Today Ukraine has Memorial Day on the 75th anniversary of the beginning of the forced removal of civilians from Ukraine on slave labor in Germany.

During World War II nearly 2.4 million of forced laborers were deported from Ukraine to Germany. After the fall of the Reich 1.8 million Ukrainians repatriated, about 150 thousand people did not return home.

To honor the victims of labor deportations, we schould preserve the memory of the Ukrainian slaves of the Third Reich. They tedious worked in factories, plants, mines, railways and agriculture. Most Ostarbeiteren worked for private companies. In Germany they lived in special camps under the strict supervision of police. Ostarbeiters had to wear dark blue and white stripes with the words "OST" ( "East"), which informed the Germans that these people were workers from the East.

Many Ostarbeiteren because of disobedience passed through the hell of Nazi places of forced imprisonment. Afret the attempt to escape they were punished by death or imprisonment in a concentration camp.

After the victory over Nazi Germany each forced laborer had his own way: someone - on a foreign land, and someone - home. Often slaves of concentration camps, and Gestapo prisons had been seen as "traitors" who did nor show enough courage and worked for the Nazis. Many of them were arrested and sentenced for "treason".

Unfortunately, the process of restoring justice for citizens who had been victims of criminal policies and did not find the necessary understanding and support at home began after the death of many of them.

The tragic memory of Ukrainian slaves of the Third Reich warns: it should never happen again!