Protecting Memory

School-pupils and teachers who took part in the project "Protecting Memory" are going to present their developments, exhibitions, leaflets, and other projects to commemorate memory on Jewish communities exterminated in the wartime in the cities and towns of Lviv, Volyn, and Rivne regions.

The "Protecting Memory" project studies and marks mass graves in Ukraine that had become the last repose for over a million of Jews killed by the occupation authorities during the Second World War; and to transform them into dignified memorial sites.

During the period of 2011-2015, five communities in Western Ukraine – Rava Ruska (Lviv region), Kysylyn (Volyn region), Prokhid (Volyn region), Bakhiv (Volyn region), and Ostrozhets (Rivne region) – built the memorials. They commemorate the history of once flourishing life of Jewish people, as well as the history of their extermination.

In order to increase awareness among local communities about the history of Jews in Western Ukraine, the Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies (Kyiv) developed and conducted specialized workshops for school teachers in Lviv, Volyn and Rivne regions. Moreover, they ran a series of educational seminars for pupils. The Center supervised the establishment of over two dozens of task forces of pupils and teachers. The groups created videos, exhibitions, and essays on the subject.

During the summary meeting of project participants on December, 23, 2016, in Lviv, there will be a number of presentations in different educational establishments in the city.

The "Protecting Memory" project has been implemented in Ukraine since 2011, by NGOs and relevant Ministries, as funded by the German Federal Government and the Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany. More on the project: http://www.protecting-memory.org/uk/; http://www.protecting-memory-ua.org/.