Sarcasm on the Fragments of History: Maksym Buzhanskyi on the Demolition of Pedestals to Monuments
Demolition of monuments is one of the controversial processes taking place in modern Ukraine. In recent years, especially against the background of the war with Russia, this issue has gained additional urgency. On the one hand, it symbolizes the fight against the legacy of colonialism and totalitarianism, on the other hand, it causes criticism from some parts of society because of its priority at a time when the country has to solve much more important tasks.
Decolonization and de-Russification are the official motives that drive the initiators of dismantling. Monuments to Lenin, Soviet figures and historical figures are disappearing en masse from Ukrainian towns and villages. However, society evaluates this process ambiguously. Some consider it necessary for building a new identity, others point to an excessive fascination with the form, forgetting about the content.
Against this background, People’s Deputy Maksym Buzhanskyi expressed himself with a critical statement about the demolition of not only monuments, but also pedestals, which exposed, as he believes, the absurdity of some aspects of this process.
Maksym Buzhanskyi, known for his sharp and ironic comments, shared his view on the next stage of decommunization. His statement is a sarcastic observation of the situation in which Ukrainian society found itself on the verge of finding new objects for dismantling.
Photo: t.me/MaxBuzhanskiy
He wrote in his Telegram channel:
“I have nothing against the demolition of monuments to Lenin, but, in my opinion, the new stage could be presented in a more solemn way. Like, comrades, there is good news. At the moment when you indulged in the shameful regret that there is nothing else to demolish, exit found.
We are starting a campaign to demolish the pedestals. There is a work front for the next couple of years, then we will be able to proceed to the next stage — digging holes in the place of the pedestals. I would even suggest — the alley of pits of decommunization, in my opinion, it’s beautiful. Together with the eruptions from the rockets, it will look like a lunar crater. What the hell are we doing, huh?”.
His comment points to the possible oversaturation of public space with the idea of endless dismantling, which sometimes reaches the point of absurdity.
The politician emphasizes that the process of demolishing monuments and even pedestals is often not accompanied by proper understanding and turns into a mechanical action.
In the context of war, destroyed infrastructure and humanitarian challenges, some decommunization initiatives seem excessive and untimely.
Therefore, Maksym Buzhansky believes that symbolic actions should be supported by real changes in politics, culture and society. If this does not happen, the process can turn into an empty ritual that is devoid of constructive meaning.
Demolishing monuments is a step towards creating a new identity, but it must be part of a holistic strategy aimed at creation, not destruction. Otherwise, as Buzhansky noted, the process risks becoming an endless series of absurd actions that will not bring the desired results.
