84 years ago, the tragedy at Babi Yar began, where thousands were shot …

Order of the Commandant in Kyiv

On September 27, 1941, in occupied Kyiv, an order from the commandant was published. All Jews were required to report to the assembly point in the Babyn Yar area “for evacuation.” Just two days later, mass shootings began.

Destruction and Accusations

On September 24 of the same year, an explosion was carried out by Soviet saboteurs in buildings on Khreshchatyk and surrounding streets. As a result of the powerful explosion, the center of Kyiv almost completely burned down. The occupying authorities blamed the saboteurs and the Jewish population.

On September 26, at a meeting of the occupying authorities, methods of the “final solution” were discussed. A place for extermination was chosen — Babyn Yar, 2.5 km long and up to 50 m deep, which provided the possibility of burying tens of thousands of people. A firing squad was determined, and an area was designated to be surrounded by police. Below, the number of Kyiv residents allocated for sorting the victims’ belongings was discussed.

Order to Gather

On September 27, announcements appeared in Kyiv with instructions from Major General Kurt Eberhard. Jews were ordered to gather on the morning of September 29 near Degtyarevskaya and Melnikova streets, bringing documents and personal belongings. Disobedience threatened punishment: “Those who do not appear will be shot.”

Consequences of the Gathering

When Jews arrived at the specified location, they were not always met with good intentions. Many were stripped before being shot and subjected to violence. In just two days, more than 30,000 people died in Babyn Yar. Many Jews avoided the gatherings, but in early October, the occupiers began apartment raids, after which the Jews found were taken to garages and then transported by trucks to the shooting site.

Mass Extermination

The shootings continued until the capture of Kyiv by the Soviet army. The last killings occurred on November 4, 1943, two days before the arrival of the 1st Ukrainian Front troops. During this period, about 100,000 people died.

Tragedy and Ideology

The extermination of the Jewish population contradicted the ideology of the “Great Patriotic War,” where the central element was the struggle and death of the “Soviet people.” The tragedy in Babyn Yar remained in the shadows for a long time. Only on September 29, 1966, on the 25th anniversary, after a rally with the participation of writers Ivan Dziuba and Viktor Nekrasov, was it discussed at the state level, and soon a monument to the victims was erected.

Additional Shootings

On February 27, 1942, 621 members of the Ukrainian nationalist underground were shot in Babyn Yar. The ravine became a site of mass shootings, where the Nazis exterminated not only Jews but also Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, and inmates of the Syrets concentration camp. Elena and Mykhailo Teliha died in this place.

Terror and Cover-Up

Under pressure from the German occupying forces, about five hundred members of the Bukovinian Kurin of the OUN, as well as Ukrainian priests and nuns, became victims of terror. When the occupiers began to retreat, they tried to destroy the evidence of their crimes: bodies were exhumed and burned, bones were ground, and ashes were scattered. In this struggle with the consequences, the invisible massive horrors of war remained in a terrible shadow.