Derussification of Ukrainian and Latvian streetscapes after 2022. ‘Every Russian and Soviet monument or street is like a Russian soldier in the rear’

This paper examines street renaming strategies in the management of public space as essential approaches to political, cultural, and sociolinguistic changes in Ukraine and Latvia. Special attention is paid to the renaming of streets in the context of past and present laws affecting the use of language and cultural markers in linguistic landscapes. We are particularly interested in the metalinguistic activities of stakeholders and the public, raising two research questions: How do administrative actions, public participation, and the ideological reconstruction of public spaces take place in both countries after 2022? What are the main initiatives and arguments brought forward by social actors to both accelerate and justify the desired changes in the context of derussification, and how are they presented in media and perceived in society? Using critical toponymy theory and critical discourse theory and a comparative approach, we analyze street renaming strategies within the context of derussification policies.