In Odesa, they demand to change the city charter — what is the reason.

In Odesa, the people are not sitting idle: they want to change the current city charter. The idea is that the current charter contains propaganda elements that need to be corrected. The petition regarding this was published by activist Serhiy Bondarenko on the portal 'Socially Active Citizen'.

Petition regarding the charter

The document states that the current charter contradicts the Constitution of Ukraine, especially in terms of the development of the Ukrainian nation, culture, decolonization politics, and the memory of defenders of independence. The author of the petition believes that the city charter promotes 'pro-Russian rhetoric'.

'The preamble of the Charter emphasizes the significance of Odesa within the framework of a 'city of the Russian Empire', and also notes that 'Odesites are proud of the traditions of courage and patriotism rooted in the exploits of Russian soldiers...', which is an example of imperial and Russian propaganda.'

The petition's author noted that the city council had already acknowledged the obsolescence of the charter in 2022, but a new charter has not yet been developed taking into account the opinions of local residents. Currently, 42 Odesites have expressed their support, but to make a decision, it is necessary to collect 1,000 votes by October 12.

The residents of Odesa have called for the cancellation of the current city charter due to the presence of pro-Russian narratives in the document. The petition initiated by activist Serhiy Bondarenko on this topic has been supported by 42 individuals, but for further consideration, almost 1,000 more votes are needed. The petition states that the current city charter does not comply with the Constitution of Ukraine and contains propaganda elements that should be removed or revised.