On Saturday, November 22, Ukrainians honor the memory of those affected by the Holodomors.
This day of remembrance is observed annually on the fourth Saturday of November based on presidential decrees from 1998 and 2007.
In the 20th century, Ukrainians experienced three major famines: 1921-1923, 1932-1933, and the famine of 1946-1947. The most devastating was the famine of 1932-1933, which is regarded as the genocide of the Ukrainian people orchestrated by the Stalinist regime.
Leading up to the famines, Ukrainian villages underwent violent collectivization, dekulakization, and mass terror. The famine, which lasted 22 months in Ukraine, was a deliberate policy of the Stalinist government that began in 1928. This punitive action aimed to eradicate independent peasant farms, which were the backbone of the Ukrainian nation.
After brutal repressions against the intelligentsia, peasants also became victims of the regime.
The mass famine was preceded by several events. For instance, on November 18, 1932, a resolution from the Central Committee of the Communist Party mandated punishments for failing to meet grain procurement quotas, including confiscation of food from peasants. The list of confiscated products soon expanded, leading to horrific consequences.
Just days later, on November 26, a decree emphasized that repression was a primary means of combating class resistance.
The artificially created famine led to peasants being stripped of all food supplies. By December 1932, food trade was banned, and in 1933 peasants were denied any hope of escape from the famine-stricken areas.
According to official figures, this terror claimed around 4 million lives.
For decades, the topic of the Holodomor was taboo. Research into this tragedy only began in the late 1980s.
According to the Law on the Holodomor of 1932-1933, passed on November 28, 2006, the famine of 1932-1933 is recognized as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people, and public denial of it is considered an affront to the memory of the victims.
In 2010, Soviet leaders were found guilty of organizing the Holodomor in Ukraine.
Today, 29 countries recognize the Holodomor of 1932-1933 as genocide against the Ukrainian people, as do several international organizations.
Despite this, Russia continues its attempts to erase Ukrainian identity.
Traditionally, on this day, Ukrainians light candles in memory of the deceased. Additionally, at 4:00 PM, there will be a nationwide moment of silence, and commemorative events will take place across Ukraine.
