Photo by Andrey Skakodub
Here in Kyiv, we remembered the victims of massacre on September 29th -- the tens of thousands of peaceful residents whom the Nazis slaughtered on ethnic grounds. It is difficult to understand the magnitude of the crime, for which there can be no excuse, no explanation.
Over a period of two days, September 29th-30th, 1941, almost 34,000 Jews were murdered at the site of the Babi Yar ravine. After that, mass shootings were committed there with grim regularity, as often as twice a week. Records show that more than 100,000 people -- Jews, Gypsies, and Ukrainians -- were massacred here.
Along with Auschwitz and the Warsaw ghetto, Babi Yar was tragedy on a global scale. And, we -- the people of Ukraine, and the international community -- must do all that we can to prevent such atrocities from happening again. There can be no room in our hearts or among communities for fascism, Nazism, racism, and xenophobia to take hold.
Each of us should remember this painful, terrible page of history, not only on the day of anniversary, but every day. It must not be swept under the carpet -- as it was during Soviet times -- nor denied with glib arguments, or avoided with averted eyes.
It is unfortunate, but for so many years, so little has been done in Ukraine to establish an appropriate memorial. There are Holocaust memorials all over the world -- in Jerusalem, Wien, Berlin, New York and many other cities -- and some include memorials to Babi Yar.
I am not going to give up on my intention to create a fitting memorial here, where it happened.
For a year, we have been working toward this goal with many people in many cities; and we are moving forward. I urge others to work with us toward fulfilling the creation of a Babi Yar Holocaust Memorial Center. I have many pressing jobs as Mayor of Kyiv, but I consider it my mission to accomplish this historically important task.
We have discussed the project with the leadership of Yad Vashem Remembrance Center in Jerusalem and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and others. Using the experience, energy and perspective of these leading organizations, public figures and patrons from many countries, we will ensure that a vibrant memorial comes to life, one that also drives research of the Holocaust -- to keep the memory alive about this global crime against humanity, and to prevent its repetition.
As Santayana wrote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." It has become a trite quotation, but in the case of Babi Yar, it is not only especially fitting, it is a critical imperative.
There must be a memorial in Kyiv. I know in my heart, and I am sure that many reading this know it as well, that we must create a unique memorial center on the site of a horrible crime and deep tragedy. This is foremost to commemorate the victims.
And yet, it must be more. We have to remember that part of the human soul that allows such horror and cruelty to occur, and in equal part, we must also honor those whom we call the Righteous of Babi Yar, the people who risked their lives to save Jews and prisoners of war. They had a choice and they chose to act. Their goodness and bravery stand in stark contrast to the horror they fought against, and we must honor their example, and hold it up high.
We have a vision. We have a concept for the memorial. We have the will to create it. We will do our best to create the Babi Yar Holocaust Memorial Center in Kyiv by the 80th anniversary of the tragedy.
We already took the first step on September 29th 2016. I am very grateful to all those who joined the ceremonial signing of the Declaration of intent to create the Babi Yar Holocaust Memorial Center -- public figures, philanthropists, historians, and museum experts -- from around the world.
The Declaration advances our united, global fight against the intolerable ideology of genocide. By following through on this mission, we remind the world that forgetting is tantamount to accepting, and we can never accept what happened, nor ever permit it to happen again.
We showed that we can work together for a great cause -- and we recognized that we must do this, because it is right that we remember, no matter how painful.