Every year on September 29, Ukraine commemorates the victims of one of the greatest crimes of the Nazi regime – the mass murder of the Jews of Kyiv at Babyn Yar. Over the course of two days, September 29–30, 1941, units of the Nazi Einsatzgruppe “C” killed 33,771 civilians of Jewish origin – children, women, and the elderly. Later, the Babyn Yar tract was transformed into a place of mass murders of Soviet prisoners of war, patients of a psychiatric hospital, Roma, clergy, and those who, in the opinion of the occupation administration, posed a threat to the so-called “new order.”
On September 29, the Menorah Cultural and Business Center hosted a thematic film screening dedicated to the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Babyn Yar. The event was organized by the Museum of Jewish Memory and the Holocaust in Ukraine, Menorah Art Platform with the assistance of the United Jewish Community of Ukraine.
The feature film “Echo” by Valeriy Shalyga is a historical drama, the plot of which is based on real memories from the book of doctor V. Kulikov “Occupation of Vinnytsia (07/18/1941 - 03/20/1944). Eyewitness testimony”. The events of the film unfold in July 1941 in occupied Vinnytsia. The Jewish community of the city is under threat of physical destruction. Different fates of people, including a little Jewish boy Syoma and his neighbor Marusya. The film “Echo” is dedicated to all those who died during the mass shootings of the Jewish population during World War II.
Before the screening, the guests were addressed by the director of the Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine”, Dr. Iryna Radchenko, and a special guest of the evening, the film’s director, screenwriter, and general producer, Valeriy Shalyga. He spoke about what inspired him to create the film, the specifics of the filming process, and the cast. In particular, he introduced Svitlana Shalyga, a theater and film actress who played one of the roles in the film.
After the screening, a discussion of the film with the audience took place, moderated by the Museum’s deputy director for research work, Dr. Yegor Vradii. This event was an important event that once again reminded us of the tragic history of the Holocaust, the hopeful stories of salvation, and the importance of memory as an integral part of our present.
In honor of the victims of Babyn Yar, the Museum “Jewish Memory and he Holocaust in Ukraine” held several events. As part of a joint project of the Museum with the Hesed-Menachem Charitable Foundation, an online meeting was held with the Deputy Director of the Museum for Scientific Work, Dr. Yegor Vradii, dedicated to the landmark work – the confessional novel “Babyn Yar” by Anatoly Kuznetsov. The participants had the opportunity to talk about why Babyn Yar became the main symbol of the Holocaust in Ukraine, how this tragedy was remembered and forbidden to be remembered in the post-war period, and why the Memory of those killed in Babyn Yar and the Holocaust in general is an integral and important part of Ukrainian history. In addition, thematic excursions were held for students of gymnasiums and lyceums of the Dnipro during the week.
We thank everyone who joined our events and honored the memory of hundreds of thousands of people who became victims of the inhumane policies of Nazism.