A ceremony was held in Kyiv to mark the 84th anniversary of the Babyn Yar tragedy. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, together with diplomats and representatives of religious communities, honored the victims of mass Nazi shootings during World War II.
This was reported by the Office of the President.
In Babyn Yar, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy honored the memory of those who died as a result of mass Nazi shootings during the occupation of Kyiv during World War II.
Participants in the ceremony placed lamps at the Menorah memorial. Representatives of Jewish religious organizations read a memorial prayer. The head of state thanked the ambassadors who honored the memory of the victims.
“Thank you for being with us, with Ukraine, today. I believe this is a very important sign of your solidarity. Even during the war, Ukraine never forgets about Babyn Yar, about the tragedy of Babyn Yar, about the tragedy of the Holocaust. This is one of the greatest tragedies in the world,” Zelenskyy said.
The president noted that the tragedy of Babyn Yar is an example of why the world today cannot stand aside or silently watch Russia’s aggression.
In Babyn Yar, the Nazis killed about 100,000 people during the occupation. They destroyed almost the entire Jewish community of Kyiv and representatives of other nationalities. On September 29-30, 1941 alone, the Nazis shot more than 30,000 people in Kyiv. The path along which local residents were driven to Babyn Yar was called the “Road of Death.”
