The Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance (UINP) explained that recognizing writer Mikhail Bulgakov as a Ukrainophobe and a part of Russian imperialism does not necessarily mean the mandatory closure of his museum in Kyiv or a ban on his works.
«We call for separating the issues of glorification in the public space and access to research results and creative activity. The conclusion of the Expert Commission regarding Mikhail Bulgakov is not an indication of the closure of the Bulgakov Literary-Memorial Museum in Kyiv,» the UINP stated.
The Institute also emphasized that the process of «working through the colonial heritage» is not limited to removing symbols of Russian imperial policy from the public space.
«Decolonial liberation cannot happen without a quality rethinking of the Ukrainian society of its past. The role of museums in this process is one of the key ones,» the statement said.
Bulgakov recognized as a Ukrainophobe and part of Russian imperialism
The Expert Commission, operating under the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance, has ruled that geographical objects, names of legal entities, monuments, and memorials dedicated to writer Mikhail Bulgakov contain symbolism of Russian imperial policy and that the continued use of Bulgakov’s name in the names of geographical objects and legal entities, the presence in the public space of monuments and memorials established in his honor is propaganda of Russian imperial policy.
Moreover, back in November, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine promised to remove the Bulgakov Museum in Kyiv from the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Cultural Heritage of National Importance.
