Construction of memorial synagogue in Babyn Yar is Russia's attempt to provoke internal conflict in Ukraine – Zisels.

The construction of a temporary memorial synagogue in Babyn Yar on the site of the Kyrylivsky Orthodox cemetery is another attempt by Russia to provoke a conflict between national minorities in Ukraine.

"We are dealing with a collision of not just two projects, albeit very large ones. We are dealing today with two conceptual different approaches. One Ukrainian approach is a derivative of Ukrainian culture [...] The Ukrainian view of history, both our own and that which was around Ukraine. The second approach of the Russian project, which does not pay attention to such 'trifles' as the traditions of different peoples [...] which goes very brutally towards its goal, and only confirms my idea that this is a 'Trojan horse' which [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is putting under Ukraine," co-chairman of the Vaad Association of Jewish Communities and Organizations of Ukraine Yosyf Zisels at a press briefing in honor of the 81st anniversary of Holocaust victims on Monday.

In particular, this about a project to construct a temporary memorial synagogue on the territory of the Babyn Yar National Historical Memorial Preserve with the support of Russian-Ukrainian businessmen Pavlo Fuks and Mykhailo Fridman, namely, on the territory of the former Kyrylivsky Orthodox cemetery, located behind the Menorah memorial.

At the same time, Oleksandr Lysenko, professor and deputy head of the working group on the creation of the Ukrainian concept for the comprehensive memorialization of Babyn Yar, noted the foundations of the Ukrainian concept of the Babyn Yar museum.

"The controlling stake in the memorialization of Babyn Yar should not belong to public associations or political players, but to the state of Ukraine. The memorialization of this place should be inclusive, contribute to the end of the wars of memory and the consolidation of the Ukrainian political nation, which does not mean diminishing the tragedy of the Holocaust. Capital structures can be built on the territory of the memorial," Lysenko said.

The professor also noted the ancient Jewish tradition, according to which construction in tragic burial places is prohibited.

"The concept of the memorial museum of Babyn Yar was finished at the beginning of 2018, and was supported by the museum council of the Culture Ministry of Ukraine on February 9, 2018, and approved by the academic council of the Institute of History on May 3, 2018. Work has also started on the preparation of the construction of a Jewish cemetery office, the only one where to make a temporary exposition of the Babyn Yar museum, and we were attached to this particular building. There are few opportunities [...] We cannot go over a meter out of respect for ancient Jewish traditions. And probably Orthodox traditions also prohibit construction in such tragic burial places," Lysenko said.

When asked by journalists about whether there is a scheme for selecting the project of the memorial complex, experts noted that at this stage such a scheme does not exist.

"Unfortunately, there is no concept for selecting projects for the memorial. We hope that by presenting the state concept that the working group has implemented, the government will pay attention to this, and we will conduct a dialogue on this very plane," Lysenko said.

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