Pantheon of outstanding Ukrainians: the leadership of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine took part in the reburial ceremony of the remains of an OUN leader.
25 May 2026, 15:36
At the National Military Memorial Cemetery, in the presence of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a reburial ceremony was held for the remains of Colonel of the Army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (1938–1964) Andriy Melnyk and his wife Sofiia Fedak-Melnyk.
As noted by the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk, important work is beginning on the establishment of the Pantheon of Outstanding Ukrainians. This is one of the first important steps towards creating a space of national memory — a place where Ukraine will honour figures who, in different historical periods, fought for our statehood, freedom, and the right to be ourselves.
“The Pantheon of Outstanding Ukrainians should become a place of historical continuity, dignity, and value-based consolidation of the Ukrainian people. This is not only about the past, but also about our ability to preserve memory and pass it on to future generations. Ahead lie new reburials and commemorations of Ukrainians whose names and struggle are an inseparable part of our history and statehood,” noted the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk.
As noted by First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniienko, the reburial ceremony of the ashes of Andriy Melnyk and his wife Sofiia Fedak-Melnyk in Ukraine is not merely a tribute to their memory, but an act of historical justice.
“For us, the modern generation of politicians and citizens, this is a powerful reminder of the continuity of our struggle. Ukrainian statehood did not emerge from nowhere. It was forged through the blood, intellect, and resilience of leaders across the centuries,” Oleksandr Korniienko emphasised.
“This is a historic event of tremendous importance for our national memory and unity. We must bring back to our native land, to our own Pantheon of Heroes, many more fighters for Ukraine who rest in different parts of the world. This is a mission of state importance, because we stand and fight on the shoulders of an entire generation of outstanding military leaders and statesmen who devoted their lives to the idea and cause of Ukrainian independence,” stressed Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Olena Kondratiuk.
