Peter the Great monument dismantled in Poltava – photos

A monument to the Russian Emperor Peter the Great has been dismantled in Poltava in accordance with Ukrainian law and in compliance with all the required procedures.

Source: acting Mayor of Poltava Kateryna Yamshchykova on Telegram

Quote: "In accordance with a decision of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, the monument to Peter the Great has been removed from the public space of our city. This step is an important part of the state policy of decolonisation."

Details: Yamshchykova described the move as a "conscious and responsible action by the community, which is getting rid of Russian imperial markers".

"Despite diverse opinions and discussions, one thing unites us: Poltava is a city with a rich Ukrainian history, where imperial myths have no place! Our future belongs to Ukrainian heroes and European figures!" she said.

Background:

• The Poltava city authorities have agreed to dismantle and move two monuments to Peter the Great, one in the grounds of the Museum of the Battle of Poltava and one at the place where he rested near the Church of the Saviour. The plaque on the monument to Commandant Kelin and the defenders of Poltava will also be removed.
• On 18 October 2024, Ukraine’s Parliamentary Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy held an offsite meeting in Poltava. The city was also visited by Mykola Tochytskyi, Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications.
• A few weeks later, the committee recommended that the Ministry of Culture should reconsider the status of Poltava's monuments commemorating the Russian tsar Peter the Great and Russia’s victory against the Swedes in the Battle of Poltava in 1709, and that the city authorities should then dismantle these monuments. A deadline of 1 March 2025 was set.
• On 31 January 2025, the Ministry of Culture removed 15 items of cultural heritage in Poltava from the State Register of Immovable Monuments. All are related to events from the Battle of Poltava and the city's imperial history.

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