Ukraine Approves National Pantheon Law to Honor State Builders, Military Leaders and Cultural Icons

Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has adopted a bill to create the Ukrainian National Pantheon.

A total of 287 lawmakers voted in favor of bill No. 15360, according to lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak, who reported the result on Telegram.

The document defines the pantheon as a nationwide memorial space intended to honor the most prominent representatives of the Ukrainian people.

The initiative envisions a special memorial space to preserve historical memory and honor the contributions of outstanding Ukrainians to statehood, independence, culture, science, the military, and societal development.

The law’s implementation will include developing the pantheon’s concept and determining its format, functions, and location.

The list of individuals eligible for commemoration includes leaders of Ukrainian states from different historical periods – from Kyivan Rus to modern Ukraine – as well as presidents, commanders-in-chief of Ukrainian military formations, and world-renowned scientists and cultural figures, including Nobel Prize laureates associated with Ukraine.

The pantheon may also honor individuals who made significant contributions to the formation of the Ukrainian nation, language, military, culture, and state development across different historical eras.

On June 28, President Volodymyr Zelensky submitted the bill to establish the pantheon in Kyiv to the Verkhovna Rada, marking the 30th anniversary of the Ukrainian Constitution.

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Zelensky called the bill’s adoption an “important step.”

“Grateful to all parliamentarians who supported the bill on the Ukrainian National Pantheon. An important step,” he wrote on Telegram.

According to Zelensky, the move is important not only for preserving history and honoring Ukrainian heroes, but also for laying the groundwork for long-term social unity.

“This is possible when state decisions are grounded in recognition of those whom people truly honor – those who have made a historic contribution to protecting, developing, and strengthening Ukraine, as well as its sovereignty, independence, and glory.”

The president added that he is waiting to sign the bill for it to become law.