Following the Evidence to Babyn Yar

Dr. Martin Dean examines the complex history of the Babyn Yar ravine, where more than 33,000 Jewish men, women, and children of Kyiv were shot by units of the German SS and the German Police in late September 1941. Through careful detective work, Dr. Dean has revealed the crime scene and determined the locations where key photographs were taken. With the aid of a 3-D model, a virtual reconstruction of the terrain has been achieved, visualizing the path on which the Jews took their last steps into the Valley of Death. The Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center is planning a permanent memorial complex close to the site that will open in 2026. Dr. Dean’s research is part of a broader effort by the BYHMC to establish the truth about what happened at Babyn Yar and inform the public. This lecture took place on January 19, 2021.