The Verkhovna Rada adopted a law on the creation of the Ukrainian National Pantheon

On July 1, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted Bill No. 15360 on the creation of the Ukrainian National Pantheon. 287 MPs voted in favor of the decision.

This was reported by Yaroslav Zheleznyak.

The initiator of the bill was Volodymyr Zelensky, who submitted the document to the parliament on June 28, on Constitution Day of Ukraine.

After the vote, the head of state thanked the MPs for supporting the initiative and emphasized that the creation of the Pantheon is an important step not only for preserving historical memory, but also for forming social unity around figures who made a decisive contribution to the formation and protection of Ukrainian statehood.

According to the adopted law, the Ukrainian National Pantheon will be created as a publicly accessible memorial complex in Kyiv. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has been designated as the customer for its construction.

The design of the complex will be carried out on the basis of an open competition, and financing for construction, maintenance and protection will be carried out from the state budget.

The law defines the legal status of the Pantheon as a place of honoring the most prominent representatives of the Ukrainian nation who made an exceptional historical contribution to the struggle for independence, state building, the development of Ukrainian culture, science, sports, language, army, civil society and spiritual life.

The document provides for six categories of persons who may be honored in the Pantheon. Among them:

— heads of state and historical leaders of various periods of Ukrainian statehood;
— presidents of Ukraine, except for those who were removed from office by impeachment;
— commanders-in-chief and military leaders of the times of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and other liberation struggles;
— commanders-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the modern war of independence;
— persons who made an exceptional contribution to the restoration of independence and the development of the state;
— Nobel Prize laureates, as well as world-class scientists and cultural figures associated with Ukraine.

At the same time, the initiative has already caused an international resonance. In particular, Poland has stated that it will closely monitor the final list of individuals who may be included in the Pantheon, as this issue may have an impact on Ukrainian-Polish relations.

The President of Ukraine is expected to sign the adopted law in the near future.