Ukraine’s Minister of Culture, Aleksandr Tkachenko, launched a social media attack upon Kiev’s Pyotr Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine (UNTAM) for their refusal to bow to Kiev’s “cancel culture” assault and remove the name of Tchaikovsky, a founder of the National Music Academy. In this case, Tchaikovsky, from a Ukrainian Cossack family, is an example of culture shared by both Russia and Ukraine – and perhaps even more to be despised by Kiev than a Russian artist with no Ukrainian connections. Tkachenko indicates such a special hatred, by characterizing Russian President Putin’s position as Tchaikovsky being Putin’s “cultural weapon” – when Putin had actually argued that Tchaikovsky was an example of the higher culture that both countries shared.
UNTAM’s board has been under pressure from Kiev for months to change their long-established name, and now has voted for the second time not to make the change. Tkachenko responded, writing on Facebook that the Ministry is “disappointed” with UNTAM, and that UNTAM has ignored the authorities, including Kiev’s “Expert Council.” RT reports Tkachenko’s language as UNTAM ignoring the recommendation “on overcoming the consequences of Russification and totalitarianism.” Tkachenko points out Kiev’s success in silencing any performances of Tchaikovsky’s music, as “all our theaters refused to perform” his works. Tkachenko threatened UNTAM on Facebook, saying that UNTAM had to speedily reverse its course, since “the markers with which we mark our educational and cultural spaces” are key to the Academy’s future.
