August 04, 2024

A Turn to the East, at Least in Name


A Turn to the East, at Least in Name
Europ—er, Eurasia Square. Government of Moscow, Wikimedia Commons

Moscow's Europe Square now bears a new name, demonstrating strained relations between Russia and the West: Eurasia Square.

The square was built and opened in 2002, just outside Kiev Railway Station, a major transit hub for points south of Russia's capital. It featured a fountain, a ring of European flags, and an abstract representation of the myth of the Abduction of Europa. However, in late July 2024, the city government rechristened the square and swiftly replaced its flags with those of Russia's Eurasian partners.

The move comes in the context Russia's War on Ukraine, which has severely tainted relations with the West. As such, the renaming is more than just an update: it's a tacit move away from Europe, as all things Western become more and more maligned.

It is not known whether the Eurocentric statue will be removed.

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