The Holocaust

On January 27, the world commemorates the victims of the Holocaust—one of the greatest tragedies of the twentieth century. On this day in 1945, prisoners of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi concentration and extermination camp were liberated, marking a symbolic end to the systematic mass murder of the Jewish people.

During the Second World War, the Nazi regime murdered approximately six million Jews. Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest death camp, located near the town of Oświęcim in occupied Poland, became the site of the deaths of more than 1.1 million people, of whom around 900,000 were Jews. For the international community, this date stands not only as a moment of mourning, but also as a warning about the catastrophic consequences of hatred and ideologies that deny human dignity.

The Holocaust is an inseparable part of the national history of many countries, including Ukraine. For centuries, the Jewish community was an integral part of Ukrainian society, contributing to its culture, science, and economy. Jews who perished during the Holocaust were citizens of the countries in which they lived—people who called those lands home. For this reason, the Holocaust on Ukrainian soil became a shared tragedy of all its inhabitants.

In Ukraine, the Nazis widely employed a method of mass murder known as the “Holocaust by bullets.” One of its most horrific symbols is Babyn Yar in Kyiv. Over the course of just two days—September 29 and 30, 1941—33,771 Jews were murdered there. During the entire period of Nazi occupation, the total number of victims at Babyn Yar exceeded 100,000 people.

Mass atrocities against civilians also took place in Odesa, particularly in October 1941 near Liustdorf Road and in the Bogdanivka camps; at Drobytskyi Yar near Kharkiv; at the Yaniv concentration camp in Lviv; and in many other locations across the country. These sites of mourning bear witness to the Nazi attempt to erase an entire chapter from Ukraine’s history—people who lived on this land, respected its traditions, and worked for its prosperity.

In 2026, this historical pain is felt with particular intensity. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has once again brought terror to our land. Systematic attacks on residential neighborhoods, hospitals, and energy infrastructure—facilities that provide heat and water to millions—demonstrate deliberate violence against civilians. These actions echo the practices of totalitarian regimes of the twentieth century. The history of the Holocaust teaches us that silence in the face of evil leads to catastrophe, and that today’s resistance is a defense of humanity against new manifestations of genocide.

At the same time, history also offers examples of profound moral courage. Ukraine and Japan are connected by stories of humanity that saved lives in the darkest times. We honor the memory of Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara, who, defying official orders, issued thousands of “visas for life” to Jews fleeing persecution. Likewise, thousands of Ukrainians risked their own lives to save their Jewish neighbors. These acts prove that even in the face of absolute evil, humanity remains possible.

Commemorating the victims of the Holocaust on January 27 is an act of solidarity, responsibility, and resilience. Ukraine preserves the memory of its Jewish citizens whose lives were destroyed by Nazism, while also reminding the world of the urgent need to stop contemporary terror that continues to claim Ukrainian lives today.

Each candle lit on this day is a promise to defend human dignity, freedom, and a future that must never again be destroyed by hatred.