Ukraine removes Soviet emblem from massive Kyiv monument

Ukrainian authorities began work to remove the Soviet Union’s hammer-and-sickle emblem from the Motherland Monument in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sunday, July 30, in order to replace it with the Ukrainian coat of arms, authorities said. The “main elements” of the Soviet emblem would be removed on August 1, according to officials. The Ukrainian trident symbol would be installed in its place in time for Independence Day celebrations on August 24, Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture said. The Soviet emblem, emblazoned on a shield held by monument’s “mother” statue, had been a part of the monument since it was erected in 1981. The shield would remain and the emblem would be transferred to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, according to DIAM, Ukraine’s architecture and urban planning agency. Credit: Suspilne News via Storyful