WASHINGTON – The first anniversary of the dedication of the Ukrainian Holodomor Memorial in this nation’s capital was marked at its site here on November 7 with an evening event focusing on the importance of remembering that evil Soviet mass killing of millions of Ukrainians by starvation in 1932-1933 and ensuring that similar crimes will not be repeated in the future.
Organized by the Embassy of Ukraine and the U.S. Committee for Ukrainian Holodomor-Genocide Awareness, the candlelight observance began an hour after the sun had set with a candlelight observance and prayers by Bishop John Bura and three priests from the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family, as well as the laying of symbolic bundles of wheat at the foot of the memorial.
In his opening address to those who came to honor the anniversary, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.S. Valeriy Chaly expressed Ukraine’s gratitude to the United States and Ukrainian Americans for helping make this memorial a reality – located just four blocks from the memorial honoring the world’s Victims of Communism.
Yaro Bihun
Mykola Hobdych, the founder and conductor of the Kyiv Chamber Choir, turns from his Ukrainian choir (standing behind him) to conduct the other participants in singing a few Ukrainian religious and patriotic songs during the first anniversary commemoration of the dedication of the Ukrainian Holodomor Memorial in Washington.
The world will be in a much worse state, he said, if it gets to the point where this is no longer remembered – as Moscow tried to do during the Soviet Union.
Ambassador Chaly also thanked the memorial’s creative architect Larysa Kurylas for her major role in this effort.
Michael Sawkiw Jr., the chairman of the U.S. Committee for Ukrainian Holodomor-Genocide Awareness, said that the memorial was constructed “not for us, but for the world, so that it would know about this crime, this genocide of the Ukrainian people created by Stalin and his regime.”
The memorial’s objective, he said, is to bring forth the information about what happened in Ukraine 85 years ago, “and to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again.”
Also expressing his views about “how unjust man can be” that evening was America’s second ambassador to Ukraine after it became independent, William Green Miller. And he welcomed the Kyiv Chamber Choir, which stopped by at the Holodomor Memorial to sing at the anniversary event while on the way to the airport after its afternoon concert in Washington’s National City Christian Church.
“The quality of their singing is an example of the Ukrainian spirit which has never been extinguished, and is under attack now. There is war in Ukraine, and we must resist that injustice,” Ambassador Green Miller noted.
“We will stand beside you and champion your efforts to remain free and independent,” he said.
The Kyiv Chamber Choir then concluded that evening’s commemoration – joined in by the other people present – by singing the religious hymn “Bozhe Velykyi, Yedynyi” and a few other emotionally moving Ukrainian songs.