The Odessa monument to Pushkin from the “hit list” was doused with paint

Earlier in Ukraine a list of monuments doomed to demolition appeared

In Odessa, on November 18, a local monument to Pushkin, unveiled in the penultimate decade of the 19th century, was vandalized. Judging by the photograph that spread across Telegram channels, the base of the classic’s bust was doused with red (“bloody”) paint.

It was worth expecting something like this: earlier, the city toponymic commission, as MK wrote, dared to recommend not demolishing the monuments to Alexander Sergeevich and Prince Mikhail Vorontsov due to their special historical and artistic value. At the same time, Odessa agreed to sacrifice little, namely to dismantle monuments to communist leaders, Chkalov and Dzerzhinsky, and also to demolish Leo Tolstoy, so as not to be accused of obstructing “derussification.” But this is again a small sacrifice, given the political situation: the bust of the author of “War and Peace” appeared in 1968, so this is a “remake”, as close as possible to what is called a “circulation” monument. (Besides, they promise to dismantle it in a “civilized” manner and preserve it).

So the task of the reasonable part of Odessa residents remains to save Pushkin. And there is something to save from. A week ago, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine “wholesale” excluded from the Register of Cultural Heritage monumental objects associated with the Ukrainian SSR, the USSR and Russia. The list of “doomed” monuments, consisting of ten monuments, included Pushkin near the Kyiv Polytechnic University (Beresteysky Avenue) – it was demolished immediately. It was clear that the turn of Odessa Pushkin and Prince Vorontsov would come.

And the fact that at the municipal level they don’t want to give the go-ahead to “cleanse” the city of Russian history does not mean that this part of the heritage will be preserved. Because “activists” can simply adjust the equipment and demolish sculptures they don’t like – the police in 99% of cases do not interfere with such manifestations of “civic activity”. Finally, instead of a bottle of paint, “nationally conscious” figures can take a hammer with them – and hardly anyone will stop them.

“A.S. Pushkin – citizens of Odessa,” reads the inscription on the monument, the fate of which is being decided these days in the seaside city. The problem is that it will not necessarily be the great-grandchildren of these same citizens who will solve it – this role can be taken on by “visiting patriots” who have long considered themselves masters in Ukraine.