Ukraine removes Soviet emblem from Kyiv’s Motherland Monument

Workers removed a Soviet emblem from the shield of the “Motherland” monument in Kyiv, Ukraine. Created by Soviet sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich in 1981, the original monument featured a hammer and sickle, which were taken down on Tuesday, 1 August at a compound of the World War II museum in the capital city. They will be replaced by a tryzub, a three-pronged emblem of Ukraine, in time for the country’s Independence Day on 24 August. Yuriy Savchuk, director of the Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II, said: “This is the moment that millions of Ukrainians, generations of Ukrainians have dreamed about.”