A general commemoration of Andriy Melnyk — the second leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists — and his wife Sofia Fedak-Melnyk is taking place at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Kyiv. Their coffins were brought to Ukraine on May 21 for reburial.
This is reported by Finway
Open Access for Commemorating Their Memory
As noted in the cathedral’s Facebook post, on May 22 and 23, everyone is welcome to visit the church, join in prayer, and honor the memory of the prominent Ukrainian figure and his wife. The remains arrived in the capital at night, where they were met by His Grace Bishop Joseph Milian along with the clergy. Since morning, there has been continuous prayer in the cathedral for the repose of Andriy and Sofia Melnyk.
“The mortal remains of Andriy Melnyk and Sofia Melnyk arrived in the capital at night. They were welcomed by His Grace Bishop Joseph Milian along with the clergy of the Patriarchal Cathedral. Since this morning, continuous prayer for the repose of Andriy Melnyk and Sofia Melnyk has been resonating in the Patriarchal Cathedral.”
Historical Context and Reburial Ceremony
The remains of the couple were exhumed in Luxembourg on May 19. The solemn reburial will take place on May 24 at the National Military Memorial Cemetery. Additionally, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that decisions regarding the reburial of Colonel Yevhen Konovalets and other prominent historical figures are expected soon.
Andriy Melnyk was a colonel in the army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, who led the OUN in 1938 after the death of Yevhen Konovalets. Throughout his life, he faced persecution, was imprisoned in Polish jails and a German concentration camp, and lived in exile from 1945.
In 1957, Melnyk proposed the creation of a global union of Ukrainians, which laid the foundation for the establishment of the World Congress of Free Ukrainians in 1967. He died in 1964 in Cologne (Germany) and was buried in Luxembourg, where he lived for the last 18 years of his life. According to archival data, the news of Melnyk’s death reached the Soviet Union through a report from Radio Liberty.