The Verkhovna Rada adopted draft law No. 15360 as a whole, which provides for the creation of the Ukrainian National Pantheon. This is indicated by data on the parliament's website.
The adopted law clearly defines the procedure for holding competitions for the construction and arrangement of the memorial complex, the procedure for determining its future manager, as well as the mechanism for making decisions regarding the honoring of prominent Ukrainians and cases where such honoring is impossible.
According to the document, the Pantheon will honor the most outstanding Ukrainians who have made a historical contribution to gaining and restoring independence, state-building, and defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity. It will also immortalize figures who have contributed to the formation of the Ukrainian nation, the development of the army, culture, art, science, sports, literary language, civil society, and religion.
The initiator of the creation of this memorial site was President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Earlier, the head of state explained that the Ukrainian National Pantheon should unite the names of people who fought for the independence of the state in different eras. According to the president, no one will be able to dictate to Ukraine how to live, whom to honor, and whom to be grateful to.
"The names of all heroes who in different centuries and eras fought for Ukraine, inspired Ukraine, will be united and forever inscribed in our history with a capital letter, with great respect and attention from the state.", - emphasized Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
First candidates for reburial
As a reminder, the first candidates for reburial have already been identified for the National Pantheon. Currently, this list includes about 40 surnames.
Among the first candidates are the founder of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists Yevhen Konovalets, General-Khorunzhyi of the Army of the Ukrainian People's Republic Mykhailo Omelianovych-Pavlenko, and the last Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army Vasyl Kuk.
State memory policy and preparation for reburials
Earlier, Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a thematic meeting on strategic issues of Ukrainian memory policy and honoring national heroes, which marked the beginning of practical work on the project. This primarily concerns the return to Ukraine of historical figures who are of fundamental importance for the formation of national consciousness and statehood.
Ivan Stychynskyi, an employee of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance (UINP), explained that the Pantheon of Prominent Ukrainians and the Memorial of Ukrainian Heroes are two different projects. The Pantheon is an initiative aimed specifically at reburying prominent Ukrainian figures who are currently buried outside the state.
Ukrainian diplomatic missions have already identified the graves of 98 prominent Ukrainians in 21 countries. Among the discovered graves are the resting places of political, military, cultural, and public figures of the Ukrainian People's Republic (UNR), the West Ukrainian People's Republic (ZUNR), OUN-UPA, the government of the UNR in exile, and participants in the national liberation struggle.
Initial stage and transfer of remains to the center of Kyiv
The first step of this state initiative was the reburial of the remains of the leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, Colonel of the UNR Army Andriy Melnyk, and his wife Sofia Fedak-Melnyk, which took place on May 25 at the National Military Memorial Cemetery in the Kyiv region. Following this, Ukraine is preparing for the reburial of the founder of OUN Yevhen Konovalets.
Read also: "A brick for Sofia is incorrect." Why the reburial of the Melnyk couple caused discussions
As historian and People's Deputy Volodymyr Vyatrovych explained, another reburial will take place later - directly on the territory of the National Pantheon of Heroes, which is to be arranged in the center of Kyiv.
Vyatrovych noted that a "very worthy place" is currently being considered for the arrangement of the Pantheon, which has not yet been announced. It is expected that this object will become a place of international protocol for foreign delegations and solemn events of the highest state level. The historian emphasized that the state must systematically take over this initiative, as there are still a large number of Ukrainian burials abroad that are disappearing due to the death of guardians or the collapse of public organizations. A group of involved experts is implementing the project. Commenting on criticism on social media regarding the high cost and inappropriateness of such steps during a full-scale war, Vyatrovych noted that such accusations are a standard way to discredit measures aimed at strengthening Ukrainian identity.
