Ukraine will repatriate Ukrainian heroes buried abroad, says Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine will work to bring home Ukrainian heroes who fought for the country’s sovereignty and are buried abroad.
“Today, there are still many names of those who fought for Ukraine, who inspired and created for the sake of Ukraine, and who, unfortunately, are not buried in Ukraine. We will do everything we can to bring each and every one of these true Ukrainian heroes back to their native soil, step by step. This is a noble goal and our duty to them and to all those with whom they fought side by side so that Ukraine would exist and remain true to itself,” Zelenskyy said.
The president emphasized that the return of Yevhen Konovalets to Ukraine holds great historical significance.
According to Zelenskyy, the colonel “has returned to the very Ukraine for which he fought and which he envisioned”—a strong, sovereign, and independent state that builds its own army and forges its own history.
The head of state noted that Ukraine, remembering its own struggle for liberation, must understand what mistakes must not be repeated, as well as clearly define its national priorities and the direction of its future development.
“A Ukraine that will never again be part of a foreign state and will never forget its heroes,” Zelenskyy emphasized.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also expressed his gratitude to the Ukrainian community in Canada, the Ukrainian National Association, and Ukrainian patriots who for decades have preserved the memory of Yevhen Konovalets and the site of his burial.
The president specifically recognized the historians, diplomats, and the team at the Office of the President who worked to bring the colonel of the Ukrainian People’s Republic Army back to Ukraine.
Thus, the reburial of Yevhen Konovalets has become a symbol of the return of Ukrainian heroes to their homeland, and the government has declared its intention to continue this work.
The head of state made these remarks during the reburial ceremony for Yevhen Konovalets, a colonel in the Army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the first head of the OUN, on Tuesday.
On August 18, a reburial ceremony for Yevhen Konovalets, the first head of the OUN, took place at the National Military Memorial Cemetery near Kyiv. The remains of the Ukrainian political and military leader were transferred to the grounds of the memorial cemetery.
As a reminder, on August 14, a farewell ceremony for the founder of the Ukrainian Military Organization (UVO) and the OUN, and commander of the Sich Riflemen Corps, Colonel Yevhen Konovalets, 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 chairman 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, Sofiia Fedak-Melnyk, took place at the National Military Memorial Cemetery.
