Deputies of the Lviv Regional Council have once again appealed to the President of Ukraine, requesting that Iryna Farion be posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine, together with the Order of the State. The corresponding decision was adopted on 20 October during the fourth plenary meeting of the XXVIII extraordinary session of the regional council.
The appeal stresses that the initiative is based on Iryna Farion’s many years of scholarly, teaching, civic and political activity aimed at strengthening the Ukrainian language and statehood. It notes that in February 2025 a submission had already been made to the President of Ukraine regarding the conferral on her of the highest state award, which at that time was also supported by the Lviv Regional Council, but a decision at the national level has still not been taken.
The deputies emphasise Iryna Farion’s contribution to the development of Ukrainian scholarship, education and culture, as well as her consistent work in defending national identity. The document describes her as one of the most prominent figures in contemporary Ukraine, who devoted her entire life to establishing the Ukrainian language as the foundation of statehood and to shaping the national consciousness of Ukrainians.
“Iryna Farion is among the most prominent figures of contemporary Ukraine, whose many years of scholarly, teaching, civic and political activity have made a significant contribution to the building of an independent Ukrainian state. She devoted her whole life to establishing the Ukrainian language as the foundation of statehood, defending national identity, developing Ukrainian scholarship, education and culture, and shaping the national consciousness of Ukrainians,” the appeal states.
The text of the appeal recalls that Iryna Farion was a Doctor of Philology, a professor, a long-serving lecturer at the National University “Lviv Polytechnic”, a People’s Deputy of Ukraine of the 7th convocation and a deputy of the Lviv Regional Council. For the Lviv region, the deputies underline, she was not only a scholar but also a representative of the regional community, who worked actively in the fields of education, scholarship and culture.
It is separately noted that Iryna Farion was killed in Lviv on 19 July 2024. On 1 October 2026, the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Lviv found Viacheslav Zinchenko guilty of the premeditated murder of the linguist and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
The deputies of the Lviv Regional Council believe that awarding Iryna Farion the title of Hero of Ukraine would be an act of historical justice and a fitting state recognition of her services to Ukraine. In the appeal they call on the President of Ukraine to support the submission and to confer this title on her posthumously, together with the Order of the State.