Konovalets' remains will be reburied at the National Military Memorial Cemetery
Yevhen Konovalets, the first leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, will be returned to Ukraine after spending 88 years abroad. Initially, his remains will be temporarily reburied at the National Military Memorial Cemetery, and later they plan to transfer them to the Ukrainian National Pantheon.
According to Budanov, the return of Yevhen Konovalets’ remains is a historically significant event for Ukraine.
The colonel died outside Ukraine, and his remains remained in a foreign land for decades.
“After 88 years abroad, Colonel Yevhen Konovalets is returning home. For decades, attempts were made to erase, distort, or consign his name to oblivion. The enemies of a free Ukraine feared the colonel during his lifetime—and they still do. Perhaps that is why the return of his remains to his native land was long considered ‘untimely,’” Budanov noted.
He emphasized that over a century ago, Yevhen Konovalets and his like-minded comrades took upon themselves the responsibility of fighting for an independent Ukrainian state.
According to the head of the Presidential Office, despite changing historical circumstances, the struggle for freedom, sovereignty, and Ukraine’s right to be the master of its own land remains relevant.
“Times and circumstances have changed, but the essence of the struggle remains the same: defending our freedom, sovereignty, and the right to be masters of our own land. Today, a new generation of Ukrainian defenders is continuing this cause, holding their ground in the battle against that same enemy,” Budanov emphasized.
For now, Yevhen Konovalets is to be temporarily reburied at the National Military Memorial Cemetery.
In the future, his remains are scheduled to be transferred to the Ukrainian National Pantheon, where prominent figures in Ukrainian history are to be buried.
“He dreamed of seeing the blue-and-yellow flag flying over a free Kyiv and dedicated his entire life to this cause. The best tribute to his memory will be a strong, sovereign Ukraine, which we are fighting for in the current struggle,” Budanov stated.
Yevhen Konovalets was one of the key figures of the 20th-century Ukrainian liberation movement and the first head of the OUN.
This was announced by the head of the Office of the President, Kirilo Budanov.
On August 15, a memorial service was held at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church for Yevhen Konovalets, a colonel in the army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the first head of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. On August 13, his remains were transported to Ukraine from Rotterdam, where he had been buried in 1938.
As a reminder, on August 14, a farewell ceremony for the founder of the Ukrainian Military Organization (UVO) and the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), and commander of the Sich Riflemen Corps, Colonel Yevhen Konovalets, took place at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
The ashes of Colonel Yevhen Konovalets of the Army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and first head of the OUN were transported to Ukraine.
As a reminder, a historic reburial of Colonel Andriy Melnyk of the Army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, head of the OUN, and his wife, Sofia Fedak-Melnyk, took place at the National Military Memorial Cemetery.
