Ukrainian Trident symbol installed on ‘Motherland’ monument in Kyiv
In the morning, a trident was placed on the shield of the Motherland monument (Photo:Serhii Okunev / NV)
A Ukrainian Tryzub or trident state symbol was placed on the shield of Kyiv’s “Motherland” monument, a 102-meter-tall Soviet-era statue looming over the banks of the Dnipro River, in the early hours of Aug. 6, a former government minister reported.
Ex-Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko hailed the changes to the iconic Kyiv landmark in a jubilant post on Telegram on Aug. 6.
“It has happened! The Ukrainian Trident is in place!” Tkachenko wrote.
“This was a complex, responsible, and historic project. I extend my gratitude to all those who made this possible – donors, designers, builders, sculptors, Museum of War staff, and everyone who supported and advocated for these changes.”
The final works are expected to be completed by Aug. 24, when Ukraine marks its Independence Day, he added.
Meanwhile, media outlets are sharing photos of the overhauled monument.
The vast metal Tryzub was delivered to the monument site on the morning of Aug. 5, but due to weather conditions, it was only raised halfway. The remaining installation work was postponed until the following morning.
On Aug. 1, the Soviet coat of arms – the sickle and hammer – was removed from the shield of the monument.
The push to get rid of the Soviet symbols gained momentum after a voting was held on Diia (a mobile app and web portal for e-governance operating in Ukraine since 2020) in the summer of 2022. Almost all voters wanted to replace the Soviet coat of arms on the monument to be replaced with the Tryzub.
On May 3, 2023, Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passed a law allowing the dismantling of Soviet and imperial cultural monuments. Subsequently, on July 13, the State Inspection of Architecture and Urban Planning issued a permit to replace the coat of arms on the monument's shield with a Ukrainian trident.
On July 26, the Culture Ministry said that it
had begun the process of preparing for the removal of the Soviet coat of arms
from the monument. All funds for the work were provided by patrons, and the
total cost of the project is estimated at UAH 28 million (over $761,000).
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