Babi Yar
Written by Madyson White
The German Take-over
Kiev was the capital of Soviet Ukraine. Approximately 160,000 Jews lives within Kiev. The Jewish population took up 20% of the Kiev population. Kiev was taken in control by the German Army on September 19, 1941. After the city was taken over, over 100,000 Jews fled Kiev. In the first few days of the German's take-over, the Soviets set off two major explosives, destroying German headquarters. In response, SS officers were preparing to carry out Nazi Commander Adolf Hitler's special order. At the time, they're were only 60,000 Jews left in the city. The people remaining were women, children, the elderly, and the sick people.
Babi Yar
On September 28th, SS officers and the German police unit, with the help of Einsatzqruppe (mobile killing unit) C, were to gather every Jew and Soviet official in and around Kiev and escort them to Babi Yar. Babi Yar was a ravine, a deep and narrow gorge with steep sides. More than 30,000 Jews were matched in small groups to Babi Yar. Once they reached Babi Yar, located at the northwest side of the city, the Jews were ordered the remove their clothes. They were then machine-gunned into the ravine. This ended on September 30th. The dead or alive inside the ravine were then covered over with dirt and rocks. However, gypsies, communists, and Soviet prisoners of war were also killed. Approximately 100,000 people were killed at Babi Yar. Babi Yar was considered one of the largest massacres in the war.
Babi Yar
This picture represents the bodies in Babi Yar.
Babi Yar
This is a picture of the soldiers a ready, waiting for the command to shoot.
Kiev
This a picture of Kiev during the Babi Yar massacre.