On June 3, the Facebook user “Home to Europe” and Russian-language accounts (1, 2, 3) published a video with the claim that the “Arch of Friendship of Peoples” in Kyiv was painted in the colors of the LGBTQ+ flag. The video shows how they paint the arch with rainbow colors. The anti-Western anonymous account “Home to Europe” claims that “Ukrainians have finally re-painted the arch of friendship between the Soviet peoples.”
The video of repainting the arch in Ukraine is being disseminated in a manipulative manner. It was filmed in 2017 and shows the preparations for the Eurovision Song Contest in Ukraine. The theme of the Eurovision Song Contest of that year was diversity, that’s why the arch was painted in rainbow colors, and then it returned to its original appearance.
In 2017, the Eurovision Song Contest was held in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. That year, the theme of the competition was Diversity, and the slogan was “Celebrate Diversity”. This year’s competition logo featured a traditional Ukrainian necklace. According to Eurovision, a Ukrainian-style necklace consists of many different beads, each with its own design and representing diversity and individuality.
The Arch of Friendship of Peoples, which is now called the Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian People, was decorated in accordance with the theme of the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest, and it was planned to return to its original form after the contest. The process of painting the arch with rainbow colors was hindered by the far-right groups and it could not be painted completely. After the “Eurovision” was over, the arch was restored to its original appearance and it is still a metallic construction.
“Arch of Friendship of Peoples” was built in Kyiv in 1982 in honor of the union of Ukrainians and Russians. In 2022, shortly after Russia’s re-invasion in Ukraine, the Arch of Friendship of Peoples was renamed the Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian People. They even demolished the monument of the friendship of the Ukrainian and Russian people standing near the arch.
Disinformation related to LGBTQ+ issues is often disseminated with the aim of discrediting Ukraine or the current government of the country. “Myth Detector” systematically debunks such claims:
- DISINFORMATION, AS IF MARRIAGE OF SAME-SEX COUPLES IS ALLOWED IN UKRAINE
- DISINFORMATION THAT UKRAINE HAS SIGNED A MEMORANDUM TO INTRODUCE THE TEACHING OF LGBT ISSUES IN SCHOOLS
- PRIDE IN UKRAINE OR A CARNIVAL IN SPAIN – WHAT DOES THE VIDEO DEPICT?
About the Source
The user “Shiin Evropisken” [Home to Europe] distributes information of homophobic and anti-Western content in a coordinated manner, including disinformation and fake photo-video content.
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