Nationalists suggested killing Odesa Mayor Trukhanov because he received a birthday cake decorated with books by famous Odesa authors who wrote in Russian

On his anniversary, Odessa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov was gifted a cake decorated with books by famous Odessans who wrote in Russian, including Babel, Zhvanetsky, Bagritsky, and others.

The cake also featured the UNESCO logo. The center of Odessa is under the protection of UNESCO as it is included in the list of World Heritage Sites.

Using this status, Trukhanov has opposed the removal of the Alexander Pushkin monument, which the regional military administration has demanded be taken down.

On January 17, the Odessa mayor celebrated his 60th birthday. The enormous cake sparked criticism from right-wing radicals on social media.

Activist Demyan Hanul noted that the cake lacked Ukrainian symbols but featured “Russian books.” He claimed that through the cake, “pro-Russian devils are openly flirting with Russian occupiers” and “dragging us into a shared space with them.”

Hanul’s post also triggered a wave of hatred against Trukhanov in the comments, including calls for his assassination.

Earlier, Trukhanov had already expressed his opposition to the removal of monuments to Pushkin, as well as to Novorossiysk and Bessarabian Governor-General Mikhail Vorontsov.