First honorable burial of unknown defenders take place at National War Memorial Cemetery

The National War Memorial Cemetery (NWMC) held a military burial ceremony for unknown soldiers with full military honors to honor fallen Heroes whose names have not yet been established, marking the first burial on the site.

As reported by an Interfax-Ukraine agency correspondent, the ceremony took place in the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Thus, on Friday morning, five unknown soldiers were buried. The next unknown soldiers, according to preliminary information, will be buried on Saturday, August 30. In the future, such burial ceremonies will be held on a regular basis.

Also, from today, the families of the deceased, whose names have been established, can contact the NWMC administration to arrange burial in designated sectors or columbaria.

At the NWMC, it is possible to bury fallen military personnel who participated in military operations (in particular, Heroes of Ukraine, full holders of orders), war veterans (participants in military operations, persons with disabilities due to war, peacekeepers), as well as outstanding fighters for the independence of Ukraine in the 20th century.

In addition, from today the memorial cemetery is open to visitors.

Among other things, samples of temporary gravestones that will be used in the future are presented at the entrance to the NWMC.

Today, the construction of the first start-up complex of the first stage of the memorial cemetery has been completed at NWMC. In particular, 6 thousand places have been prepared (in total, up to 120-130 thousand places will be provided). Also, two columbariums have been erected, a parking lot has been equipped, utility networks have been laid, a road junction and an access road have been built.

Today, the construction of the first stage continues: the foundation for the administrative building and the House of Mourning has already been laid, a utility block, the Central Square with the Memorial Garden, entrance gates, recreation areas and landscaping of the territory are being built.

Also, an Alley of Linden Trees is being created on the territory of the memorial - as a symbolic road of memory. Forty trees have already been planted, and in total, an alley of one hundred linden trees is planned.

Columbaria erected on the territory of the cemetery serve as walls of memory, where urns with the ashes of the Defenders will rest. Columbaria are decorated with a military trident, known as the "trident of Petliura." This sign was founded in 1919 in the Army of the UPR and is evidence of the continuity of Ukrainian military traditions.

A separate place on the cemetery territory is occupied by the sector of burials of unknown Defenders, for fallen soldiers whose names have not yet been established.

The next six stages provide for architectural and sculptural competitions for such structures as: a museum and exhibition complex, a chapel, the Central Memorial in honor of the Defenders and other monumental structures.

As reported, in October 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the creation of the state institution "National War Memorial Cemetery" by the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, and in August 2023, approved the implementation of its project in Hatne community near Kyiv by August 2025.

At the end of March 2025, Minister for Veterans Affairs Natalia Kalmykova announced plans to begin the first burials at NWMC in May 2025.

On May 30, the state institution NWMC reported that the construction of the first start-up complex of the first stage of the cemetery was completed. The first honorary burials are planned for the near future. On June 20, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs again announced that the first honorary burials are planned for the near future.

On July 2, then-Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal reported that 6,000 burial sites have been prepared at NWMC.

On July 15, Kalmykova stated that the department is open to professional discussion, but that suspending the construction of NWMC in the current conditions is inappropriate and has no legal basis.