On the territory of the former village of Puzhnyky in the Ternopil region, a new stage of search research begins with the aim of further searching for the remains of the village residents who tragically died in February 1945. This is reported by the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, reports UNN.
Details
"On June 22, 2026, on the territory of the former village of Puzhnyky (now within the village of Sadove, Koropets settlement community, Chortkiv district, Ternopil region), a new stage of search research will be conducted with the aim of further searching for the remains of the village residents who tragically died in February 1945. The work will last until June 28, 2026," the statement reads.
It is noted that the research will be conducted by the Limited Liability Company "Specialized Institution "Volyn Antiquities" with the participation of Polish specialists – employees of the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, as well as representatives of the "Freedom and Democracy" Foundation, the Institute of National Remembrance of Poland.
"The event is held in implementation of the agreements reached as a result of the activities of the Ukrainian-Polish working group on national memory issues," the statement reads.
"The Ukrainian Institute of National Memory engages specialists from the municipal enterprise of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Council for the search and reburial of victims of wars, deportations and repressions of totalitarian regimes 'Memory' to provide professional supervision (advisory support) during the work," the Institute added.
The Institute reminded that Puzhnyky is a former village in the Ternopil region, where representatives of the Polish ethnic group lived compactly in the period between the world wars.
In February 1945, Puzhnyky suffered an armed attack. According to archival sources, part of the village residents tragically died, and the village itself was burned. In 1949, the Soviet authorities liquidated the village.
The territory of the former village of Puzhnyky subsequently remained uninhabited and gradually became overgrown with forest plantations. In August 2023, search work was carried out on the territory of Puzhnyky. During April – May 2025, exhumation research was conducted in Puzhnyky. During the research, the remains of 42 people were found.
The remains found during the exhumation research were reburied in September 2025.
Reminder
In the Lviv region, Ukrainian-Polish search works have been completed, which lasted from June 8 to 18 in Huta Pieniacka, signs of burials were found, exhumations are needed to clarify the data, the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory reported.