A number of activists, cultural actors, NGOs and public institutions condemned destruction of graffiti portraits at Hrushevskoho st. and call to bring to account the person who ordered to paint the wall. “These graffiti are one of symbols of Maidan and the heavy price we paid for a chance to change our country. But this issue has legal aspects as well. These paintings were recognized as objects of local historic heritage, so any attempt to destroy them is an offence. […] It is important that this case become a lesson and prevent any future attempts to erase our memory,” stated Volodymyr Viatrovych, head of Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
Tymur Bobrovsky, member of ICOMOS Ukraine, reminded that the graffiti were included into the register of historic heritage (according to law of the Ministry of Culture) as a part of façade of the building of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The whole section of Hrushevskogo st. where the building is located is recognized as heritage site as one of the places where the most severe clashes with the police took place in winter 2014.
“This is a challenge to our dignity and our ability to counter such acts of vandalism and those who neglect the achievements of the Revolution of Dignity. The response of the public has shown that the society won’t remain silent. We expect the same from the authorities. This case must be brought to court in order to punish those who destroyed the artifacts and, moreover, made cynical comments about those actions,” stressed Antonina Pipko, Deputy General Director of the National Museum of Revolution of Dignity.
This case urges creation of a detailed register of Maidan-related objects in public space to protect them, noted participants of the briefing. Three years after the revolution, many objects in public space reminding of those events disappeared during renovation works, including traces left by sniper’s bullets on the façade of Zhovtnevy Palace at Instytutska street.
