The Rada has renamed the city of Yuzhne in Odesa Oblast to Pivdenne, rejecting the initially proposed name of Port-Annental. The idea to rename the city of Yuzhne in Odesa Oblast to Port-Annenthal did not receive enough votes.
On October 9, the Verkhovna Rada approved several renaming resolutions. The city of Yuzhne in Odesa Oblast was renamed Pivdenne (resolution 12092). However, the proposal to rename it Port-Annental did not pass, receiving only 155 votes (resolution 12084). Additionally, the city of Yuzhnoukrainsk in Mykolaiv Oblast was renamed Pivdennoukrainsk. The proposal to rename Pervomaisk in Mykolaiv Oblast to Olviopol also failed to gather enough support.
The name “Annental” refers to a historical German settlement in the region, translating as “Valley of Anna.” It was one of the original names of the village of Bilyary, now part of the Yuzhne territorial community and the Port of Pivdenny. The team from Yuzhne proposed “Port-Annental” as a name for its unique historical significance, aiming to reflect the area’s heritage. However, the final decision was to rename the city to “Pivdenne” instead of the proposed “Port-Annental.”
The ongoing renaming of cities in Ukraine is part of a larger decommunization and de-Russification process aimed at removing Soviet and Russian colonial-era names. These efforts reflect Ukraine’s desire to assert its national identity, cultural heritage, and independence, especially in the context of the ongoing conflict with Russia. The renaming is also part of a broader trend to revive historical names or adopt ones that are more relevant to Ukrainian history and culture, distancing the country from its Soviet past and Russian influence.