Umkämpftes Geschichtsgelände

Babi Yar as a place of remembrance was the subject of dispute in Ukraine for several decades. The attempt by Jewish activists to honour the memory of the victims was opposed by the consistent efforts of the Soviet Union to downplay the Holocaust as a part of the National Socialist aggression against the “civilian Soviet population”. When Ukraine gained independence in 1991, new motives and conflicting interests came into play. The way in which Babi Yar was treated changed in accordance with the political allegiances of the sitting president. The self-identification of Ukraine as a country situated between West and East Europe is also reflected in its remembrance policy. Babi Yar is the subject of heated discussion. The most recent development is the dispute surrounding a planned central memorial site, the Babi Yar Holocaust Memorial Center.