As part of the educational program “Dnipro and Beyond,” implemented by the new cultural institution Dnipro Center for Contemporary Culture, a highly engaging and meaningful lecture-presentation was held by Dr. Yehor Vradii, Deputy Director for Research at the Museum “Memory of the Jewish People and the Holocaust in Ukraine.”
The event, titled “Exploring the City’s Past: The Holocaust in Dnipro,” focused on one of the most tragic chapters in the city’s history — the period of Nazi occupation and the genocide of its Jewish population. The lecture covered the chronology of Nazi crimes, the stance of local residents who were neighbors and witnesses to the genocide, the heroism of the Rescuers and Righteous Among the Nations, as well as controversial and lesser-known aspects of that time — whether a ghetto existed in Dnipro, how dozens of Galician Jews managed to find shelter, and other issues that require further research.
Special attention was given to the history of Holocaust memorialization in the postwar period and the methods employed by the Soviet state to suppress the preservation of memory about the Jews — victims of Nazi terror.
“It was incredibly important that the discussion of individual aspects took place not only in the format of a lecture but also in direct dialogue with the audience, who asked deeply thoughtful and very interesting questions,” shared Dr. Iryna Radchenko, Director of the Jewish Museum of Dnipro. “We sincerely thank Ms. Olia Vasylets and the entire team of the Dnipro Center for Contemporary Culture for their active support in organizing and hosting this significant event.”
