Road outside Russian Embassy to be renamed Kyiv Road
By Jacob Phillips, Local Democracy Reporter
A road outside the Russian embassy will be renamed Kyiv Road to mark the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine.
Westminster City council has announced it is following in the steps of other European capital cities by renaming the stretch of Bayswater Road outside the Russian Embassy.
A giant 500sqm yellow and blue flag was painted along the same stretch of the road on Thursday morning by protesters.
The campaign group Led By Donkeys has taken responsibility for the stunt. Four people have been arrested in connection with the incident.
Cities in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have all previously renamed streets near Russian Embassies in support of Ukraine.
Westminster City council leader Adam Hug said he believed the new road name was a fitting gesture for a nation whose bravery had inspired the international community.
He said: “The request for a new place name has come from the Ukrainian community itself.
“Westminster is home to Ukrainians displaced by the war, and our residents have opened their hearts and their doors to those fleeing Putin’s war machine.
“As the centre of an international capital, it seemed to us entirely fitting that part of our city should carry a torch for the unbowed defenders of Ukraine. It’s a small stretch of road, but we want to show the people of Ukraine that their struggle has a visible place in our city.
“Place names across London have changed over the decades to mark momentous points or figures in history, so Kyiv Road is part of that long tradition.”
Councillor Hug first made a pledge to rename the Westminster street when Labour took over Westminster City Council in May 2022.
Marble Arch will be illuminated with the colours of the Ukrainian flag on Friday night and the Ukrainian flag will also fly above Westminster City Hall in Victoria Street.
The new Kyiv Road sign will be installed today between Palace Court and Ossington Street.
Pictured top: Council leader Adam Hug with the new road sign (Picture: Westminster City council)
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