A solemn funeral ceremony for Ukrainian poet Igor Kalynets took place in Lviv.

This information was shared on Telegram by Maksym Kozytskyi, head of the Lviv OVA.

"He was the true voice of our nation. A symbol of dignity and love for our homeland. Today we said goodbye to Igor Kalynets – a remarkable poet and dissident who spent many years imprisoned by the Soviet regime," he noted.

After the memorial service at the Archcathedral of St. George in Rynok Square, a city-wide farewell ceremony was held, after which the funeral procession headed to Lychakiv Cemetery.

Igor Kalynets will rest in the Field of Honor at Lychakiv Cemetery No. 67.

"He demonstrated that words have power. In times of war, we feel the significance of his voice even more. He became a guiding star for many fighting for Ukraine's independence," Kozytskyi added.

As reported, Igor Kalynets passed away on June 28 in Lviv at the age of 86.

He was born on July 9, 1939, in Khodoriv, Lviv region. A poet and prose writer, he was one of the prominent figures of the so-called "late sixties" generation and the dissident movement in Ukraine, a political prisoner. He lived and worked in Lviv. The author of seventeen poetry collections written between the mid-sixties and 1981. Honorary Doctor of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. Laureate of the Shevchenko Prize.