In Lviv, at the site of the former cemetery in Zboishcha, a joint Ukrainian-Polish expedition to exhume remains has been completed.
As reported by the press service of the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, dozens of soldiers of the Polish Army fell in that place during the defense of Lviv from the German army in September 1939.
The Ministry of Culture noted that specialists worked on the exhumation for more than four weeks. During the work, two burial pits measuring about 2.5 by 4 meters were found, with approximately two meters between them. According to archival and historical data, soldiers who died in battle on September 12 were buried in the first pit, and those who fell a few days later were buried in the second.
According to research findings, the two burials may contain between 40 and 50 individuals, but it is difficult to establish the exact number: the military burials partially overlapped with later civilian burials from the 1950s and 1960s, which disrupted the integrity of the skeletons.
"Honoring the fallen is our moral obligation to the past and the future. Ukraine consistently supports a dialogue of memory that unites the Ukrainian and Polish peoples and opens the way to mutual respect and understanding. We are open to continuing this work — both in our territory and in Poland, where research is planned in several locations," emphasized Andrii Nadzhios, Deputy Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications.
During the expedition, it was found that all the deceased were in military uniform and had personal belongings — toothbrushes, mirrors, religious medallions. Eleven identification tags were found, indicating name, surname, year of birth, draft point, and religious affiliation. At the same time, shoes and belts with pouches and bayonets were missing; they were likely taken as trophies after the battle.
In addition, alongside the Polish soldiers, specialists found German items, including part of a helmet and fragments of a German tag. This corroborated local residents' testimonies that German soldiers might have been buried at this site.
"This work is of immense importance for historical memory. We see confirmation of the events of 1939 and human stories through the personal belongings of soldiers. It is important for the city that Ukraine and Poland together are restoring the memory of a tragic past and that we are doing this with great respect for every found individual. For Lviv residents, I will say that after the expedition is completed, the city will arrange the area and a green zone will remain here," said Yevhen Boyko, head of the executive committee of the Lviv City Council.
After exhumation, specialists collected DNA samples to identify the deceased and return their remains to their families. Reburial of the found remains, respecting ritual and Christian traditions, is planned for the first week of October at the cemetery in Mostyska, Lviv region.
Meanwhile, excavations are scheduled to begin in late September in the village of Yurechkova near Przemyśl, where archival data suggest that soldiers of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army may be buried.