At the platform of the Kharkiv-Passazhyrskyi railway station, a plaque bearing the name of a pro-Russian figure, former People's Deputy from the Party of Regions, Dmytro Sviatash, has been removed.
According to "Dumka," this was reported by the initiative "Decolonization. Ukraine."
As per their information, the plaque was taken down from a monument dedicated to the hero of the novel by Ilf and Petrov, Father Fyodor.
The plaque featured a quote from the novel about Kharkiv as the capital of Soviet Ukraine and a list of individuals involved in the establishment of the sculpture.
Among the names is Dmytro Sviatash, as the head of the "Peresvet" foundation.
As previously reported by "Mysl", Sviatash is suspected of illegally alienating over 200 real estate properties and corporate rights of three Ukrainian companies, as well as treason. In August 2022, his assets amounting to 600 million UAH were seized. They were subsequently transferred to the National Agency for Detection, Investigation, and Management of Assets Obtained from Corruption and Other Crimes (ARMA). According to the investigation, the former regional politician fled to Russia. He is currently wanted.
Additionally, Kyiv investigators sent an indictment to court against Sviatash for encroaching on Ukraine's territorial integrity.
It is also worth noting that Sviatash was being prepared by the Russians to be their representative in the Kharkiv region, provided they managed to capture Kharkiv. This was reported at the time by Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Mustafa Nayyem.