THE 70th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FAMINE-GENOCIDE IN UKRAINE

New York City mayor's proclamation of Famine Remembrance Week

Following is the text of a proclamation issued by the Office of the Mayor, City of New York.

Whereas: Millions of Ukrainians starved to death in the Famine-Genocide of 1932-1933, and millions more suffered unspeakable horrors. Every year as autumn falls upon our city, this event comes to the forefront of the shared Ukrainian memory, which forms an integral part of our varied history and culture. This week, the people of New York City join the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America in honoring those who died 70 years ago.

Whereas: The artificial Famine, an attempt to crush the spirit of the Ukrainian peasants and force them into submission to Stalin's rule, exterminated 7 million-10 million Ukrainians. In sheer magnitude, it numbers among the worst cases of crimes against humanity; Ukraine's losses during this period were greater than those of any country that fought in World War I. Yet many Americans know little about the nature of this genocide, and the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America aims to bring to light the truth about what is often referred to simply as the collectivization of the Ukrainian farmers. During the past week, the committee has sponsored exhibits, concerts and other events in memory of this period in Ukrainian history.

Whereas: The Famine-Genocide is a horrifying example of the crimes people have committed against fellow human beings. Today, New Yorkers come together in an example of the fellowship that unites us against these atrocities, as we gather at St. Patrick's Cathedral to commemorate this "hidden holocaust." Its traces remain in the heritage of all Ukrainians, and so it has become an indelible part of our collective history, invisible but forever present, like the spirits of those we remember today.

Now therefore, I, Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor of the City of New York, in memory of the millions of Ukrainians who lost their lives in the Famine-Genocide of 1932-1933, do hereby proclaim November 10-15, 2003, in the City of New York as: "Famine Remembrance Week."

Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, November 23, 2003, No. 47, Vol. LXXI

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