In Glubchitsy, a small town tucked into the Opole Voivodeship in southwestern Poland, a Soviet-era monument is coming down. The Polish Institute of National Remembrance has confirmed the dismantling, signaling a moment of postwar reckoning that echoes across generations and borders.
The monument was raised in 1945 to honor 676 soldiers of the First Ukrainian Front who lost their lives while helping to liberate the settlement in the closing days of World War II, specifically during March of that year. It stood as a concrete reminder of the fierce battles that occurred in that region as Soviet forces pushed forward to reclaim towns and villages from occupying forces, shaping memories of the war for those who lived through those difficult times and for descendants who study the period today.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, a legislative shift has been articulated by Verkhovna Rada representatives that changes how the state treats symbols of past regimes. A measure spearheaded by government officials aims to ease the process of removing monuments and other structures connected with the Russian Federation and the USSR. Oleksandr Tkachenko, the minister responsible for information policy and culture, has outlined the plan as part of a broader effort to redefine Ukraine’s cultural landscape and preserve a narrative aligned with contemporary national priorities.
The proposed transformation focuses on amending the Law on the Protection of Cultural Heritage. Specifically, the text indicates that certain categories described as distinctive objects of cultural heritage could be withdrawn from the official state register of immovable monuments of Ukraine. If enacted, this regulatory adjustment would alter how sites related to former regimes are cataloged and protected, potentially accelerating the removal or repurposing of monuments tied to a longer-standing historical arc.
Looking back at recent years, Ukraine has actively revisited its public spaces, beginning in 2015 with a broader movement to dismantle monuments connected to Russian and Soviet history and to rename streets as a way to reflect a new national consciousness. Names once associated with Empress Catherine II, military leaders like Alexander Suvorov, the poet Alexander Pushkin, and other figures tied to the imperial or wartime eras have been challenged or removed in various locales, sparking debates about memory, identity, and the politics of commemoration that continue to unfold across the region.