MP Yuriy Boyko has found himself in the spotlight again, drawing a barrage of criticism after his statement about “radicals” who, according to him, are renaming cities, demolishing monuments, banning speaking one’s native language, and going to church. His stance has sparked outrage at the Center for Countering Disinformation and the Office of the President.
Yuriy Boyko, head of the Platform for Life and Peace parliamentary group, in his video address on TikTok compared the actions of Ukrainian activists to events in the United States when monuments to Christopher Columbus were demolished.
"It seems that our radicals have taken the same course and started demolishing monuments, renaming cities, forbidding people to speak their native language, forbidding them to go to the church they want to go to. And today we see that this movement continues, that violence against people continues," Boyko said.
The head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, Andriy Kovalenko, reacted harshly to the statement of the People's Deputy.
"It would be very useful if a people's deputy, if he works in the interests of Ukraine, publicly reminded about the defense of our state. However, we see something different. And this is frankly, to put it mildly, outrageous," Kovalenko emphasized.
Andriy Yermak, head of the President's Office, also spoke out about the statement, without naming names but alluding to Boyko.
“Some politicians forget that it is the defense of Ukraine and the victory over Russia, not the spread of Russian narratives, that is the key goal now,” Yermak noted.
Yuriy Boyko is one of the few representatives of the former OPZH who continues to speak out on the topics of language, religion, and historical memory. His statement about “violence against people” echoes the rhetoric often used by Russian propaganda, accusing Ukraine of “oppression.”.
At the same time, the country is undergoing a process of decommunization and derussification, supported by a significant part of society. Renaming streets, demolishing Soviet monuments, and banning the activities of the UOC-MP are part of this course.
Yuriy Boyko's rhetoric aligns with Russian narratives designed to divide Ukrainian society. At a time when the country is confronting Russian aggression, such statements are particularly indignant.
Against the backdrop of war, the issues of decommunization, language, and church acquire not only historical but also strategic significance. And the statements of politicians who work for division require a clear response from the state and society.
