Ukraine remembers Stalin-era famine after 85 years

Published November 25, 2018
KIEV: Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (centre), his wife Maryna and Slovak President Andrej Kiska (right) carry sheaves of wheat during a commemoration ceremony marking the 85th anniversary of the 1932-33 famine on Saturday.—Reuters
KIEV: Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (centre), his wife Maryna and Slovak President Andrej Kiska (right) carry sheaves of wheat during a commemoration ceremony marking the 85th anniversary of the 1932-33 famine on Saturday.—Reuters

UKRAINIANS on Saturday marked 85 years since millions died in a Soviet-era famine that many now regard as a genocide ordered by then leader Joseph Stalin. The 1932-33 famine took place as harvests dwindled and Stalin’s police enforced a brutal policy of requisitioning grain and other foodstuffs from farms. Historians differ on the scale of the death toll, with estimates ranging from four million to 10 million.

Accompanied by hundreds of Ukrainians, President Petro Poroshenko laid symbolic sheaves of wheat and lit candles at a central Kiev monument to famine victims — known as Holodomor, or death from hunger in Ukrainian. The famine was “man-made”, the president said in a statement. “We must always remember the terrible crimes carried out on Ukrainian soil by the Communist regime,” he said.

The famine was “a genocide of the Ukrainian people”, Oleksandr Turchynov, head of Ukraine’s Security and Defence Council said in a statement, blaming the Soviet leadership. He compared it to Russia’s role in Ukraine’s eastern region where Kiev’s forces are fighting Moscow-backed separatists. “Today fighting is going on once again on Ukrainian land. And ... the Kremlin is the main culprit in the tragedy,” he said.

The conflict between Russian-backed fighters and Ukrainian troops has killed more than 10,000 people since 2014. Pro-Russian forces declared parts of eastern Ukraine independent following Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in March, 2014. Kiev and the West accuse Russia of funnelling troops and arms across its border with Ukraine. Moscow denies the claims, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Nearly 20 countries have also recognised the famine as an act of “genocide” against the Ukrainian people, in a move that irritates Moscow. Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday said that the famine was a “shared tragedy”.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2018

Opinion

Editorial

Military option
Updated 21 Nov, 2024

Military option

While restoring peace is essential, addressing Balochistan’s socioeconomic deprivation is equally important.
HIV/AIDS disaster
21 Nov, 2024

HIV/AIDS disaster

A TORTUROUS sense of déjà vu is attached to the latest health fiasco at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital. The largest...
Dubious pardon
21 Nov, 2024

Dubious pardon

IT is disturbing how a crime as grave as custodial death has culminated in an out-of-court ‘settlement’. The...
Islamabad protest
Updated 20 Nov, 2024

Islamabad protest

As Nov 24 draws nearer, both the PTI and the Islamabad administration must remain wary and keep within the limits of reason and the law.
PIA uncertainty
20 Nov, 2024

PIA uncertainty

THE failed attempt to privatise the national flag carrier late last month has led to a fierce debate around the...
T20 disappointment
20 Nov, 2024

T20 disappointment

AFTER experiencing the historic high of the One-day International series triumph against Australia, Pakistan came...