Parliament passes law on National Pantheon

Voting in the Verkhovna Rada. Photo: Verkhovna Rada Telegram channel

On July 1, 2026, MPs of the Verkhovna Rada voted in favor of Law No. 15360 on the creation of the Ukrainian National Pantheon to commemorate state and military figures. This was reported by Suspilne.

The document was supported by 287 lawmakers, who used an accelerated procedure to consider it immediately in the second reading. Under the adopted provisions, the Pantheon will receive the status of a state-owned facility that cannot be privatized or leased.

The new law permits honorary burials and commemoration of hetmans of the Zaporizhian Host, presidents of Ukraine except those removed through impeachment, commanders-in-chief of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), and soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In addition to military and political figures, the Pantheon may also commemorate outstanding figures of science and culture, as well as Nobel Prize laureates. Each decision to include a specific person in the memorial will be made by Parliament through a separate law after a mandatory review by a council of historians and experts.

At the same time, the law prohibits honoring individuals who committed crimes against national security, as well as those covered by decommunization legislation.

The bill has sparked a reaction in the Polish government, where officials warned of the risk of a serious deterioration in relations between Kyiv and Warsaw. As the UOJ previously reported, the President of Poland stripped Zelensky of an order over the glorification of the UPA.

Read also