Babyn Yar’s “Legacy”

September 26, the House of Artist hosted the presentation of the Spadshchyna Center’s monumental project starting with a series of lectures commemorating the 61st anniversary of the Babyn Yar massacre.

The meeting between the organizing committee and media people turned out impulsive. It was to be expected, considering that the memorial complex has long been an apple of discord and cause for vociferous declarations on the part of various Jewish and other public and religious figures.

A year ago, a “memorial sign” was unveiled on the site of the future memorial complex. The ceremony was attended by Leonid Kuchma and many public and political figures. The project’s opponents insist that the center will be built literally on the victims’ bones. Mr. Levitas, chairman of the Committee of Ethnic Minority Public Organizations of Ukraine, referred to archaeological findings (e.g., bores drilled and studies of the Kurenivka mudflow) and stated that there are no bodies buried on the site. A. Rosenfeld, rector of the Solomon University, assured that, should any remains of Babyn Yar be discovered, the project would be immediately frozen.

The memorial complex will be built at the expense of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and promises to be truly unique. Its area, about the size of a soccer field, will accommodate the Babyn Yar and Holocaust museums, an educational center where lectures will be delivered, an Orthodox church, and many other things. Similar centers are planned in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Designs were submitted by around ten Israeli and Ukrainian architectural teams. An Israeli one was accepted, so the project will start being built by Israelis and Ukrainians (the project involves two psychologists analyzing its emotional impact).

According to the project’s exponents, it’s a shame that Kyiv still does not have an adequate Babyn Yar museum. Such museums are found in many countries, even in Japan, seemingly so far remote from the tragic event. Hopefully, the new museum will attract all feeling an empathy with the Jewish tragedy. Since the Nazi death machine did not distinguish between ethnic origins, this center will commemorate also Gypsies and people of other parentage. The decision on this was agreed with the Organization of Ethnic Minorities.