Zelensky honors memory of victims of political repression
On the Day of Remembrance of Victims of Political Repression, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky paid tribute to the victims at the Bykivnia Graves National Historical Memorial Preserve and laid flowers at the Memorial Sign of Polish Burials.
According to Ukrinform, the president announced this on Telegram.
“Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians and members of other nations went through the Soviet machine of terror. The overwhelming majority of them – simply for being who they were. Today, together, we honored the memory of those killed by political repression at the Bykivnia Graves National Historical Memorial Preserve and also laid flowers at the Memorial Sign of Polish Burials,” Zelensky wrote.
The president noted that the history of political repression serves as a reminder of the danger of impunity for evil.
“These historical events of Russia’s savagery remind us again and again that evil cannot remain unpunished; otherwise, repression and abuse return with renewed force,” he emphasized.
Zelensky also drew attention to the fate of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians held captive in Russia. According to him, thousands of Ukrainians are currently enduring similar hardships in Russian captivity, so the international community must make every effort to secure their return and bring those responsible to justice.
“At all levels, the necessary efforts must be made to bring back each and every one of them. And above all, we must ensure that justice is served and that the criminals are held accountable for their actions. The free world has enough strength to ensure this,” the president concluded.
As reported, Ukraine observes the Day of Remembrance of Victims of Political Repression on May 17.
The exact number of victims of political repression in Ukraine remains impossible to determine. According to historians’ estimates, between the early 1920s and the late 1980s—that is, during the rule of the Bolshevik-Communist regime—nearly 1.5 million people were repressed in Ukraine (more than 50% of whom were Ukrainians).