- Title: Vandals in Ukraine damage memorial to Soviet secret police victims
- Date: 26th January 2017
- Summary: KIEV, UKRAINE (JANUARY 26, 2017) (REUTERS) VIEW OF BYKIVNYA MEMORIAL WITH SOME MONUMENTS VANDALISED WITH SIGNS READING (Ukrainian) 'OUN-UPA' (ORGANISATION OF UKRAINIAN NATIONALISTS-UKRAINIAN INSURGENCY ARMY), 'HALYCHYNA' VARIOUS OF MEMORIAL BEARING WORDS (Ukrainian) 'OUN-UPA' (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) BYKIVNYA MEMORIAL WORKER, VIKTOR MAKEDON, SAYING: "At the site of this barbaric crime, there was an adjustable jack and a tube. Using them, they wanted to break stone slabs on the territory of Polish cemetery. Additionally to that, they wrote the words you can see on the territory of Ukrainian cemetery." MEMORIAL BEARING WORDS (Ukrainian) 'OUN-UPA' (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) BYKIVNYA MEMORIAL WORKER, VIKTOR MAKEDON, SAYING: "I don't know, I think it was probably a provocation to put Ukrainian and Polish people at odds. But words that were painted here have for sure no connection to this memorial." RIBBONS IN POLISH FLAG COLOURS WRAPPED AROUND TREES MAKEDON WALKING TOWARDS MEMORIAL WALL BEARING WORD (Ukrainian): "SS HALYCHYNA" CANDLES VARIOUS OF MAKEDON APPROACHING MEMORIAL WALL AND TOUCHING FRESH PAINT ON IT NEWS CONFERENCE BY UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN, MARYANA BETSA SIGN READING: “MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF UKRAINE†(SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, MARYANA BETSA, SAYING: "Ukraine certainly strongly condemns any acts of vandalism committed on Ukrainian and Polish parts of national reserve 'Bykivnya cemetery.' I can say that Ukrainian law-enforcement bodies are taking urgent measures to investigate these incidents and to bring those guilty to responsibility." MEMORIAL WALL BEARING WORD (Ukrainian): "SS HALYCHYNA" FRAGMENT OF "SS HALYCHYNA" SIGN PAINTED ON MEMORIAL WALL POPPIES VARIOUS OF MEMORIAL WITH "SS HALYCHYNA" SIGN PAINTED ON IT VIEW OF BYKIVNYA MEMORIAL
- Embargoed: 9th February 2017 17:02
- Keywords: Ukraine Poland vandalism memorial Bykivnya
- Location: KIEV, UKRAINE
- City: KIEV, UKRAINE
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00160PY0JD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:A cemetery and memorial dedicated to victims of Stalinism, has been vandalised on Wednesday (January 25).
The cemetery in Bykivnya, a wooded area on the outskirts of Kiev, includes graves of thousands of Polish officers killed by Josef Stalin's secret police, NKVD.
Symbols of "SS Halychyna", a World War Two Nazi German military unit compromised of Ukrainian volunteers, were painted on the stone slabs of a monument, which bore signs of attempted demolition, a local groundskeeper said.
"At the site of this barbaric crime, there was an adjustable jack and a tube. Using them, they wanted to break stone slabs on the territory of Polish cemetery, Viktor Makedon said.
"I don't know, I think it was probably a provocation to put Ukrainian and Polish people at odds. But words that were painted here have for sure no connection to this memorial," he added.
Police did not make any arrests, but the country's foreign ministry said it condemns the act.
"Ukraine certainly strongly condemns any acts of vandalism committed on Ukrainian and Polish parts of national reserve 'Bykivnya cemetery.' I can say that Ukrainian law-enforcement bodies are taking urgent measures to investigate these incidents and to bring those guilty to responsibility," Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maryana Betsa said.
The Polish embassy in Kiev sent a note to Ukrainian authorities demanding prompt investigation of the incident.
Among those executed in Bykivnya by the NKVD were around 3,500 Polish officers. Poland considers the Bykivnya killings to be a part of broader Katyn massacres - a series of mass executions of Polish nationals, many of them officers, by NKVD on the orders of Jozef Stalin. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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