You're reading: Rada specifies restrictions on use of Communist, Nazi symbols

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has supported amendments to the law denouncing the Communist and Nazi totalitarian regimes and banning their propaganda and symbols.

On April 23 233 MPs voted in favor of introducing changes to Article 4 of the new law.

The amendments were signed by the coalition leaders, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Volodymyr Groysman said.

Lawmakers introduced amendments to Article 4 of this law, extending the list of cases that aren’t covered by ban on use of Communist, Nazi totalitarian regimes symbols.

According to the first version of the law, the ban doesn’t cover the use of Communist and Nazi symbols at permanent museum exhibitions, thematic exhibitions, in scientific, educational texts, other materials of educational and scientific character (unless they deny the criminal character of the Communist totalitarian regime or the Nazi totalitarian regime), during scientific researches and the distribution of their results, on memorial headstones or memorial signs located at burial sites, during presentations of rehabilitation of historical events. The ban also doesn’t apply to private collections.

MPs voted for amendments providing that the ban doesn’t cover the use of symbols in documents of state agencies and local administrations, issued by science and education institutions, companies, establishments, or organizations before 1991, usage of symbols in artwork created before the law came into effect. At that, the ban does not apply to the use of symbols on originals of battle flags, national awards, medals presented before 1991, and during 1991-2015 due to the anniversaries of World War II events.