The ashes of the mother-in-law of OUN leader Andriy Melnyk will be reburied in Lviv
In Luxembourg, the remains of Maria Fedak—the mother of Sofia Fedak-Melnik and the mother-in-law of Andriy Melnik, one of the leaders of the OUN—were exhumed. Her ashes are scheduled to be transported to Ukraine in the near future and reburied in Lviv.
Maria Fedak was the wife of Lviv lawyer Stepan Fedak, the mother of eight children, and an active participant in the women’s educational movement. Her family was closely connected to the Ukrainian liberation movement of the 20th century.
Her eldest daughter, Olga, was the wife of OUN founder Yevhen Konovalets, and her younger daughter, Sofia, was the wife of Andriy Melnyk, who took over as head of the organization after Konovalets’ death. Sofia also played an active role in public life; she was a member of Plast and a financial officer.
During World War II, Maria Fedak, along with Sofia’s family, left Ukraine due to the threat of Soviet occupation. They eventually settled in Luxembourg, where she passed away. She was buried at the Bonnevoie Municipal Cemetery.
Andriy Melnyk was buried next to her in 1964, and his wife Sofia in 1990. Over time, this site became one of the places where Ukrainians gathered to honor the memory of figures in the liberation movement.
Bogdan Chervak, head of the OUN, said that Andriy Melnyk had the utmost respect for his mother-in-law and considered her a model of a Ukrainian mother who dedicated her life to Ukraine’s future.
“Andriy Melnyk and his wife Sofia are already in Ukraine. Soon, as the family wished, Maria Fedak will return to Lviv,” Chervak said.
Source: Bohdan Chervak
As a reminder, on August 14, a farewell ceremony for Colonel Yevhen Konovalets—founder of the Ukrainian Military Organization (UVO) and the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), and commander of the Sich Riflemen Corps—was held at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
The remains 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.
