Forbidden Bandera: why Poland demands to rename a street in Vinnytsia

Public activist, politician, and journalist Vitaliy Haidukevych commented on the resolution of the Polish city of Kielce to the mayor of Vinnytsia demanding to change the name of Stepan Bandera Street on the air of “Pryamoy”.

In his opinion, such calls and disputes regarding the common history of both states are related to internal political processes in the neighboring country before the elections to be held in 2027.

“And these historical manipulations by a certain part of Polish politicians, it seems to me, are directed at their own 27th year, and not at the prospect of Ukrainian negotiations on joining the European Union,” said Haidukevych.

Against the backdrop of this historical confrontation, Vinnytsia has already withdrawn its request to its sister city to provide buses. In addition, Polish sociological surveys have recorded a deterioration in the attitude towards Ukrainians after one of its units was named after UPA heroes. At the same time, official Kyiv does not plan to change the honorary name of the military unit.

Haidukevych called on Ukrainian society to act with caution and not resort to sudden mirror steps. He recalled that every state primarily cares about its own interests, so Ukraine needs to calmly and firmly defend its position.

Earlier, the media reported that the Law and Justice party faction in the city council of the Polish city of Kielce submitted a resolution addressed to the chairman of the council, Maciej Jakubczyk, calling on the mayor of Vinnytsia to change the name of Stepan Bandera Street in the city.

As a reminder, Polish President Karol Nawrocki wants to deprive Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of Poland’s highest state award, the Order of the White Eagle, due to his decision to award the elite unit of the Ukrainian Special Forces the title of Heroes of the UPA .

By the way, in Lublin, Poland, the Ukrainian flag was removed from the city council building after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to give one of the Special Operations Forces units the honorary title “named after the Heroes of the UPA.”

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