GUR: Pantheon of heroes must become a place of strength for Ukrainian nation

Reburial of Melnyk at the National Military Memorial Cemetery. Photo: Office of the President

The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry (GUR) described the emerging Pantheon of Heroes as “a place of spiritual strength for the Ukrainian nation.” The statement was issued by the agency’s press service on the centenary of Symon Petliura’s death.

“Today, Ukraine continues the process of creating a Pantheon of outstanding Ukrainians – reclaiming its own history and preserving the memory of prominent leaders who devoted their lives to the struggle for Ukraine,” the statement says. “Symon Petliura, buried at Montparnasse Cemetery in France, like other national heroes who died abroad, must be returned to Ukraine. The Pantheon must become a place of spiritual strength for the Ukrainian nation, a symbol of the continuity of the struggle for Ukraine.”

Petliura was assassinated in Paris by Sholom Schwartzbard, a native of the city of Izmail. The killer said he acted in revenge for anti-Jewish pogroms. A French jury fully acquitted Schwartzbard.

As previously reported by the UOJ, on May 26, 2026, the remains of Andriy Melnyk were reburied in the Kyiv region in the presence of Ukraine’s top leadership. Israel officially condemned the reburial, describing Melnyk as a Nazi collaborator. At the same time, Volodymyr Zelenskyy referred to Melnyk as a “hero.”

According to government representatives, the Pantheon of Heroes is also expected to receive the remains of Symon Petliura, Yevhen Konovalets, and other historical figures.

Read also