Zelenskyy Honors Bykivnia Victims

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska commemorated victims of political repression at the Bykivnia Graves National Historical Memorial Preserve on May 17, according to the president’s office. They laid flowers at the memorial and at the Memorial Sign of Polish Burials.

In a statement shared on social media, Zelenskyy and Zelenska linked the historical remembrance to thousands of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees held by Russia. They called for efforts to secure the return of all captives and said those responsible for abuses must be held accountable.

Bykivnia is Ukraine’s largest known burial site for victims of mass political repression. Historians estimate that between 30,000 and 35,000 people are buried there, including victims executed by Soviet NKVD authorities between 1937 and 1941. The site also contains the remains of more than 3,500 foreigners from over 30 nationalities, many of them Polish and German citizens.

Information about the graves was concealed during the Soviet period and was officially recognized only in 1988. The Ukrainian government established the Bykivnia Graves National Historical Memorial Preserve in 2001. The site has also been visited by Pope John Paul II.