Yevhen Konovalets, First OUN Leader, Reburied at National Military Memorial Cemetery
A ceremony marking the reburial of the remains of Yevhen Konovalets, a colonel of the Army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the first leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), was held at the National Military Memorial Cemetery with the participation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, UATV English reports. “Today, we are all taking part in an event of national significance,…
A solemn ceremony was held at the National Military Memorial Cemetery to commemorate the reburial of Yevhen Konovalets, the first leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN). President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the gathering, emphasizing the significance of restoring historical justice for Ukraine by returning the remains of an "outstanding son of the Ukrainian people."
Zelenskyy praised Konovalets' bravery and statesmanship, noting that his life represented both heroism and tragedy during a defining era in Ukrainian history. The president lamented Ukraine's inability to establish itself during that time due to political fragmentation and missed opportunities for unity with the world. He assured the audience that Ukraine would continue to repatriate the remains of other Ukrainian national heroes currently buried abroad, highlighting the nation's duty to honor those who fought and died for independence.
Zelenskyy also thanked various organizations and individuals who have preserved the memory of Ukrainian heroes over the years. The remains of Konovalets were temporarily reinterred at the National Military Memorial Cemetery, with plans to eventually transfer them to the Ukrainian National Pantheon. This reburial came after Ukraine's government decided in July to return Konovalets' remains, following their exhumation from Rotterdam's Crooswijk Cemetery on August 11.
The remains were transported to Ukraine with full state honors on August 13. A replica of Konovalets' original monument from Rotterdam was also brought to Lviv and preserved at the colonel's museum-estate in Zashkiv. Earlier, the remains of another OUN leader, Andriy Melnyk, were also reburied at the National Military Memorial Cemetery on May 25.
Ukraine's parliament had recently passed a law on July 1 establishing the Ukrainian National Pantheon, a memorial complex dedicated to those who have made significant contributions to the Ukrainian state, independence, and culture.
Written by urgent.news from UATV English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
