At a ceremony hosted by the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center on Thursday, Ukraine's Head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine Andrii Yermak, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal, and Ukraine's Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko honored Ukrainians who saved Jews during the Holocaust.
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Yermak announced that those still alive will receive a lifelong monthly state stipend, in recognition of their heroism.
The ceremony marked the first Remembrance Day for Ukrainians who rescued Jews during World War II. Earlier this year, Ukraine's parliament passed a resolution designating May 14 as an annual commemoration day to honor their actions.
"Babyn Yar became a terrible symbol of the Holocaust in Eastern Europe because of the massacre of World War II. In just two days, almost 34,000 Jews from Kyiv were killed," said Yermak. "Today, it is important to honor the memory of these people and praise those who saved them at the risk of their own lives. Express gratitude for the hope they have given back to the world. And I hope that future generations will remember this feat for centuries."
Following World War II, a total of 2,659 Ukrainians were awarded the prestigious title of "Righteous Among the Nations" by Yad Vashem, Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Of all countries, Ukraine has the fourth-largest number of "Righteous Among the Nations." However, it is believed that a far greater number of Ukrainians risked their lives and those of their families to save Jews from the Nazis. The Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center is working to uncover many of these unknown stories.
At the ceremony, it was announced that the 18 Ukrainian "Righteous Among the Nations" who remain alive today will each be recognized by the state for their bravery with a monthly state stipend for the remainder of their lives.
"This landmark event is a clear indication that the Ukrainian public consciousness affirms high ideals of respect for human life and recognition of responsibility and memory, which contribute to the construction of a free, democratic society… On the Day of Remembrance of Ukrainians who saved Jews during the Second World War, we honor the feat of these courageous people who have become and remain for us an example of humanity and self-sacrifice," Shmygal said.
The ceremony took place at the new symbolic synagogue at Babyn Yar and was attended by state officials, diplomats, religious leaders, cultural and community figures. The symbolic synagogue is the first construction to be completed in the planned Babyn Yar memorial complex, which will stretch over an area of 370 acres, making it one of the world's largest Holocaust memorial centers. A dozen buildings will eventually be erected as part of the complex.
On September 29 and 30, 1941, 33,771 Jewish victims were shot at Babyn Yar by the Nazis. Tens of thousands of Ukrainians, Roma, mentally ill and others were shot thereafter at Babyn Yar throughout the Nazi occupation of Kyiv. The estimated number of victims murdered at Babyn Yar is around 100,000, making it Europe's largest mass grave. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Babyn Yar massacre and commemorations will culminate in an international event including global leaders in September – October 2021.
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