National Memory Institute head: Pantheon is not about "collecting relics"

Oleksandr Alferov. Photo: Alferov’s Facebook page

Only several dozen prominent Ukrainians are expected to be reburied in the National Pantheon on the grounds of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. In an interview with Ukraine’s national telethon, Oleksandr Alferov, head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, stressed that the site would not become a large-scale cemetery and was not intended for “collecting relics.”

The official explained that the Pantheon would primarily receive the remains of figures who are currently buried abroad. According to Alferov, “the Pantheon is not about collecting relics,” so the remains of such cultural icons as Taras Shevchenko, Lesia Ukrainka, Ivan Franko, and Ivan Kotliarevsky will not be transferred to the Lavra reserve but will remain at their present burial sites.

“The Pantheon is not a cemetery. There will not be 300–500 burials there. Several dozen people will be reburied there,” Alferov said.

Under the rules outlined by the head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, a time restriction will apply to burials in the Pantheon. A historical figure, including a military figure, may be reburied there only 25 years after death. The official also urged the public not to confuse the site with memorials dedicated to heroes of the current war, emphasizing that the Pantheon “is not about immediacy.”

The creation of the National Pantheon was initiated by President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose bill was passed by the Verkhovna Rada on July 1. The government determined that the memorial complex would be located on the grounds of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The Ministry of Culture has been tasked with implementing the project, while the work will be financed from the state budget.

As previously reported by the UOJ, an MP explained which Ukrainian laws are violated by the creation of a pantheon at the Lavra.

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