Ukraine removes Soviet-era symbol from Motherland Monument in Kiev

Kiev, Aug 2 (IANS) Ukrainian authorities have removed the Soviet-era "hammer and sickle" symbol from the landmark Motherland Monument in Kiev, making way for the installation of a trident -- Ukraine's coat of arms.

The Soviet emblem on the monument -- the tallest staue in Ukraine -- will be replaced by the trident by August 24, when the country celebrates Independence Day, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy as saying in a statement.

Experts on Monday carrued out some preparatory work and constructed the metal sculpture of the trident, the Ministry said.

It also said that it will consider a proposal made by local scientists to change the name of the Motherland Monument to Mother Ukraine.

The 102-meter-hight statue was built in 1981 when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, The Kyiv Independent reported.

It depicts a woman holding a sword and a shield emblazoned with the Soviet hammer and sickle symbol.

In April 2015, the Ukrainian parliament outlawed most Soviet and communist symbols, street names, and moments as part of a decommunisation policy.

As the monument stands on the site of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II, the statue was exempted.

However, in a 2022 survey, following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, 85 per cent of respondents backed the idea to replace the Soviet emblem with a trident.

On May 3 this year, Ukraine's parliament voted on a law to remove the remaining Soviet and Russian Empire monuments left in the country.