Thousands mourn slain ex-MP at memorial service in Lviv.

Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight.

Thousands of people gathered at the Saints Peter and Paul Garrison Church in Lviv on July 21 for a memorial service dedicated to Iryna Farion, a former Ukrainian lawmaker and linguist who was assassinated on July 19. An unidentified man opened fire on Farion, 60, on the street outside her home in Lviv the evening of July 19. She underwent an operation and was pronounced dead later that night.

Farion was a controversial figure, known for her nationalist politics and incendiary statements on the use of the Russian language in Ukraine. The public service began at 7 p.m. local time and will last until 10 p.m., according to information provided by Farion's daughter, Sofiya Semchyshyn. A funeral for Farion will be held at the Garrison Church on July 22.

Officials are currently investigating the assassination. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 20 that all possible leads are being investigated, and that Russian involvement has not been ruled out. "All the necessary forces of the National Police of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine have been deployed to search for the criminal," Zelensky said.

Who was Iryna Farion, the nationalist professor-politician assassinated in Lviv?

Despite the contrasting opinions surrounding her life's work and sometimes contentious public statements, the assassination of linguist and former right-wing lawmaker Iryna Farion on July 19 came as a shock to Ukrainians.

Sixty-year-old Farion was shot in the head by an unknown assailant outside of...