They decided to rename the village in Ukraine to New York: a major scandal broke out with police intervention

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine decided not to return the historical name of New York to the village in the Donbass. Despite the fact that the issue was considered resolved a month ago. What will happen next, said the publication «Radio Svoboda».

A group of local residents fought for a change in the name for a long time, and in the end the renaming of the village of Novgorodskoye was approved by the relevant committee, but the issue never made it to the agenda of the Verkhovna Rada. Moreover, they began to resist the renaming. It even got to the point of police intervention.

The Verkhovna Rada said that during the plenary week from March 2 to 5, they approved, among other things, seven resolutions on renaming settlements.

The Donbass expected the town to be given its historical name New York. After all, on February 3, the parliamentary committee on the organization of state power approved the renaming.

But the "New York issue" was not on the agenda. And around the renaming, a story ensued, which is now being investigated by law enforcement officers.

Sausage again at 2.20

Ivan Rudenko represents the New York condominium association. The man says that he does not live in Novgorodskoye, but in New York: both Ivan and his family are actively advocating the return of the historical name to the village. They are convinced that the renaming will spur development and attract the attention of investors.

“Even my father, Ivan Ivanovich Rudenko, had a birth certificate (he was born in April 1951) that the village was New York,” says Rudenko.

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And how surprised Ivan was when a few weeks ago he saw allegedly his signature under a petition against renaming the village. Rudenko immediately turned to the village council with a request to investigate the situation.

“And this is not only my family - there are also a number of families who are in favor of renaming. And their signatures were put, I don’t know how, in this "statement" that they were allegedly against the renaming. This already casts doubt on the veracity of this document, ”Rudenko is convinced.

The man believes that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine did not consider the issue of renaming precisely because of this “document”.

“You understand what region we live in. And how this whole thing is perceived by some people "with hostility": this is the United States, you have plundered everything; and what, the roads will become better? And what, there will be sausage at 2.20? ”, - the activist describes the mood of the front-line zone.

"They do not want to be under the Americans"

As part of the decommunization in Novgorodskoye, the central Proletarskaya Street has already been renamed into New York Street. But after the parliamentary committee approved the renaming, complaints began to come to the village council. This was told by the head of Novgorodsky Nikolai Lenko. According to his observations, there are no more than five people complaining. These are people from various veteran organizations.

“They have a small pension, a peculiar perception: a desire to stay in the Soviet Union, pro-Russian thoughts, some kind of negative attitude towards American New York. Although people do not understand at all that this is German New York. They say that they simply do not like it, or that they do not want to be under the Americans, ”says Lenko.

According to the head, a document with signatures against the renaming was attached to one of the complaints. Lenko was surprised when he saw among the opponents of the renaming the autographs of people who, on the contrary, supported the return of the historical name.

“We turned to them and say: guys, how can it be, here are your signatures. And they said that it was a lie: these signatures were collected in support of some other issues, either against the closure of the therapeutic department, or the medical laboratory. These signatures were simply taken - and put under other questions, ”the village mayor describes the technology of resistance to the renaming of Novgorodskoye.

And the village council also found out, says Lenko, that some of the “signatories” have not lived in Novgorodskoye for more than five years, some surnames were written with errors, and some signatures look as if they were put by the same person. Now this whole story, according to the statement of the village head and some signatories, will be investigated by law enforcement officers.

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Why does the Ukrainian Donbass need German New York

Back in 1892, when the Germans founded a colony on the site of the town, they named it New York. In 1941 they were forcibly evicted to Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. And in 1951, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR renamed German New York into Soviet Novgorod.

Young residents of the village became one of the initiators of the return of the historical name. Why do they need it?

The head of the NGO “Initiative Youth of Ukrainian New York” Kristina Shevchenko said: “In my family, my grandparents told that they were from New York. For a long time after the end of the war, after the renaming into Novgorodskoe, my grandfather said for a long time: “I will go to New York for bread” (“I will go to New York for bread”). That is, he did not recognize the new name. And it is very important for young people to have a perspective. And the name "New York" gives many prospects, the possibility of attracting investors: international organizations agree to cooperate with New York, because few people are interested in Novgorodskoye. "

The head of the regional commission for the rehabilitation of the repressed in the Donetsk region Pavel Ostrovsky is helping to promote the Ukrainian New York. In his opinion, the renaming will attract the attention of both foreign diplomats and journalists.

“This is the authentic name of the village, which has existed for over 150 years. Renaming is a way of survival, it is a way of developing a front-line village. Of course, the New York settlement will receive much more attention than Novgorodskoye. And this will also affect financing: there are enterprises that are ready to go there just for the sake of registering in New York. This is already a source of filling the budget. This is very important for the front-line village, ”Ostrovsky says and adds: some local residents hope that after the return of the historical name, hostilities may subside.

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“People are tired of the constant shelling from the occupied territories by the Russian army. Any shot in the direction of New York - there can be attention to it overseas, in the United States. And this will already be sanctions against the aggressor country. That is, people have deep systemic thinking: this is not just the restoration of historical justice, it is a matter of life and death for the front-line village, ”Ostrovsky is convinced.

New York can be returned to Donbass on March 17

One of the initiators of the decree on the renaming of Novgorodsky is the People's Deputy from Golos Roman Lozinsky. He expressed the opinion that New York is not only a question of topography: renaming is a question of Ukraine's movement from Soviet decisions and vestiges into a pro-Western, pro-Ukrainian dimension. Lozinsky says that the overwhelming majority of the committee supported New York. But after the meeting of the committee, resistance began.

“We were in favor of putting the issue on the agenda as soon as possible. Then there was resistance. Obviously, there are people who want to leave the Soviet state of affairs in our country, including in the east of our country, ”Lozinsky said.

According to him, the issue of renaming Novgorodskoye is already on the agenda, and the vote is to take place on Wednesday, March 17. The Ukrainian deputy is sure that there will be enough votes in the Verkhovna Rada for the Ukrainian Donbass to have its own New York.