Streets named after defenders of Ukraine have been renamed in the Odesa region. Reaction of the Institute of National Remembrance

Deputies of the Dalnytsia Village Council, located in the Odesa region, renamed streets named after fallen soldiers and fighters for Ukraineʼs independence, and gave them "neutral names".

The Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance called the renaming of toponyms that perpetuate the memory of people who participated in the defense of Ukraine unacceptable, and called on local governments to refrain from such decisions, as they create social tension and undermine the authority of state institutions.

The Dalnytsia Village Council renamed the street in honor of the fallen defender of the community Maksym Braslavsky, to Peremohy Street, and the street in honor of the fallen defender Dmytro Melnyk, to Buzkova Street. It also renamed the streets named after the fighters for Ukraineʼs independence in the 20th century, Vasyl Vyshyvany, Yuriy Lypa, Roman Shukhevych, Vsevolod Zmienko, and others. Instead, the streets Zatyshna, Oksamytova, and others appeared.

"In honor of such heroes of our country, there should be central streets, not nooks, where three houses are the whole street. This is more like a mockery. We held hearings, we had a session. Our position is this: after the war, we will return to this issue and give the names of heroes to truly significant streets. We did not take the names of Pushkin or Lermontov, but chose neutral names," the head of the Dalnytsia community Serhiy Krutyuk told the Odesa publication "Dumsky".

In the Dalnytsia community, as throughout Ukraine, streets whose names are associated with Russian imperial policy were to be renamed under the law on the decolonization of toponyms. Local councils were to do this by April 26, 2024, and from April 27, the powers were transferred to regional administrations.

On July 26, 2024, the Odesa Regional State Administration issued an order to rename such streets, including in the Dalnytska community. This decision is in effect and has not been appealed in court.

When renaming, laws on naming must be taken into account, in particular, names that honor fallen soldiers or fighters for Ukraineʼs independence cannot be changed without good reason.

The Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance appealed to the Odessa Regional State Administration with a request to restore justice and compliance with the law in the Dalnytsia Village Council.

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