Mazepa monument to replace Lenin statue in central Kyiv – Zelenskyy
The demolished Lenin monument in the center of Kyiv, 2015 (Photo: via Google Maps)
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a monument to Hetman Ivan Mazepa will be erected in central Kyiv at the site where a statue of Vladimir Lenin once stood, speaking during Constitution Day commemorations on June 28.
The monument could be installed at the intersection of Taras Shevchenko Boulevard and Khreshchatyk Street, where a statue of Vladimir Lenin once stood before it was toppled by participants in the Revolution of Dignity in 2013.
Zelensky said Mazepa was an outstanding statesman, military leader, patron of the arts and head of the Cossack state.
“For centuries, Russia smeared his name, seeking to make Ukrainians view their history through чужими eyes, convincing our people that Mazepa was a traitor. That is a lie. The scale of his legacy undoubtedly deserves a full-fledged monument in the capital of our state. I believe the ideal place for it already exists. And I am confident that where Lenin fell, Mazepa will stand firmly,” the president said.
He also said a bust of Mazepa would now be installed at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, noting that the hetman was one of the monastery’s patrons.
On April 8, the Kyiv City State Administration said it planned to redevelop the public space at the intersection of Taras Shevchenko Boulevard and Khreshchatyk Street, where the Lenin monument previously stood. The project includes landscaping, benches, lighting, pedestrian pathways and a fountain.
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