The funeral ceremony devoted to the 75th anniversary of tragic events of the end of 1941 – the beginning of 1942 when not far from Kharkiv Nazi killed nearly 20 thousand people, mainly Jews, will take place on the Memorial complex “Drobytsky Yar” on December 14. The mourning rally with a moment of silence will take place at 11:30 then the ceremony of laying flowers at the place of mass executions will be held. The representatives of the public and religious organizations, veterans, school and university students, Kharkiv residents will participate in a ceremony. Participation of the representatives of the Israeli Embassy in Ukraine, the regional and city authorities is planned. The organizers are the Kharkiv Regional United Jewish community which president is the Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Feldman, and the Kharkiv choral synagogue. The event will take place with the support of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration.
Let’s note that on the eve of the anniversary, on December 6, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine placed the Memorial complex “Drobytsky Yar” on the Register of monuments of Ukraine of local significance. A concert requiem in the Kharkiv Regional Philharmonic Hall will continue the events (the beginning at 13:00). Mozart’s “Requiem” performed by the Philharmonic Hall’s orchestra will be heard.
Let’s remind that since November in Kharkiv on the Memorial Complex “Drobytsky Yar” for the Kharkiv pupils and students the explanatory excursions and other cultural and educational events were held. The program’s goal is revealing the truth about tragic events to as many people as possible, especially youth. Besides, at the AVEC Gallery (Sumskaya St., 70) since December 13 the Drobytsky Yar Ashes Exhibition is exposed. Here the archival documents, letters, newspapers and memoirs of eyewitnesses of the tragedy and also goods and chattels of the dead are presented.
Reference: after the occupation of Kharkiv in October 1941, the victimization of Jews began. On December 14, at the command of the commandant of the city, all Jews were forced to move to the ghetto barracks located in the KhTZ district. The liquidation of Kharkiv ghetto started on December 27, 1941: under pretence of sending people to work, the fascist began to take the Jews from the ghetto to Drobytsky Yar in the eastern outskirts to shoot them there. Kharkiv Jewish ghetto ceased to exist on January 7, 1942. Roma and captive Red Army soldiers were also executed in the ravine. The total of 16,000-20,000 persons were killed. On the whole, Nazi killed nearly 6 million Jews during the years of the World War II.
The construction of a memorial to the victims of Nazism in Drobytsky Yar started in 1992. The first stage of a memorial was opened on December 13, 2002. It contained a memorable sign menorah, the path and a 20-meter obelisk. On August 22, 2005 the mourning hall with a grief Bowl was opened in the memorial.
