November 5th marked 50 years since the violent death of young Vasyl Makukh. On November 5, 1968, Vasyl Makukh committed an act of self-immolation on Khreshchatyk Boulevard in Kyiv. Running through the street, his clothes and body ablaze, he appealed to his countrymen to fight for an independent and free Ukraine, and for an independent and free Czechoslovakia.



“Vasyl Makukh’s sacrifice was repeated by other freedom fighters in Lithuania, Poland and Czechoslovakia. Ten years after Vasyl’s death, Oleksa Hirnyk committed suicide by self-immolation on Chernecha Hill in Kaniv to protest against the russification of Ukraine by the Soviet regime.” said the head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, Volodymyr Vyatrovych.Vasyl Makukh would celebrate his 91st birthday on November 11. A year ago, a group of Czech activists launched an initiative to name one of the streets in Prague in honour of Vasyl Makukh. However, Pavel Riacek, an employee of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes in Prague, told us (Radio Liberty-Ed) that the “group hasn’t contacted them yet”.
“Yes, Vasyl Makuh deserves to have a street in Prague named after him, just like the Pole, Ryszard Siwiec, whose name was given to the street where our institute is located. It’s a great pity that the group of Czech activists has failed to launch this initiative – to name one of the streets in Prague in honour of the Ukrainian hero Vasyl Makukh.” said Pavel Riacek.Vasyl Makukh is remembered in Ukraine. A memorial plaque commemorating his heroic sacrifice was installed Khreshchatyk Boulevard on January 26, 2017.
