Odesa Mayor Trukhanov asked a serviceman why he wasn't in a trench

Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov was rude to serviceman Myroslav Otkovych of the 122nd Brigade, who asked the mayor about the monument to Alexander Pushkin, UNN reports.

Details

Otkovych reported on Facebook that on June 27, he was in Odesa to establish interaction with local volunteers and facilitate the defense capability of his unit.

Near the Odesa City Council, Otkovych saw a street exhibition that deeply moved him. These were fragments of rockets and marks of strikes on every Ukrainian city. Otkovych stated that against this background, the monument to Pushkin looked especially cynical.

The serviceman reminded that the decision to demolish this symbol of the "Russian world" was made long ago, but has not yet been implemented.

Therefore, he decided to ask Odesa Mayor Trukhanov about it.

To the serviceman's question about how he feels about the fact that against the background of rockets flying into Ukrainian cities, there is a monument to the adherent of the Russian world, Pushkin, Trukhanov replied: "He is an adherent of the Russian world for you, but for me he is not an adherent of the Russian world… What are you doing here? Why are you not in the trenches?".

Addition

As early as December 2024, deputies of the Odesa City Council supported a draft decision, which, in particular, includes the allocation of funds for the design of works for the dismantling of 13 monuments with Russian imperial symbols, including Pushkin.

Odesites and activists have repeatedly expressed the opinion about the need to dismantle this monument.

At the same time, the decision on dismantling must take into account that the monument is located in a UNESCO protective zone, and any actions in this zone require coordination with this organization. Some experts and public figures believe that the monument is part of the city's cultural heritage, and its dismantling may be regarded as an act of vandalism. On the other hand, there is an opinion that this monument is a symbol of Russian imperial politics and its preservation is unacceptable in modern conditions.

Gennadiy Trukhanov expressed the opinion that there is no need to demolish the monument to the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin in Odesa.