PHILADELPHIA – The City Council of Philadelphia on Thursday, October 18, issued a historic resolution declaring the month of November 2018 as “Ukrainian Genocide Remembrance Month.” During the morning session of the City Council, the resolution was unanimously accepted. The sponsor of the resolution was Councilman Mark Squilla.
The resolution reads, in part: “The Ukrainian community is in sadness commemorating the 85th anniversary of the Ukrainian genocide. Eighty-five years ago, the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and his totalitarian regime committed an act of genocide through an implementation of an engineered famine… resulting in the deaths of up to 10 million innocent men, women and children.”
Stephan Fartuszok
In the City Council Chamber, Ulana Mazurkevich thanks the council for passing a resolution declaring November 2018 as “Ukrainian Genocide Remembrance Month.”
The resolution also notes: “…this genocide, Holodomor, meaning murder by starvation, was specifically designed by the Soviet regime to punish independent-minded Ukrainians for their resistance to its economic, political and social oppression.”
After the resolution was presented by the City Council, the speaker then called upon Ulana Mazurkevich, head of the local community’s Holodomor Committee, to accept the resolution. Ms. Mazurkevich was joined by the Rev. Roman Pitula, Eugene Luciw, Chrystyna Prokopovych, Halia Dubil, Lesia Chmelko and Michael Sawkiw.
In brief remarks to the council and the attendees, Ms. Mazurkevich thanked City Council members for the strong resolution and stated that 85 years ago 7 million were forcibly starved to death by Moscow. Moscow’s reply, Ms. Mazurkevich noted, was: “Deny, deny, deny – the very same playbook Moscow is using today.”
Ms. Mazurkevich then invited the people to that afternoon’s event in the Mayor’s Reception Room, where the resolution would be officially presented to Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.S. Valery Chaly.
The Holodomor event continued in the ornate Mayor’s Reception Room, which had welcomed many prominent guests, including Queen Elizabeth of England. For this event, Andrij Chornodolsky set up an informational display about the Holodomor that was viewed by the attendees. Among them were two reporters from the Philadelphia Inquirer who, when told about the action to revoke Walter Duranty’s Pulitzer Prize, commented that it should definitely be revoked.
After the attendees had a chance to view the exhibit, the official part of the program began with welcoming remarks delivered by Ms. Mazurkevich who introduced Ambassador Chaly and his spouse, Lyudmyla Mazuka, and their guest, member of the Ukrainian Parliament Oleksii Furman. Sophia Pitula then led the assembled in the singing of the American and Ukrainian national anthems. Prayers for the departed souls were delivered by the rector of Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Philadelphia, the Rev. Pitula.
The official resolution, which designated November as “Ukrainian Genocide Remembrance Month,” was read by Council members Mark Squilla, Al Taubenberger, Helen Gym and David Oh, and then presented to Ukraine’s ambassador. A proclamation declaring November as “Ukrainian Genocide Remembrance Month” was issued by Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenny. It too was presented to Ambassador Chaly.
Ambassador Chaly thanked the Philadelphia officials for their proclamations, expressing deep gratitude on behalf of Ukraine. He further spoke about the ongoing war that is being waged by Moscow, and voiced appreciation for the continuing support received from the United States.
Mr. Sawkiw, chair of the U.S. Committee for Ukrainian Holodomor-Genocide Awareness, provided concluding remarks for the commemorative event. He highlighted the work of the U.S. Commission on the Ukraine Famine, which in 1988 had concluded unequivocally that millions had died and that the Famine of 1932-1933 had been an act of genocide.