Babyn Yar Museum and Memorial Complex to be owned by the state
This is reported by Depo.Kyiv citing the press service of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center.
It is noted that in the next 10 years, they intend to create a complex of museums and memorial objects on 130 hectares of the Babyn Yar highway within the framework of a public-private partnership. After that, all the facilities constructed will be owned by the state.
Now they are developing a master plan for the territory of the memorial complex, in particular, they have announced a contest of ideas.
"Such projects as a mirror field, Crystal Western Wall by conceptual artist Marina Abramovic, and a symbolic synagogue have already been built on the territory of Babyn Yar. The Names project was also implemented, in which scientists of the Holocaust Memorial restored the names of 28.5 thousand victims of Babyn Yar," the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center noted.
As reported, a scandal broke out because of the Russian-funded Babyn Yar reconstruction project.
Executive vice-president of the Congress of National Communities of Ukraine Yosyf Zisels stated that the initiators of the Russian project of the Babyn Yar Memorial Complex began excavations at the St Cyril's Orthodox cemetery on December 25, 2020.
Zisels also said that Zelensky supported the Russian-funded Babyn Yar project at Yermak's suggestion.
Background information: The Babyn Yar National Historical and Memorial Reserve was established in 2010. In 2018, historians of the Institute of History of Ukraine of the National Academy of Sciences (a group led by Igor Poshivailo) presented to the public the project concept of the Memorial Museum in memory of the victims of Babyn Yar.
To mark the 75th anniversary of the Babyn Yar tragedy in 2016, the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Charity Foundation was created, and at the same time plans were announced to build a memorial center on the territory.
In December 2019, the foundation announced a change in management, which the previous team called "sudden and inexplicable." Maxim Yakover was appointed the new general director of the foundation, and Ilya Hrzhanovsky, a Russian film director known for the DAU project, became the artistic director of the Babyn Yar memorial project. In February 2019, a new concept of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center was presented, which was created on the initiative and at the expense of Russian businessmen Mikhail Fridman, Pavel Fuchs and German Khan.
At the same time, Ukrainian historians who did not agree with the concept of the Russian Memorial Center project presented the project of the Expanded National Historical and Memorial Reserve "Babyn Yar".
In June 2020, the minister of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine Oleksandr Tkachenko promised that in 2021 the Memorial in Babyn Yar will be built on the basis of the project of the National Historical and Memorial Reserve "Babyn Yar", and not the Russian project of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center.
Kyivite professors, publicists, journalists, writers, historians and other prominent figures appealed to the City Council not to support the Russian-funded Babyn Yar reconstruction project.
In June 2021, Russian-Ukrainian businessman Pavel Fuchs, against whom the national security and Defense Council imposed sanctions, announced his resignation from the Supervisory Board of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center.
