The Grave Stone of Andriy Melnyk Returned to Ukraine

Return of Andriy Melnyk's Grave Stone

According to Рубрика — Суспільство: On August 26, 2026, it became known that the grave stone of Andriy Melnyk, which had been at his burial site in Luxembourg for almost 62 years, was brought back to his native village Vole Yakubova in the Drohobych region through the efforts of the Office of the President of Ukraine and the Lviv Regional State Administration. Earlier, the remains of Andriy Melnyk and his wife Sofia were reburied at the National Military Memorial Cemetery in Kyiv.

Andriy Melnyk, who lived from 1890 to 1964, was the head of the OUN Leadership. His grave stone, which will now be located next to the museum dedicated to his memory, became the second stone brought from abroad to Lviv region. Two weeks before this news, a monument to Yevhen Konovalets was delivered to the village of Zashkiv, which had been on his grave in the Crosswijk cemetery in Rotterdam for 87 years. The original monument to Yevhen Konovalets from 1939 will be preserved in the museum-estate of Yevhen Konovalets.

Decision on Reburial

The decision to rebury Andriy and Sofia Melnyk was made by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. The remains of the Melnyks were exhumed on May 19 from the Bonvoie city cemetery in Luxembourg. Maksym Kozytskyi, a representative of the Lviv Regional State Administration, stated:

"For almost 62 years, it has been at his burial site in Luxembourg. Now it will be next to the museum dedicated to our fellow countryman. The return and reburial of prominent Ukrainians who were buried abroad due to various historical circumstances is being carried out at the initiative of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Many Ukrainians who devoted their lives to the struggle for the Independence of our State died far from Ukraine due to occupation and forced emigration. Now we can finally bring them home and honor them properly in the state for which they fought. This is very important work for our historical memory."

In Ukraine, work has also begun on the creation of a Pantheon of prominent Ukrainians, highlighting the importance of honoring the memory of those who made significant contributions to the struggle for the country's independence.

The return of Andriy Melnyk's grave stone to Ukraine is a sign of the activation of processes to honor the memory of prominent Ukrainians who became victims of historical circumstances. The significance of these events is also emphasized by the initiative to create a Pantheon of prominent Ukrainians aimed at preserving the memory of those who fought for the state's independence. These measures can contribute to the formation of a national identity and historical consciousness among Ukrainians.

The return of Andriy Melnyk's grave stone is part of a broader initiative aimed at honoring prominent Ukrainians who were buried outside the country. As part of this program, Ukrainians will have the opportunity to choose heroes for the National Pantheon, emphasizing the importance of preserving historical memory and national identity.