Every year on January 27, the world commemorates the victims of the Holocaust, a tragedy that also affected Ukraine. This word is used by historians to describe the genocide of Jews and other social groups by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945. The Third Reich and its allies exterminated everyone they considered “inferior,” including Jews, Slavs, Roma, blacks, homosexuals, people with disabilities, and mental illness.
The International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27 was established on the initiative of the United Nations to ensure that the world never forgets the atrocities committed by the Nazis. This day honors the memory of approximately 11 million innocent victims of genocide. The date was not chosen by chance – on this day in 1945, soldiers of the 1st Ukrainian Front liberated the prisoners of the largest Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz.
The Holocaust is the genocide of social groups that the Nazis considered unworthy of life, primarily Jews. About 6 million of them were killed during the genocide, which is about a third of the world’s Jewish population.
Also, during the years of the Third Reich, about 3 million Slavs, both Soviet prisoners of war and civilians, were killed; about 2 million Poles (intellectuals and resistance activists); about 250,000 people with disabilities and mental disorders; and about 400,000 Roma.
Other victims of the Nazi atrocities included seriously ill people, refugees, partisans, homosexuals, political rivals, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Sometimes, the number of Holocaust victims includes civilian casualties in the occupied territories, which increases the total number of people killed to approximately 17-20 million.
Ukraine was one of the territories most affected by the Holocaust. In our country, the most famous place for mass executions of Jews is the Babyn Yar tract, as well as the nearby Syretsk concentration camp. The exact number of victims of Babyn Yar is unknown; numbers ranging from 70 to 150 thousand are mentioned.
“More than 6 million people became victims of Nazi terror during World War II. Almost a fifth of them died in the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp. Most of the victims were Jews. Today, in many countries, Holocaust denial is a criminal offense. Our task is to honor the memory of the lost generation, to draw conclusions, and to never allow these events to happen again. The HILLEL CASE Jewish Youth Center team and our students from all cities traditionally took part in the laying of flowers, and we will hold several educational events on this occasion. This is an important part of our activities – to know, honor, respect, and remember the Jewish people’s history. We are pleased that even in the current difficult conditions, schools, kindergartens, and libraries are holding thematic lectures dedicated to the memory of the Holocaust victims. Jewish organizations in Ukraine also annually hold commemorative cultural events on this difficult but important day,” says Osik Akselrud, director of Hillel CASE.
Usually, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, a commemorative event is held in Babyn Yar, and flowers and candles are brought to the Holocaust memorials in different cities.
Currently, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already honored the memory of the Holocaust victims at Babyn Yar. US Ambassador to Ukraine Brink and representatives of the Ukrainian diplomatic corps also placed lamps at the Menorah.
“The crime of the Holocaust should never happen again, but gradually, unfortunately, the memory of the Holocaust is becoming weaker. And the evil that tries to destroy the lives of entire nations still remains in the world. We must all fight for the sake of life and not forget that indifference is fertilizer for evil. We must overcome the hatred that gives rise to abuse and murder. We must prevent forgetfulness. And it is everyone’s mission to do everything to prevent evil from winning,” Zelensky wrote.
Five years ago, President Zelensky took part in the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Then, the guarantor remembered the Ukrainians who were the first to break through the camp’s gates: tank commander Ihor Pobirchenko and soldiers under the leadership of Anatoliy Shapiro.
Eternal memory to all victims 🕯️
