Prominent Ukrainians debate over National Pantheon
National Pantheon will be established in Ukraine (Photo: NV collage)
Prominent military figures, entrepreneurs, scientists, and other well-known Ukrainians shared whether they support creating a National Pantheon during a major war and amid historical disputes with Poland in interviews with NV on July 8.
Recently, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree creating the National Pantheon. In the future, outstanding national state-builders, presidents, military leaders, Nobel Prize laureates, and iconic cultural and scientific figures will receive honorary burials or have cenotaphs installed there. There is no clear list of figures or criteria yet. It is only known that the Pantheon will be located on the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
The initiative began to unfold actively amid tensions between Ukraine and Poland, which arose over historical issues. The chancellery of Polish President Karol Nawrocki even stated that the document creating the National Pantheon is "the next stage of escalation."
NV asked famous Ukrainians if the creation of the Pantheon is timely and whether it might divide rather than unite society.
Volodymyr Fesenko, political scientist, head of the Penta Center for Applied Political Studies
I support the actual idea of creating a National Pantheon. It is a good idea. Another matter is in what form and how it will be implemented. And this cannot be done in a hurry, to please a situational political conjuncture, and especially with potential conflict consequences. These pantheons exist in various countries around the world. We should first study the experience of such institutions, as well as the principles and methods used to determine exactly who should be immortalized in such a pantheon.
The Ukrainian National Pantheon is absolutely necessary, but, in my subjective opinion, first and foremost we need a pantheon for the heroes of the current war. It is a massive injustice that the broader Ukrainian public does not know the vast majority of the heroes in the current war against the Russian invasion. They know about former Armed Forces of Ukraine Commander-in-Chief and current Ambassador to the UK Valerii Zaluzhnyi, and former HUR head and current Presidential Office head Kyrylo Budanov; they know about the collective heroism of the "Azov" fighters, remember Operation Cobweb and the role of former SBU head Vasyl Maliuk in its implementation, and applaud the successes and patriotic audacity of Madyar — Robert Brovdi. But the rank-and-file heroes of the war in Ukraine are virtually unknown. And this is highly unfair. We have a complete failure with military-patriotic education in schools and universities. And we are completely losing this front of the war to Russia.
Creating a Memorial to the heroes of the current war will not cause any conflicts with any of our neighbors, except Russia. And, in my subjective view, right now this is much more relevant than the hype surrounding the reburial of prominent figures of the national liberation movement.
Serhii Kvit, president of National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
I support the creation of a national pantheon and believe that prominent Ukrainians should be buried there — the people who fought for Ukraine's independence, who created important meaning for Ukraine in different historical periods, who contributed to Ukrainian national culture, national interests, the defense of independence, and the struggle for independence.
Regarding the tension between Ukraine and Poland — I believe these are not our problems; these are the problems of a segment of the Polish political establishment that builds its politics on irresponsible populism and the fear Poles have of Ukrainians. Ukrainians do not pose a threat to Poles and Poland, and therefore there is no need to fear Ukrainians.
We can try to help Polish society by communicating with those people who recognize Ukrainian independence and communicate with us on equal terms. But we should not care about what anyone thinks of us.
We have our own logic; we created the Ukrainian state, and we are fighting for it. And all the people who fought, especially those who gave their lives for the Ukrainian state, including Stepan Bandera, of course, should be buried there. There are also figures whose burial sites are unknown. In those cases, there is a practice of creating symbolic graves.
Efrem Lukatsky, photojournalist, AP representative in Ukraine
I support the creation of a pantheon of heroes. But, in my opinion, today it is needed first and foremost for those who gave their lives for Ukraine in this terrible war. They are the true heroes who deserve national honor and memory.
I don't see the pantheon in the Lavra. It would be more symbolic to create it at Independence Square — where thousands of small flags stand today in memory of the fallen. This place has already become a people's memorial.
The most important thing now is not just to announce this project, but to see it through to the end. We already have the painful experience of loud promises that were never realized, specifically the Hospital of the Future and the Museum of the Revolution of Dignity. The memory of our heroes deserves not just another declaration, but a worthy and complete implementation.
Vitalii Shabunin, head of the Anti-Corruption Action Center board
Ukraine already has a pantheon of heroes, which, unfortunately, grows larger every day. A national institution on the territory of the Lavra will not make their sacrifice any greater, but it can help honor their memory.
And in this pantheon, first and foremost, we must honor the heroes of this war for independence. Everyone who has died or gone missing. Modern interactive technologies allow us to do this.
So that every family can find their hero in the national pantheon. This will make the sense of loss for these families at least a little bit smaller.
And this, in my opinion, is much more important than honoring any historical figures, even the most important ones.
Oleksandr Sokolovsky, founder of Tekstyl-Kontakt
I do not consider the creation of the National Pantheon appropriate because it is not the right time. We have huge problems with the economy and filling the budget; so far, only Western aid is saving us. And what will we tell the donor countries later? That things aren't so bad for us if we are building pantheons?
Furthermore, I believe that any available funds should be directed only to what is now a priority: building new and equipping existing bomb shelters, a program to create our own ballistic missiles, an anti-missile program, and underground facilities for such production.
As for when to build the pantheon and which historical figures to honor there — we will figure that out after the war ends, in which our main goal is to survive and save the country.
Vsevolod Kozhemyako, founder of the Khartiya brigade and Corps, CEO of Agrotrade
I believe creating the National Pantheon is much more timely than flowerbeds and garlands in Kharkiv. Things like honoring the memory of prominent Ukrainians can never be untimely.
As for who should be there — let the experts decide. Ukraine has them.
Ivan Kompan, founder of First Kyiv Investment Club
Creating a National Pantheon is a wonderful and much-needed idea, but considering that the list of those who might be included in it will not find unanimous support either inside the country or abroad, I believe that it is definitely not the right time. Times are already hard enough, so why create additional problems for ourselves, dividing society and alienating allies at the exact moment when we need to be doing the exact opposite?
I am confident that the pantheon could definitely wait until the end of the war, and then we could honor the worthy. The only thing left to decide is who these dignitaries are — whether they are presidents who robbed the country, parliamentary state-builders who manipulated the parliament for decades for their own benefit, or other heroes, many of whom are shameful to even mention. Oh, it won't be easy to decide... That is exactly why it is not worth stirring up the public until the war is over, except perhaps to distract from heavy thoughts about corruption, helplessness, and chaos.
Larysa Denysenko, writer, lawyer, human rights defender
We needed to create a National Pantheon a long time ago. The genocidal war and Russian aggression have become a very painful catalyst for reflecting on our national identity. We felt pressure from the Hungarian government, now we are experiencing far-right and populist aggression from Poland, and abroad there is still a significant portion of people who intentionally or out of ignorance equate Ukrainians with Russians.
Inside the country, there are also many people with a fragile identity, so a well-thought-out National Pantheon is respect for the past, an emphasis on agency, honoring, and historical justice. Obviously, we need to honor the people there who influenced our identity and fought for the right and ability to be Ukrainians.
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