"Whoever saves one life saves the entire world" — engraved on the Righteous Among the Nations medal reminds us of the human spirit's capacity for goodness even in history's darkest hours.

Today, we honor the heroism of Ukrainians who risked their lives and the lives of their families to save Jews during the Nazi occupation and the Holocaust. The Institute of Memory and the Holocaust Memorial Complex "Yad Vashem" has awarded the honorary title "Righteous Among the Nations" to 2,707 Ukrainians, a number that continues to grow as new stories come to light. We take pride in our country, which ranks fourth worldwide in the number of Righteous Among the Nations.

The commemorative date established in 2021 by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine - the Day of the Righteous Among the Nations in Ukraine - serves as a reminder of the humanity, love of life, and courage displayed during the horrible era of the Holocaust.

As we honor the bravery of courageous Ukrainians who demonstrated exceptional humanity during the most horrific trials, we bow our heads in memory of the millions of Shoah victims in Ukraine and throughout the world.

Ukraine consistently preserves the historical memory of the Holocaust. Our country was the first former Soviet republic to include Holocaust studies as mandatory in all schools, following the Council of Europe's recommendations.

Ukrainian archival institutions make significant contributions to documenting Nazi crimes. The joint project between "Yad Vashem," the Federation of Jewish Organizations of Ukraine, and the All-Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies "Tkuma" - "Study of the Holocaust in Ukraine for Creating an Atmosphere of Tolerance" - has been successfully implemented since 2013. Throughout our cooperation, Ukraine has transferred more than 240,500 copies of archival documents to the "Yad Vashem" Memorial Complex and signed memoranda of cooperation with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the National Historical Memorial Preserve "Babyn Yar," and other organizations.

Significant milestones include Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit to Ukraine in October 2021 and Ukraine's joining the Global Guidelines for Fighting Antisemitism on July 17, 2024.

Today, as Ukraine faces genocidal Russian aggression and Russian criminals commit atrocities on Ukrainian soil unseen in Europe since World War II, we are particularly sensitive to past crimes and the necessity of researching, preserving, and promoting memory based on historical facts.

In honoring the heroism of the Righteous Among the Nations, we affirm the inviolability of humanity and justice as foundational principles for peaceful coexistence among peoples and as guarantees of a world where there is no place for intolerance and violence.