Zelenskyy Inaugurates Memorial to the Victims of the Crimean Tatar Genocide

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, alongside First Lady Olena Zelenska, inaugurated a memorial dedicated to the victims of the Crimean Tatar genocide in Kyiv.

“This is a symbol of our unity and determination to restore justice. This is so important. And we see how the Russian occupation has once again brought grief to Crimea,” Zelenskyy said during the opening ceremony.

The event was also attended by the Prime Ministers of Croatia and Latvia, as well as the President of Lithuania.

The memorial’s foundation stone was laid on May 18, on the Remembrance Day of the Genocide of the Crimean Tatar People, marking it 80 years, since the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people.

Mustafa Dzhemilev, the former Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, remarked that the memorial reflects the state’s stance towards the indigenous people of Crimea, particularly during a time when Crimean Tatars are facing active persecution by Russian occupying forces in Crimea.

Zelenskyy highlighted that Russia, much like the Soviet authorities 80 years ago, continues its efforts to destroy the inhabitants of Crimea. He noted that the memorial now replaces a park that once honored Chekists, agents of the Soviet secret police, who were responsible for the crimes of the totalitarian Soviet regime, including killings, torture, and forced deportations.

He emphasized that the opening of this memorial symbolizes that tyrants and dictators will ultimately be defeated.