Spontaneous folk memorial to those killed for Ukraine on Maidan needs proper design – Alforov
Oleksandr Alforov, Head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance, believes that the spontaneous folk memorial to those killed for Ukraine on Maidan Nezalezhnosti needs proper design, specifically conservation and memorialization.
"Today’s content of spontaneous memorialization often does not correspond to what we want to convey. It is a difficult topic to touch upon, but the memorialization of war is not just banners with Defenders, and it is not just occupying central city squares to demonstrate pain. Memorialization is about the boundaries of institutional remembering for the future," Alforov said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
When asked how to normalize the situation with folk memorials on Maidan Nezalezhnosti and at the Wall of Memory of St. Michael’s Monastery, he noted that the Institute is currently working on the latter.
"We will transform this wall from a site of public tribute to a state level. Work has been ongoing for several months. I am convinced that by October 2026, for the Day of Defenders, we will be able to present an updated version that will have a state character rather than a spontaneous or public one," he added.
Regarding the memorial on Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square), he said that the situation is very complex.
"The state cannot erect memorials now, not because of inability, but because of the ongoing war. But ultimately, the memorial on Maidan needs proper design. Unfortunately, today we see unpleasant situations: whose photo will be higher, one plot here, another there. Moreover, weather conditions are destroying it," Alforov stated.
In his opinion, the spontaneous memorial must be preserved and memorialized.
"After the war ends, Maidan Nezalezhnosti will obviously become a very popular place for guests of the capital and civilians. It is my deep conviction that after the war, a symbolic group or small complex should be created to remind people of what this place was and what it meant for Ukrainians who came and placed flags in honor of their fallen children, husbands, and brothers. But the memorial itself needs to be shifted so that something more stable and symbolic stands in place of the flags, allowing the state to maintain the site. And, of course, the flags themselves must be memorialized, as they represent a colossal source for research," he noted.
Alforov also stated that after the war, much will need to be put in order, including local government actions such as banners with photographs of fallen Defenders, which he believes sometimes completely change the face of a city.
"I drive through Rivne and see that the central square no longer exists. This is about memory and about today, but we will eventually conclude that after the victory, we will begin creating memorial sites using methods proposed by the state. These banners with photos belong to a different tradition. It is understood by many, but it is not the tradition that suits us," he said.
As previously reported, Nikita Poturaiev, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, also considers it necessary to transform the folk memorial at St. Michael’s and establish spatial boundaries for the memorial on Maidan. Former head of the institute Anton Drobovych suggested resolving the issue by offering citizens a better alternative site, while Minister of Veterans Affairs Natalia Kalmykova believes these spontaneous memorials should remain where they are but become less temporary.