For over a year, a pair of judges pressured the parents of fallen heroes to erect a massive monument next to their sons' graves.

In Ternopil, at the Pantheon of Heroes – a site where Ukrainian soldiers who defended the country in war are buried – an unexpected conflict has arisen. This story is both painful and illustrative.

Subscribe to our Viber: news, humor, and entertainment!

Here, at the Mykulyntsi cemetery, a unique memorial has been created with Cossack crosses, national flags, and respect for every fallen soldier – from private to colonel. Everything looks dignified and symbolic, resembling an "eternal line of heroes."

About this, member of the 13th Operational Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine “Charter,” Vakhtang Kipiani, reported on Facebook.

However, there are three graves that stand out from the rest. On one of them, where sailor Vitaliy Stadnyk rests, a cross has not appeared. His parents, controversial judges in the past, decided that a standard monument “was not for them.” Instead, they want to install a two-meter bronze figure of their son – claiming they "can afford it."

"And this is a slap in the face to almost 240 families of the defenders of Ukraine, who are buried in the honored section of the Mykulyntsi cemetery," – writes Vakhtang.

0

The overall concept of the memorial implies identical monuments for all. Just a few meters from the Pantheon, there is a free area where individual sculptures or monuments could be installed. But the Stadnyks refused this idea and continued to fight for changes to the memorial rules.

This idea understandably sparked outrage among other families of the fallen, who strive to maintain a unified style to emphasize the equality of all heroes.

"These families are acting terribly towards the other families of the fallen. Even at the burial stage, we had the choice – the pantheon with Cossack crosses and unification or our own burial and freedom of action. Why sign, and then ruin everyone’s life and once again hurt the families of the warriors?" – shared one of the protesters on social media X.

1

The story escalated into a real battle

When Stadnyk's parents attempted to forcibly install their sculpture, activists, relatives of other fallen soldiers, and even military personnel on leave were forced to stand guard at the cemetery to prevent this from happening.

The parties have been arguing in five (!) courts simultaneously for more than a year, with the latest hearing taking place on December 3. The Stadnyk family managed to achieve a temporary arrest of their son Vitaliy's grave at the Pantheon of Heroes.

According to journalists from "20 minutes," the mother of the fallen defender, Maria Stadnyk, reported that the appellate court granted their request. Now they will be able to install an individual monument at Vitaliy's grave.

Judge Svitlana Shevchuk read the decision, which recognized the Ternopil City Council's decision regarding changes to the Pantheon of Heroes regulations as illegal. Additionally, the court ordered the city council to pay compensation to the Stadnyk family and other claimants, totaling almost 3 thousand hryvnias.

2

Reactions from Ukrainians

This situation has elicited a strong response online:

• "Unfortunately, this is a disgrace for the whole country. This also happens in the Avenues of Heroes, at Lesnoy and Berkovetsky cemeteries. 'Because they have the right...' There’s also support from the Special Combine and the Housing and Utilities Department. They benefit from the installation of non-uniform monuments, rather than 'mausoleums.' Laws and community decisions are being disregarded. Did our children give their lives for such a country?"
• "What kind of savages do these parents have to be to assert themselves in such a sacred place? Horrible."
• "There are no regional exceptions to greed. It’s painfully sad."
• "When we were preparing a report for Reporters about these tragic battles, we visited the cemetery late at night. Relatives of the fallen were on guard there. But you could also see why this memorial is special: it glowed under the moonlight. It’s so painful that this light does not unite a single prosecutor's family."

And we remind you about the cemetery of police cars: dozens of Toyota Priuses are gathering dust

Earlier, we reported that a two-story kiosk is set to desecrate the memory of Ukraine's heroes: residents protested against trade at the military cemetery

Also read why the brain loves to suggest to people that they see ghosts: how real are these entities