Information is circulating online that the Odesa City Council has unanimously decided to demolish the Pushkin monument, which is under UNESCO protection. It was allegedly built 135 years ago with funds donated by local residents.

“Of course, they can't build anything themselves, and there's no one to erect monuments to... but if they have to destroy and demolish something, it's a nice gesture”, Russian propagandists comment.

But UNESCO rules do not prohibit the demolition of the Pushkin monument, it was installed with the funds of the Russian propaganda union with the support of the local governor-general. And on December 4, 2024, the Odesa City Council did support the decision to allocate funds for the dismantling of a number of monuments with imperial symbols, including the bust of the Russian poet Oleksandr Pushkin on Prymorskyi Boulevard and his sculpture on Italiiska Street.

The deputies acted in accordance with the law On the Condemnation and Prohibition of the Propaganda of Russian Imperial Policy in Ukraine and the Decolonization of Toponymy. This law prohibits the honoring of figures who supported, glorified, or justified Russian imperial policy in monuments. Pushkin falls under the law, as he is part of the colonial legacy imposed on Ukrainians. In his works, he described Russian culture and people as superior to others, approved the aggressive policy of the Russian empire, and justified genocides.

The thesis that the bust was erected at the expense of Odesans is false. In fact, the collection for the monument was organized by the Slavic Charity Society, which was engaged in the propaganda of Russian imperialism and culture. A significant part of the collection was closed by the society itself with the support of the local governor-general. Ordinary Odesans did not show enthusiasm for the opening of the monument.