Massacre at Babi Yar remembered in Ukraine

KIEV, Ukraine Weeping survivors clutching red carnations paidtribute Thursday to tens of thousands of Jews massacred by the Nazis64 years ago at the ravine known as Babi Yar.

At a memorial park erected at the chasm just outside Kiev's citycenter, about 200 people bowed their heads and laid flowers at thebronze monument marking the area where the killings took place inSeptember 1941. Senior Jewish community leaders bemoaned the factthat some of the country's most senior leaders were unable toattend.

"People must understand that this tragedy is important, not onlyfor Jewish people, but also for all Ukrainians," Ukraine's chiefrabbi Yakov Blaikh told The Associated Press after the ceremony. "Ifchildren learned a lesson from history, no skinheads would attackpeople on the streets."

The massacre began when Nazi forces occupying Kiev marched Jewsto the brink of the ravine and shot them. More than 33,700 werekilled in just a few days. The killings continued for months, withNazis also executing thousands of Red Army prisoners of war andresistance fighters.

The Babi Yar massacre followed weeks of grenade attacks againstGerman troops staged by Soviet resistance groups. Nazis accused Jewsfor the attacks, and ordered them to gather in downtown Kiev and totake with them documents, money, valuables and warm clothes as ifthey were to be deported.

The final death toll was never established.

Massacre at Babi Yar remembered in Ukraine

KIEV, Ukraine Weeping survivors clutching red carnations paidtribute Thursday to tens of thousands of Jews massacred by the Nazis64 years ago at the ravine known as Babi Yar.

At a memorial park erected at the chasm just outside Kiev's citycenter, about 200 people bowed their heads and laid flowers at thebronze monument marking the area where the killings took place inSeptember 1941. Senior Jewish community leaders bemoaned the factthat some of the country's most senior leaders were unable toattend.

"People must understand that this tragedy is important, not onlyfor Jewish people, but also for all Ukrainians," Ukraine's chiefrabbi Yakov Blaikh told The Associated Press after the ceremony. "Ifchildren learned a lesson from history, no skinheads would attackpeople on the streets."

The massacre began when Nazi forces occupying Kiev marched Jewsto the brink of the ravine and shot them. More than 33,700 werekilled in just a few days. The killings continued for months, withNazis also executing thousands of Red Army prisoners of war andresistance fighters.

The Babi Yar massacre followed weeks of grenade attacks againstGerman troops staged by Soviet resistance groups. Nazis accused Jewsfor the attacks, and ordered them to gather in downtown Kiev and totake with them documents, money, valuables and warm clothes as ifthey were to be deported.

The final death toll was never established.