On December 2, at the proposal of the MCIP, the Government approved the draft of the Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On the Protection of Cultural Heritage” regarding non-entry into the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine and the withdrawal of certain objects of cultural heritage from the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine heritage”.
From now on, there will be legal grounds for withdrawing monuments of cultural heritage from the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine, which are a symbol of russian imperial and Soviet totalitarian policy and ideology. Amendments to the legislation are needed to strengthen Ukraine’s positioning in the new geopolitical context as a center of democracy and freedom.
“It is necessary to change the state policy regarding the preservation and protection of cultural heritage right now, because it is one of the main factors in the formation of Ukrainian identity. The demand of Ukrainian society, exhausted by russian aggression and atrocities of russian army, for changes is very high. Right now, rethinking and searching for new contents, universal value narratives is the most urgent. We must rid the Ukrainian cultural space of post-colonial ballast,” Oleksandr Tkachenko said.
The draft law provides for the introduction of amendments to Articles 13, 15 and the addition of a new Article 151 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Protection of Cultural Heritage” by expanding monuments that are not subject to entry into the Register of Cultural Heritage Objects and by adding criteria for classifying cultural heritage objects as symbols of russian imperial or Soviet totalitarian policy.
Next, the draft of the Law must be considered and adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
