Despite the decision of the Ministry of Culture: KCSA does not support the idea of dismantling the former Arch of Friendship of Peoples
Kyiv • UNN
KCSA disagrees with the decision of the Ministry of Culture to dismantle the Arch of Freedom (formerly the Arch of Friendship of Peoples) in Kyiv, warning that this could be dangerous and expensive as the arch plays an important role in preventing landslides, and advocates for public discussions to determine the future of the monument.
The KCSA does not agree with the position of the Ministry of Culture on the dismantling of the Arch of Freedom (better known as the Arch of Friendship of Peoples - ed.), as it can be dangerous. This was stated in a commentary to Suspilne by Marina Solovyova, Director of the KCSA's Cultural Heritage Protection Department , UNN reports .
Details
She explained that the Kyiv City Administration renamed the Arch of Friendship of Peoples to the Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian People. Accordingly, the department prepared accounting documentation and submitted it to the Ministry of Culture.
According to Solovyova, KCSA and its department do not agree with the decision of the Ministry of Culture to demolish the monument.
You know, the arch symbolizes the tolerance of the Ukrainian people. In general, the Ukrainian people have been very tolerant of all nations, all religions, and all communities. This is the vision of society today. People came to my department and said that the arch is located next to the European Square, so there must be European values, namely tolerance
In addition, she warned that the implementation of such a solution is dangerous due to the peculiarity of the relief of the Arch's location. According to her, parts of this monument form a retaining wall to prevent landslides.
Therefore, dismantling the facility is very difficult, expensive and dangerous.
Addendum
Solovyova is convinced that should be subject to public discussion, as the rethinking of the idea and the fate of the monument should be determined by Kyiv residents.
In addition, she noted that there are rumors of plans to build a memorial to the fallen heroes on the site of the arch, but so far there is no relevant documentation on plans for this area.
Context
The Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance explainedthat the expert commission only made a decision on the need to dismantle the Peoples' Friendship Arch. Implementation of this decision and taking into account the advice of the UINP expert commission depends on the city authorities and the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy.
The KCSA Department of Culture has previously stated that during a full-scale war , spending significant funds from the city budget to dismantle the Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian People (Arch of Friendship of Peoples) is not the most urgent issue.
Recall
The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine has decided that the Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian People (Arch of Friendship of Peoples) in Kyiv is no longer a monument, so the monument can be dismantled.