Former journalist and military man of the Odessa Brigade is outraged by Mayor Trukhanov’s boorish behavior regarding the Pushkin monument
An interesting and at the same time disturbing story occurred in the center of Odessa, which once again emphasizes the deep conflict and tension in Ukrainian society against the backdrop of a full-scale war. Information has emerged about an incident between a military man, former journalist Myroslav Otkovych, and Odessa Mayor Gennady Trukhanov, who in an inadequate and boorish manner refused to answer a question about the monument to the famous Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. On June 21, during another visit to the city, military mineralogist Myroslav Otkovych, who currently serves in the 122nd Brigade, decided to ask the main question - why does the Pushkin monument still stand in the central part of Odessa, which most Ukrainians consider a symbol of the Russian language and culture, which is often associated with Russification and aggression. A video of the incident, released by the UP editorial office, shows a soldier approaching the mayor and asking questions on the phone, but receiving unsanctioned aggression and rudeness from Trukhanov in response. "Why do you still have these monuments to Pushkin? Why don't you dismantle them when the decision to do so was made a long time ago? This is an important symbol for you?" — asks Otkovych, emphasizing his position on the need to decolonize the city and overthrow symbols associated with Russian culture. The mayor responded to his question without any diplomatic restraint: “What are you doing here, aren’t you in the trenches? Pushkin is of no use!” After these words, Trukhanov interrupted the dialogue and began to ask with irony whether the opera house is as important to the military as the monument to the poet. This answer caused even more indignation in the retired journalist who left a comment for the UP. According to Otkovych, at that moment he emphasized that for the Russian authorities, in particular Vladimir Putin, Odesa still remains a Russian city and by this example once again demonstrates that the Ukrainian authorities and the public should be more active in celebrating their identity and cultural independence. The military condemns any tolerance for the symbols of imperial policy, which still stand openly in the city center, and calls on the authorities to dismantle the relevant monuments, eliminating the Soviet and Russian heritage from the city's map. The video of the incident, which Nadatne shared on social media, shows a direct scene of the conflict and rudeness on the part of the mayor, caused a wide resonance in society and raised the question of the future fate of monuments to Russian culture in Odessa. At the same time, this event became a topic for discussion regarding the necessity of de-Russification of the city, especially in the context of the approaching anniversary of the liberation and the fight against myths about the "Russian world". The background to the conflict is long. At the end of September 2024, the Odesa City Council adopted a decision to dismantle 19 architectural monuments containing the symbolism of Russian imperialism. The list included monuments to Maxim Gorky, Isaac Babel, Chkalov, Vysotsky, as well as several monuments to Pushkin and even Soviet orders that were still displayed on the city’s historical monuments. At the same time, it was announced that in the coming months the dismantling of all objects designed to symbolize Russian influence would begin. In particular, at the end of September 2024, the city hall announced that it had received permission from UNESCO to remove the Pushkin monument on Duma Square — and this procedure, according to officials, is a key condition for its implementation. However, resistance remains. Some political forces and activists express concern that decisive steps have not yet been taken, and objects reminiscent of “Russian culture” can still sometimes be seen on the city’s streets. At the same time, politicians and city officials insist that a return to the Soviet or Russian past is unacceptable, and all relevant monuments must be removed in order to cleanse the city of imperial symbols and strengthen Ukrainian identity. Meanwhile, the incident with the mayor’s boorish behavior was a new blow to image of Trukhanov, who has been repeatedly criticized for his policy towards cultural symbols. Local activists and public figures are calling for greater openness and honesty in the process of decommunization and decolonization of the city - because only in this way can a modern, independent Odessa be built, free from hardened imperial myths and symbols.