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PUBLICATIONS OF THE PROJECT "CONNECTING MEMORY"

During the German occupation in 1941-1944 on the territory of present-day Ukraine more than 1 million Jews and 12.000 Roma were killed in mass shootings. They were buried in numerous mass graves.

The “Connecting Memory” international project (like the “Protecting Memory” project before it) aims to regulate forgotten and neglected mass graves of murdered Jews and Romani, to create next to these places sites of memory and information about them in order to preserve memory about the victims for presence and for the future.

There are more than 2.000 places of the mass shootings on the territory of modern Ukraine. In remote ravines, forests, fields, former anti-tank trenches and sand quarries Wehrmacht squads, SS and police often with an involvement of local population exterminated whole communities. Victims frequently were forced to undress and to dig pits by themselves. Men were killed first, after them women and children

After the war many of these places of murder were forsaken. For a few, who managed to survive, honoring the memory of killed family members, friends and acquaintances was possible exclusively in small inner circles. Official Soviet historiography rejected to recognize Jews and Romani as a separate group of victims of the Second World War. When survivors who came back to their towns erected small memorial obelisks, they had to be dedicated to “peaceful Soviet citizens”.

“Connecting Memory” project combines architectural protection and respectable arrangement of the mass graves with historical and pedagogical work. Publications below are the result of meticulous research by project historians.

Further information about the project one can find on the web-site: https://netzwerk-erinnerung.de/en/

  • Ratne: the Life and Death of the Jewish Community

    Ratne: the Life and Death of the Jewish Community/ Petro Dolhanov. — Kyiv : Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, 2023. — 92 p.

    A Jewish community established itself in Ratne in the 16th century. From the 19th century, Jews made up more than 50% of the town’s population and formed the cultural landscape of the shtetl. Most of them were killed during the Holocaust. This text unveils the history of Ratne Jews and their murder under the Nazi occupation. The edition is aimed at historians, teachers, students, and anyone interested in history of Ukraine, World War II, and Ukraine's ethnic minorities.

    [More in Ukrainian with summary in English]
  • Kysylyn: the Life and Death of the Jewish Community

    Kysylyn: the Life and Death of the Jewish Community/ Petro Dolhanov. — Kyiv : Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, 2023. — 81 p.

    Much has been said by both Ukrainian and Polish historians and journalists about the events of Ukrainian-Polish conflict in Kysylyn. However, the history of the Jewish community has been outlined only briefly, mostly in reference books. The history of the Holocaust in Kysylyn brings to light many names and important facts – they are the topic of this brochure. The edition is aimed at historians, teachers, students, and anyone interested in history of Ukraine, World War II, and Ukraine's ethnic minorities.

    [More in Ukrainian with summary in English]
  • Mizoch: the Life and Death of the Jewish Community

    Mizoch: the Life and Death of the Jewish Community/ Roman Mykhalchuk. — Kyiv : Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, 2023. — 108 p.

    This publication deals with the history of the Holocaust in Mizoch, Rivne region of Rivne oblast, the administrative center for the Mizoch territorial community. The edition is aimed at historians, teachers, students, and anyone interested in history of Ukraine, World War II, and Ukraine's ethnic minorities.

    [More in Ukrainian with summary in English]
  • When Memory Alone Remains. The Life and Death of the Jewish Community of Druzhkivka

    When Memory Alone Remains. The Life and Death of the Jewish Community of Druzhkivka / Natalia Derevyanko. — Kyiv : Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, 2023. — 144 p.

    The essay tells us the story of the Jewish community of Druzhkivka – a multicultural and multiethnic city in the North of Donetsk oblast of Ukraine. It also dwells on post WWII commemoration of the Holocaust victims in the city. The brochure is supplemented with unique photos, maps, and a family story. One of the local journalists, Yevhen Fialko, shares his memories about his father; Mr. Fialko wrote them in 2022, specifically for the Connecting Memory Project. The edition is aimed at historians, teachers, students, and anyone interested in history of Ukraine, World War II, and Ukraine's ethnic minorities.

    [More in Ukrainian with summary in English]
  • Ostrozhets: the Life and Death of the Jewish Community

    Ostrozhets: the Life and Death of the Jewish Community / Petro Dolhanov. — Kyiv : Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, 2023. — 90 p.

    The publication researches history of the Jewish community in the village of Ostrozhets, presently Dubno region of Rivne oblast. It depicts life of the community since the early modern period, murder of the Jews during the German occupation and the post-war commemoration of the victims. It is aimed at historians, teachers, students, and anyone interested in history of Ukraine, World War II, and Ukraine's ethnic minorities.

    [More in Ukrainian with summary in English]
  • Holoby and Melnytsia: the Life and Death of the Jewish Communities

    Holoby and Melnytsia: the Life and Death of the Jewish Communities / Petro Dolhanov. — Kyiv : Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, 2023. — 138 p.

    The publication depicts the story of the Holocaust in two Volhynian settlements – Holoby and Melnytsia. It is aimed at historians, teachers, students, and anyone interested in history of Ukraine, World War II, and Ukraine's ethnic minorities.

    [More in Ukrainian with summary in English]
  • Memorial site to the Roma murdered in Divoshyn.

    Svetlana Burmistr, Mikhail Tyagly. Memorial site to the Roma murdered in Divoshyn. Kyiv: Foundation Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, 2019.

    The publication provides historical information on the death of a Roma group in Devoshin village of Ovruch district, Zhytomyr region. During the World War II the Roma were one of the victim groups of the German occupation in Ukraine, they were persecuted and destroyed and their fate has been forgotten for many decades. In 2019, as part of the international “Protecting Memory” project, this killing site was transformed into dignified memorial and place of information. The publication is aimed at historians, teachers, students, and anyone interested in history of Ukraine, World War II, and Ukraine's ethnic minorities.

    [More in Ukrainian with summary in English]
  • Memorial Site for the Victims of the German Occupation in Ivanopil

    Svitlana Burmistr.Memorial Site for the Victims of the German Occupation in Ivanopil. Kyiv: Foundation Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, 2019.

    This publication honors the memory of murdered Jews and Roma, who were the victims of National Socialist Germany’s racial policies in Іvanopil (until 1946 – Yanushpil), а town in the Chudniv district of Zhytomyr oblast. In 2019, as part of the international project “Protecting Memory”. An information stele was erected near the mass grave of Roma who were murdered and whose fate was forgotten for decades.

    [More in Ukrainian and English]
  • Memorial site to the Roma murdered in Kalynivka

    Svetlana Burmistr, Mikhail Tyaglyy.Memorial site to the Roma murdered in Kalynivka. Kyiv: Foundation Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, 2019.

    The publication provides historical information on the death of a Roma group in Kalynivka village of Olevsk district, Zhytomyr region. During the World War II the Roma were one of the victim groups of the German occupation in Ukraine, they were persecuted and destroyed and their fate has been forgotten for many decades. In 2019, as part of the international “Protecting Memory” project, this killing site was transformed into dignified memorial and place of information. The publication is aimed at historians, teachers, students, and anyone interested in history of Ukraine, World War II, and Ukraine's ethnic minorities.

    [More in Ukrainian with summary in English]
  • Kolodianka. The Life and Death of the Jewish community.

    Ray Brandon.Kolodianka. The Life and Death of the Jewish community. Kyiv: Foundation Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, 2019.

    This publication presents the life and death story of the Jewish community in the Ukrainian village of Kolodianka during the Holocaust. The village, located in the Novohrad-Volynsky district of the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine, is one of the sites of the international project “Protecting Memory”. The project helped transform this killing site of the Jews into а dignified memorial and рlасе of information. The research is based оn sources from Ukrainian and foreign archives, academic literature and private collections..

    [More in Ukrainian and English]
  • Liubar. The Life and Death of the Jewish community.

    Ray Brandon.Liubar. The Life and Death of the Jewish community. Kyiv: Foundation Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, 2019.

    This publication presents the life and death story of the Jewish community in the Ukrainian town of Liubar during the Holocaust. The town, located in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine, is one of the sites of the international project “Protecting Memory”. In 2019, the project helped transform the killing sites of the Jews around Liubar into dignified memorials and places of information. The research is based on sources from Ukrainian and foreign archives, academic literature and private collections.

    [More in Ukrainian and English]
  • Holocaust and Remembrance in Berdychiv.

    Svitlana BurmistrHolocaust and Remembrance in Berdychiv. Kyiv: Foundation Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, 2019

    This publication tells the story of the life and death of the Jewish community in the Ukrainian town of Berdychiv during the Holocaust. The town, located in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine, is one of the sites of the international project “Protecting Memory”. In 2019, the project helped transform one of the sites where Jews were murdered, close to the village of Khazhyn near Berdychiv, into a dignified memorial and place of information. As part of the project, an exhibition dedicated to the history of Berdychiv’s Jewish community was opened in the centre of Berdychiv. The research for the exhibition is based on sources from Ukrainian and foreign archives, academic literature and private collections.

    [More in Ukrainian and English]
  • The Life and Death of the Jewish community.

    Ray BrandonBarashi. The Life and Death of the Jewish community. Kyiv: Foundation Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, 2019.

    This publication presents the life and death story of the Jewish community in the Ukrainian village of Barashi during the Holocaust. The village, located in the Yemilchyne district of the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine, is one of the sites of the international project «Protecting Memory». In 2019, the project helped transform this killing site of the Jews into a dignified memorial and place of information. The research is based on sources from Ukrainian and foreign archives, academic literature and private collections.

    [More in Ukrainian and English]
  • History of the death of the Jews from Chukiv Cam.

    Ray Brandon.History of the death of the Jews from Chukiv Camp. Kyiv: Foundation Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, 2019.

    This publication presents the exploitation and annihilation story of Jews who during the Second World War were deported from Romanian territories to occupied Ukraine, and later were transported by the German occupants to the forced labor camp in Chukiv village, located in Nemyriv district of the Vinnytsia region of Ukraine, where they were used for the construction of a transit road. The mass grave in Chukiv is one of the sites that were transformed into a dignified memorial and a place of information in 2019 in the frame of the international project “Protecting Memory”. The research is based on sources from Ukrainian and foreign archives, academic literature and private collections.

    [More in Ukrainian and English]
  • Lypovets. The Life and Death of the Jewish community.

    Ray Brandon.Lypovets. The Life and Death of the Jewish community. Kyiv: Foundation Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, 2019.

    This publication presents the life and death story of the Jewish community in the Ukrainian town of Lypovets during the Holocaust. The town, located in the Vinnytsia region of Ukraine, is one of the sites of the international project “Protecting Memory”. In 2019, the project helped transform the killing sites of the Jews into dignified memorials and places of information. The research is based on sources from Ukrainian and foreign archives, academic literature and private collections.

    [More in Ukrainian and English]
  • Plyskiv. The Life and Death of the Jewish community.

    Ray Brandon.Plyskiv. The Life and Death of the Jewish community. Kyiv: Foundation Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, 2019.

    This publication presents the life and death story of the Jewish community in the Ukrainian village of Plyskiv during the Holocaust. The village, located in the Pohrebyshche district of the Vinnytsia region of Ukraine, is one of the sites of the international project “Protecting Memory”. In 2019, the project helped transform the killing sites of the Jews into dignified memorials and places of information. The research is based on sources from Ukrainian and foreign archives, academic literature and private collections.

    [More in Ukrainian and English]
  • Samhorodok. The Life and Death of the Jewish community.

    Ray Brandon.Samhorodok. The Life and Death of the Jewish community. Kyiv: Foundation Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, 2019.

    This publication presents the life and death story of the Jewish community in the Ukrainian village of Samhorodok during the Holocaust. The village, located in the Koziatyn district of the Vinnytsia region of Ukraine, is one of the sites of the international project «Protecting Memory». In 2019, the project helped transform this killing site of the Jews into a dignified memorial and place of information. The research is based on sources from Ukrainian and foreign archives, academic literature and private collections.

    [More in Ukrainian and English]
  • Vakhnivka. The Life and Death of the Jewish community.

    Ray Brandon.Vakhnivka. The Life and Death of the Jewish community. Kyiv: Foundation Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, 2019.

    This publication presents the life and death story of the Jewish community in the Ukrainian village of Vakhnivka during the Holocaust. The village, located in the Lypovets district of the Vinnytsia region of Ukraine, is one of the sites of the international project “Protecting Memory”. In 2019, the project helped transform the killing sites of the Jews into dignified memorials and places of information. The research is based on sources from Ukrainian and foreign archives, academic literature and private collections.

    [More in Ukrainian and English]
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