Monument to Mikhail Bulgakov Removed in Kyiv

Kyiv Dismantles Monument to Mikhail Bulgakov

According to Главком: Authorities in Kyiv have taken down the monument to Mikhail Bulgakov located on Andriyivskyi Descent. The decision, made by the Kyiv City Council on December 18, 2025, was part of a broader initiative to remove objects linked to Russian imperial and Soviet policies. The statue stood near the Literary and Memorial Museum of Mikhail Bulgakov, which the National Union of Writers of Ukraine proposed closing in August 2022 to make way for a museum dedicated to composer Oleksandr Koshyts.

Symbol of Russian Propaganda

On March 27, 2024, an expert commission from the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory classified the monument as a symbol of Russian propaganda. This finding was supported by the anti-Ukrainian themes in Bulgakov's works, especially the play 'The Days of the Turbins,' which was discussed at a writers' congress in Moscow in February 1929. In April 2024, a petition calling for the monument's removal gathered 6,000 signatures, adding further momentum to the decision.

Journalist Oleksandr Yankovsky, who witnessed the dismantling, noted that 'those works of his, written long ago and about Kyiv, actually depicted a different, non-Ukrainian Kyiv.'

Experts also emphasized that Bulgakov was 'an imperialist in worldview and a staunch Ukrainophobe,' and that his writings did not portray Ukrainians in a positive light. They pointed to his biased perspective, which 'demonstrates the author's prejudice against the Ukrainian world.'

The removal of the Bulgakov monument highlights a growing trend in Ukraine to reassess cultural heritage tied to figures associated with the Russian imperial legacy. This move reflects Ukrainian society's desire to distance itself from cultural symbols perceived as anti-Ukrainian. Against the backdrop of armed conflict and national identity formation, such actions are becoming pivotal in shaping the country's new cultural policy.

The recent dismantling of the monument to Mikhail Bulgakov is part of a larger movement in Ukraine to reevaluate its cultural icons, especially those linked to the Russian imperial past. This shift is evident as the government also moves to streamline access for documenting war-damaged heritage sites through the eRecovery program. Such initiatives not only promote the preservation of Ukrainian identity but also reflect a broader commitment to healing and rebuilding in the wake of conflict. For more on how Ukraine is addressing its cultural heritage in these challenging times, read about the streamlined access to war-damaged heritage sites.