Every year on the fourth Saturday of November, Ukraine honors the memory of the victims of the 20th century Holodomor - one of the greatest tragedies in the history of the Ukrainian people. This year, this day falls on November 23. Ukrainians light candles in their homes, remembering the millions who died from the artificial famine organized by the Soviet regime.
Ukraine experienced three mass famines:
- The years 1921–1923 were the first Holodomor, caused both by the consequences of the war and the policy of the Bolshevik government.
- The years 1932–1933 are the largest and most brutal Holodomor, which is called the genocide of the Ukrainian people.
- 1946-1947 - famine caused by the devastating consequences of the Second World War and the repressive policy of the Soviet government.
The Holodomor of 1932–1933 was the largest. According to various estimates, about 4.5 million Ukrainians died of starvation. This catastrophe was the result of violent collectivization, the policy of "dekulakization", forced grain harvests and mass terror against the Ukrainian peasantry. For 22 months, the Holodomor became a mechanism for the subjugation of the Ukrainian people, deprived of the basic means of survival.
On November 28, 2006, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a law that recognized the Holodomor of 1932-1933 as an act of genocide of the Ukrainian people. According to the law, denying this fact is tantamount to insulting the memory of millions of victims.
On January 13, 2010, the Kyiv Court of Appeal found Soviet leaders: Joseph Stalin, Vyacheslav Molotov, Lazar Kaganovich and others guilty of organizing the Holodomor.
Every year on Memorial Day of Holodomor victims, memorial events are held in different parts of Ukraine. People visit monuments, lay flowers and ears of wheat - a symbol of innocent lives lost. In the evening, Ukrainians light memorial candles in their windows, uniting in common grief.
This year, a concert commemorating the victims of the Holodomor will be held in Kyiv at the National Philharmonic, and flower-laying ceremonies and memorial services will be held throughout Ukraine. Ukrainian communities abroad are also joining in the commemoration - actions and events are planned to remind the world of the tragic page in the history of Ukraine.
This day is an important reminder of the resilience and invincibility of the Ukrainian people, who, despite terrible losses, were able to preserve their identity and fight for freedom.
