Kyiv to replace Lenin monument with statue of Ivan Mazepa

An empty pedestal on Taras Shevchenko Boulevard in Kyiv, where a Lenin statue stood until it was toppled during the 2014 Euromaidan protests, is set to receive a new figure. President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed installing a statue of Ivan Mazepa, the 17th‑century Cossack leader who broke ties with Moscow and fought for Ukrainian independence. The suggestion has sparked a heated debate over the meaning of public monuments and Ukraine’s ongoing process of de‑Sovietisation and de‑colonisation. Historian Natalija Krivda of Kyiv National University said Mazepa represents a complex legacy but supports the move as a way to assert a distinct Ukrainian identity. The proposal reflects broader efforts to replace Soviet symbols with figures tied to national history, amid continued tensions with Russia.