Key facts
- A monument to writer Mikhail Bulgakov has been dismantled in Kiev.
- The statue was removed as part of Ukraine's campaign against Russian-linked heritage.
- The Kiev City Council voted in December to remove 15 objects linked to Russian imperial culture.
- Bulgakov, born in Kiev in 1891, wrote primarily in Russian and is known for 'The Master and Margarita'.
- Ukraine's Institute of National Memory classified Bulgakov as a symbol of 'Russian imperial policy'.
A monument to Mikhail Bulgakov, a writer born in Kiev who wrote primarily in Russian, has been dismantled in the Ukrainian capital. This action is part of Ukraine's ongoing effort to remove symbols and heritage sites connected to its Russian and Soviet past, which Kiev classifies as 'Russian imperial culture.' The statue, located near the Bulgakov Museum, was removed after the Kiev City Council voted in December to take down 15 such objects. Bulgakov, born in 1891, is renowned for works like 'The Master and Margarita' and 'The White Guard.' Ukraine's Institute of National Memory has labeled Bulgakov a symbol of 'Russian imperial policy,' citing his worldview as 'imperialist' and 'ardently Ukrainophobe.' The dismantling has prompted discussions about how Ukraine should handle cultural figures with complex ties to both Russian and Ukrainian history, with critics arguing that erasing such figures could lead to a simplification of Ukraine's past. This move aligns with Ukraine's broader 'decommunization' laws, which have accelerated since 2014 and intensified after 2022, expanding beyond Soviet monuments to include writers and cultural figures linked to Russia. Moscow has condemned these actions, accusing Kiev of violating international norms and attempting to rewrite history.