“Babin Yar” Holocaust Memorial Center started transfer of 10,000 books about the Holocaust to public libraries of Ukraine. The libraries of Kyiv and Kyiv region became the first participants in the initiative — more than 70 of them already receive selections of fiction and non-fiction literature dedicated to the mass shootings in Babi Yar and the tragedy of European Jewry.
The project is implemented with the support of the Kyiv City State Administration. Thanks to cooperation with the Department of Culture of the KMDA, dozens of city and district libraries joined the distribution of books. Among them are Lesya Ukrainka Public Library and Taras Shevchenko Central Library for Children.
“Memory is not only about the past. It is about our responsibility to the future. In times of tragic loss, we are especially acutely aware of the danger of forgetting. Difficult times have a voice, and it sounds, in particular, from the pages of books. That is why such initiatives are important, because they are steps towards the formation of a society capable of learning. Libraries are spaces where the consciousness of generations is formed. And every book that falls into the hands of a reader, is a brick in the foundation of a humane and empathic future, where tragedies are not repeated, because they are remembered.” – commented the director of the Department of Culture, Serhiy Anzhiyak.
The list of donated publications included biographies and memoirs of Jewish families who survived the catastrophe, as well as contemporary translated works of art. Among them are “We Wanted to Live… Testimony and Documents” by Boris Zabark, “Holocaust: A New History” by Laurence Rees, “Babin Yar: Past. Present. Future” and others.
“We regularly receive point requests from librarians, teachers and researchers who are looking for quality literature about the Holocaust. Therefore, we decided to act systematically and centrally transfer our publications to libraries. Our goal is to preserve the memory and pass it on. Books help people better understand the past. And libraries are places where these stories remain accessible and can influence future generationsAnna Furman, general director of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center, said.
The transfer of books to libraries in other regions will continue during July-August 2025.
