DONETSK, Ukraine – This week in eastern Ukraine, a memorial to victims of Nazism was unveiled in the Donetsk Region, making this the third memorial to be opened at the initiative of 'Ukraine-Israel' Society. This one was erected in Krasnoarmeisk, a town whose history dates back 130 years. Originally called Grishino, Jews had contributed greatly to the development of the locality, having comprised one-third of all local residents prior to World War Two.
When the Nazi army occupied the region in 1942, it was not long before 500 of the town's peaceful residents were shot and buried in a mass grave, which many have come to call the Babiy Yar of Krasnoarmeisk. The only thing that remains of them today is a sorrowful list of those who died at the hands of the Fascist invaders.
David Yusimov, the Head of the 'Chevra Kadisha' Burial Society operating by the Donetsk Jewish community, recited a memorial prayer and read out this long list of Holocaust victims, as well as recited the Holy Writings.
Apart from being attended by members of the Donetsk and Krasnoarmeisk Jewish communities and members of the public, the event also involved numerous officials. Svetlana Kuznetsova, the Head of the Donetsk Regional Department on Nationalities and Migration Affairs also spoke at the end. "Memory that maintains the past is the present," she said, commending those who organized the establishment of this memorial.
The commemorative event also involved Nina Ivanilova, an eye-witness to the horrible events that took place here in Krasnoarmeisk.
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