Russians in occupied Mariupol put up monument to Alexander Nevsky in place of memorial to Ukrainian soldiers – mayor’s adviser
MYKHAILO ZAHORODNII – MONDAY, 12 SEPTEMBER 2022
Russians in occupied Mariupol are putting up a monument to Prince Alexander Nevsky [who defeated the Swedes at the Battle of the Neva in 1240].
It will replace the Memorial to Ukrainian Soldiers, reports Petro Andriushchenko, advisor to the mayor.
"Right now the occupiers are putting up a monument to bad taste, a statue of Alexander Nevsky, instead of the unique memorial, now dismantled, to the people of Mariupol who were killed during the first phase of the war," he said.
Andriushchenko called this an act of deliberate destruction of Ukrainian culture.
Earlier, at the end of August, the occupiers started to dismantle the memorial to the people of Mariupol who died in Donbas.
This memorial was an important component of the city’s revamped Liberty Square. It was dedicated to Ukrainian soldiers and made of granite in the form of the coat of arms of Ukraine. Water runs down the memorial as a symbol of the tears shed.
The Russian authorities make frequent use of the historical figure of Prince Alexander Nevsky in their propaganda.
In particular, Russia has prepared propaganda manuals which recommend drawing parallels between the war in Ukraine, the Baptism of Rus and the Battle of the Neva. They also attempt to draw comparisons between Alexander Nevsky and Vladimir Putin.
Read also: Mariupol defender Orest wins Paris photography contest with a series of photos from Azovstal
Journalists fight on their own frontline. Become our patron, support our work!