Kyiv Council formally cancels hotel plan at Babi Yar

On Thursday, 8 October the Kyiv City Council cancelled the decision taken on 17 September to approve a plan of hotel locations in Kyiv up to 2020, which envisaged the construction of a three-star hotel called “Babi Yar”, on Melnykova St.  This street was where thousands of Jews were ordered by the Nazis to assemble at the end of September 1941. They were made to undress, and then marched to the edge of the ravine, as Babi Yar was then, and shot.

The very suggestion that any hotel could be built in this place was monstrous, and aroused outrage within Ukraine and abroad.  The scandal ended three days after the news travelled the world when Mayor Chernovetsky came out with two somewhat conflicting responses. He threatened to take the media, including foreign outlets, to court for “provocation”, while saying that he had vetoed the plan (more details of the whole story at: http://khpg.org.ua/en/index.php?id=1254211661).

The City Council Deputies were today asked to vote again on the point in question, and only 12 out of 113 voted for it. Only, though one wonders how any of them could, either the first time or today.

Unfortunately few seem to recall that the plan has other questionable elements, albeit less totally horrific. Hotels are planned on at least one reserve land and a number of Kyiv’s last remaining green areas.