Odesa Mayor Trukhanov: the monument to Pushkin in front of the city council should not be cleaned

According to the mayor of the city, Gennadiy Trukhanov, there is no need to remove the monument to the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin from the square near the Odessa City Council. He stated that Pushkin is a well-known poet who is "loved and respected" in Ukraine and around the world.

Trukhanov shared these thoughts in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

"In my view? Pushkin is a well-known poet. He is loved and respected by Ukrainians as well as people worldwide. Therefore, this monument was erected using community funds, collected by Odessa residents and installed by Odessa residents. Neither any authority nor Empress Catherine installed the Pushkin monument, let alone Putin," he said.

In his opinion, the issue of the Pushkin monument is a "separate" matter, and if the residents of Odessa installed this monument at the time, they "had their reasons for it."

Trukhanov emphasized that the community should decide on this matter. "My personal opinion is that it's not necessary to remove it [the Pushkin monument]," he added.

Background information: The bust of the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin in Odessa was constructed between 1887 and 1889 using funds donated by the city's residents. It was placed near the stock exchange building, now the location of the Odessa City Council. Following the extensive invasion by the Russian Federation in 2022, the monument was covered with protective structures.

Read also: The last Pushkin monument was demolished in Poltava region.