Ukrainian decommunization laws were passed in 2015, in the early stages of the Russo-Ukrainian War. These laws relate to decommunization as well as commemoration of Ukrainian history,[1] and have been referred to as "memory laws".[2][3] They outlawed the public display of Soviet communist symbols and propaganda, and outlawed the public display of Nazi symbols and propaganda.[4] These laws have also restricted the public display of militarism and fascism symbols, including rising sun flag.
As a result of the law mandating the removal of communist-era monuments, and renaming places associated with communists or the USSR in general. As result, Ukraine's toponymy was radically changed, with many pre-1917 names restored and even more Ukrainianized names introduced.[5] More than 51,493 settlements, streets, squares and buildings have been renamed.[6]
The laws have raised some concerns about freedom of speech, as well as international concerns that they honor some organizations and individuals that participated in the mass murder of Jews, Poles, and Communists during the Holocaust in Ukraine and massacres in Volhynia.
Passage
Instrumental in drafting the laws were Ukrainian historian Volodymyr Viatrovych and politician Yuri Shukhevych.[7][2][8] The laws passed on April 9, 2015, in the Verkhovna Rada with overwhelming support[7] and were enacted by president Petro Poroshenko on May 15 that year.[9] This started a six-month period for the removal of communist monuments and renaming of public places named after communist-related themes.[10] The laws were published in Holos Ukrayiny on 20 May 2015; this made them come into force officially the next day.[11]
Law no. 2558 "On Condemning the Communist and National Socialist (Nazi) Totalitarian Regimes and Prohibiting the Propagation of their Symbols" — banning Nazi and communist symbols, and public denial of their crimes. That included removal of communist monuments and renaming of public places named after communist-related themes.[9]
Law no. 2538-1 "On the Legal Status and Honoring of the Memory of the Fighters for the Independence of Ukraine in the 20th Century" — elevating several historical organizations, including the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, to official status and assures social benefits to their surviving members.[1][2][9][7]
Law no. 2539 "On Remembering the Victory over Nazism in the Second World War"[9]
Law no. 2540 "On Access to the Archives of Repressive Bodies of the Communist Totalitarian Regime from 1917–1991" — placing the state archives concerning repression during the Soviet period under the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance.[13][9]
Controversy
In Ukraine as well as abroad, some scholars have expressed concerns about freedom of speech and research with regard to the above laws, issuing an open letter to the President.[7][9][14][15][16][17] Particularly problematic is Article 6 of Law 2538-1 on "Responsibility for violating the legislation on the status of the fighters for Ukrainian independence in the 20th century", which stipulates that: "Citizens of Ukraine, foreigners, and also stateless persons who publicly insult the people specified in article 1 of said Law harm the realization of the rights of the fighters for independence of Ukraine in the 20th century and will be held to account in accordance with Ukrainian law", and that: "The public denial of the fact of the legitimacy of the struggle for Ukrainian independence in the 20th century mocks the memory of the fighters for independence of Ukraine in the 20th century, insults the dignity of the Ukrainian people and is illegal”.[7] Critics have argued that this law is attempting to "legislate history" and restricts free speech.[18][8]
The 2538-1 law has also been controversial abroad, since some of the organizations and individuals that it is to be honoring are recognized as having participated in the mass murder of Jews, Poles, and Communists during the Holocaust in Ukraine and massacres in Volhynia.[1][2][7][14][19] The law was also passed on the day of the Polish presidential visit to Ukraine, and has been described by Polish politician Tomasz Kalita as "a slap in the face".[20] Former Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller declared in a televised interview that OUN was responsible for mass murders of Poles, and challenged the Ukrainian law enforcement to persecute him.[21][22] Ukrainian politician and president of the Ukrainian parliament Volodymyr Groysman, who visited Poland shortly afterward, stated that the law is not intended to be anti-Polish, and was intended to be anti-Soviet and anti-Nazi instead.[23]
As a result of the law mandating the removal of communist-era monuments, and renaming places named after communist themes Ukraine's toponymy was radically altered and the face of whole cities has been changed.[5] All in all more than 51,493 streets, squares and "other facilities" have been renamed.[6] By June 2016 there were renamed 19 raions, 27 urban districts, 29 cities, 48 urban-type settlements, 119 rural settlements and 711 villages. The fourth largest city was renamed from Dnipropetrovsk to Dnipro.[24] In the second-largest city of Ukraine,[25]Kharkiv, more than 200 streets, 5 administrative raions, 4 parks and 1 metro station had been renamed by early February 2016.[26] In all of 2016 51,493 streets and 987 cities and villages were renamed, 25 raions were renamed and 1,320 Lenin monuments and 1,069 monuments to other communist figures removed.[27] In some villages Lenin statues were remade into "non-communist historical figures" to save money.[28]
In 2019, video game Mortal Kombat 11 was banned in Ukraine, because of the laws banning Communist symbols.[32]
Polling
A November 2016 poll, showed that 48% of respondents supported a ban on Communist ideology in Ukraine, 36% were against it and 16% were undecided. It also showed that 41% of respondents supported the initiative to dismantle all monuments to Lenin in the country, whereas 48% were against it and 11% were undecided.[33]
^"Dnipropetrovsk renamed Dnipro". UNIAN. Retrieved 19 May 2016. The decision comes into force from the date of its adoption. (in Ukrainian)Верховна Рада України (Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine), Поіменне голосування про проект Постанови про перейменування міста Дніпропетровська Дніпропетровської області (№3864) (Roll-call vote on the draft resolution on renaming of Dnipropetrovsk Dnipropetrovsk region №3864), 19 May 2016.
