‘Lenin was an enemy of humanity’: Why Kyiv wants to put Cossack chief statue in place of Soviet leader
Kyiv is planning to replace a former statue of Vladimir Lenin with a monument to Cossack leader Ivan Mazepa. This move is part of a broader effort to decommunize public spaces and redefine Ukrainian national identity following the 2022 Russian invasion.
Why it matters
The removal of Soviet-era symbols reflects Ukraine's ongoing cultural and political shift away from Russian influence.
The plinth in central Kyiv where a statue of Vladimir Lenin once stood. Crowds toppled the statue during the 2013-14 Maidan revolution. The plinth in central Kyiv where a statue of Vladimir Lenin once stood. Crowds toppled the statue during the 2013-14 Maidan revolution. Ukraine ‘Lenin was an enemy of humanity’: Why Kyiv wants to put Cossack chief statue in place of Soviet leader Removal of Soviet-era statues sped up when Russia seized Crimea in 2014, and since Putin’s 2022 invasion has moved at pace as Ukrainians question their identity
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