OCU consecrates memorial sign to UPA commander in Volyn

The OCU consecrated a memorial sign to a UPA commander. Photo: Volyn Regional Council on Facebook

On June 21, 2026, in the village of Botyn, Lutsk District, clerics of the OCU’s Volyn Eparchy performed the rite of consecration of a memorial sign at the site where one of the UPA leaders, Petro Hudzuvatyi, was killed. This was reported by the Volyn Regional Council on Facebook.

The memorial event was attended by Yurii Polishchuk, first deputy chairman of the Volyn Regional Council, and Serhii Syvak, deputy head of the Lutsk District Council. The memorial sign was installed at the place where Hudzuvatyi was killed in January 1946 while surrounded by NKVD officers, after refusing to surrender.

The structures were made using funds from the deceased commander’s grandchildren and the Pidhaitsi community, while installation work was carried out by members of the Cossack-historical organization “Black Rada.” The ceremony was attended by government representatives, veterans, the commander’s relatives, and historians from Volyn National University.

During the event, Yurii Polishchuk spoke of an inseparable link between OUN-UPA militants and modern Ukrainian servicemen, stressing the need for the state to commemorate such figures. Deputy district council head Serhii Syvak expressed regret that over 35 years of independence, the state had allegedly failed to bring this layer of “heroic history” to light, and praised enthusiasts for their work despite what he called the “indifference of officials.”

As the UOJ reported, the head of Israel’s Yad Vashem was added to the Myrotvorets database after criticizing the head of the OUN-M.

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