On the day of the 79th anniversary of the mass execution of civilians by the Nazis in Kiev, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy honored the memory of the victims of the Babyn Yar tragedy.
Zelensky laid flowers at the monument to citizens and prisoners of war shot by the Nazis in Babyn Yar.
“Executed in Babyn Yar are thousands of destroyed human fates. Thousands of families that have been exterminated. Thousands of fearful children’s eyes that do not understand that they are being led to death. These are thousands of reminders to humanity of xenophobia, racism, and intolerance. And thousands of pieces of evidence that, contrary to science, show that not all people have a heart,” the President said.
He noted that 79 years ago a black page was inscribed in the common past of the Ukrainian and Jewish peoples.
“We bow our heads to all the victims of Babyn Yar. And we have no right to forget these terrible crimes. Never again,” Zelenskyy stressed.
The ceremony was also attended by the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, the parliament, Dmytro Razumkov, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak, and Chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Ukraine Rabbi Meir Stambler.
In addition, in the presence of the President, Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine Oleksandr Tkachenko and Member of the Supervisory Board of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center, President of the World Jewish Congress Ronald Lauder signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation.
The document was signed at the site of the future memorial immediately after the ceremony of honoring the victims of the tragedy in Babyn Yar.
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