A mural of the Russian poet Sergei Yesenin appears in Kharkiv as part of a broader cultural shift
A mural portraying Sergei Yesenin, the renowned Russian poet, was discovered in Kharkiv and reported by the Telegram channel Decolonization Ukraine. The clip shared by the channel captures a young artist applying white paint to the likeness of Yesenin on a street that bears the poet’s name in Kharkiv, inviting viewers to reflect on the evolving public art scene in the city.
In May, Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, enacted legislation that streamlines the process of removing monuments and other structures associated with the Russian Federation and the former Soviet Union. This move is part of a wider policy shift aimed at reexamining public spaces and historical narratives across the country.
The year 2015 marked a turning point in Ukraine as dismantling projects targeting Russian and Soviet historical symbols began to accelerate. Across multiple urban centers, statues and monuments connected to figures such as Empress Catherine II, General Alexander Suvorov, the poet Alexander Pushkin, and prominent heroes of the Great Patriotic War were evaluated, relocated, or removed in line with the ongoing decommunization process.
Earlier, a film titled Depushkinization explored the topic of monuments dedicated to the poet Pushkin within Ukraine. The documentary contributes to the broader conversation about how historical memory is shaped, contested, and presented in public spaces and cultural institutions.
In another legal matter, a court in western Ukraine addressed cases involving public performances and street culture. A 17-year-old from Odesa received a formal warning after an incident linked to singing songs by Soviet-era rock musician Viktor Tsoi on the streets of Lviv, illustrating the tensions that can arise when public expression intersects with evolving political and historical sensitivities.
Additionally, recent years have seen a wave of removals in western regions of Ukraine, where several monuments dedicated to Soviet soldiers were taken down. These actions reflect a broader national effort to redefine the landscape of memory and to align public monuments with contemporary Ukrainian identity and values.