Zelenskyy Signs Law on Ukrainian Heroes’ Pantheon Amid Polish Concerns

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed the law establishing a National Pantheon of Heroes, a move that has raised concerns in Poland over the potential commemoration of figures responsible for historical crimes against Poles.

Polish Concerns and Parliamentary Approval

The law sparked fears in Poland that individuals responsible for crimes against Poles would be commemorated within the pantheon. Information regarding the document signed by Zelenskyy was published on Sunday on the website of the Verkhovna Rada, the parliament of Ukraine.

Speaking on Saturday at the annual Veterans Forum in Kyiv, the Ukrainian president reiterated that the Pantheon will commemorate figures whose activities for the sake of independence “inspire Ukrainians today to be strong.” “Strong means free,” he said.

Zelenskyy repeated that only Ukrainians will decide who will be included in the Pantheon. “The Ukrainian Pantheon will certainly be created and only Ukrainians will decide who is a hero for us,” he declared.

Structure and Scope of the Pantheon

The pantheon will honor the “best sons and daughters of the Ukrainian nation.” The parliament adopted the law on the creation of the Pantheon at the end of June. Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk stated that the pantheon will include the best sons and daughters of the Ukrainian nation.

According to the draft law, the Ukrainian National Pantheon will honor the memory of individuals who held positions such as heads of state or equivalent offices.

UPA Heroes Dispute and Diplomatic Tensions

In late May, Zelenskyy announced that he had named the Independent Special Operations Center “North” of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine after the “Heroes of the UPA” (Ukrainian Insurgent Army). He explained that he did this “to restore the historical traditions of the national army and taking into account the exemplary performance of assigned tasks during the defense of the territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine.”

The decision sparked a wave of criticism in Poland. It was negatively assessed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On June 19, President Karol Nawrocki announced his decision to strip Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle. In response the following day, Zelenskyy sent the order back to Warsaw via courier.

Escalation of Honors Surrendered and Boycott of Conference

Subsequently, former Ukrainian presidents Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, and Petro Poroshenko renounced the Order of the White Eagle, while other Polish state decorations were renounced by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanow, his deputy Ihor Zhovkva, and Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar. PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński announced that he would return the Ukrainian Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise awarded to him in 2022.

A few days after the decision regarding the revocation of the order, President Zelenskyy and Minister Sybiha announced that they would not participate in the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk (URC 2026). Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko headed the Ukrainian delegation to the event.