Ukraine removes Soviet-era ‘hammer and sickle’ symbol from Motherland Monument in Kyiv

Kyiv: Ukrainian authorities have removed the Soviet-era "hammer and sickle" symbol from the landmark Motherland Monument in Kyiv, as the dismantling of Soviet symbols continues in the country.

The Soviet emblem on the monument, the tallest statue in Ukraine, will be replaced by the trident, Ukraine's coat of arms, by August 24, when the country celebrates Independence Day, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy as saying in a statement.

Experts on Monday carried out some preparatory work and constructed the metal sculpture of the trident, the Ministry said.

It also said that it will consider a proposal made by local scientists to change the name of the Motherland Monument to Mother Ukraine.

The 102-meter-high statue was built in 1981 when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, The Kyiv Independent reported. It is considered one of the architectural symbols of Kyiv as well as Ukraine.

It depicts a woman holding a sword and a shield emblazoned with the Soviet hammer and sickle symbol.

In April 2015, the Ukrainian parliament outlawed most Soviet and communist symbols, street names, and moments as part of a decommunisation policy. As the monument stands on the site of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II, the statue was exempted.

However, in a 2022 survey, following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, 85 per cent of respondents backed the idea to replace the Soviet emblem with a trident.

On May 3 this year, Ukraine's parliament voted on a law to remove the remaining Soviet and Russian Empire monuments left in the country.

With inputs from agencies

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