Luxembourg Ceremony Marks Reburial Process of Ukrainian Nationalist Leader

On Tuesday 19 May 2026, the Embassy of Ukraine in Belgium and Luxembourg held an official ceremony at the Luxembourg-Bonnevoie cemetery related to the exhumation and forthcoming reburial of the leader of the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), Andriy Melnyk, and his wife, Sofia Fedak-Melnyk.

The exhumation forms part of preparations for the transfer and reburial of the remains in Ukraine. The initiative is linked to plans for the future Pantheon of Outstanding Ukrainians at the National Military Memorial Cemetery in Kyiv, intended for the reburial of prominent Ukrainian political, military and cultural figures currently buried abroad. According to LUkraine asbl, Luxembourg became the first country to authorise such a reburial initiative within this framework.

The ceremony, attended by around forty guests, opened with the Ukrainian national anthem performed by the Ukrainian folk music duo Bella Bandura. Among those present were representatives of the Ukrainian community in Luxembourg, clergy members, diplomats and local officials, including Mykola Zharov, President of LUkraine asbl, and Inna Yaremenko, Vice President of LUkraine asbl.

Bishop Ihor Rantsya, Bishop of the Eparchy of Saint Vladimir the Great in Paris, which covers France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Switzerland, opened the ceremony with remarks and a prayer.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Kingdom of Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Yaroslav Melnyk, described the ceremony as “a day of special significance for the Ukrainian state and the Ukrainian people”, calling the return of Andriy Melnyk and Sofia Fedak-Melnyk to Ukraine “the restoration of historical justice”. He also thanked Luxembourg authorities, the Ukrainian community and organisations in Luxembourg for preserving the memory of Andriy Melnyk and maintaining the burial site over many years. At the end of his speech, Ambassador Yaroslav Melnyk presented a certificate of appreciation to the Ukrainian Women’s Union in Luxembourg “UKRAÏNKA” Asbl for its long-standing care and maintenance of the burial site.

Claude Radoux, Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Luxembourg and Luxembourg City Councillor, also addressed the ceremony on behalf of the city. Speaking about the legacy of Andriy Melnyk, he stated that “the fight for the independence of Ukraine has motivated many people” and said the memory of the OUN leader “remains very much present and alive”. During his remarks, Claude Radoux also handed over documents related to the burial site and the reburial process.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Iryna Vereshchuk, described the reburial initiative as an important moment for Ukrainian historical memory, linking it to ongoing efforts to preserve the legacy of prominent Ukrainians connected to the country’s struggle for independence. She also thanked the Ukrainian community in Luxembourg and those involved in organising the transfer of the remains to Ukraine.

The current head of the OUN, Bohdan Chervak, spoke about the historical role of Andriy Melnyk within the Ukrainian national movement and thanked the Ukrainian community in Luxembourg for maintaining the burial site and preserving his memory over many decades, while Oleksandr Alfiorov, head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory (UINM), described the initiative as part of a broader state-led effort aimed at returning prominent Ukrainians buried abroad to Ukraine.

Speaking to Chronicle.lu, Larysa Meininger, member of “UKRAÏNKA” Asbl, who had helped care for the burial site for around thirteen years, said she had maintained the grave “with respect” because Andriy Melnyk was regarded as “a Ukrainian hero”. She described the reburial as an emotional moment for members of the Ukrainian community in Luxembourg and said that, despite initial concerns about the timing during the ongoing war in Ukraine, many ultimately respected what she described as Melnyk’s long-held wish to return to an independent Ukraine. Larysa Meininger added that she hoped to visit the future memorial site in Kyiv following the reburial.

Andriy Melnyk (1890-1964) was a Ukrainian military and political figure who led the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) from 1939. A former colonel of the Ukrainian People’s Republic army, he spent the post-war years in exile in Luxembourg, where he remained active within the Ukrainian diaspora until his death in 1964. Until now, he and his wife had been buried at the Bonnevoie city cemetery.