Mayor of Jaroslaw receives death threats over intention to partner with Skole

Harassment over an interstate initiative

The Mayor of Jaroslaw, Marcin Nazarewicz, revealed details of the pressure he had been under for several months. According to him, the cause of the harassment was the intention to establish official partnership ties with the Ukrainian city of Skole in Lviv Oblast.

The politician emphasised that the consequences of the conflict affected not only him personally but also members of his family, particularly his children.

Wave of insults and attempts

During a city council meeting on 26 October, Nazarewicz stated that for the last four months he had been publicly insulted, being called a «бандерівцем», an «антиполяком» and a «українцем» ("Bandera follower", "anti-Pole" and "Ukrainian").

Edited videos were circulated online, artificially linking the mayor with Stepan Bandera. Some messages contained death threats.

Attack on the family

The mayor suffered the greatest emotional pain from the attacks on his loved ones. He confessed that he was forced to explain to schoolchildren why his children had no connection to the events of 1943 and the historical figures with whom the authors of toxic publications tried to associate them.

Nazarewicz also mentioned his wife, who was born in Jaroslaw and works as a doctor. He noted that among the aggressors were even patients she had previously treated.

Cancellation of the agreement

The decision on the intention to establish a partnership with Skole was made in spring 2026. However, the initiative triggered a wave of protests, in particular due to the presence of a monument to Stepan Bandera in the Ukrainian city. The formal cooperation agreement was never signed.

On 26 October, the Jaroslaw city council unanimously voted to cancel the decision on the intention of partnership. One of the key reasons was a document from the Lviv Oblast Council, which declared 2027 the Year of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).

It is worth noting that this refers to a refusal of planned cooperation, not the termination of an active contract, as one was never concluded.

Law enforcement reaction

All submissions containing threats that reached the city administration have been forwarded to the prosecutor's office. Currently, no information has been received regarding the results of the review of these cases.