Ukraine Remembers – the World Acknowledges Holodomor Famine

The fourth Saturday of November is a Day of Remembrance for the victims of the Holodomor Great Famine Genocide in Ukraine 1932-33. Ukraine remembers and the World acknowledges one of the most tragic events in history. On Nov. 22 cross Ukraine at 4 pm and the world-over, candles were light at vigil and memorial services to commemorate the 75^th anniversary of the Holodomor, in memory of the millions Ukrainians who were starved death from an artificial famine in Soviet Ukraine and border regions in Soviet Russia. Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko said that many of his countrymen believe the famine was designed to attack Ukrainian nationalism itself. “This was not death through hunger -- this was murder of people through hunger,” Yushchenko said in a speech. “Hunger was selected as a tool to subdue the Ukrainian people,” according to CTV News.

Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, the Hon. Jason Kenney travelled to Kyiv, Ukraine, from November 20 to November 23, to represent the Government of Canada at ceremonies to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor, the 1932-33 Famine Genocide in Ukraine. He also visited Babyn Yar and Bykivnia Memorial sites and the Taras Shevchenko monument in Kyiv.  

Minister Kenney stated “I was honoured to visit Ukraine and join dignitaries to mark an event that was a horrendous crime against humanity,” said Minister Kenney. “Canada is committed to honouring the memory of those who died during this genocide and preventing such atrocities in the future.”
The Minister participated in an international forum entitled “My People Will Live Forever” along with five heads of state and representatives of several governments and international organizations. Last year at UNESCO, Canada co-sponsored Ukraine’s motion to honour the millions who perished in the man-made famine and to acknowledge that their deaths were caused by the brutal communist dictatorship of Josef Stalin.

Minister Kenney also took the opportunity to meet with President Yushchenko, Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko, Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Vasiunyk, and Foreign Minister Volodomyr Ohryzko and further strengthen Canada’s longstanding partnership with Ukraine.

According to the Ukrainian Cana-dian Congress, a Canadian delegation led by Minister Kenney, and Paul Grod, UCC President, paid tribute to the more than 120,000 victims of Soviet oppression who were executed by the NKVD Secret Police and buried in the Bykivnia Forest on the outskirts of Kyiv.

Joining Minister Kenney and Paul Grod were Senator Raynell Andreychuk Honourary Chair of the UCC National Holodomor Commemoration Committee, Eugene Czolij, President Ukrainian World Congress, Mary Szkambara, President World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organizations, Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine, Daniel Caron, and Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada, Ihor Ostash.