Vandalism of Rodion Malinovskyi Monument Reflects Anti-russian Sentiment in Odesa

Unidentified persons have vandalized the monument to Soviet Marshal Rodion Malinowski, located at the corner of Preobrazhenska and Sofiyivska streets.

According to an Intent correspondent, the monument was vandalized with the words "occupier" and the letter "Z", which Russians actively use to mark their units fighting with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Rodion Malynovskyi was born on November 22, 1898 in Odesa. He commanded the operation to drive Romanian troops out of Odesa in 1944.

It should be noted that until May 3, 2023, Odesa had a Malynovskyi district, but city council members supported a proposal to rename it Khadzhybeyskyi. In January 2025, the city council instructed the Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture to create projects for the dismantling of Russian and Soviet monuments.

The Academy is to develop designs for the following objects:

• A bust of Marshal Rodion Malynovskyi at the corner of Preobrazhenska and Sofiivska streets;
• a monument to pilot Valeriy Chkalov on Frantsuzsky Boulevard;
• The Wall of the Chekists on the corner of Mechnikov and Bolharska streets;
• a monument to Alexander Pushkin near the museum dedicated to him on Italiiska Street (formerly Pushkinska Street);
• a monument to the Komsomol members of Odesa region in the park on Staroportofrankivska Street;
• a monument to partisan Zoya Kosmodemianska on Muscatna Street
• a monument to rocket and space engineer Valentyn Hlushko on Prince Yaroslav the Wise Avenue (formerly Academician Hlushko Avenue).

All work must be completed by June 30, 2025.

This is not the first time that the bust has been targeted by decolonizers. In February 2024, the artist Yaroslav Voitsekhovsky organized another performance in Odesa, this time drawing attention to the monument to Soviet Marshal Rodion Malinowski. The artist painted the Latin letter "Z" on the monument. At the time, the artist explained his action to Intent as a desire to demonstrate that there is no place in Odesa, a Ukrainian city, for a monument to a cultural figure from a country that is currently attacking Ukraine.

Кирило Бойко