Rada adopts law on national memory and fight against “racism”
24 August 2025 16:03
This decision is a significant step toward establishing a policy of national memory, a deeper understanding of history, and the formation of a future based on truth.
The document introduces a number of new concepts into the legal field, including “war for Ukraine’s independence,” “national memory,” “state policy of national memory of the Ukrainian people,” “historical anti-Ukrainian propaganda,” “crimes against the Ukrainian people,” and “place of memory of the Ukrainian people.” For the first time, the definition of the term “racism” as a hybrid totalitarian ideology that combines elements of Russian chauvinism, imperialism, communist and Nazi practices has been enshrined in law, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports, citing the Voice of Ukraine.
The law regulates the legal status of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance as a central executive body, which will ensure its proper funding and effective operation. It also defines the basic principles, tasks and directions of the national memory policy, outlines the forms of perpetuating memory and mechanisms for preserving places of memory.
The document stipulates that the restoration and preservation of national memory, protection of the state language, and protection of cultural heritage are matters of national security. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is to develop and adopt a State Strategy for the Restoration and Preservation of the National Memory of the Ukrainian People.
Important innovations include the establishment of rules for naming and renaming streets, squares and institutions in accordance with the laws on decommunization and decolonization. In particular, names adopted by law cannot be changed for 10 years. The “anti-sabotage mechanism” of the decolonization legislation has also been restored: local councils have six months to remove symbols of Russian imperial policy from public space, and in case of inaction, responsibility passes to community heads and then to regional administrations.
A separate provision recognizes as state awards of Ukraine the insignia introduced by the UPR and UGVR and awarded to fighters for independence in the twentieth century.
The law will help strengthen national unity, counteract information attacks, preserve historical truth and perpetuate the memory of key events and figures of the Ukrainian people. Its adoption was the result of cooperation between members of the Ukrainian Parliament, the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications, the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, civil society activists and the expert community.
