A landmark event in the preservation of Ukrainian national memory took place on May 19 in Luxembourg. At Bonnevoie Cemetery, a ceremony was held to transfer to Ukraine the exhumed remains of Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) leader Andriy Melnyk and his wife, Sofiia Fedak-Melnyk, for reburial in their homeland. The initiative is part of a state program launched by President Volodymyr Zelensky aimed at reburying prominent Ukrainians who died abroad.
In Luxembourg, Ukrinform spoke with Oleksandr Alfyorov, head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory and a veteran of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade. He discussed the concept behind the Pantheon of Outstanding Ukrainians, the challenges of preserving national identity and historical memory amid Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, and the persistence of Russia-centric interpretations of Ukrainian history in certain Western academic and cultural circles. Mr. Alfyorov also spoke about the renewed momentum within the Institute following its upgraded status, which, in his words, has made possible a historical “offensive” or “Reconquista.”
THE INITIAL REBURIAL PROCESS WAS PRECEDED BY THOROUGH PREPARATORY WORK
Ukrinform: Today’s ceremony marks an important milestone in the creation of the Pantheon of Outstanding Ukrainians. What preparations preceded this process, what challenges had to be overcome, and what further steps are planned in this area?
