In addition to military operations, the struggle of Ukrainians against the Russian invasion also involves a process of rejecting everything Russian. Attempts to erase the references linked to the big neighbor and its ideological markers are multiplying. Even in Odessa, which has 80% Russian speakers, it is time for “derussification”.
From our special envoys in Odessa,
In groups of two, about twenty people converse in Ukrainian under the supervision of Tetiana Khamrail. This young artist, who all her life has spoken Russian, founded a discussion club to allow people like her to feel at ease in the language of the country. ” At the moment, it disgusts me to speak Russian, I associate it with bad things, she explains. Moreover, we say in our country: the language is our border and it seems to me that we all have to switch to Ukrainian to defend our territories. »
At each course, Tetiana registers 30% of newcomers. Volodymyr Dugin, 49, is determined to switch to Ukrainian, but lacks practice in a predominantly Russian-speaking city.
” The war was a click, he said. JI had long understood that a state could only exist if it had its own culture and language. I think I’m also doing this so that so-called “liberators” are no longer tempted to come and “liberate” Russian speakers. »
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Across Ukraine, authorities are working to change the names of streets associated with Russia. In the absence of a law on “derussification”, the decision rests with the mayors. Peter Obukhov, a municipal deputy from the European Solidarity party, listed the streets which, in his opinion, deserved to be renamed: Odessa has some 200 streets whose names refer to Russia and have no connection with the history of Odessa. We have about twenty streets that bear the names of Russian towns, lakes or rivers. First, we need to determine which streets should be renamed. Then you have to find names for them. It’s a big job, but it’s progressing very slowly. In other cities, like Kiev, it went much faster. »
Controversy around the statue of Catherine II
In Russian-speaking Odessa, the fate of the statue of Empress Catherine II, considered the founder of the city, has also been the subject of long discussions and procrastination. After opposing it, the mayor finally gave his go to the dismantling of the monument. It now rests, packed, in the courtyard of the Museum of Fine Arts. The guide Valery Korshunov recalls that the statue, unbolted after the Russian revolution, had found its place only in 2007.
“ The statue of Catherine II was returned to its place in 2007, thanks to money from pro-Russian lobbyists and the cultural cooperation fund of the Russian Federation, he comments. This is why the inhabitants of pro-Ukrainian sensitivity wondered what was the point of keeping this monument dedicated to our great friendship with a country which is at war with us. »
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Considered by part of the population as a symbol of Russian imperialism, the statue of Catherine II could have remained in its place, considers Odessite historian and archaeologist Andrij Krasnojon: “ In my opinion, it’s pure revenge, it’s understandable, it’s rather healthy. Some monuments function as propaganda symbols. But for the Odessites, this statue of Catherine II represented local history, anti-Soviet, and not pro-Russian. It would have sufficed to change the plate, to remove “Catherine the Great, Empress”. We could have put instead: “Sophie Frédérique Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst, German princess” who gave money for the construction of the port and the city. »
On the base left empty, a Ukrainian flag has been planted. A few dozen meters away, the statue of the Duke of Richelieu, once governor of Odessa, has been carefully surrounded by sandbags.
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