Two new Jewish museums are planned in Kiev, Ukraine. Jewish leaders in Ukraine announced last week that they hoped to begin construction in September next year, in addition to the several Jewish museums that already exist in the country.

According to Oleksandr Feldman, a Ukrainian MP and businessman, the first museum is planned as the most comprehensive history of Jews in the Ukraine, while the second museum will be built near the Babi Yar ravine, where almost 34,000 were murdered in one of the biggest massacres perpetrated by the Nazis, 70 years ago.

Speaking at a conference in Kiev, held to fight antisemitism and racism, Mr Feldman said he was ready to invest large sums of money in the project, and called on other private investors and governments to join him. Mr Feldman praised the co-operation of the local authorities. He said: "The mayor of Kiev is very supportive of the idea and the local municipality has already offered us land for the two museums. Now we would like to find an architect and start the construction work next September."

Rabbi Moshe Azman, one of three claimants to the title of chief rabbi of Ukraine, revealed that two of the country's wealthiest businessmen, Vadim Rabinovich and Igor Kolomoisky, have already expressed interest in the project.

"It will be a museum that will focus on the Holocaust and will tell the story of the Jews who were murdered by the Nazis. It will be very similar to Yad Vashem," said Rabbi Azman.