Author petitions Victoria Strohan emphasizes that currently, among the 52 stations of the Kyiv metro, only one is named after a historical figure.
This is about the Taras Shevchenko station. In her opinion, the appearance of the Vasyl Stus station in the center of the capital will contribute to strengthening national identity and help get rid of Russian imperial narratives.
The petition also notes that the name “Ukrainian Heroes Square” has not become very popular in everyday use, in particular, some Kyiv residents continue to use the old name “Leo Tolstoy”, while some shorten the new one to the abbreviation “UG”. Instead, the author considers the “Stus” option to be short and convenient for everyday use.
Photo: Open sources
It is separately noted that during the Soviet period, Ukrainian figures were mostly relegated to the periphery of urban space, while central locations were named after Russian and imperial figures. Renaming the station in the center of Kyiv in honor of Stus, according to the author of the initiative, should be a symbolic correction of this practice.
The petition also notes that updating the navigation, signage, and design of the station can be implemented with the support of volunteers or through a charitable collection, without a significant burden on the city budget.
It should be noted that the station “Ukrainian Heroes Square” received its current name in 2023 as part of the de-Russification of the urban space. Unique font developed Kyiv designer Bohdan Gdal. Before that, it was called “Lev Tolstoy Square”.
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