"A tragic event that marked the history of Ukraine." Holodomor victims commemorated in Chisinau
On the fourth Saturday of November, Ukraine commemorates the victims of the Holodomor of 1932-1933, a tragic event that marked the history of Ukraine, and in 1946-1947, the history of Bessarabia. This year, the commemoration is held under the theme "Light a candle for the victims of the Holodomor. In the fight for Ukraine, support the soldiers." A commemoration was also held in Chisinau, where participants spoke about one of the worst national catastrophes - the organized famine - which claimed millions of lives.
"We light candles in memory of those who died in terrible torment, died of hunger. In every Ukrainian family there are victims of famine. My aunt lost seven children, they died of hunger. It was an organized famine, a crime that we cannot forget,” said Liubovi Burlaca, a Ukrainian from the Republic of Moldova. For decades, famine was a taboo topic, completely forbidden by the communist authorities. Only after the secession of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova from the Soviet empire did the full extent of the tragedy come to light, said the participants in the event organized by the Community of Ukrainians in our country and the Embassy of Ukraine in Chisinau.
“The Holodomor was not just a tragedy, it was a genocide organized by the communist regime to exterminate the Ukrainian people. Today, we Ukrainians, once again, are fighting against the same aggressor, fighting for justice, freedom, and identity. Then it was Stalin, now Putin has launched a policy of genocide against our people. Therefore, our memory is our strength, which mobilizes us, and encourages us in the common fight against global evil”, said the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Ukraine, Natalia Sirenko.
The participants observed a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the Holodomor in Ukraine and the organized famine in Moldova.
“It is a unique event because it is the first time in the Republic of Moldova that two events that have a lot in common are discussed. This is the Holodomor in Ukraine in 32-33 and the famine in the Republic of Moldova in 46-47. Those tools that were used by the totalitarian regime in 32-33 were adjusted to the situation in the Republic of Moldova”, said the general director of the Interethnic Relations Agency, Veaceslav Reabcinschi.
“Who brought the famine to Ukraine? The genocide of the Soviet power at that time took the bread from the Moldovans, took the bread from the Ukrainians. A great tragedy happened. The tragedy of the 20th century and now the tragedy of the 21st century. You see what is happening in Ukraine and the Ukrainians of Moldova from the first days of the war we are together with our brothers in Ukraine”, said the president of the Ukrainian Community, Vitali Mrug.
“The Lesia Ukrainka Library stands by and participates today in the commemoration of the victims of the Holodomor. It is a trauma, it is a pain for Ukrainians everywhere”, declared the head of the library, Ana Bevziuc.
In 2006, the Supreme Rada of Kiev officially recognized the Holodomor as genocide against the Ukrainian people. In December 2022, the European Parliament adopted a resolution recognizing the starvation of millions of people as genocide. 30 states around the world have officially recognized the Holodomor in Ukraine, in which an estimated 10 million people died.
