The execution of Orthodox priests by the German Nazis during the occupation of the Ukrainian capital is one of the tragic pages of Babyn Yar. In particular, the bodies of the innocent Archimandrite Oleksandr (Vyshnyakov), the abbot of Mykilsko-Naberezhna Church, and the abbot of the Baikovo Cemetery Church, Archpriest Pavlo (Ostrensky) buried here. They did not submit to the Nazi regime and became one of the first victims among the clergy of occupied Kyiv. In particular, these holy martyrs flatly refused to offer prayers for the German army and the health of the Nazi leader and called to defend the Motherland from invaders.
Every autumn, the staff of the National Historical and Memorial Reserve "Babyn Yar", together with Orthodox believers, honor the memory of priests executed by the Nazis.
On November 6, 2020, employees of the Reserve Andriy Tkachuk, Volodymyr Kornelyuk, and Mykhailo Gutor took part in a memorial service near the Chapel "In Memory of the Executed Priests and Kyivans", which was built on the territory of the former Orthodox cemetery in National Historical and Memorial Reserve "Babyn Yar" in 2013 and honored the holy righteous martyrs at the Memorial Cross.
