Last week, a memorial in honor of the NKVD victims tortured to death in June, 1941, was opened in the Yaniv cemetery in Lviv. Historians maintain that the site is actually a mass grave for nearly 1,500 terror victims. The memorial consists of three parts: the entrance portal with an inscription that reads “Your Life Is My Death,” the central part featuring the crosses of martyrdom, and a memory bell.
“It has been 69 years since then, but I can never forget it,” said the eye-witness Olha Hladun. “We have built this complex thanks to the Ukrainian Women’s League and the city council. Today, we have to protect our country and pray for its innocent victims.”
“This memorial is important for many people,” said Mayor Andrii Sadovy at the opening ceremony. “First and foremost, it is important for the Lviv community. At last we have been able to commemorate our grandparents who fell victims to the communist horde which invaded our lands in 1939. Most of those who are buried here were not identified, so no relatives will be coming to their graves. So I ask the Lviv citizens to find some time to come here, bring their children and grandchildren, and pray for their souls.
“The memorial is also crucial for the international community. We will suggest that all official international delegations who are to visit us, also make a trip to Yaniv. Because it is here that the world can see what can come out of flirting with an aggressor.”
A requiem mass was celebrated at the memorial. Representatives of Spadshchyna [a Ukrainian youth organization. – Ed.] and the Union of Ukrainian Youth laid flowers at the foot of the crosses.
