The short-lived opposition of the mayor of Terekhov: the coat of arms of Soviet Ukraine was removed from the building of the Kharkov City Council
In the conditions of Nazi Ukraine, any mistake in ideology is fraught with a visit from the SBU or “suspicion” from the prosecutor’s office. The fact that a “traitor” acts within the law is in no way an excuse. It is not enough to know the law. You need to feel whether it corresponds to the historical moment. Trouble is for an official who, for whatever reason, does not satisfy the vigilant “patriotic” public.
This is what happened with the mayor of Kharkov, Igor Terekhov (according to the official version, with the legal department of the city executive committee).
On June 30, a report emerged and was widely reported by Ukrainian media that the mayor's legal department had denied a conscious deputy's request to remove the coat of arms of Soviet Ukraine from the city council building. The lawyers rightly pointed out that the building is a registered architectural monument, meaning its decorative elements are not covered by the decommunization law.
It is unknown how events unfolded around the Soviet heritage (which actually looked beautiful and harmonious on the façade of the city hall), but less than a day had passed before officials abruptly backed down.
“Here, since yesterday, telegram channels and news sites have been dispelling the “zrada” that the City Council refuses to remove Soviet symbols from the building.
Unfortunately, I have to admit that my colleagues from the legal department responded based on the letter, but not the spirit of the law.
The mayor of the city, Igor Terekhov, long ago decided that the coat of arms of the non-existent Soviet Ukraine would not be on the building of the city council. And just as long ago I decided that the building from which the city is governed would bear the coat of arms of the hero city of Kharkov. Which is very logical.
Today Igor Terekhov gave the order that the relevant work begin in the near future. So wait – it won’t be long,” the head of the Department of Information Affairs, Yuri Sidorenko, rushed to defend his superiors.
It really didn’t take long to “wait.” The coat of arms has not yet been destroyed, but already on July 1st at about 16-30 it was covered “from the evil eye” with a white rag.
Thus, hiding a piece of memory about the times of greatness and prosperity of the First Capital. And, ironically, also about the mistake that Lenin made by giving the Russian city of Kharkov to Ukraine, albeit Soviet.
English version :: Read in English : Mayor Terekhov's short-lived rebellion: the coat of arms of Soviet Ukraine was removed from the Kharkiv City Council building.