The leader of the OUN, Andriy Melnyk, has been reburied in Ukraine. What comes next?

On May 25, the National Military Memorial Cemetery hosted the ceremonial reburial of OUN leader Andriy Melnyk and his wife, Sofiia.

This unquestionably historic event — the first honorary reburial on Ukrainian soil of a fighter for Ukraine’s independence — took place with the participation of the country’s top leadership, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk, Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, as well as representatives of the government, parliament, the Office of the President, civil society, the clergy, the military, and, of course, Plast, in which Sofiia had long been an active member.

At first glance, there may seem to be nothing extraordinary about such a ceremony: the president paying tribute to a national figure whose remains have finally returned to Ukraine. In reality, however, during wartime a commemoration of this scale is unprecedented. It requires extraordinary security measures and reflects the highest level of respect the Ukrainian state can bestow upon one of its heroes.

Accordingly, the organizational standards for the ceremony were exceptionally high. The reburial was conducted with full military honors and in strict observance of all ceremonial rites, including the participation of a military brass band and an honor guard.

Volodymyr Zelensky

During the ceremony, Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the importance of preserving historical memory and honoring the legendary figures who, for various reasons, were laid to rest outside Ukraine. He stressed that the phrase “respect for Ukrainian heroes” must finally acquire its full meaning, and that the remains of thousands of distinguished Ukrainians should ultimately return home and receive the honor they deserve.

The President also confirmed that Yevhen Konovalets, the founder of the OUN, will be among the next historical figures to be reburied in Ukraine. “We have already begun the process of bringing Yevhen Konovalets home, along with many other such Ukrainians,” the head of state said.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President Iryna Vereshchuk, who oversaw the reburial of the Melnyk family, noted that official permission has already been granted for the reburial of Yevhen Konovalets.

Meanwhile, Oleksandr Alfyorov, head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, stated that more than 11,000 Ukrainians buried abroad have already been identified. “These are individuals who fought for the Ukrainian statehood. We continue adding them to the website of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, searching for them, and we will keep searching,” Alfyorov said.

Oleksandr Alfyorov

Vereshchuk, for her part, noted that Ukraine intends to repatriate not only twentieth-century fighters for independence, but also prominent figures from earlier eras, including the Cossack period and even the times of Kyivan Rus. “Do you know where Yaroslav the Wise is buried?” she asked journalists. When reporters suggested Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, Vereshchuk responded with a mysterious smile. At the same time, Alfyorov reminded the media that the remains of figures such as Hetman Petro Doroshenko are, for example, located in Russia.

Iryna Vereshchuk

To truly honor the memory of Ukraine’s heroes, the establishment of a National Pantheon is, of course, essential. In his remarks, Volodymyr Zelensky recalled that discussions about creating such a pantheon have been ongoing since 2019.

Iryna Vereshchuk noted that work is currently underway on the relevant legislation. “Our plans now include adopting a law on the Pantheon that will establish the framework and the main criteria — who may be buried there, after what period of time, at what age, and so on. All of this will be clearly defined in the law. This framework will then enable the Cabinet of Ministers to adopt the necessary regulatory acts. Decisions regarding each distinguished Ukrainian man or woman will be made through separate government resolutions,” Vereshchuk explained.

Accordingly, if such legislation is adopted, the remains of prominent Ukrainian figures could eventually be reburied once again — this time in the National Pantheon. In that sense, the reburial of Andriy Melnyk and his wife Sofiia may not represent their final resting place.

Historian Vakhtang Kipiani echoed this view following the ceremony, writing on Facebook:

“The return home of the Ukrainian Army Colonel and OUN leader Andriy Melnyk has taken place. My thanks to everyone in the authorities and civil society who made this possible. For now, his resting place is the National Military Memorial Cemetery — and later, the National Pantheon.”

Despite differing views on when and where the National Pantheon should be established, there is little doubt about its necessity and importance for the Ukrainian nation. A National Pantheon of Heroes is a place where people can physically connect with the history and culture of their nation.

It is no coincidence that Russia has targeted monuments such as the statue of Stepan Bandera in Lviv or destroyed the Hryhorii Skovoroda Literary-Memorial Museum near Kharkiv, along with many other places where Ukrainian culture and history “lived.” This war is, among other things, a struggle over history and identity.

A Ukrainian National Pantheon of Heroes — beginning, for example, with Volodymyr the Great — would directly challenge Russian historical narratives and undermine the myth of an ancient Russian empire. That is precisely why Russian propaganda devotes so much attention to historical issues.

Andrii Yusov, responding to my question about whether the remains of OUN leader Stepan Bandera would also be returned to Ukraine, stressed that this work is being carried out independently of any considerations related to Russian propaganda.

“These will be Ukrainian decisions, made in Ukraine and guided by Ukrainian national interests. Russian propaganda will certainly not be taken into account,” Yusov emphasized.

Andrii Yusov

For now, it is difficult to predict how successful the process of adopting a law on the National Pantheon of Heroes will be, or how quickly — and, hopefully, without controversy — a suitable site for the project will be identified in the capital city. What matters, however, is that these issues, which are of fundamental importance to the Ukrainian state, are finally being addressed, and that the process of reburying Ukrainian heroes has moved from the realm of discussion into practical implementation.

Tetiana PASOVA

Photos: Yevhen Kotenko / Ukrinform