UPTsMP PRIESTS BLOCK PROCESS OF DECOMMUNIZATION IN DONBASS
In the Donbass, the discussion regarding renaming residential areas which fall under the law on decommunization is going on actively. And whereas in some cities and villages at public hearings compromise is easily found, in others the Orthodox Church of the Moscow patriarchate is coming to the defense of communist "Dmitrys" and "Artemovs." This was described by the journalist Yury Gerun during a live broadcast on television channel ZIK.
Decommunization is proceeding apace in the east. In the wake of the fall of Lenin, opinions regarding renaming of residential areas named in honor of communist figures are being actively discussed. But, Ukrainian activists say, before renaming for the Donbass it is necessary to go through a definite rethinking of its values.
"The Donbass has been betrayed three times. The first time was in the 19th century, when nature began to be killed. The second betrayal was the betrayal of faith. The destruction of temples, churches and synagogues under communism was nowhere greater than here. And the third betrayal is the betrayal of Ukraine. And we should undergo repentance," a local public leader, Vladimir Berezin, is convinced.
Regarding renaming, besides Artemovska, whose city council adopted a decision to change the name to Bakhmut, next in line is Dzerzhinsk, which is supposed to become Toretsk, and Krasnoarmeisk, which is supposed to turn into Grishino. However in many villages, the Orthodox Church of the Moscow patriarchate is standing in the way of decommunization.
"In order not to remove the communistic name, for example, of the village of Dimitrovo or the village of Artema they said that, say, we will not remove the name of this communist but we will simply make Dimitrovo in honor of Saint Dimitry and Artema in honor of Saint Artemy. And this is what Orthodox priests are saying," Berezin said in outrage.
In addition to returning historical names, activists want to rename streets in honor of Ukrainian figures who worked in the east, in particular the writer Vasily Stus. And they want to call the entire highway from Konstantinovka to Slaviansk in honor of the dissident Oleksa Tikhy.
"The process of decommunization, although it has been confirmed at the legislative level, nevertheless encounters obstacles on the part of the old-new authority. Therefore the restoration of historical justice will arrive upon the restoration of a genuine pro-Ukrainian authority in the east," Yury Gerun summed up. (tr. by PDS, posted 26 November 2015)
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