Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law establishing the National Pantheon of Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law establishing the National Pantheon in Kyiv, which will serve as a key memorial complex to honor the memory of the country’s outstanding statesmen and historical figures. The law establishes the site’s status as a non-denominational space intended for state protocol events. This was reported by Alexander Alferov, head of the Institute of National Remembrance, on Facebook.

The concept for the memorial, developed by the Institute of National Remembrance, calls for the creation of a special council under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. This body will be responsible for selecting candidates for burial or the installation of memorials. According to the approved rules, the right to such honors will be granted to rulers of ancient Rus’, hetmans, leaders of 20th-century Ukrainian republics, as well as military commanders and outstanding figures in science, culture, and religion. An important restriction is the prohibition on commemorating individuals with criminal convictions for crimes against national security, as well as those subject to decommunization regulations.

Earlier, the Ukrainian government adopted a resolution to locate the pantheon on the grounds of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve, where the Ministry of Culture will allocate a special plot of land. Despite its location in the historic center of the Orthodox monastery, the new complex will retain an exclusively secular, state character. Alexander Alferov, head of the Institute of National Remembrance, called the signing of the law a significant step, noting that the pantheon is intended to become a symbol of the historical heritage and political consolidation of the Ukrainian nation.

As a reminder, earlier, the head of the OCU, Epiphanius Dumenko, approved the initiative to create a National Pantheon of Heroes in Ukraine on the grounds of the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. In his view, such a step is necessary “to restore historical memory and properly commemorate the names of outstanding statesmen and military figures.”