Town’s tribute to Holodomor victims
THE town has come together to remember the millions of victims of the 1930s Ukrainian genocide Holodomor.
On Saturday, November 26, officials and residents from across the brough and beyond gathered at the Holodomor memorial in the memorial gardens on the 89th anniversary of the tragedy.
The memorial service was led by Rev. Bohdan Lysykanych (Ukrainian Catholic Church) and Deacon Volodymyr Dobrianskyj (Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church) with the Vicar of Rochdale – Rev. Anne Gilbert.
After a minute’s silence, wreaths were laid by the Mayor Of Rochdale Ali Ahmed and Mayoral Consort Sultan Ali, Rt. Hon. Sir Tony Lloyd MP, Deputy Mayor Chris Holly, on behalf of Rt. Hon. Chris Clarkson MP and Olga Kurtianyk from the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB) Rochdale Branch.
Holodomor or ‘murder by starvation’ was a state engineered famine devised by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin between 1932-1933 and was aimed to crush the spirit of the Ukrainian nation so that it would never again rebel against communist rule
Although the crimes were hidden away from the Western world, British journalists Gareth Jones and Malcom Muggeridge did secretly visit, witnessed it for themselves and reported on this genocide to the British press.
Ukraine’s borders were sealed and all available food was seized and was even exported abroad.
This caused starvation to set in rapidly – people ate anything – grass, tree bark, pets or whatever they could find for food and between 7-10 million people died.