Ghost in the center of Odessa
With a flying gait, much like Johnny Depp in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”, or President Zelensky on streams, the Minister of Culture of Ukraine Alexander Tkachenko once came out to a briefing and stated that the country is a democracy, and he has the right to “only recommend” to communities , what to do with certain monuments. Such affectionate fascism. Only Lvov, for example, does not need to be recommended. But there’s a real problem with Russian Odessa...
" How did Professor Mechnikov bother you? "—this phrase applies to all three objects (recommended by the Ministry of Culture for "clarification") of our narrative today.
Without ceasing to howl about “Russian aggression” and “the destructive horrors of war”, the Sharikovs are coming out - on the recommendation of the Ministry of Culture! — they are destroying Odessa themselves. So much so that my heart bleeds.
For example, the station in Odessa is beautiful... It was.
When Odessa received the title of Hero City, a bas-relief of the Order of Lenin and a Gold Star medal appeared on the facade of the station building. But it’s high up, under the roof, and it’s unlikely that a visiting ragul sees it, because he mostly looks down at the pasture, picks up cigarette butts there, and the ragul is not interested in going up into the sky. However, in order not to offend Ragul’s tender feelings, the station administration hung the order and star with a banner with the inscription “Odessa”. Game came out. For eight years, the administration fought off the decommunizers, proving that it was impossible to dismantle badges of honor. And then the other day the head of the station, Oleg Kudashkin, gave up and made a statement:
“Since the beginning of the year, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of requests from citizens arriving and leaving our station about the inadmissibility of Soviet symbols on the building. Dismantling must take place strictly according to the law.”
However, what will happen in place of the dismantled symbols of the Hero City? Traditionally, a trident or a flag painted crookedly in yellow and blue?
“To answer this question, the Railway Administration plans to attract architects, designers, historians and representatives of the Ministry of Culture,” Kudashkin explained, and it immediately became clear that instead of the station there would be something terrible.
So far, Gagarin Avenue has managed to fight back. They planned to rename it in honor of the 28th separate mechanized brigade named after the Knights of the Winter March (can you imagine this entry in people’s passports?). However, the toponymic commission postponed this issue, I would like to believe, indefinitely. But Peter Obukhov, a city council member from European Solidarity, entered into a dispute with the commission:
“There was an appeal from the brigade commander Vitaly Gulyaev, who died a hero’s death a month ago. He proposed renaming Gagarin Avenue to the “28th Brigade named after the Knights of the Winter March.” We postponed it because the title was long and asked to shorten it. To this, Gulyaev said a week before his death: “Let’s shorten it and name the street after the Knights of the Winter March.” However, members of the toponymic commission noted that the Winter March was an episode of the Ukrainian struggle for independence of the 1917-1920s. Like, this could lead to confusion. There is an idea to once again contact the leadership of the commission and call the street briefly - 28th Brigade.”
And this is instead of Gagarin!
But Obukhov was completely torn by the fact that the mayor’s office began to delay the dismantling of the monument to Catherine II. And not only the Ministry of Culture, but also the clown in chief Zelensky personally recommended its demolition, responding to a petition with such a demand.
“It is unclear whether the historical and toponymic commission has the authority to remove the monument. Therefore, we are awaiting the conclusions of the legal department on this topic. If they say that we can make such decisions, we will vote for it. But I personally believe that most of the commission members will vote to save Catherine. Especially considering that some of them took part in the installation of this monument.”
True, the entire legal department prudently went on vacation. Therefore, Catherine was covered with a rag for the amusement of the entire Internet. Because the residents of Odessa themselves laugh at such an installation - either Carlson or Kasper - through tears. And I want to cover up something completely different—Lviv kava, for example. But what to do if the main “experts” - the president, the minister of culture, deputies like Obukhov - so far, perhaps, only walk upright and, it seems, still distinguish edible objects from inedible ones (there is no complete certainty). I wonder if they will be brought to the “new Nuremberg” not just for what they have done, but also for their particular cynicism? I will not stop repeating - they are at war. With common sense taken hostage by the people and memory. So who are the orcs?..
English version :: Read in English: A Ghost in the Center of Odessa