The 10th Annual March of Memory at Babyn Yar

On September 28, the 10th annual March of Memory took place—despite a night of airstrikes, despite cold and rain. Memory proved stronger than darkness, and collective action stronger than fear.

Each year, participants from Kyiv and other Ukrainian and international cities join the march: diplomats, Jewish community members, students, educators, and journalists. They walk the very path taken in September 1941 by more than 33,000 Jews led to the mass shootings at Babyn Yar. In total, over 100,000 people—Jews, Roma, Ukrainians, and others—were murdered at this site during the Nazi occupation.

“Today, the street along which Jews were led to their deaths 84 years ago is once again under fire. That is why it is especially important that, despite today’s pain and war, we walk this road to preserve memory,” said Rosa Tapanova, Director of the Babyn Yar National Historical and Memorial Reserve.

The march concluded at the Menorah monument, where participants placed stones—a traditional Jewish sign of remembrance. The event reaffirmed that memory is not only about honoring the past but also about responsibility for the future.

The March of Memory is organized by the civic initiative “March of Memory,” founded by Yevgeni Gorodetski, Dmytro Yurynov, and Stella Kirtadze.