The capital of Ukraine renamed 95 streets on Thursday as part of a campaign to eliminate Russian and Soviet toponyms, the mayor of Kyiv announced, a day after Ukraine marked 31 years of independence.
Since Russia’s invasion in February, Ukraine has accelerated what it calls “derusification,” a campaign to rid itself of the legacy of hundreds of years of Moscow rule.
“The new names should perpetuate the memory of significant historical events of Ukraine, as well as famous figures and heroes who glorified Ukraine and fought for the independence of our state,” Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko wrote on Telegram. quoted by Reuters.
What will happen to the streets of Kiev?
He declared that the process is far from over and promised to continue the campaign.
One street was named after London, the capital of one of Ukraine’s most important allies, while another was named “Ukrainian Revival Street.”
The name was an echo of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who declared on Independence Day that Ukraine was “reborn” when Russia invaded the country.