Ukrainian museum ruins war dedicatory
(MENAFN) The National War Museum in Kiev has defaced memorials commemorating Soviet "hero cities," which were recognized for their pivotal roles in resisting Nazi forces during World War II. This act, carried out on Friday, is part of Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to deconstruct what it calls "Communist myths" and reframe its national history. The memorial street, originally dedicated to cities like Kiev that were honored by the Soviet Union, had granite stones inscribed with the names of these cities and bas-reliefs of the Soviet gold star medal. The inscriptions and images were removed in a symbolic gesture.
The museum stated that erasing the commemorations of "hero cities" was an important step in challenging what it described as foundational myths of the Soviet regime. Kiev has previously restored these honors in connection with the ongoing conflict with Russia, with a focus on cities involved in the current war. In August 2023, the Soviet coat of arms was removed from the famous WWII Motherland Monument in Kiev and replaced with Ukraine's current national emblem.
Ukraine’s decommunization policies have intensified since 2014, particularly following the overthrow of the pro-Russian government. This includes the targeting of Russian cultural heritage sites, such as the removal of a bust of poet Alexander Pushkin in Odessa, a UNESCO-protected monument. The War Museum in Kiev, aiming to revise WWII history, plans to create a new exhibition focusing on the Ukrainian struggle for independence, particularly during the world wars.
During WWII, some Ukrainian nationalist groups allied with Nazi Germany in hopes of establishing an independent state. However, they were used by the Nazis as auxiliary forces and were involved in atrocities, including massacres of Jews and Poles. Today, these individuals are celebrated as national heroes by modern Ukrainian authorities.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has condemned these policies as discriminatory, accusing Ukraine of attempting to erase Russian culture and history. He argued that this has been a major contributing factor to the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
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