Soviet crest removed from iconic Ukrainian monument
The Soviet sickle-and-hammer crest was removed from the iconic Motherland
Monument in Kyiv on Aug. 1, marking a significant step in Ukraine's journey
to detach itself from its Soviet past.
Yuriy Savchuk, the head of WWII museum which hosts the monument, announced the news via a Facebook post.
“This is the moment millions of Ukrainians, generations of Ukrainians dreamt of...,” Savchuk wrote.
“This is the moment of dismantling the empire, the symbol of Soviet rule, which opens up not only the opportunity to admire the beautiful views of the Dnipro River but also to live in a new, free family of European nations.”
Reuters published several photos documenting the removal of the Soviet symbol.
In a poll concluded on July 21, nearly all participating citizens supported replacing the Soviet crest with the Ukrainian coat of arms.
On May 3, the Ukrainian parliament passed a law authorizing the removal of Soviet and Russian imperial cultural monuments.
The Culture Ministry said on July 26 that the process to dismantle the Soviet coat of arms from the monument had commenced. The total cost of the project, estimated at UAH 28 million ($760,000), was entirely covered by private donations.
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