Ukraine begins construction of its largest military memorial — Le Monde

Ukraine has launched the construction of its most ambitious memorial project to date. According to Le Monde, the country is building a National Military Memorial Cemetery near the village of Markhalivka, in Kyiv Oblast, just off the Kyiv–Odesa highway.
The cemetery will accommodate between 130,000 and 160,000 graves. The first 10,000 burial plots are expected to be completed by the end of this summer. The project spans 120 hectares of forest, some of which has already been cleared — a move that has sparked protests from local residents and environmental activists.
The construction is estimated to cost over €37 million.
Chief architect Serhiy Derbin describes the site not merely as a cemetery, but as “a memorial to statehood and the scale of sacrifice.” Unique features include an air-raid shelter for up to 300 people, a ceremonial hall for inclement weather, and dedicated spaces for future monuments and public events.
Le Monde notes that this is more than just a logistical or architectural undertaking: Ukraine is institutionalizing the war and memorializing it as part of a broader national narrative.