The mayor of Odessa Gennady Trukhanov’s order suspended the decision of the XV session of the Odessa city Council on April 26, 2017, “About the name of streets, alleys, avenues, squares, parks and other geographical objects located on the territory of the city of Odessa”.

As reported the press service of the Odessa city Council, the matter will be submitted for re-consideration of session of city Council after the procedure of public discussion of the relevant draft decision.

In this case, the Agency “Interfax-Ukraine” the press service of the city Council explained that the initiative of making resonated decision was due to the fact that the signed the ex-head of Odessa regional state administration Mikhail Saakashvili’s decision contained a number of errors . In particular, some of the streets whose names were changed, not subject to law “decommunisation” (Belinskogo street, Goncharova), four streets did not exist in Odessa, but the part mentioned in the decision of the former head of the state administration of streets have already been renamed previously, under the same law, moreover, has duplicated some names and place names.

As reported, Odesa city Council, during the session, 26 April 1531 approved names place names (streets, alleys, avenues, etc.) in Russian and Ukrainian languages. Under this decision, the MPs has implemented the decision of the historical-toponymic Commission of the city Council about changing the names of the parts of the streets that the decision renamed the former head of the Odessa regional administration of Mikheil Saakashvili in may 2016.

In particular, in Odessa “back” streets “of the 25th Chapayev division street and lane grandma, the street Gaidar, Belinsky, Badaeva, Tereshkova, the prospectus of Marshal Zhukov, etc., however, Karl Liebknecht was the street of the Heavenly hundred, and lane K. Libknekhta – alley of Heroes of Kruty, nine Chapaevsky lane – Starokozache alleys, etc.

On this fact the Prosecutor’s office of Odessa region began criminal proceedings under part 2 of article 436-1 of the Criminal code of Ukraine (production, distribution, Communist, Nazi symbols and propaganda of the Communist and national socialist (Nazi) totalitarian regimes).

April 28, Primorsky district court of Odessa has cancelled the decision of the Odessa city Council on the claim of the “Maidan Self-defense of Odessa”.

In accordance with the law on de-communization, the former head of the Odessa regional state administration Mikhail Saakashvili’s order given a new title approximately three hundred streets, avenues and alleys of Odessa and the villages of the Odessa region.

Then in Odessa “disappeared” street Dnepropetrovsk road, Heroes of Stalingrad, Marshal Zhukov Avenue, St. Chapaev, Chapaev ten lanes and dozens of others. In their place appeared a Cool, Ivan and Yuri Lypa, semen Paliy, St. Bernardazzi, the prospect of the Heavenly hundred, St. Ivan Mazepa, St. Roman Shukhevych and others.

Such actions by Saakashvili, has caused a mixed reaction by the citizens of Odessa, as well as members of the city Council. After that, the city Council decided to re-rename streets, and historical-toponymic Commission of Odessa city Council offered to the citizens. However, to hold a public hearing on the matter failed because of the opposition of activists of various right-wing organizations. In the end, the Odessa city Council has placed on its website a survey regarding the renaming of streets, which was attended by about 5 thousand citizens of Odessa, 75% of respondents called for the preservation of street names, which they wore until may 2016.