The tradition of joint interconfessional prayer on the Babyn Yar tragedy Day of Remembrance continues

On September 29, we will honor the memory of the civilian and prisoner-of-war victims of mass executions carried out by the Nazis in Babyn Yar during the occupation of Kyiv in 1941–1943.

On September 29-30, 1941, Jewish residents of Kyiv fell victims to the Nazi criminal policy aimed to wipe out entire national and social groups. Almost 34,000 Kyiv Jews were shot to death here in two days. It was one of the largest mass killings of civilians committed by the Nazis during World War II. Later, Babyn Yar became a symbol of the “Bullet Holocaust”.

During the two years of German occupation, the death flywheel deployed by the Nazis in Babyn Yar took the lives of about 100,000 people – Jews, Roma, captured Red Army soldiers, psychiatric hospital patients, civilian hostages, Ukrainian nationalists and Soviet partisans, prisoners of the Syretsky concentration camp.

On the 80th anniversary of the tragedy, in 2021, the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance, the National Historical and Memorial Reserve “Babyn Yar” and the Ukrainian World Congress initiated a joint interconfessional event (prayer) to commemorate the victims. Heads of churches and clergy leaders of Jewish religious communities participated. 

In 2022, we will continue the tradition of holding a joint interconfessional event.

Commemoration of the victims of Babyn Yar will include the participation of representatives of government structures, spiritual leaders of Jewish religious communities (specific representatives to be named), the highest clergy of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The commemoration will take place on the territory of the Babyn Yar Nature Reserve, next to the Menorah monument, on September 29, 2022, at 18:00.

Anyone is welcome to join, regardless of religion.

For journalist accreditation, please, call +38 096 248 31 71.

During the event, candles and stones to honor the victims of the shootings will be distributed. 

Hosts: the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance, the Ukrainian World Congress, with the assistance of the National Historical and Memorial Reserve “Babyn Yar”.

Please, refer to the detailed materials about the tragedy of Babyn Yar, including a historical reference.  

For more information, please, contact +38 096 248 31 71 – Department of Communication and Media Relations of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance.