Kiev renames numerous urban centers or towns
The Ukrainian parliament has chosen to alter the names of over 300 towns across the country, as per a vote. The motivation behind this move, according to Roman Losynskyj, one of the law's architects, is to liberate Ukraine from its Soviet and Russian background. Losynskyj lauded the decision as historic, with additional renamings on the agenda.
The law received backing from 281 parliamentarians out of a total of 450. Cities such as Novomoskovsk, Krasnohrad, Druzhba, and Pervomaisk will now be known as Samar, Berestin, Chutir-Mychajlivskiy, and Sokolohirsk respectively.
Some settlements reverted to their pre-revolutionary names, while others, like Novomoskovsk, which has borne the name Moscow since 1794, were given new identities. In recent years, numerous cities named after Soviet party leaders have seen name changes.
The renamings are not without debate
Controversy surrounds the renaming effort, with proponents arguing that it serves to rid the nation of its Russian colonial legacy. On Tuesday, several MPs disrupted the debate in an attempt to postpone the vote.
Dnipropetrovsk, a metropolis of over a million people named after former Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR chairman Grigori Petrovsky, was renamed Dnipro. The transformation also included Kirowohrad, previously named after party leader Sergei Kirov, which is now known as Kropyvnytskyi, and Artemivsk, which was renamed Bakhmut after revolutionary Artem.
The European Union expressedits support for Ukraine's decision to rename cities, acknowledging the historical significance of this move. Critics within Ukraine argue that some of the new names are too difficult to pronounce or remember, causing confusion and resistance among the population.
