Search operations have begun in the former villages of Ostrivky and Volya Ostrovetska in the Volyn region within the framework of the Ukrainian-Polish dialogue, UNN reports with reference to the Ministry of Culture.
Details
As reported by the department, search operations will be conducted in the former villages of Ostrivky and Volya Ostrovetska (now within the Rivne rural territorial community of Kovel district, Volyn region) to find the remains of villagers who tragically died in August 1943. The work will continue until May 1, 2026.
The purpose of the expedition is to locate the burial site. If burials are found during the work, this will be the basis for the next stages of work: exhumation, identification of remains, and their dignified reburial.
Permission for the Polish side to conduct search operations in 2025 was granted by the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine to LLC "Specialized Institution "Volyn Antiquities". Polish specialists – employees of the Institute of National Remembrance of the Republic of Poland and Wroclaw Medical University – will also take part in the expedition.
Add
The Ministry of Culture emphasized that the search operations will be carried out in accordance with the agreements reached as a result of the activities of the Ukrainian-Polish Working Group on National Memory and as a result of the agreements between the presidents of both countries. In 2026, such work is planned to be carried out both in Ukraine and in the Republic of Poland, which was specifically stated in the relevant Communiqué of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.
The work will be accompanied by appropriate security measures, as well as professional supervision from Ukrainian scientists.
The tragic pages of the common history of both peoples in the 20th century remain sensitive for Poles and Ukrainians. At the same time, a consistent and responsible dialogue on these issues is a guarantee of a dignified commemoration of the victims.
Recall
At the end of August 1943 (on the night of August 28-29, according to other sources – August 30), Ostrivky and Volya Ostrovetska were subjected to an armed attack. According to archival sources, the vast majority of the villagers tragically died, and the villages themselves were burned.
The Ukrainian-Polish confrontation during World War II is a tragic page in the history of both peoples. Its main victims, both on the Polish and Ukrainian sides, were civilians, the Ministry of Culture summarized.