Ukraine marked the 79th anniversary of the beginning of the mass execution of Jews at the Babyn Yar ravine, where on Sept. 29-30, 1941 Nazi occupying forces in Kyiv, with the help of some local collaborators, killed at least 33,771 Jews.
Babyn Yar is one of the most horrific symbols of the Holocaust. Overall, it is estimated that 100,000-150,000 Jews were killed at the site when Nazi forces occupied Ukraine during World War II. Ukrainian nationalists, Roma people and other Soviet prisoners of war were also killed at the site.
The people were murdered by being shot from submachine guns, after which the Nazis then undermined the wall of the ravine so that it collapsed and covered the bodies. Afterwards, in an attempt to conceal the atrocity as German forces were retreating from the Soviet Union, the Nazis forced Soviet prisoners of war to disinter the bodies and burn them. The ashes of the victims were scattered on surrounding farmland.
On Oct 29, 2020 the Ukrainian government and the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation during the Babyn Yar remembrance day at the Babyn Yar memorial in Kyiv. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko were present at the event together with Ronald Lauder, member of the supervisory board of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center and president of the World Jewish Congress.
The memorandum was signed after a memorial ceremony took place and a large-scale audio-visual installation was presented by the center. Approximately 100 people were present at the event.
“We must not forget the tragedy of Babyn Yar. We understand that this is not only the history of Ukraine and the Jewish people, it is the tragic history of the whole world,” said Zelensky. “People, especially young people, must be able to come and see the place where thousands of Jews were shot, to realize one of the greatest tragedies of the twentieth century.”
Lauder emphasized on the importance of reminding the world about the tragedy and about the price of peace.
“This must never be called a disaster, like a hurricane or a flood. This was one of the greatest mass murders in history. And then, a second crime was committed here (when it was all covered) up, so the world would never know,” Lauder said. “Almost 80 years after this happened, these tortured souls will finally be remembered with an International Memorial Museum.”
The opening ceremony was prepared by famous Ukrainian art director Vlad Troitsky, while the author of the installation project is Ukrainian-British artist Maksym Demidenko. The installation was also created by a team of representatives from Ukraine, Israel, the U.S., and the U.K.
“The installation is based on the symbol of the Tree of Life, which is found in most religions and mythologies of the world,” a press release by the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center reads. “The Babyn Yar tragedy shows how easily this Tree can be destroyed, and its branches broken. The columns are shot with hundreds of thousands of bullets of the same caliber people in Babyn Yar were killed by. The installation works 24/7, and at night the light and sound from memory passes through the bullet holes.”
