"If these monuments are not simply symbols of imperial Bolshevik domination, but also masterpieces of art, a special commission needs to be set up before removing them to find out whether they are of historical or cultural value," Oleksandr Bystrushkin, who is in charge of humanitarian issues and the preservation of cultural heritage, said in response to a Thursday decision of the Lvov city legislature to remove two monuments classified as "symbols of domination."
"Such issues should be decided by a [city] referendum. We need to talk to people in a genuine and open way. Only then will we have a civilized state," Bystrushkin said.
The controversy comes shortly after the Estonian government moved the Red Army monument some had derided as a "statue to occupation" and some cherished as a "monument to the victory over the Nazis" from the city center and exhumed the remains of Soviet soldiers buried there.
The move triggered protests from the Russian-speaking part of the population, partly stripped of citizenship rights, and of Russian officials and lawmakers.
