A debate is brewing in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine regarding the creation of a National Pantheon. A working group has already prepared a draft of the bill, which is expected to be registered in parliament in the near future. The initiative proposes the creation of a single memorial site to honor key figures in Ukrainian history, however, the list of names and selection criteria are causing sharp disputes.
The Portuguese model and Ukrainian specifics
The new bill is based on the model of the National Pantheon in Lisbon. As noted by Mykola Poturaiev, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, in Portugal this is a resting place not only for political and military leaders, but also for cultural symbols of the nation — poets, writers, and artists. At the same time, Portuguese legislation strictly regulates the timeframes and the level of public support required to be granted the status of a national hero.
In the Ukrainian version, the emphasis is placed on those who led and created the state in different eras: from Kievan Rus and the Hetmanate to the Zaporozhian Host. The list of indisputable candidates includes figures from the Ukrainian People's Republic (UNR) and the Hetmanate of Pavlo Skoropadsky.
Legal "safety valves" and the Yanukovych question
One of the key points in the development of the document was the introduction of a complex system of legal restrictions. Their main goal is to exclude the possibility of reburial in the Pantheon of pro-Russian politicians. Mykola Poturaiev emphasized that the surname of Viktor Yanukovych is not written in the document, but clear criteria are outlined that automatically exclude such figures.
At the same time, legislators clarify that the issue is not about the mass relocation of the remains of people who already have decent burials. Such places as the grave of Taras Shevchenko in Kaniv or the burial of Lesya Ukrainka at Baikove Cemetery will remain symbolic monuments without physical relocation.
The "20 years" dilemma and exceptions
To avoid emotional assessments and political speculation, the bill stipulates a rule: transfer to the Pantheon is possible only 20 years after the death of the figure. This time is given to society to soberly assess the contribution of the personality to history.
However, the working group acknowledges the existence of exceptions. Discussions continue around the figures of the first President of Ukraine, Leonid Kravchuk, and dissident Levko Lukyanenko. Both politicians meet the criteria for inclusion in the Pantheon, but their recent deaths bring the question of observing the time interval to a deadlock.
A place of memory and security issues
The location for the future National Pantheon has already been determined, however, the official announcement of it should take place in the near future by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. At the same time, some relatives of historical figures are calling for the transfer of remains only after the end of the Russo-Ukrainian war. Their concerns are related to the risk of possible strikes on memorials in the conditions of an ongoing conflict.
The process of returning historical figures has already been launched. In May, Ukraine reburied the remains of one of the leaders of the OUN — Colonel Andriy Melnyk and his wife Sofia — at the National Military Memorial Cemetery. It was also reported about the upcoming transfer of the remains of the founder of the OUN, Yevhen Konovalets, from Rotterdam, for which permission has already been obtained.