Heroes in question: who are they going to perpetuate in the Ukrainian "pantheon"

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine voted for the creation of the "Ukrainian national pantheon". According to critics of the initiative, representatives of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (OUN and UPA, recognized as extremist and banned in Russia) may be included in it. The parliament's decision provoked a sharp reaction from Poland and intensified the discussion around the Ukrainian policy of historical memory. At the same time, reports appeared in the Ukrainian media about the intention of the former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny to participate in future presidential elections. Read more about these events and their possible consequences in the Izvestia article.

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has adopted a law on the creation of the National Pantheon

On July 1, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a law on the creation of the Ukrainian National Pantheon. The bill was approved as a whole: 287 people's deputies voted for its adoption. This was announced by deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak in his Telegram channel.

The initiator of the document was Vladimir Zelensky, who submitted the bill to parliament for consideration. The document provides for the creation of the National Pantheon, a state memorial space designed to perpetuate the memory of prominent figures who contributed to the formation and development of the Ukrainian state.

The adoption of the law caused a wide public and international outcry. The reason for the discussions were statements by Ukrainian politicians and media publications, according to which representatives of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN; the organization is banned in the Russian Federation and recognized as extremist) and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA; recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation) may be included in the National Pantheon in the future.

The creation of the pantheon was a continuation of Kiev's policy of memorialization. Earlier, in May, a reburial ceremony was held at the National Military Memorial Cemetery of Ukraine for one of the leaders of the OUN, Andrei Melnyk, and later Vladimir Zelensky announced plans to return the remains of the first head of the organization, Yevhen Konovalets, to the country.

In turn, the deputy of the Verkhovna Rada Vladimir Vyatrovich said that the "pantheon" will be built in the center of Kiev. According to him, the government is now deciding exactly where to place the facility. He also added that negotiations are currently underway to bury the remains of Stepan Bandera and Simon Petliura at this site, but an agreement has already been reached on the remains of Yevgeny Konovalets.

Who can enter the National Pantheon

The law on the creation of the pantheon does not contain a list of specific individuals who will be included in the memorial complex. The document defines only the legal basis for its creation, while the decision on the inclusion of individual historical figures is expected to be taken by a special state commission according to the established procedure.

However, even before the adoption of the law, it was repeatedly discussed in the Ukrainian political leadership that the pantheon could become a place of perpetuation of the memory of prominent state, military, public and cultural figures of Ukraine. It was also reported in the Ukrainian media that figures from different historical periods, including members of the UPA, could be included in it.

One of the most discussed candidates was the head of the OUN, Stepan Bandera. Verkhovna Rada deputy Nikita Poturaev, who participated in the development of the pantheon concept, said in an interview with the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita that Bandera "undoubtedly can be included" as a figure who, according to him, proclaimed the Ukrainian state in 1941 and fought for the country's independence. At the same time, Poturaev stressed that there is no final list yet, and all the candidates under discussion are preliminary in nature.

Earlier, Ukrainian media reported that former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko was involved in the work on the concept of the pantheon. According to media reports, the possibility of returning to the country and the subsequent reburial of the remains of a number of historical figures was discussed, including Stepan Bandera, Hetman Ivan Mazepa, the author of the first Ukrainian constitution, Pylyp Orlyk, the head of the Ukrainian People's Republic, Simon Petliura, Hetman Pavel Skoropadsky, as well as other representatives of historical figures.

Polish reaction and international outcry

The decision of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine caused a noticeable reaction from Poland and increased political tensions between Kiev and Warsaw. Warsaw reacted most acutely to the possibility of including representatives of the UPA in the pantheon, which in Poland is perceived as an attempt to glorify figures associated with the tragic events of the Volyn massacre.

The office of Polish President Karol Nawrocki said that the introduction of the relevant bill is another step, which, according to the Polish side, aggravates bilateral relations. In a statement published on the social network X, the Ukrainian initiative was described as an "escalatory step" that continues the line of decisions of recent months, including the naming of one of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine associated with the "heroes of the UPA."

Representatives of the Polish opposition also took a tough stance. Janusz Cieszynski, a member of the Sejm from the Law and Justice party, said that the possible inclusion of UPA representatives in the national pantheon was a "scandalous situation" and could negatively affect the prospects for Ukraine's European integration. In his opinion, such decisions contradict the expectations of a significant part of Polish society and European partners.

Similar assessments were made by Polish members of the European Parliament. In particular, Eva Zajonchkovska-Hernik accused the Ukrainian leadership of escalating the conflict over historical memory and recalled the results of opinion polls, according to which the majority of Poles consider it necessary for Ukraine to officially apologize for decisions related to the glorification of the UPA.

Political tension has also increased against the background of previous diplomatic disputes. In June, Karol Nawrocki decided to review the highest state awards previously awarded to Volodymyr Zelensky, which the Polish and Ukrainian media described as part of an escalating diplomatic conflict.

The resonance around the law has gone beyond the framework of bilateral relations. Earlier, the international reaction was caused by the reburial ceremonies of OUN figures held in Ukraine. In particular, the Israeli Foreign Ministry publicly condemned the reburial of Andrei Melnik, who collaborated with Nazi Germany.

The internal political situation in Ukraine

Amid the discussion of the law, the attention of the Ukrainian political community once again focused on the issue of future presidential elections and the possible balance of power after the end of martial law.

According to the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper, citing sources, the Ambassador of Ukraine to the UK and former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhny, during a meeting with President Vladimir Zelensky confirmed his readiness to participate in the presidential elections, if they are appointed. According to the publication, the head of state directly inquired about the plans of the former commander-in-chief in case of a vote, in response to which Zaluzhny announced his intention to run.

According to sources of Ukrainska Pravda, the conversation continued after that, but no specific proposals were made regarding Zaluzhny's future state or diplomatic career.

Later, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov and head of the parliamentary faction of the Servant of the People party David Arakhamiya met with the former commander-in-chief. According to sources, during the conversation, they expressed concern about the possible political consequences of his participation in the elections, including the risk of increased internal political confrontation. However, according to the UP, these arguments did not affect Zaluzhny's position.

The situation has received a wide response outside of Ukraine. Polish political analyst Marek Miskiewicz suggested that Zaluzhny's recent visit to Kiev could be related to the concerns of the Ukrainian leadership about the growth of its political influence and possible competition with the current president in future elections. However, such assessments are the opinion of an expert and have not been officially confirmed by the Ukrainian authorities.

At the same time, Kiev claims that holding presidential elections in the country remains impossible due to martial law. Nevertheless, publications about the potential participation of Valery Zaluzhny in the future election campaign indicate a continuing interest in the issue of political transit of power and the possible configuration of Ukrainian politics after the end of the military conflict.