Holodomor Memorial Day Announcement

Holodomor Memorial Day Announcement
In Toronto, at St. Vladimir Institute on 620 Spadina Ave. an installation of 33 black flags are erected representing the year 1933.

A genocide begins with the killing of one person, not because of what he has done, but because of who he is.

Today is Holodomor Memorial Day, when all over the world we remember the millions of Ukrainians who were starved to death in 1932 and 33. Holodomor means murder by starvation. This means that it was not caused by drought or poor crops but by human intervention. Communist dictator Joseph Stalin perpetrated this genocidal famine to punish Ukrainians for resisting Soviet rule. Soviet authorities confiscated all food grown by the Ukrainian farmers. Although the harvest was rich, the Ukrainian people were forbidden to touch it. Anyone, including children, caught taking even a stalk of wheat could be executed. Special brigades searched homes and forcibly took all food from the Ukrainian people, ensuring a mass famine would ensue. While millions were dying of starvation, the Soviets took the wheat the Ukrainians had produced and sold it abroad.

This genocidal famine was denied, ignored, and covered up throughout the 20th century. Today, the Russian government continues to deny that the Holodomor was a genocide. But the testimony of survivors about what they witnessed and experienced, tells a different story.

Through Acts of Parliament, the Government of Canada recognizes The Holodomor as an act of genocide.

We set aside a Day of Remembrance for the millions who were starved to death, many of whom were children. Together with the descendants of survivors living in Canada, let us remember the victims of Holodomor.