Pushkin statue to be removed in Odesa if granted a UNESCO go-ahead

Source: Ukrinform

Writing for a fall? The statue of the 18th-century poet Alexander Pushkin will be taken down in Odesa, according to Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper as Ukrainian cities try to get rid of any traces of Russian colonial legacy – many see Pushkin as part of this pro-Russian sentiment.

“All necessary orders have been signed and distributed to the relevant departments,” said the governor, adding “The Pushkin monument is on the list, and today all the letters have been sent out.”

The Russian-related monuments have long been a hot potato though the Feb.24 invasion largely swayed the public opinion in the favor of their removal.

There is one hitch as such move will need to be green-lit by UNESCO since the Odesa city center was earlier granted its protection status , which can make the Pushkin statue removal a rather distant option.

The head of Odesa City Council’s Department of Culture and Eurointegration, Ivan Liptuga, warned it really can take a while.

“UNESCO is a highly cautious and bureaucratic organization, so we won’t get a quick response. It’s a lengthy process. We write to the Ministry of Culture, they forward it to the UNESCO executive body through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the MFA sends it to Paris, and then the response travels back the same way,” Liptuga explained.