BLOOMINGDALE, Ill. – The Ukrainian community of Chicago and Illinois suburbs and parishioners of St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral – Kyivan Patriarchate in Bloomingdale, Ill., gathered on November 15 for the annual commemoration of the Holodomor, the Ukrainian genocide of 1932-1933.
Members of the Ukrainian community gathered at the Holodomor memorial in Bloomingdale. The event was organized by the Ukrainian Genocide Famine Foundation – U.S.A. Inc.
This year’s ecumenical memorial panakhyda for the 10 million victims of the Holodomor was led by the Very Rev. Mitered Archpriest Victor Poliarny, vicar of St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral and secretary for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyivan Patriarchate in the U.S.A. and Canada.
Clergy participating in the memorial services represented the various eparchies of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Ukrainian Catholic Church in the diaspora. At the request of the Ukrainian Genocide Famine Foundation – U.S.A. (UGFF-USA), the panakhyda was recited by the Choir of St. Andrew under the direction of choir master Bohdan Koleshko.
The memory of the Holodomor victims was honored by the Rev. Poliarny; Consul General of Ukraine in Chicago Larysa A. Gerasko; Dr. Maria Korkatsch-Groszko, commissioner of the Illinois Holocaust and Genocide Commission and member of the UGFF-USA; and the Rev. Myron Panchuk of St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Catholic Parish and vice-president of the UGFF-USA.
The Char-Zillya Bandura Ensemble.
Survivors of the Holodomor, most of whom are members of St. Andrew Parish, were recognized during the bilingual memorial program. In the established tradition, wreaths of flowers were laid at the foot of the memorial monument to the millions who died from the forced starvation premeditated by Joseph Stalin.
In his remarks at the commemoration, Mykola Kocherha, president of the UGFF-USA, stated that “…although many of our intelligentsia question and dispute the numbers that perished during the genocide, we have researchers currently analyzing newly discovered documents… initial indicators are that a minimum of 10 million were exterminated during the Famine-Genocide in Ukraine.”
“Three million children alone starved a painful death,” said Dr. Korkatsch-Groszko. “Only by acknowledging and understanding the genocides of the past, can one hope to stop those presently occurring in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.”
“Literature exists in which intellectual writers forewarn and condemn genocide as an egregious act against humanity… it is the responsibility of all to be vigilant for patterns that identify the coming of genocide… if the world had paid attention and acknowledged the Holodomor, the Holocaust would not have happened,” declared the Rev. Panchuk.
Following the religious observance, a traditional “Holodnyi Obid,” prepared by the members of the St. Sofia Sisterhood, was served in the parish auditorium.
The Very Rev. Mitered Protopriest Victor Poliarny of St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral – Kyivan Patriarchate, prays before the monument dedicated to the memory of the 10 million victims of the Holodomor.
Consul General Gerasko presented a historical overview and acknowledgement of the Holodomor by the government of Ukraine.
The program that followed consisted of several lyric selections in memory of the victims of Holodomor performed by an all-female Char-Zillya Bandura Ensemble of Chicago (Oksana Rodak, Iryna Turchyn, Motria Poshyvanyk-Caudill, Lesya Klimchenko, Khrystyna Musij). Presentations dedicated to the Holodomor were performed by three artistic ensembles from St. Joseph the Betrothed Parish: the Children’s Theatrical Group Dyvo (Vasyl Metnychuk, director), the Vyshyvanka School of Dance (Paul and Oksana Fedkiv, directors) and the School of Boyovyi Hopak (Andrij Kachala, director).