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Ukraine Gets Rid of Soviet Symbols on Motherland Monument in Kyiv

This aerial view taken on August 6, 2023 shows steeplejacks installing the coat of arms of Ukraine on the shield of the 62-meter Motherland Monument in Kyiv, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
This aerial view taken on August 6, 2023 shows steeplejacks installing the coat of arms of Ukraine on the shield of the 62-meter Motherland Monument in Kyiv, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
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Ukraine Gets Rid of Soviet Symbols on Motherland Monument in Kyiv

This aerial view taken on August 6, 2023 shows steeplejacks installing the coat of arms of Ukraine on the shield of the 62-meter Motherland Monument in Kyiv, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
This aerial view taken on August 6, 2023 shows steeplejacks installing the coat of arms of Ukraine on the shield of the 62-meter Motherland Monument in Kyiv, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)

Workers installed Ukraine's national trident on an iconic monument depicting the Motherland in Kyiv on Sunday, replacing old Soviet symbols in one of the most visible examples of breaking away from the past and Moscow's influence.

The monument, a 62-meter-tall (200-foot) steel statue of a female warrior, was built in 1981 on top of a hill on the right bank of the Dnipro River. Gazing sternly east, the figure holds a 16-meter (52-foot) sword in her right hand and an eight-meter-long shield in her left.

Originally, the shield bore the Soviet Union's coat of arms - a crossed hammer and sickle surrounded by ears of wheat.

In late July, workers used cables to lower dismantled parts of the coat of arms to the ground. On Saturday, they began installing a 500-kg (1,100-lb) trident on the shield, but were unable to complete the work due to adverse weather and an air attack warning for the capital.

The move has its roots in a movement to “decommunize” - or shed memories of the former Soviet Union - which Ukraine has stepped up since Russia's all-out invasion last year.

That cultural shift to a stronger Ukrainian self-identity was accompanied in recent years by a political tilt to the West that infuriated Russian President Vladimir Putin and was part of his justification for invading.

Kyiv says the invasion appears to be an imperial mission to recreate the Soviet Union.

During the Maidan Revolution of 2014, demonstrators brought down statues of Vladimir Lenin, rejecting authoritarianism and communism and demanding closer ties with the European Union.

Ukraine outlawed Soviet symbols in 2015, the year after Russia annexed Crimea and backed separatist proxies in the country’s east.

Across Ukraine, hundreds of statues of Russian poets and Soviet generals were torn down or defaced, and public art and propaganda murals were covered up or removed.

Thousands of streets and dozens of towns and villages were renamed. Streets and squares previously named after Soviet party leaders or generals were given names associated with national history, prominent Ukrainians or friends of the Ukrainian people, such as the late US Senator John McCain.

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Culture

Top Prosecutor: Louvre Heist Probe Still Aims to Recover Jewelry

FILE - People wait for the Louvre museum to open, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
FILE - People wait for the Louvre museum to open, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
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Top Prosecutor: Louvre Heist Probe Still Aims to Recover Jewelry

FILE - People wait for the Louvre museum to open, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
FILE - People wait for the Louvre museum to open, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

French investigators remain determined to find the imperial jewels stolen from the Louvre in October, a prosecutor has told AFP.

Police believe they have arrested all four thieves who carried out the brazen October 19 robbery, making off with jewelry worth an estimated $102 million from the world-famous museum.

"The interrogations have not produced any new investigative elements," top Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said this week, three months after the broad-daylight heist.

But the case remains a top priority, she underlined.

"Our main objective is still to recover the jewelry," she said.

That Sunday morning in October, thieves parked a mover's truck with an extendable ladder below the Louvre's Apollo Gallery housing the French crown jewels.

Two of the thieves climbed up the ladder, broke a window and used angle grinders to cut glass display booths containing the treasures, while the other two waited below, investigators say.

The four then fled on high-powered motor scooters, dropping a diamond-and-emerald crown in their hurry.

But eight other items of jewelry -- including an emerald-and-diamond necklace that Napoleon I gave his second wife, Empress Marie-Louise -- remain at large.

Beccuau said investigators were keeping an open mind as to where the loot might be.

"We don't have any signals indicating that the jewelry is likely to have crossed the border," she said, though she added: "Anything is possible."

Detectives benefitted from contacts with "intermediaries in the art world, including internationally" as they pursued their probe.

"They have ways of receiving warning signals about networks of receivers of stolen goods, including abroad," Beccuau said.

As for anyone coming forward to hand over the jewels, that would be considered to be "active repentance, which could be taken into consideration" later during a trial, she said.

A fifth suspect, a 38-year-old woman who is the partner of one of the men, has been charged with being an accomplice but was released under judicial supervision pending a trial.

Investigators still had no idea if someone had ordered the theft.

"We refuse to have any preconceived notions about what might have led the individuals concerned to commit this theft," the prosecutor said.

But she said detectives and investigating magistrates were resolute.

"We haven't said our last word. It will take as long as it takes," she said.

Culture

Desert X AlUla Unveils Acclaimed Lineup of Saudi and Global Artists in 2026 Edition

Mohammad AlFaraj's artwork at Desert X AlUla 2026 (Courtesy of Lance Gerber)
Mohammad AlFaraj's artwork at Desert X AlUla 2026 (Courtesy of Lance Gerber)
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Desert X AlUla Unveils Acclaimed Lineup of Saudi and Global Artists in 2026 Edition

Mohammad AlFaraj's artwork at Desert X AlUla 2026 (Courtesy of Lance Gerber)
Mohammad AlFaraj's artwork at Desert X AlUla 2026 (Courtesy of Lance Gerber)

Arts AlUla has announced the lineup of Saudi and international artists participating in the fourth edition of Desert X AlUla, the international open-air art exhibition held in collaboration with Desert X.

 

Running from January 16 to February 28, the exhibition will feature an exceptional selection of specially commissioned artworks, ranging from large-scale installations and sound pieces that stretch across and beneath the desert landscape, to kinetic works and immersive interactive experiences.

 

The showcase reflects a deep connection to AlUla’s unique environment, its dramatic natural landscapes, and rich cultural heritage.

 

Desert X AlUla, the region’s first public art biennial, will feature 11 artists presenting diverse perspectives, materials, and artistic traditions in their large-scale works in its 2026 edition.

 

The program offers a delightful mix of performances and interactive family activities, alongside dedicated programs that blend sound, movement, storytelling, and play.

 

Also, the visitor pavilion will host a live music program curated in collaboration with AlUla Music Hub, creating moments where art, nature, and community converge in a shared experience shaped by rhythm and a strong sense of place.

 

Arts AlUla confirmed that Desert X AlUla 2026 will be open to the public.

Culture

Saudi Heritage Commission Announces Discovery of 20 Rock Engravings in Soudah Peaks Project

The newly identified sites feature inscriptions and rock carvings estimated to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old. (SPA)
The newly identified sites feature inscriptions and rock carvings estimated to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old. (SPA)
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Saudi Heritage Commission Announces Discovery of 20 Rock Engravings in Soudah Peaks Project

The newly identified sites feature inscriptions and rock carvings estimated to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old. (SPA)
The newly identified sites feature inscriptions and rock carvings estimated to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission, in collaboration with Soudah Development, a Public Investment Fund company, announced on Tuesday the discovery of 20 ancient rock art sites within the Soudah Peaks area.

Spanning more than 636.5 square kilometers across Soudah and parts of Rijal Almaa, the project area is now recognized as home to some of the region’s oldest cultural landmarks. The newly identified sites feature inscriptions and rock carvings estimated to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old, offering valuable insights into the region’s rich history.

The findings include Thamudic inscriptions, along with vivid depictions of ibex, hyenas, and ostriches, as well as scenes of hunters, dancers, palm trees, and weapons, reflecting the environmental and social practices of the ancient communities that once inhabited the area.

The survey forms part of a memorandum of understanding signed between the Heritage Commission and Soudah Development. Conducted in four scientific phases, the initiative began with data collection and site analysis, concluding with the documentation and classification of high-value archaeological sites in preparation for future development and preservation efforts.

Soudah Development remains committed to protecting and promoting the natural and cultural heritage of the project area. The company continues to work towards creating an integrated cultural and tourism experience that reflects the authenticity and historical richness of the region, in line with its vision to transform Soudah Peaks into a premier luxury mountain destination rooted in heritage.