War Memorial Built on Corruption: Court Steps In

Source: Author’s Facebook page
The Supreme Court has finally closed the chapter on a disgraceful case where an important and self-evidently just idea—the creation of a memorial cemetery for fallen soldiers—was twisted into yet another corruption scheme. Notably, the Court avoided ruling on legal consequences, limiting itself to assessing the lawfulness of the authorities’ actions. That alone proved sufficient to expose and stop the scheme.

The National War Memorial Cemetery was meant to become a unifying place of memory—a site where the state and society honor those who gave their lives for Ukraine. But things turned out differently. It became clear that the Ukrainian authorities are unable to handle even sacred matters—the remembrance of fallen heroes—without scandal.

Instead of an open competition for such a crucial project and transparent construction, we witnessed a covert distribution of funds among “their people,” the involvement of sanctioned companies, and a decision that seems to mock the very idea of the memorial: burials in an area with a high groundwater level—essentially, in water.

These actions were the subject of legal review. The courts found the key points of the order to be illegal, including:
• Changing the designated purpose of forest lands to burial grounds, with the right to cut down trees;
• Transferring over 258 hectares of state land for permanent use to the newly established institution responsible for the memorial cemetery;
• Terminating the permanent use rights of the National University of Life Resources and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine over this land;
• Ordering the state registration of these decisions.

In other words, the court confirmed that the land was removed from the forest fund, transferred, and re-registered in violation of the law—without proper procedures, without adequate justification, and despite public opposition.

Of all the possible ways to create a war memorial, the authorities appear to have deliberately chosen the worst one—the option that discredits the very idea of honoring the fallen. Protests by the military, environmentalists, relatives of the deceased, residents, and numerous journalistic anti-corruption investigations all served as the backdrop for yet another construction scam.

Ukraine could have created one of the finest memorials in Europe. Instead, it ended up with yet another symbol of cynicism and managerial incompetence.

The Supreme Court’s decision is not the finale; it is only a confirmation of the obvious. This disgrace must be stopped. And we must start from scratch to build a memorial complex that the country can be proud of, not ashamed of.

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