Kyiv City Council renames People's Friendship Arch as 'Ukrainian People’s Freedom Arch'

Amid the war in Ukraine, the Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko announced that Kyiv City Council has decided to decommunize the name of the People's Friendship Arch, which was built by the Soviet Union in 1982 to honour the Soviet Union's 60th anniversary. The Mayor further stated that the new name of the monument will be the ''Ukrainian People’s Freedom Arch." Klitschko also claimed that the deputies have approved a list of more than 40 monuments and memorials that must be removed from the capital's streets and buildings and relocated to the Museum of Totalitarianism.

In a Telegram message, Vitali Klitschko stated that it is a publicized topic when it comes to renamings of these monuments. He claimed that they have heard the thoughts and views of the people of Kyiv and that they have also as well as they heard the criticism. He said that to avoid making rash decisions, they have enlisted the help of experts from the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of National Memory, and other organizations to finish the naming process.

Ukrainian community request names associated with Russia to be removed

Kyiv Mayor continued by stating that the Ukrainian community is requesting that the names associated with Russia be removed from the Kyiv region and new names should be given. He also stated that the new names should last for decades, if not centuries. He further said that the naming procedure should be quick but not rushed. Klitschko also said that the Kyiv City Council has prolonged the period of renaming the capital's landmarks until June 19.

Last month, a monument in central Kyiv celebrating the 'friendship' between Russians and Ukrainians was demolished. The bronze sculpture, which depicts workers clutching a Soviet order of friendship was beneath the People's Friendship Arch, which is now the 'Ukrainian People’s Freedom Arch'. The Friendship Arch was created by sculptor A. Skoblikov and architect I. Ivanov, according to  Architectuul website. When Russia invaded Cremia in 2014, activists in Ukraine painted a big crack over the top of the monument. The report suggests that after the name change, the colours of the Ukrainian flag are also expected to be used to accent the Arch.