The iconic Mother Ukraine statue in Kyiv, which is widely recognized as a symbol of the nation, underwent a significant transformation on Sunday. The Soviet-era hammer-and-sickle symbol was replaced by the country’s trident coat of arms, marking a shift towards reclaiming Ukraine’s cultural identity from its Communist past and amidst Russia’s ongoing invasion.
Standing at 200 feet tall, the Mother Ukraine monument was constructed in 1981 as part of a larger complex that houses the national World War II museum. Positioned on the right bank of the Dnieper River in Kyiv, the statue faces eastward towards Moscow and portrays a fearless female warrior holding a sword and shield.
Instead of the previous hammer-and-sickle emblem, the shield now features the Ukrainian tryzub, which became the coat of arms of independent Ukraine on February 19, 1992. The process of removing the old emblem began in late July but was delayed due to poor weather and ongoing air raids. The completed sculpture will be officially unveiled on August 24, which is Ukraine’s Independence Day.
In addition to the symbol change, the statue has also been given a new name. Previously known as the “Motherland monument” during Ukraine’s time as part of the Soviet Union, it is now referred to as “Mother Ukraine.”
This transformation is just one aspect of Ukraine’s long-standing effort to eradicate the remnants of Soviet and Russian influence from its public spaces. This includes the removal of monuments and the renaming of streets to honor Ukrainian artists, poets, and soldiers instead of Russian cultural figures. While most Soviet and Communist Party symbols were banned in Ukraine in 2015, that did not extend to World War II monuments like the Mother Ukraine statue.
According to data from the country’s Culture Ministry, approximately 85% of Ukrainians supported the removal of the hammer and sickle from the landmark. For many people in Ukraine, the Soviet past represents Russian imperialism, the suppression of the Ukrainian language, and the Holodomor, a man-made famine during the Stalin era that resulted in the death of millions of Ukrainians and has been recognized as an act of genocide by the European Parliament and the United States.
The movement away from Soviet symbols has gained momentum since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Asserting national identity has become crucial for unity as the country endures the horrors of war.
In a statement regarding the emblem’s removal, Ukraine’s national World War II museum website described the Soviet coat of arms as a symbol of a totalitarian regime that “destroyed millions of people.” The museum emphasized that with the removal of the emblem, they are also rejecting any association with the “post-Soviet space” and asserting Ukraine’s status as a sovereign, independent, and free nation.
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