Police investigate incident in Lviv after historian Starodubtsev's lecture disrupted

Police investigate incident in city centre

On 18 October, law enforcement officers received a report of a fight on lystopadovoho Chyna Street in Lviv. According to police data, the call came in at approximately 12:05. Investigators are currently establishing the details of the incident and the roles of the participants in the conflict. As of 19 October, no information has been released regarding the detention of individuals, the filing of charges, or the final legal qualification of the incident.

Disrupted lecture and conflicting versions

The cause of the conflict was an attempt to hold an event titled "Left Lviv: A Short History of a Long Tradition". The organiser was the public organisation "Social Movement", and the lecture was to be delivered by Kyiv-based historian and veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Vladyslav Starodubtsev. The venue was chosen as the area near Ivan Franko National University of Lviv.

The event did not take place due to the intervention of a group of veterans and activists who characterised it as anti-Ukrainian. Former Lviv City Council deputy and veteran Ihor Sholtis confirmed his participation in actions aimed at disrupting the event. He stated that active-duty military personnel and young nationalists joined the protest.

«Нами скасовано захід антиукраїнської комуністичної організації, яка закликає суспільство до розформування Служби безпеки України та інших відомств, які захищають наш суверенітет» (We have cancelled the event of an anti-Ukrainian communist organisation that calls on society to disband the Security Service of Ukraine and other agencies that protect our sovereignty), Ihor Sholtis emphasised.

Sholtis also expressed the belief that communism contradicts freedom of speech and pluralism of opinion. According to him, the organisers demonstrate disrespect for Ukrainian heroes and act in the interest of the Russian government.

Allegations of physical attack

Vladyslav Starodubtsev reported that before the lecture began, approximately 15 masked individuals approached him. The historian claims they demanded the cancellation of the event and his departure from Lviv. Following a verbal altercation, he stated that a physical attack was carried out against him: the man was struck, choked from behind, and kicked.

The public organisation "Social Movement" also confirmed the fact of the attack on its speaker, labelling the aggressors right-wing radicals. Meanwhile, representatives of the protest camp, including Ihor Sholtis, confirmed only the disruption of the event but do not acknowledge the circumstances of the beating described by the historian. Activists call such allegations an exaggeration.

Thus, the public statements of the parties differ significantly, and final conclusions regarding the nature of the physical conflict remain with law enforcement.