The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and his wife Olena visited the National Historical and Memorial Reserve "Bykivnya Graves" and honoured the memory of the victims of political repression.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife commemorated Soviet political repression victims
The head of state published the corresponding video on Facebook.
Today, in the Bykivnyan Forest, we remember all the victims of Soviet political repression. And we remind you how important it is to persevere in our battle now. To resist the modern Russian system, which is a descendant of that totalitarianism.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
President of Ukraine
He noted that the Soviet system took away the talents of the Ukrainian people and broke the lives of people who could do a lot for future generations.
The press service of the President's Office noted that the head of state and the first lady honoured the memory of people whom the totalitarian Soviet government killed near the mass grave and the memorial sign of Polish burials.
The Bykivnyansky forest is located at the largest burial place of victims of mass political repressions in Ukraine. There was a special purpose facility of the NKVD here, where mass burials of the shot and torture took place in the late 1930s and 1940s.
Zelensky honoured the memory of the victims of the Crimean Tatar genocide
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commemorated the victims of the Crimean Tatar genocide. He noted that the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people 80 years ago became one of the worst crimes committed by the Soviet authorities against human life.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, emphasised that due to the criminal actions of the USSR, the Crimean Tatar people lost at least a third of their population.
According to the president, people were able to return to their native land only after tens of years, but the criminal was never punished and the Soviet regime was not condemned.
Zelenskyy also stated that Ukraine is obliged to respond to Russia's attacks with the resilience of our people, the victory of our state over the evil of occupation, and fair punishment for all Russian war crimes since 2014.
