Stepan Bandera's family does not object to his reburial in Ukraine - Head of the UINP
Kyiv • UNN
The family of the OUN leader does not object to the return of his remains, but is concerned about the security of the grave during the war. Currently, Bandera is buried in Munich.
The family of Stepan Bandera does not object to his reburial in Ukraine, but has reservations regarding the security of the grave during the war. This was stated by the head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance (UINR), Oleksandr Alforov, during the national telethon on May 27, reports UNN.
Details
According to Alforov, the issue of the possible reburial of Stepan Bandera in Ukraine is being considered within the framework of broader efforts to return the remains of Ukrainian figures buried abroad.
He noted that Bandera's family is not opposed to the reburial, but expresses concern over the security situation in Ukraine. Specifically, this refers to risks to the burial site under the conditions of full-scale war.
The family is not against reburying Bandera, as he has descendants. But at the same time, there are reservations regarding the fact that there is a war going on, and that the grave could be under threat here in Ukraine
Alforov emphasized that threats to the grave exist not only in Ukraine but also abroad. Stepan Bandera's grave in Munich has repeatedly been the target of acts of vandalism.
Currently, Stepan Bandera is buried at the Waldfriedhof cemetery in Munich. For his possible reburial in Ukraine, the family's consent is required, as well as the completion of legal procedures in Germany and Ukraine.
What is known about the reburial procedure
In Ukraine, there is already a government procedure for the reburial of prominent fighters for Ukraine's independence in the 20th century at the National Military Memorial Cemetery. The relevant procedure stipulates that if there is a registered user of the burial site, their written consent is required. If such consent is not provided, the reburial is not carried out.
The German side has also indicated that moving the grave is only possible with the family's consent and if there are compelling reasons. Separately, in this case, the principle of respect for the burial site and the likely will of the deceased are taken into account.
It should be noted that so far, there have been no public reports in the information space regarding a Cabinet of Ministers decision on the reburial of Stepan Bandera, a set date, or a specific location for the future burial in Ukraine.
Context
The issue of returning the remains of Ukrainian historical figures intensified after the reburial in Ukraine of the head of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, Andriy Melnyk, and his wife, Sofiya Fedak-Melnyk. They were reburied at the National Military Memorial Cemetery.
OUN leader Melnyk and his wife reburied near Kyiv25.05.26, 11:33 • 2818 views
Following this, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is working on returning the remains of Yevhen Konovalets and other Ukrainian figures buried abroad.
In the public sphere, the names of Symon Petliura, Pavlo Skoropadskyi, Ivan Mazepa, Pylyp Orlyk, and other figures associated with Ukrainian statehood and the struggle for independence have also been mentioned.
Background
Stepan Bandera was one of the leaders of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. After World War II, he lived in Germany, where he was assassinated by a KGB agent in 1959. He was buried in Munich.