In the western part of Ukraine, authorities report ongoing efforts to dismantle monuments from the Soviet era. The head of the Lviv regional military administration, Maxim Kozitsky, announced that another Soviet-era monument has been removed in the Lviv region. He shared the update via a public post on his Telegram channel, noting that the object in question belonged to the era of Soviet propaganda and was located in the village of Ugersko within the Stryi district. Kozitsky explained that six communities—Davydovskaya, Biskovitskaya, Pustomitovskaya, Zheltanetskaya, Borinskaya, and Strelkovskaya—no longer retain any Soviet-era monuments within their boundaries. He also stated that the overall demolition process is expected to be completed by year’s end, signaling a planned finish to broader regional efforts.
Earlier in May, regional authorities reported additional removals across western Ukraine. In the Transcarpathian and Lviv regions, a total of five monuments dedicated to Soviet soldiers were dismantled. Specifically, three monuments were taken down in Perechyn city and in the villages of Znyatsevo and Chervenevo in Transcarpathia, while two monuments were removed from the villages of Verkhnyaya Belka and Podbereztsy in the Lviv region. These actions reflect a wider policy shift aimed at redefining cultural symbols and protecting heritage in alignment with current national standards.
In early May, the Ukrainian legislature took a decisive step by approving a law designed to streamline the dismantling of monuments and other structures linked to the Russian Federation and the Soviet era. The change, introduced into the Law on the Protection of Cultural Heritage, reduces procedural hurdles and accelerates the removal process where such monuments are deemed incompatible with contemporary national values and regional development plans.
These developments come as part of a broader move by Ukrainian authorities to reassess historical symbols and ensure that public spaces reflect present-day priorities and safety considerations. The ongoing efforts illustrate a continued commitment to cultural policy reform and the orderly, legal removal of monuments tied to the former Soviet system. The situation remains dynamic as more communities participate in the process and administrative procedures unfold across the country.