Demolition of Ivan Pavlov Monuments in Kyiv: Factors of Public (In)Visibility of Events in Media Coverage
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.28925/2524-2652.2026.16Keywords:
framing, memory politics, decolonization, decommunization, derussification, Ivan Pavlov, Ivan KavaleridzeAbstract
The article analyses the removal of two monuments to the physiologist Ivan Pavlov from the public space of Kyiv. Considering that the decision of local authorities to dismantle these monuments was declared as necessary for decommunization, decolonization, and derussification of Kyiv, the authors conducted a brief review of academic literature from the 1990s to the 2020s on commemoration, de-commemoration, and memory politics, focusing primarily on studies related to Ukrainian history. Using content analysis and the concept of media framing, the study focuses on the specifics of media coverage of two Kyiv monuments to Ivan Pavlov in Ukrainian mass media during 2023–2025. A comparative analysis of the historical and cultural significance, as well as other characteristics of these two monuments, was conducted. The findings demonstrate that the demolition of one of the monuments was widely covered by most leading regional and national media outlets, while the removal of the other monument, which had greater artistic and cultural value as a work by the prominent Ukrainian sculptor and filmmaker Ivan Kavaleridze, received no media attention. Three hypotheses were proposed to explain this contrast in media visibility. To test these hypotheses, additional research of Ukrainian media content from 2023 to 2025 was conducted. The study identifies and ranks the most probable framing factors influencing media coverage of the examined monuments and other similar urban objects. The practical significance of the article lies in clarifying the role of the Kyiv City Council (Kyiv City State Administration) in 2024–2025 as a key source of public information and in identifying shortcomings in journalistic practices of leading Ukrainian media, providing recommendations for improving media performance.
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