- December 9, 2025
- 9:41 pm
- Ukraine
On September 2, 2025, Odessa Mayor Gennady Trukhanov, on behalf of the entire city, presented Roman Shvartsman with the title of “Honorary Citizen of the City of Odessa”.
They congratulate him warmly and in a homely way, calling him “our Romochka”. They emphasize that he truly deserves this award.
As is customary in Jewish tradition, they wish him “Mazal Tov” and long life – “up to 120”.
It is noted that Roman Markovich managed to survive Nazism and the Soviet system, and there is confidence that he will cope with modern challenges, including Rashism.
Roman Markovich Shvartsman, born on November 7, 1936, in Bershad, Vinnytsia region, at the age of five, ended up in the Bershad ghetto, where he spent 3.5 years in inhumane conditions. This experience left an indelible mark on his fate and became the foundation of his struggle for truth and memory.
According to Odessa portal “Dumskaya”, the city council plans to confer this title on him in the near future.
Roman Shvartsman himself confirmed this information to a “Dumskaya” correspondent and shared his emotions.
“For me, it is a great honor and deep excitement to be presented for the title of Honorary Citizen of Odessa,” Shvartsman noted.
He added that this is the highest award from the city where he has lived his entire life after the war, and which has become for him a “source of revival and strength.”
“This is recognition not only of my work but of everyone whose memory I try to preserve. All those who passed through ghettos and concentration camps. All who gave their lives fighting Nazism. All who today fight for Ukraine’s independence… The title of ‘Honorary Citizen of Odessa’ is not just for me. It is for everyone who survived, who remembers, who passes the truth on. It is for Odessa, which has always been a multicultural, free, and strong-spirited city. I am grateful to everyone who supports this initiative. For me, this is not the end, but a new obligation: to work even harder, speak even louder, and remember even deeper,” said Roman Shvartsman.
After the war ended in 1955, he moved to Odessa, where he studied at Vocational School No. 2 as a “mechanic-assembler.” Later, he graduated from the Odessa Institute of Marine Engineers, becoming a mechanical engineer. His entire working life was connected to the “Poligraphmash” factory, where he worked for over 30 years, showing the highest professionalism and dedication.
Decades of community work
Since 1990, Roman Shvartsman has been actively involved in public life as the head of the Odessa Regional Association of Jews – former prisoners of ghettos and concentration camps. In 1992, he became a member of the international organization of former prisoners of ghettos and concentration camps, founded in Odessa. He remains an active member, uniting those who remember the tragic pages of history.
Shvartsman also serves as the Vice President of the All-Ukrainian Association of Jews – former prisoners of ghettos and concentration camps, led by Boris Zabarko. He is also Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Odessa Society of Jewish Culture and Head of the socio-cultural center.
The Holocaust Museum and monuments – a lifetime’s work
Shvartsman played a huge role in creating the Holocaust Museum in Odessa, which opened on June 22, 2009. In his words:
“This museum should become a school, a university for the young, so that they understand what the Holocaust was.”
Today, the museum has over 4,000 exhibits and, over the years, has been visited by about 20,000 people – diplomats, students, schoolchildren, tourists, and Israelis, for whom the memory of the Holocaust is inseparable from their identity.
Thanks to Shvartsman’s persistence, over 30 monuments and memorials have been established in Odessa, Odessa region, and Mykolaiv region. Among them is the Memorial Complex on Lustdorf Road, the site where 25,000 Jews were killed. In 2015, in the village of Hvozdivka2, a mass grave containing the remains of 3,500 Jews was discovered, above which a memorial was erected at Shvartsman’s initiative.
“Wherever you dig, you’ll find bones – teeth and skulls. It’s horrible.”
Speech in the Bundestag and international recognition
On January 30, 2025, Roman Shvartsman spoke at the German Bundestag during a session dedicated to the memory of the victims of National Socialism. His words to the deputies became a symbol of the parallel between the horrors of the Holocaust and the modern aggression of putin against Ukraine:
“At that time, Hitler tried to kill me because I was a Jew. Now putin is trying to kill me because I am Ukrainian,” he declared, speaking in the German parliament on January 29, 2025, during the session dedicated to the memory of the victims of Nazism.
Shvartsman also called on Germany to actively support Ukraine and increase arms supplies:
“I appeal to you: arm us so that putin ends this war of annihilation.”
He especially emphasized Ukraine’s need for long-range missiles.
Shvartsman reminded everyone that it is the duty of current generations to prevent new catastrophes and protect civilians from violence.
His speech received a standing ovation and the support of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. He urged Germany to increase support for Ukraine and stressed the moral duty of everyone – to stop new barbarism.
Awards and recognition
For decades of work and service to society, Roman Shvartsman has received numerous awards:
- Order of Merit III degree (2006) – for personal courage and the fight against fascism.
- Order of Merit II degree (2013) – for the development of the veteran movement and patriotic education of the youth.
- Order of Merit I degree (2018) – for outstanding contributions to the development of Ukraine and high professionalism.
- Title of “Honored Machine Builder of the Ukrainian SSR” (1989).
- Medals “For Labor Distinction” (1977) and “Veteran of Labor” (1985).
- Honorary award of the Odessa mayor “Labor Glory.”
- German Cross of Merit (2003).
- Jubilee medals for national and international merits.
Memories of the Holocaust
Recalling his childhood, Roman Shvartsman shared that in early July 1941, his mother tried to evacuate with eight children. However, due to the advance of German and Romanian troops, the evacuation attempt failed. In August 1941, the occupiers entered Bershad and created two ghettos, one of which housed Shvartsman’s family.
25,000 Jews from Bessarabia and Vinnytsia region were deported to the ghetto. During the years of occupation, the Nazis murdered 13,871 Jews.
In 1942, while Roman’s older brother was working on repairing a bridge over the Dokhno River, he was shot by Romanian guards. This tragedy formed the basis for one of the films by Israeli director Boris Mavtzer. Shvartsman recalls the unbearable living conditions, constant hunger, and fear. On March 29, 1944, the town of Bershad was liberated.
Odessa honors its hero
Today, the Odessa City Council is preparing to confer the title of Honorary Citizen on Roman Shvartsman. For Shvartsman himself, this is not just an honor, but a new challenge and responsibility:
“This is recognition not only of my efforts but of all those who survived the Holocaust and continue to fight for Ukraine’s freedom.”
The site NAnews – Israel News emphasizes: Shvartsman’s fate is an important example of the unity of the Jewish and Ukrainian peoples, who together oppose hatred and aggression.
The story of Roman Shvartsman is a reminder that the Jewish people and Ukrainians, despite all trials, continue to fight for truth and freedom. The site NAnews – Israel News is confident: such heroes help us remember the lessons of the past and build a peaceful future.
