The National War Memorial Cemetery was solemnly opened near Kyiv - an object that was supposed to become a symbol of honor and eternal memory for the fallen Ukrainian soldiers. However, instead of pride and gratitude, society received a wave of scandals, protests, and unanswered questions.
Two weeks before the opening, residents of the village of Markhalivka and other settlements of the Gatna community publicly spoke out against the chosen site. The main problem is the unsuitability of the soil for burials. After rains, the ground is covered with water, the first dug graves are flooded. Environmentalists warned at the design stage: the marshy terrain, high groundwater level and lack of a drainage system make burials impossible.
On the opening day, tensions reached a peak. Local residents protested again, holding placards reading “Don’t bury heroes in the swamp.” However, instead of dialogue, the protesters were harshly detained and taken to police stations in police vans.
The story of choosing the land for the cemetery raises no less questions. The plot turned out to be one of the cheapest in the region, which made it possible to "save" budget funds. However, doubts arise as to whether the savings were really in the interests of the state, and not individual officials.
The scandal was also exacerbated by the situation with the tender for the construction of the first stage of the cemetery worth UAH 1.8 billion. Its winner was the Building You consortium, which was registered literally the next day after the announcement of the purchase. The company has neither specialized equipment, nor personnel, nor experience in implementing such projects. Moreover, it is associated with Yuriy Golyk, known as the curator of the presidential program "Great Construction".
Thus, the National War Memorial Cemetery, which should unite society around the memory of the fallen, risks becoming a symbol of bureaucratic negligence, corruption schemes, and disdain for heroes.
