Exhumation and Planned Reburial of Yevhen Konovalets

In August 2024, the remains of Yevhen Konovalets—founder and first chairman of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN)—were exhumed from the Crossway cemetery in Rotterdam. The Office of the President of Ukraine confirmed that the remains will be transferred to Ukraine for interment at the National Military Memorial Cemetery near Kyiv. A farewell ceremony is slated for the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, with the exact date to be announced later.

The remains of Colonel Yevhen Konovalets were exhumed in Rotterdam Repatriation to Ukraine of the remains of Yevguén Konovalets Kyiv Independent

Born in 1891 in the Lviv region, Konovalets served as a colonel in the Army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and commanded the Sich Riflemen. He founded the OUN in 1929, seeking Ukrainian independence and foreign support while warning of Soviet expansion. On May 23 1938, NKVD operative Pavel Sudoplatov assassinated Konovalets in Rotterdam by delivering a bomb concealed in a box of chocolates. His death preceded a split in the OUN, leading to the emergence of the OUN-M faction headed by Andriy Melnyk, whose remains were repatriated in May 2024.

Kyiv IndependentThe remains of Colonel Yevhen Konovalets were exhumed in Rotterdam Repatriation to Ukraine of the remains of Yevguén Konovalets

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy requested the repatriation, and the operation was organized by Kyrylo Budanov of the President’s Office, Andriy Sybiga of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Oleksandr Alferov of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance. Government officials, members of the Ukrainian diaspora in the Netherlands, and clergy from the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church attended the exhumation. The remains will be temporarily interred at the National Military Memorial Cemetery, where soldiers from the ongoing conflict with Russia are already buried.

The remains of Colonel Yevhen Konovalets were exhumed in Rotterdam Repatriation to Ukraine of the remains of Yevguén Konovalets Kyiv Independent

Democrata highlights that the OUN’s wartime activities have been scrutinized for collaboration with Nazi Germany and participation in massacres of Poles and Ukrainian Jews. The inclusion of Konovalets—and other nationalist figures such as Stepan Bandera—in a future national pantheon has sparked diplomatic tensions with Poland and Israeli organizations, reflecting ongoing debate over how to commemorate controversial historical actors.

Repatriation to Ukraine of the remains of Yevguén Konovalets

A bill approved by the Ukrainian Parliament outlines the creation of a national pantheon to honor political, military, cultural, scientific, and religious figures who contributed to Ukraine’s statehood. The legislation does not yet specify which individuals will be admitted, and officials indicate that a formal selection protocol will be applied once the pantheon is constructed.

Repatriation to Ukraine of the remains of Yevguén Konovalets