Archaeological excavations in Volhynia: initial findings from the expedition
This was reported by Ukrinform
The progress and participants of the expedition
Search operations have been ongoing since 20 April. They are being carried out by a joint expedition comprising specialists from the Volyn Antiquities organisation and the Institute of National Remembrance of Poland. The Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance is overseeing the process through specialists from the Lviv municipal enterprise ‘Dolia’.
According to Oleksandr Alferov, head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance (UINR), no mass grave has been identified at the site under investigation to date. The expedition has so far identified a burial pit containing four sets of remains in different parts of the pit. Work at the site continues with the support of the Ukrainian side.
Procedure and timeline
The search phase in this area will continue next week and is due to be completed by 1 May. Oleksandr Alferov emphasised that, if necessary and should the Polish side request it, the Ukrainian side is prepared to grant permission for further exhumation work.
In Ukraine, permits for search operations are issued by the Ministry of Culture, and for exhumation by a special commission under the UIPN. Supervision of both types of work is funded by the Ukrainian side.
Historical context
The work is aimed at identifying the remains of local residents who died in August 1943. For the Polish Institute of National Remembrance, this is already the fourth phase of research in this area (the previous ones were carried out in 1992, 2011 and 2015). As a result of the previous phases, the remains of 674 people were identified and reburied.
The current activities are taking place in accordance with agreements reached by the Ukrainian-Polish Working Group on National Remembrance and the presidents of both countries. The process is accompanied by the necessary safety measures and professional supervision by Ukrainian scientists.
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