Ukrainian-Polish expedition begins search for victims of Volyn tragedy in Rivne Oblast

A Ukrainian-Polish expedition began search and exhumation work for victims of the Volyn tragedy from the Second World War period in the village of Uhly in the Sarny district of Rivne Oblast on 23 March.

Source: Radio Liberty, as reported by European Pravda

Details: According to testimonies about those events, victims from the Second World War period are buried in a mass grave at a former abandoned cemetery. Among those killed, witnesses claimed, were civilians – Poles and Ukrainians.

The search and exhumation work is being carried out by a joint Ukrainian-Polish expedition of the Dolia memorial search centre (Ukraine) and the Pomeranian Medical University (Poland). It includes forensic experts, archaeologists, geneticists and anthropologists – about 20 people in total.

Sviatoslav Sheremeta, head of the Dolia memorial search centre, said the first stage of the search work would last for a week, until 27 March.

Quote from Sheremeta: "The expedition was initiated following an appeal by Karolina Romanowska. The initiator is the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance, which allocated funds for the Ukrainian expedition. The further course of the expedition will be determined based on the results of the search work. If burial sites are found, documents will be submitted to the state interagency commission to obtain permission for reburial, and further steps will be decided."

Details: On the first day, several human remains were discovered during excavation work, but, as Sheremeta explained, they were not from the mass burial site but from individual graves, likely from an old cemetery.

DNA analysis of the discovered human remains will be carried out.

Background:

• Over the past two years, Polish citizen and civic activist Karolina Romanowska initiated search and exhumation work in the village of Uhly. She submitted a corresponding request to the Ukrainian authorities and received approval from the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance.
• However, for a long time the Polish Institute of National Remembrance did not include this locality on the list of sites proposed for the exhumation of victims of the Volyn tragedy.
• In February, Ukraine's Ministry of Culture granted permission to search for burial sites of victims of the Volyn tragedy in the area of the former village of Huta Pieniacka in Lviv Oblast.

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