Ukraine reported the demolition of the monument to Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya in Odessa region

In the city of Belgorod-Dnestrovskyy in Odessa region, a monument to Soviet spy Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya was demolished at night. This was reported by Ukr.net on November 20.

The monument stood in the yard of one of the schools. As indicated, after the start of the special military operation, Ukrainian activists appealed to the local authorities with a request to dismantle it. The relevant decision on demolition approved in November 2023.

Earlier, on November 15, it became known about the demolition of the monument to Russian poet Alexander Pushkin in Krivoy Rog. The dismantling took place within the framework of the law on "decolonization" of Ukraine, which provides for "getting rid of the influence of Russia". It was also reported that the monument to poet Mikhail Lermontov was demolished. However, a few days later, unknown people left the inscription "Pushkin is eternal, but you are not" in place of the demolished monument.

Before that, on September 28, Soviet symbols at the foot of the stele "Wings of Victory" on the square in Odessa were demolished. A photo published in the media shows two men tearing off the bas-reliefs of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal along with the marble facing from the monument.

The so-called decolonization policy was a continuation of decommunization in Ukraine, which began in 2015 as part of the law "On Condemnation of Communist and Nazi Regimes." It prescribes demolition of monuments, dismantling of memorial plaques, renaming of all topographical objects whose names are associated with the USSR or Russia; this policy became especially acute after the start of the Russian Federation's special operation to defend Donbass in February 2022.