Monument to Russian Emperor Peter the Great dismantled in Poltava – photos
Pravda Ukraine
The monument to Russian Emperor Peter the Great has been dismantled in Poltava in accordance with the current legislation and in compliance with all necessary procedures.
Source: Acting Mayor of Poltava Kateryna Yamshchykova on Telegram
Quote: “In accordance with the decision of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, the monument to Peter the Great was removed from the public space of our city. This step is an important part of the state policy of decolonisation.”
Details: Yamshchykova said that this is a “conscious and responsible action of the community, which gets rid of Russian imperial markers”.
“Despite the different opinions and discussions, we are united by one thing: Poltava is a city with a rich Ukrainian history, where imperial myths have no place! Our future belongs to Ukrainian heroes and European figures!” she said.
Background:
- Before that, the Poltava city authorities agreed to dismantle and move two monuments to Peter the Great, one on the territory of the Poltava Battle Museum and one at his resting place near the Saviour’s Church. The plaque on the monument to Commandant Kelin and the defenders of Poltava will also be removed.
- On 18 October 2024, the Parliamentary Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy held an offsite meeting in Poltava. The city was also visited by Mykola Tochytskyi, Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications.
- A few weeks later, the committee recommended that the Ministry of Culture reconsider the status of Poltava’s monuments to Russian Tsar Peter the Great and the Russian victory in the Battle of Poltava in 1709, and the city authorities to dismantle these monuments afterwards. A deadline of 1 March 2025 was set.
- On 31 January 2025, the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications removed 15 cultural heritage sites in Poltava from the State Register of Immovable Monuments. These are monuments related to the events of the Battle of Poltava and the city’s imperial history.
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