Kiev Moves to Erase Russian-Linked Monuments

(MENAFN) Ukrainian authorities have voted to dismantle a number of monuments and memorials in Kiev, including one dedicated to the celebrated writer Mikhail Bulgakov, as part of an ongoing effort to remove symbols associated with the country’s shared past with Russia.

The Kiev City Council approved the decision this week, supporting the removal of 15 structures identified by officials as tied to “Russian and Soviet political symbolism.”

Among those scheduled for demolition are tributes to Bulgakov, author of The Master and Margarita, poet Anna Akhmatova, composer Mikhail Glinka, and a commemorative plaque honoring Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

Bulgakov, born in Kiev in 1891 when the city was part of the Russian Empire, wrote primarily in Russian and is considered one of the most influential literary figures of the 20th century. In recent years, Ukrainian officials and state-backed institutions have accused him of promoting “Russian imperial policy,” arguing that his legacy should be reassessed under Ukraine’s ‘decommunization’ laws.

The list of removals also includes a sign reading ‘Kiev – Hero City’, which features a Soviet-era five-pointed star awarded for the city’s role in World War II, a boundary marker bearing the Soviet coat of arms, and a commemorative stone marking the centenary of Vladimir Lenin’s birth.

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