Ukraine's Memory Institute Head: Search for Volyn Tragedy Victims to Continue
Oleksandr Alforov, head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance, has stated that the search and exhumation of Polish victims of the Volyn tragedy will continue, and he hopes that searches for Ukrainian victims in the Polish villages of Sahryn and Laskiv will begin this year.
Searches to Continue
Oleksandr Alforov, head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance (UINR), has emphasized that the search for burial sites of Polish victims of the Volyn tragedy will continue, and Ukraine will continue to issue permits for such work. In an interview with Poland's PAP news agency, Alforov assured that Ukraine recognizes the Volyn tragedy and considers the search for victims and their reburial an important element of historical dialogue between the two countries.
"Regardless of the existing disputes, this work must continue. A deadlock on exhumation and search operations serves neither dialogue nor Christian ethics," Alforov said.
Hopes for Searches in Poland
Alforov expressed hope that the Ukrainian side will be able to begin searching for burial sites of Ukrainians killed during the Volyn tragedy in the villages of Sahryn and Laskiv, which are on Polish territory, this year. He said he hopes to receive relevant approvals from the Polish side.
Polish Officials' Stance
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, in his address on the National Day of Remembrance for victims of the Volyn tragedy, stressed the need to maintain solidarity "based on truth, memory and hope" and said that memory cannot be a tool of hatred. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has said that Russia is seeking to stir up emotions surrounding historical disputes between Poland and Ukraine.
