In an attempt to remove Russian and Soviet influence and get rid of the effects of the past, Ukraine changed the names of 95 streets and squares in the capital, Kyiv, to Russian or Soviet names, in a move that could anger Moscow.

Since the start of the Russian war on Ukraine in February, Ukraine has launched a "de-Russian" campaign to get rid of the legacy of Moscow's rule that lasted hundreds of years.

The change of names of streets and squares in Kyiv came a day after Ukraine celebrated the 31st anniversary of its independence, and also coincided with the six-month anniversary of the start of the war.

"(The new names) should memorialize the important historical events of Ukraine, as well as the famous personalities and heroes who glorified Ukraine and fought for the independence of our state," Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram.

He said the process was not over yet, and promised to move forward with the campaign.

Streets in the Ukrainian capital were renamed after 19th-century Russian writers such as Alexander Pushkin, Leo Tolstoy, Anton Chekhov, Ivan Turgenev and Mikhail Lermontov.

Not only that, but also German-born communist philosophers such as Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, whose streets are named after them throughout the Soviet Union.

The change of street names on Thursday came a day after Ukraine celebrated the 31st anniversary of its independence (Reuters)

Other names that have been changed include the names of Soviet military leaders during World War II, as well as streets named after Russian cities such as Moscow, Rostov, and Magnitogorsk.

Another street that once bore the title of Soviet defense minister, for example, was renamed the Azov Battalion, a move likely to anger Moscow, which openly defends its Soviet legacy in Europe.

The Azov Brigade, which is part of Ukraine's National Guard, is a source of pride in Ukraine where they held out against Russian forces for weeks in the siege of Mariupol earlier this year, but Moscow says it belongs to the far-right and describes it as a "terrorist organisation".

The name of the Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov, one of the greatest writers in the Soviet Union, even though he was born in Kyiv, has also been removed.

One street was named after London, the capital of one of Ukraine's most powerful allies, while another was named "Street of the Rise of Ukraine", inspired by a quote by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Independence Day that Ukraine was "reborn" when Russia started its war on it.

Klitschko said that not all of the new names have been finalized, considering that "this is an important step to reduce the false manipulation and influence of Russian aggressors and the interpretation of our history," he said.

Some of the new names will be chosen by the Ukrainian people.

Anyone in Ukraine can participate, and more than 6.5 million people can access a government smartphone app dedicated to this purpose.