A farewell ceremony for Ukrainian poet, dissident, and political prisoner Ihor Kalynets was held in Lviv.

This was announced by the head of the Lviv Regional State Administration, Maksym Kozytskyi, on his Telegram channel.

"He was a true voice of the Ukrainian intelligentsia, a symbol of dignity and love for Ukraine. Today, we bid farewell to Ihor Kalynets – an outstanding poet, writer, dissident, and long-term political prisoner of Soviet camps," the post reads.

After the memorial service at the St. George's Cathedral in Rynok Square, a city-wide farewell ceremony took place, following which the funeral procession headed to the Lychakiv Cemetery.

Ihor Kalynets will rest in the Field of Honor at the Lychakiv Cemetery, plot No. 67.

"He exemplified how words and language hold power. Today, amidst the full-scale war, we understand even more deeply the weight of his voice. He became a guide for millions who fought and continue to fight for an independent Ukraine," the head of the regional administration wrote.

It was reported that Ihor 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 leading figures of the so-called 'late sixties' generation and the dissident self-publishing movement in Ukraine, a political prisoner. He lived and worked in Lviv. Author of seventeen poetry collections written between the mid-1960s and 1981. Honorary Doctor of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. Laureate of the Shevchenko Prize.