A short ceremony in Lviv was a sign of respect for the memory of the victims of political repression under Soviet totalitarianism and a call for national reflection on historical trauma.
In the centre of Lviv, on Shashkevich Square, a solemn ceremony of laying flowers and candles at the monument to the victims of communist crimes took place. The event was attended by representatives of the authorities, the military, clergy and residents of the city. The participants observed a minute of silence to honour those who gave their lives for Ukraine, followed by a joint prayer.
“This is not just a commemoration, it is our moral duty to remember,” said Andriy Moskalenko, First Deputy Mayor.
After the joint performance of the Ukrainian national anthem, fathers of different faiths held an ecumenical memorial service, uniting people in a common prayerful impulse. Such interaction between secular and religious communities in the symbolic space of memory forms a common historical consciousness.
“It is impossible to build the future without rethinking the past,” said one participant. The commemoration of this day not only reflects grief, but also supports the idea of resisting forgetting.
The Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repression, introduced by a presidential decree in 2007, falls on the third Sunday of May each year. This date is intended to remind us of the crimes of the Soviet totalitarian regime and to help preserve historical truth. Along with this, Lviv has also joined the commemoration of the victims of the genocide of the Crimean Tatar people. A requiem concert will be held at the Territory of Terror museum to expand the dialogue of memory.
Restoring the truth about the victims of repression is not only an act of remembrance, but also the moral responsibility of modern society towards those who suffered for the sake of freedom.