Deputy mayor of Bucha Liudmyla Ryzhenko spoke at the seventh Cities of Memory colloquium in Bologna and Marzabotto, Italy. Her main message: preserving memory means keeping the truth about the dead and seeking punishment for those responsible.

This was reported by Bucha City Council.

Ryzhenko discussed cooperation and a future partnership between the two communities with the mayor of Marzabotto, Valentina Cuppi.

Marzabotto town hallPhoto: Bucha City Council
Marzabotto town hall

The delegation also met Marco De Paolis, military prosecutor general at the Military Court of Appeal in Rome. He expressed solidarity with Bucha, shared Italy’s experience of investigating Nazi war crimes and said he was ready to offer professional support.

Why Marzabotto

Marzabotto is a symbol of one of Italy’s worst wartime tragedies. Between 29 September and 5 October 1944 SS units killed about 770 civilians around Monte Sole, Wikipedia notes.

Those responsible were tried even decades later: in 2007 a military tribunal in La Spezia sentenced former SS men to life imprisonment in absentia.

At Monte Sole the delegation visited memorial sites and met young people studying at the School of Peace. Founded in 2002, it works on memory, violence, conflict and peace.

Young people at the Monte Sole School of PeacePhoto: Bucha City Council
Young people at the Monte Sole School of Peace

For Bucha this work has a concrete meaning: that testimonies are backed by truth that is heard, the names of the dead by preserved life stories, and the crimes by accountability

Bucha City Councilafter the visit

As a reminder, for four years russia has been inventing new lies about Bucha, and OSINT researchers and investigators keep taking them apart.

Nota bene

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