A bas-relief has been stolen from Bohdan Lepky’s grave in Kraków
This has been reported by NENKA INFO.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has contacted the Polish authorities
Upon receiving information about the incident, the Consulate-General of Ukraine in Kraków began liaising with Polish law enforcement agencies, the administration of the Rakowicki Cemetery and the city authorities.
The Ukrainian side called for a full investigation to be carried out, for those involved in the theft to be identified, for the bas-relief to be returned or restored, and for adequate security to be provided at the burial site.
“We regard this act of vandalism as a deliberate provocation aimed at further fuelling hostility between Ukraine and the Republic of Poland,” said Heorhiy Tykhyi.
Why this grave is of particular significance
Bohdan Lepkyi was one of the most famous Ukrainian writers and cultural figures of the first half of the 20th century, and the author of the lyrics to the song ‘Chuyesh, bratye moy’ (‘Do You Hear, My Brother?’). He spent a significant part of his life in Kraków, where he taught at Jagiellonian University.
The writer was buried at Rakowicki Cemetery in 1941. In 1972, a bronze bas-relief by the Ukrainian sculptor Hryhor Petsukh was installed on his gravestone. It was this very bas-relief that was stolen by unknown individuals.
The incident occurred against a backdrop of warnings about possible provocations
The incident took place at a time of heightened debate over historical issues in Polish-Ukrainian relations. Previously, the Centre for Countering Disinformation had warned of possible Russian information operations aimed at worsening relations between Kyiv and Warsaw. According to the Centre, Russian security services may use historical themes and high-profile incidents to stoke tensions between the two countries
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