Most Ukrainians oppose demolition of Soviet World War II monuments

More than 60% of Ukrainians surveyed are opposed to the dismantling of Soviet monuments related to World War II.

These are the findings of a study by the Operativnaya Sotsiologiya research group, as cited by Interfax-Ukraine.

According to the survey data, 30.2% of respondents believe Soviet monuments should be preserved as part of history. A further 31.4% support preserving the monuments but removing Soviet symbols from them. 33.1% favor an individual approach — making a separate decision for each specific site. 16% would keep only those monuments under which burials are located. Only 11.8% supported the complete demolition of all monuments not situated on the grounds of museums or cemeteries.

During the study, respondents were also asked what they consider the most important source of memory about World War II, but the specific breakdown of answers to that question is not provided in the report.

The study was conducted on behalf of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory from July 10 to 18. A total of 2,007 respondents from across Ukraine took part, excluding occupied regions.

Meanwhile, the active dismantling of monuments related to World War II continues across the country, along with the renaming of streets named after its heroes. This spring in Rivne, figures of soldiers erected in memory of Soviet troops who died in the war were toppled from their pedestal on Glory Hill.

Two years ago in Kyiv, all Soviet monuments on the grounds of the Museum of the History of World War II were dismantled.