Dnipropetrovsk celebrated Europe Day for the first time this spring, with the festivities taking place on the city’s main square that still bears Lenin’s name. At the foot of the statue dedicated to the leader of the world proletariat EU representatives put up a European tent city featuring their democratic achievements. Although Vladimir Lenin took a keen interest in the so-called United States of Europe, the Dnipropetrovsk authorities obviously considered the tent city’s location rather embarrassing — all the more so because Mayor Ivan Kulichenko, who often visits Strasbourg and the EU countries, was again appointed head of the Ukrainian delegation to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe. The fathers of Dnipropetrovsk refused to change the name of the central square and remove the Lenin statue, probably because old habits die hard. Mayor Kulichenko, however, told a press conference that in a year’s time the city would ceremoniously open a European Square downtown. His idea was for the news square to host various events, including European exhibits. A shopping mall called Europe is under construction nearby, which will sell goods supplied by major European manufacturers. Naturally, the new square will have to meet all European standards, lest Dnipropetrovsk lose face in Europe. In fact, after Mayor Kulichenko familiarized himself with a project done by local architects, he ordered that it be revised and gave them one month. His press service has announced that the mayor “demanded that all nuances be taken into consideration” — e.g., a uniform color scheme for all buildings, lighting, ornamental greenery, even benches. He also instructed his subordinates to consider the possibility of building noiseless streetcar lines and altering the design of the fountain in front of the central department store — in a word, make the place look no worse than similar places in Europe.
Large-scale construction work on the site of European Square will start with repairs to the underground water and sewer pipelines of the entire residential district, so that it doesn’t take years to dismantle the granite cobblestone pavement. The mayor of Dnipropetrovsk said the new square would be ceremoniously opened on September 10, 2005, marking the next City Day. It so happens that European Square will look more like a sequel to nearby Lenin Square. The bronze leader will now be pointing in the direction of the shortest way to Europe, as though encouraging the residents of Dnipropetrovsk: “We’re following the right path, comrades!”
