“This is our history”: Former Odesa mayor Trukhanov criticizes ban on Russian-language songs

Former Odesa mayor Hennadii Trukhanov has criticised bans on Russian-language songs.

Trukhanov made the remarks in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.

“Thirty-four years of Ukraine’s independence. Who has written a Ukrainian song about Odesa that brings tears to your eyes when you hear it? There are only complaints. Who has written a poem that would make me hear how Ukrainians today love Odesa? Why is this not happening? Russian-language songs have been banned, but songs about Odesa were written in Russian. What is wrong with them? Everyone listens to them because this is our history, our DNA, our identity,” the former mayor said.

Earlier, media reported that Kropyvnytskyi had banned the use of Russian-language content in public places. The decision prohibits, within the territory of the Kropyvnytskyi urban territorial community, the “public playing of audiovisual works, phonograms, music videos, songs, advertising, and entertainment audio and video materials in the Russian language in public places.”