Decommunization

Decommunization is the process aimed at removing symbols and elements of Soviet ideology from public spaces and reinterpreting the historical legacy of the Soviet era. In Ukraine, decommunization became active after the 2014 Revolution of Dignity and includes dismantling monuments to Soviet figures, renaming place names, and changing the names of enterprises, cultural, and educational institutions.

According to the 2015 law "On condemning the communist and national-socialist (Nazi) totalitarian regimes in Ukraine and banning the propaganda of their symbols," decommunization is mandatory for local governments.

Results of decommunization in Ukraine:

• More than 50,000 streets, squares, and settlements have been renamed.
• About 2,500 monuments to Lenin and other Soviet-era figures have been dismantled.
• A reform of archives was conducted to provide access to Soviet security service documents.

The process generates public debate, particularly due to differing assessments of the Soviet past and the significance of individual historical figures.