Ukrainian officials demolished a massive Soviet-era monument in the heart of Kyiv on Tuesday, which was designed to symbolize solidarity between Russia and Ukraine, the city's mayor said.
The bronze statue, which stood eight meters tall, represented a Ukrainian and Russian worker on a platform holding up a Soviet order of brotherhood.
The statue was constructed beneath a massive titanium 'People's Friendship Arch', which was created in 1982 to honor the Soviet Union's 60th annual celebration.
"Now that we see what this friendship is - the wreckage of Ukrainian towns, the massacre of tens of thousands of peaceful citizens, I am confident that such a memorial has a completely different connotation," said Vitaly Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv.
Construction crews began by dismantling one of the two bronze heads, which landed with a loud clatter on the ground.
A group of roughly 100 people rejoiced and screamed "Glory to Ukraine" and other chants as a crane took the monument off its anchors and gradually dropped it to the ground.
One of the designers, Serhiy Myrhorodsky, stated that the monument, which represents the Russian-Ukrainian brotherhood, no longer makes sense after Russia's decision to attack Ukraine.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, has killed thousands of people, destroyed towns and cities, and prompted more than 5 million people to escape to other countries.
Moscow refers to its efforts as a "special operation" aimed at disarming Ukraine and defending it against fascists.
"We should have no connections with the invading nation. No goodwill, no contact, nothing," Diana, a young woman who did not want to be identified, stated.
The arch will be preserved, but will be titled the Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian People, according to Klitschko.
On the other hand, the secretary of the Kyiv Local Authority announced on Monday that streets with ties to Russia and Belarus will be rebranded as well.
According to Volodymyr Bondarenko, a Ukrainian politician, Kyiv has 279 streets and 60 objects that meet the criteria, such as cemeteries and inscriptions.
Residents can submit recommendations for street renaming and item removal by May 1, he added, however, it will take longer to remove signs with street names because it is not the appropriate time for such measures.
