Ukraine puts trident in place of Soviet emblem on tallest statue

DRIVE TO “DECOLONISE”

“We are certain that the works will be completed by our national holidays, the flag day (August 23) and Independence Day,” Savchuk said.

The construction project has suffered several delays, not helped by numerous air alerts that forced the team to shelter in a cellar.

Work had halted at dusk on Saturday, with the trident only raised around 24m.

The symbolic project comes after Ukraine passed a law on “decolonisation” of place names and banning symbols of “Russian imperial policy”, which entered force last month.

“We’re talking about the necessity to bring in changes to toponymics (geographical names), to make changes to various monuments that are located across Ukraine,” said acting arts minister, Rostislav Karandeyev, standing at the base of the monument on Saturday.

“It’s all important, although of course it should all be done wisely and with the right approach, with understanding that there are priorities,” the official told journalists.

These “financial priorities” are “the costs of strengthening Ukraine’s defence capabilities”, he added.

The total cost of replacing the hammer and sickle with the trident is reported as US$758,000, paid for by donations and sponsorship rather than state funds.

A survey by the culture ministry last year found that 85 per cent of Ukrainians backed removing the hammer and sickle.