On Sunday, Ukraine marked the Day of Remembrance for Victims of Political Repression, as President Zelenskyy and his wife laid flowers at the Bykivnia Graves memorial and the adjacent Polish War Cemetery.
Ceremony in Bykivnia
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska laid wreaths at the monument commemorating all those buried in Bykivnia. The couple subsequently visited the Polish section of the necropolis, where they placed bouquets in the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag.
A Call for Justice
Zelenskyy emphasized that evil must not remain unpunished, noting that hundreds of thousands of people from various nations suffered under the Soviet terror machine simply for being themselves. He underscored that with thousands of Ukrainians currently held in Russian captivity, historical lessons regarding the cycle of repression remain urgent.
The Scale of the Bykivnia Site
Approximately 150,000 victims of communism of various nationalities are buried in mass graves at Bykivnia, including roughly 3,500 Poles from the Katyn list executed by the Soviets in 1940.
Security Risks to the Memorial
In August 2024, the Polish cemetery narrowly escaped destruction when a Russian missile aimed at Kyiv crashed 30 to 50 meters from the complex, carrying a 700-kilogram explosive charge. Shortly thereafter, diplomats and the Polish community in Ukraine gathered at the site to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II.