DENVER — There are reports that a Russian missile may have damaged the Babi Yar Holocaust Museum in Kyiv, Ukraine. Here in Denver, there's a park not many may know about that also remembers the thousands of Ukranian Jews killed by the Nazis at the ravine called Babi Yar in a two-day massacre during World War II.
Helen Ginsburg helped open the 27-acre park in 1982. The paths at the memorial are configured as the Star of David with features such as a grove, amphitheater and a ravine.
The ravine is reminiscent of the place where victims were buried in Kyiv. There's a bridge that crosses over the water to represent the train cars used by the Nazis to transport Jews.
"This park was developed to call attention to the situation," said Ginsburg.
"To memorialize what happened to those particular people simply because of what they believed."
This is a painful history she wanted neighbors in Denver to know about.
"We wanted this park to be a voice of reason, a voice of caring, a voice of love," she said.
At the entrance of the park is a narrow walkway between two inscribed black monoliths. There, people can listen to a message about the meaning of Babi Yar Park.
"As one group of people is harmed as others remain silent and indifferent, all humankind suffers," said the voice on the speaker. "A place to pray for an end to all inhumane acts of our time."
To Ginsburg, these words have a more profound meaning right now as Ukraine faces another tragedy.
"To kill people simply for who they are, for doing no harm to anyone, this can't happen. This shouldn't happen and yet these things happen all over the world."
Ginsburg said the park contains a bit of soil from the Babi Yar ravine in Ukraine.
She also explained the Star of David design wasn't originally intended. She said the person designing the park laid out the paths and then realized they formed the symbol.
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