In Kyiv, they plan to rebury prominent Ukrainians whose graves are abroad and create a Pantheon for this purpose.
This was reported by the head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov.
On this issue, he held a meeting with representatives of the government, the Verkhovna Rada, the civil sector, and scientists and instructed them to develop ideas for creating the Pantheon. They will later be presented to the president.
"Dozens and hundreds of fighters for Ukraine, prominent figures of different eras, different professions. Many of them bequeathed to be reburied in a free and independent Ukraine. Our task is to return them home," Budanov noted.
He called it "a difficult task," because the graves of prominent Ukrainians are scattered all over the world — "both in friendly and unfriendly countries".
First of all, to implement the plan, they must compile a list of prominent people, develop a mechanism for their return, and determine a specific place where the Pantheon of Outstanding Ukrainians can be created. According to Budanov, the National War Memorial Cemetery should play a significant role in this.
So far, diplomatic missions have identified the burial places of 98 Ukrainians in 21 countries, Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa reported. Among them are political, military, cultural and public figures of the UNR, ZUNR, OUN-UPA, the government in exile, and leading figures of the national liberation struggle.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk also noted that they will also raise the issue of the return of historical items held in museums abroad, as well as documents that are important for the statehood of Ukraine.
Historian Yuriy Yuzych emphasized that, first of all, attention should be paid to burials that have been left without the care of local communities and diplomatic institutions. Due to the peculiarities of local legislation, such graves may simply disappear.
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