On January 27, Ukrainians stand together with the global community to remember the victims of the Holocaust.
This day, marked annually, was established by the United Nations General Assembly on November 1, 2005 (Resolution No. 60/7).
On January 27, 1945, the 1st Ukrainian Front liberated one of the largest Nazi death camps - Auschwitz-Birkenau.
According to the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, during World War II, 6 million Jews were killed by the Nazis, with approximately 1.5 million from the territory of modern-day Ukraine.
"The Holocaust, which led to the extermination of a significant portion of the Jewish population, will always serve as a warning about the dangers of hatred, fanaticism, and racism," states the UN General Assembly resolution. Over the past year, memorial sites in Ukraine have been targeted by Russian forces.
Among these sites is Babyn Yar, a symbol of the Holocaust in Eastern Europe. On March 1, 2022, eight decades after the mass shootings, the world again bore witness to tragedy linked to Russian aggression.
Also notable is Drobitsky Yar in Kharkiv, a site of mass executions of civilians, particularly Jews, by the Nazis during the war. Estimates suggest that between 14,000 to 20,000 victims are buried here.
Importantly, Wanda Obiedkova, one of the few survivors from Mariupol, lost her life on April 4, 2022, due to Russian aggression, and Boris Romanchenko, who survived the horrors of concentration camps, perished in his home during Russian shelling.

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Kyrylo Budanov, head of the President's Office, emphasized on this day that justice for crimes can ensure the prevention of new tragedies. "We honor the memory of the Holocaust victims, but we must acknowledge the bitter truth: passivity has not stopped new genocides. Russian aggression is proof of this," he stated.
He added that preventing new tragedies is only possible through decisive actions and accountability for perpetrators. "Justice for crimes can make the slogan "Never Again" a reality," he emphasized.

In Kyiv, at the Ukrainian House, an exhibition titled "In Search of Lost Meaning. Matviy Weissberg" will open on January 27 in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.