa goes online: new composition, new rules

In Odesa, the Historical and Toponymic Commission of the City Council has begun broadcasting its meetings online for the first time. The commission updated its composition and rules of work, paying special attention to the perpetuation of the memory of fallen Ukrainian soldiers and compliance with decolonization laws.

The Intersection has repeatedly emphasized that online meetings of the commission should be held to ensure transparency of the commission's work.

Background.

In 2023, Oleksandr Babich, a research historian, publicist, volunteer, and member of the historical and toponymic commission at the executive committee of the city council, gave a lecture entitled "Confessions of a member of the toponymic commission" on the Intet aether.

According to him, at that time the commission consisted of about 30 people, including deputies, officials from each district administration, one representative from the departments that implement decisions, and several museum directors. The commission also included the Literary and Local History Museums, the director of the Bleshchunov Museum, and a team of local historians.

According to Babich, in the summer of 2022, the commission had few members, and no new members were announced, so there was almost no quorum. Any voting depended on officials who traditionally chose the "abstain" option, and issues often did not receive enough votes.

By the decision of the Executive Committee No. 205 of February 4, 2026, the TIC made changes to the composition of the TIC and approved an updated procedure based on the previous regulation No. 220 of June 25, 2020.

The chairman of the commission , Kostiantyn Talaiev , suggested that all members introduce themselves at the beginning of the meeting so that the new composition could establish effective communication. Currently, the commission consists of deputies, officials, museum workers, local historians, and toponymy experts. According to Talayev, the commission's work is focused on updating the rules and principles of its activities, particularly in the aftermath of the large-scale Russian invasion.

Basic principles and rules of work

In 2023, the TIC approved rules for renaming place names in honor of fallen soldiers who received the title of Hero of Ukraine or full holders of the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky and Princess Olga. Other decisions on renaming in honor of local military units will be made after the war is over.

The commission is guided by the laws of Ukraine, the Odesa City Charter (2025), and the regulations on the installation and maintenance of memorial plaques. In August 2025, the law on the state policy of national memory came into force, which restores decolonization and cleansing of public space from the symbols of Russian imperial policy.

According to the new rules, renaming of objects is based on the opinion of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, and the public has access to an electronic discussion and can influence the final decision.

Analysis and renaming

In recent years, the commission has analyzed more than 2,300 place names. It collected about 500 proposals from citizens and organizations. Based on this data, the decision was made to rename 298 objects, including streets named after Russian or Belarusian cities or Soviet holidays. Names in honor of Ukrainian cities with a long history and prominent figures, including Mykhailo Omelyanovych Pavlenko, Michael Kurbas, and others, were also updated.

Particular attention is paid to immortalizing the memory of participants in the Russian-Ukrainian war. For example, Oleksandrivskyi Avenue became Ukrainian Heroes Avenue, and the alleys of Victory Park were named after different branches of the military and special forces. A number of streets were renamed in honor of fallen defenders, including Vladyslav Buvalkin, Denys Maksyshko, Ihor Bedzai, and Vitaliy Blazhko.

In addition to place names, the commission is responsible for erecting monuments and plaques, including one to Lesia Ukrainka, as well as renaming public transport stops and other public spaces. During 2022-2025, the commission held 27 meetings and considered 164 issues regarding objects falling under the laws of Ukraine on decolonization and national memory.

Recently, the jury officially determined the winner of the competition for the monument to Larysa Petrivna Kosach, known in Ukrainian literature as Lesya Ukrainka in Odesa, but the jury's choice has already been criticized.

Анна Бальчінос