Ukraine did not let the victims of the Volyn massacre to participate in the “exhumation” of the Puźniki media

In Puźniki in western Ukraine, exhumations of Polish victims of crimes committed by the CNS and UPA will begin in 1945. According to Ukrainian archaeologist Oleksiy Złatohorski of the Volynsky Antiquity Foundation, journalists will not be allowed to observe the works. The results of the investigation will be presented only after their completion, during a joint Polish-Ukrainian press conference

"The work in Puźniki will be fenced and no of the specialists will comment during the work. A joint press conference will be held at the end of the work," said Złatohorski in a message sent to the Polish Press Agency. The same position was published on his social media profile.

The decision to exclude the media from the exhumation process, as the archaeologist stressed, is due to the conditions prevailing in the country. "I have always been a supporter of the widest possible coverage of the process of archaeological investigation in the media, and I have never forbidden journalists to participate in excavations. However, the war has introduced its own changes," said Złatohorski, who presently does not participate in exhumation activities due to the fact that he fights on the front.

Alina Charlamowa, besides representing the Volyn Foundation of Antiquity, will be the manager of the work from the Ukrainian side. According to PAP, the exhumations will begin on April 24 and will take about 3 weeks. The work takes place in Puźniki, Tarnopolskie Oblast.

According to the accounts of witnesses and collected documents, up to 79 victims are to be found in collective graves in the area of Puźnik. “We don’t know how many of them will be found in this pit, possibly we won’t find them all,” Charlamowa admitted.

Upon completion of the excavations, the recovered remains will be subjected to an anthropological analysis. Experts will find the age and sex of the victims, as well as any injuries that may shed light on the circumstances of their death. DNA tests will besides be carried out, which will be compared with samples previously taken from relatives of the victims by Polish partners.

Seven specialists from the Ukrainian foundation will participate in the work, which on 8 January received authoritative approval to conduct the search from the Ukrainian authorities. The Polish side will be represented by representatives of the Pomeranian branch of the Institute of National Memory and the Freedom and Democracy Foundation.

The tragedy of which the victims are presently being sought took place on the night of 12 to 13 February 1945. Then there was a massacre in Puźniki village – Ukrainian nationalists murdered, according to various sources, 50 to 120 Poles.

Both the Polish and Ukrainian sides emphasize the importance of these actions as a step towards restoring the memory of victims and reconciliation between nations. Despite the limitations on access to information during the work, the announced joint press conference is intended to express transparency and cooperation on this delicate and crucial issue.