Today, on May 14, Ukraine honors the memory of people who risked their lives to save Jews from the Nazis during World War II, UNN reports.
The event was launched by a resolution of the Verkhovna Rada in 2021 and coincides with the celebration of Israeli Independence Day.
According to various scholarly estimates, about 6 million Jews were killed in Europe during the Holocaust. Of these, a quarter, 1.5 million, became victims of the Nazis on the territory of Ukraine. And the number could have been much higher if not for the dedication of people who risked their lives during World War II to save Jews from certain death.
2,673 of our compatriots have been honored by the State of Israel with the high title of Righteous Among the Nations.
The Yad Vashem National Memorial to the Holocaust and Heroism in Israel recognizes people around the world for saving Jews from the Holocaust.
At the same time, according to Ukrainian historians, there are many more people who saved Jews on the territory of Ukraine than is officially recognized.
Ukraine ranks fourth in the world after Poland, the Netherlands, and France in terms of the number of Righteous Among the Nations. Streets and monuments in Ukraine are named after them, and their heroic deeds are an integral part of history lessons and commemorative practices.
The Day of Remembrance of Ukrainians Who Saved Jews During World War II is not only a commemoration of people who showed extraordinary bravery, but also a reminder of the human capacity for compassion and courage in the face of unimaginable atrocities.
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During the years of the Nazi occupation of Kyiv, more than 100,000 people were shot in Babyn Yar, which became a symbol of the Holocaust in Ukraine.