- January 1, 2025
- 10:31 pm
- Ukraine
Representative of the Lviv National Police Svetlana Dobrovolskaya said hromadskeWhat law enforcement is aware of this incident.
Law enforcement officers are taking measures to establish the identity of the offender and bring him to justice.
Investigators opened criminal proceedings under Art. 178 (Damage to religious buildings or houses of worship) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. A pre-trial investigation is underway.
In Lviv, an unknown man extinguished and damaged the Hanukkah menorah installed on the ruins of a synagogue.
The corresponding video appeared in local Telegram channels.
The video footage shows a man or guy in dark clothes with a hood approaching the menorah. He cuts the wires, after which the menorah goes out. The man damaged the cable that supplied the seven-branch candle with electric current. The person (or people) filming the video burst into loud laughter.
NAnews previously wrote that A large menorah was installed in Lviv before the holiday of Hanukkah on the site of the ruins of the Golden Rose synagogue – for the first time in a decade. This synagogue was destroyed during the Nazi occupation of Lviv. Its remains were considered an architectural monument of local significance. Also, the ruins of the synagogue are registered with UNESCO.
Incidents like the damage to the Hanukkah menorah in Lviv are extremely rare in modern Ukraine. This is due to a changed public consciousness, where respect for different cultures and religions has become an important part of national dialogue. Ukraine has come a long way in recent decades from the Soviet legacy with its suppression of national and religious identities to building a society where tolerance and respect have become the basis of state policy.
For example, Ukrainian cities regularly hold events dedicated to Jewish culture and memory of the victims of the Holocaust. Initiatives such as the installation of a menorah on the site of the destroyed Golden Rose synagogue in Lviv are supported at the state and local levels. This is a symbolic action reflecting the desire to restore historical justice and support the Jewish heritage of Ukraine.
The police response to the menorah incident is also respectable. Law enforcement officers quickly responded, opened criminal proceedings under Article 178 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (“Damage to religious buildings or houses of worship”) and began an investigation. This highlights the seriousness with which such acts of vandalism are taken in Ukraine.
A positive point can be considered the fact that such cases are perceived by society as an exception to the rule, and not the norm. Such actions cause public condemnation, and the police quickly take up the case, demonstrating their readiness to protect the interests of all religious and ethnic groups in the country.
Ukraine is committed to developing international relations, including with Jewish communities around the world, and incidents like this should be the exception. However, it is important that the state shows its readiness not only to respond, but also to prevent such manifestations in the future, strengthening mutual understanding between different peoples.
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