“Haste can devalue the idea”: where the Pantheon of outstanding Ukrainians could be and who should be reburied there

The initiative is generally supported, but key questions — from location to criteria — remain open.

Могила Симона Петлюри у Парижі. Фото: відкриті джерела

today at 12:00 PM

The Office of the President is developing a project for the Pantheon of Outstanding Ukrainians — a memory space where they plan to rebury political, military, and cultural figures whose graves are currently located abroad.

During the discussion, the head of the Office of the President Kyrylo Budanov emphasizedthat it is not only about reburial, but about a broader process of returning historical heritage. According to him, implementation will be difficult, as burials are located in different countries — both friendly and unfriendly — however, it should not be postponed, especially in conditions of war.

Also, meeting participants were instructed to prepare a list of figures for possible reburial, work out an implementation mechanism, and determine the location of the future pantheon. Among the options being considered is the National Military Memorial Cemetery.

At the same time, the idea itself remains controversial: there is still no unity regarding exactly where the pantheon should be and who has the right to be honored there. These very questions became key in the reactions of the expert environment.

People's Deputy and historian Volodymyr Viatrovych in a comment to "Tvoe Misto" said that he evaluates the idea of reburial positively and emphasizes that it has both a practical and a symbolic basis. According to him, part of the burials abroad are under threat, and for the figures themselves, it would be an honor to be buried in Ukraine.

“I view it positively and have been promoting it for a long time. I have been one of the initiators of this idea for about 15 years, probably. Firstly, some of these burials are under threat abroad because those who cared for them are passing away. And secondly, these are people who fought for the independence of Ukraine, and it would be an honor for them to be buried in Ukraine, in the capital of Ukraine, in the National Pantheon”, — he notes.

At the same time, speaking about the importance of such a space, Viatrovych emphasizes that the pantheon should perform a unifying function for society.

“The National Pantheon is a place that should be a symbol of unity around those thanks to whom we gained this state”, — he adds, noting that similar spaces exist in France, Italy, Portugal, and Poland.

Separately, Viatrovych dwells on the question of location. In his conviction, the pantheon should be located in the center of the capital, fulfilling both a symbolic and a protocol function.

“I am convinced that it should be the center of the capital. This should be a place visited by heads of state, and at the same time a space open to Ukrainians. I do not support the option of placement at the military memorial cemetery — the Pantheon should not be somewhere far outside of Kyiv”, — he emphasizes.

He also clarifies that the pantheon does not provide for mass reburials — it is about a limited number of figures, so the requirements for the site must be especially high.

Regarding the selection criteria, Viatrovych notes that this issue is still being formed and requires legislative regulation. At the same time, according to him, it is primarily about state figures of different historical periods and military leaders.

“These should be the people who at different times were heads of Ukrainian state entities — from the princely era to the 20th century. This especially applies to the commanders-in-chief of Ukrainian armies — of the UNR and UPA eras,” — he explains.

Architect and local historian Ivan Shchurko in a comment to "Tvoie Misto" said that he also supports the idea of creating a pantheon, but warns against haste in its implementation. In his opinion, the initiative itself is correct, but belated.

“The Pantheon is needed. The idea itself is correct, even to some extent belated — this should have been thought of earlier. But I am afraid of the so-called turbo-mode: haste in such things can devalue a good idea,” — he notes.

Shchurko emphasizes that the key question is in developing a common approach to exactly who to honor in such a space.

“This should be the result of a broad discussion — of historians, the military, researchers. In different countries, different principles apply: in some places it's only state figures, in others the military, and in some, a time filter is applied — 50–100 years after death. Until there is a concept, it is difficult to talk about specific names,” — he explains.

Speaking of the possible location, Shchurko notes that although Kyiv looks like a logical option, one should not be limited only to the capital.

“Ukraine has many places of power — Kaniv, Kholodnyi Yar. I would not rule out the option that it could be not one location, but a certain system of such places. In Poland, for example, there are several memory centers, and they do not reduce everything to a single point”, — he adds.

Historian and serviceman Vakhtang Kipiani, who participated in the meeting, confirms, that there is currently no final vision for the project. According to him, the proposal to create a pantheon on the territory of the National Military Memorial Cemetery did not receive support.

“The working proposal was to build it on the territory of the military cemetery, but it did not receive general support. There should be a separate memorial in the center of Kyiv — this is one of the key discussions”, — he notes.

He also draws attention to the absence of an agreed-upon list of figures and the need to develop clear criteria.

“There are no lists at the moment. It is necessary to determine exactly who has the right to be buried in such a pantheon. This place should reconcile the nation and show an image of a strong, united Ukraine”, — Kipiani emphasizes.

According to him, the questions regarding the appearance of the space itself also remain open — whether it will involve relocating existing tombstones or creating new memorial forms.

Thus, despite general support for the idea, experts agree on one thing: the implementation of the pantheon requires a clear concept, agreed criteria, and broad public discussion.

The idea of creating such a memorial space in Ukraine has been discussed for years. Back in the early 2000s, it was proposed at the state level to create a complex in Kyiv to honor prominent figures, but these initiatives were not implemented.

In 2015, this issue was revisited, but even then the project did not see practical implementation. In parallel, the concept of a pantheon was developed within the expert community, particularly with the participation of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance.

In various years, it was proposed to consider the pantheon not only as a burial place but as a broader memorial space with the possibility of individual reburials. At the same time, there is still no final decision on the format, location, and principles of its content, which is leading to a new wave of discussion around this idea.