Photo: ZN
Andriy Melnyk and his wife were reburied in Ukraine on May 25 at the National Military Memorial Cemetery near Kyiv.
According to Ukrainian media, the ceremony also included the reburial of Sofiya Fedak-Melnyk. The remains were returned to Ukraine on May 21, after decades of burial abroad.
During the ceremony, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has been working for many years to bring back the remains of prominent historical and political figures who contributed to the country’s independence movement. He emphasized that despite different political views, these individuals were united by their commitment to an independent Ukraine.
Officials also noted that Ukraine plans to continue efforts to repatriate other historical figures. In particular, Zelenskyy mentioned Yevhen Konovalets as one of the figures whose remains may also be returned in the future.
Representatives of the OUN and Ukrainian cultural institutions said that the reburial is part of a broader effort to restore historical memory and bring prominent Ukrainians back to their homeland for burial.
Andriy Melnyk, a former colonel of the Ukrainian People's Republic Army and leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, died in exile in 1964 and was originally buried in Luxembourg before being repatriated.