Main points
- The remains of Andriy Melnyk and his wife Sofia are planned to be reburied on May 24 at the National War Memorial Cemetery in the Pantheon of Prominent Ukrainians.
- Andriy Melnyk was a Ukrainian military and political figure who led the OUN from 1938 to 1964 and worked to unite the Ukrainian emigration.
The remains of the OUN leader will return to Ukraine / Collage of Channel 24
Ukraine is beginning the process of returning the remains of Ukrainian heroes, including prominent figures from the Ukrainian Revolution, for proper reburial and honoring. The first of these were Andriy Melnyk and his wife Sofia.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced this on his Telegram channel on May 19.
What is known about the process of reburial of Ukrainian figures?
Prominent figures who fought for the independence of the state at various times, but due to historical circumstances were buried outside the country, are being returned to Ukraine and reburied.
The Head of State emphasized that these are figures of different generations who defended Ukrainian statehood and found their final resting place in European and American countries. It is worth noting that these are important figures in Ukrainian history of the 20th century. Decisions are also being worked out regarding the return of other historical figures, in particular Yevhen Konvalets.
The Ukrainian people deserve their historical memory, and we are strengthening this true memory,
– Zelenskyy emphasized.
Let us remind you! Back in April, the president announced the start of work on the creation of the Pantheon of Outstanding Ukrainians. Head of the President's Office Kyrylo Budanov emphasized then that Ukrainian heroes should be properly honored and receive deserved respect in their homeland. According to him, the implementation of such a project is a complex and large-scale process that requires joint work of the state and society.
For her part, Deputy Head of the Office of the Prosecutor General Iryna Vereshchuk reported that, together with the state structures of Ukraine and the Ukrainian community in Luxembourg, a ceremony to return the remains of the Melnyks is taking place.
According to her, this should be the first stage of creating a National Pantheon of Heroes – a place of honoring Ukrainians who fought for the independence of the state in various historical periods. She also emphasized that the return of such figures strengthens national memory and reminds us of people who defended the idea of Ukrainian statehood long before the present.
The exhumation ceremony of Andriy Melnyk's ashes in Luxembourg: see photos from the Vereshchuk page
Where will Melnyk's remains be reburied?
The remains of OUN leader Andriy Melnyk and his wife Sofia Fedak-Melnyk are scheduled to be solemnly reburied on May 24 at the National War Memorial Cemetery in the Pantheon of Prominent Ukrainians. Before that, on May 22-23, funeral services will be held in the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ after the remains arrive from Luxembourg.
Divine Liturgies and memorial services are scheduled for the morning of May 23 and 24, and the parastas service is scheduled for May 22. The central funeral service with the participation of bishops, laity, and government representatives is scheduled for May 23.
On the morning of May 24, the coffins will be transported to the memorial cemetery for a ceremonial reburial with military honors. The reburial will take place in accordance with the government's decision after the exhumation of the remains from the Bonvois cemetery in Luxembourg.
What made Andriy Melnyk famous?
Andriy Melnyk is a Ukrainian military and political figure, one of Yevhen Konovalets' closest associates, co-founder of the Ukrainian Military Organization and organizer of the Sich Riflemen formation in Kyiv.
He headed the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) from 1938 to 1964. His wife, Sofia Fedak-Melnyk, became an important support for her husband during his Polish imprisonment – she supported him throughout his years in prison, and after his release they married.
Andriy Melnyk – an important figure during the Ukrainian Revolution / Photo from Wikipedia
During World War II, Andriy Melnyk was in Germany, from where he coordinated the activities of the OUN. Due to conflicts with the Nazi authorities, he was under house arrest for a time, and later was imprisoned in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp.
After the war, he settled in Luxembourg, where he worked to unite the Ukrainian emigration and promoted the idea of creating a World Congress of Ukrainians, which was implemented after his death in 1964.