Remarks by Michael Sawkiw Jr., chairman of the U.S. Committee for Ukrainian Holodomor-Genocide Awareness 1932-1933, at the November 7 dedicated of the Holodomor Memorial in Washington.
In a city of monuments, a city of hope where dreams motivate a nation, a city the captive world reveres as an inspiration for democracy, this city – the capital of the free world, now bears a new memorial, a memorial of a 20th century tragedy that so reviles one’s innermost instinct as to that event in Ukraine in 1932-1933, which so brutally, maliciously, and indiscriminately annihilated millions of men, women, and children!
The inscription on the Holodomor Memorial is short, simple, yet powerful: “Famine-Genocide in Ukraine. In memory of the millions of innocent victims of a man-made famine in Ukraine engineered and implemented by Stalin’s totalitarian regime.”
We Ukrainians refer to the period of 1932-1933 as the years of the “Holodomor” –simply meaning – murder by starvation.
But the relevance and importance of this memorial is not only to remember and commemorate, but to understand. Past habits of domination, Russia’s centuries-old demand to control Ukraine have re-surfaced. Ukraine knows that Moscow is still capable of brutality. Let us be clear: Vladimir Putin threatened to reduce Ukraine to venal poverty in the 21st century; instead of starving people to death, he promised to let them freeze. Here, the lessons of the Holodomor are relevant today. Despite the veneer of modernity and sophistication, Moscow is still capable of deep cruelty, Russia’s leaders are willing to break people and destroy lives in pursuit of their grandiose worldview. As we honor the Holodomor, we must also be wary of our present.
Therefore, the remembrance of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide is not simply a “Ukrainian issue.” It is worldwide issue; it is an American issue. America’s long-standing role as the foremost champion of human rights in the world makes Washington, D.C., the most-fitting location for a memorial to this tragedy.
For these reasons, the unfortunate act of genocide 82 years ago must be recognized, and recognized now, so that history never repeats itself again. The world community must take up this mantle to ensure that humanity does not forget about the Ukrainian Holodomor of 1932-1933. With sincerest appreciation, we humbly thank our elected officials – most notably Rep. Sander Levin, for championing and sponsoring our cause for the establishment of this memorial, and for standing up for the principles of truth and human value, lest once again peaceful co-existence, this time in the modern era, thwarts the recognition of this genocide or future tragedies.
We assemble today to bear witness to a truly remarkable moment as we dedicate this memorial, which will become a beacon of hope for those who view it and marvel in its meaning and significance. May those who participate in today’s ritual ceremony shine the light of truth upon others. And may those who frequent this memorial pass the knowledge from generation to generation and inspire the youngest to stand firmly in honor and memorialize the millions who needlessly suffered at the hands of a dictator.
Our common unifying theme is clear: “Ukraine Remembers – The World Acknowledges!”
Today, Ukraine needs support from the world much like it did 80 years ago when the countryside was ravaged in a politically calculated engineered famine. The best way to honor the sacrifices of the past, of the millions needlessly murdered during the Holodomor, is to continue to fight for a strong, independent, democratic, and prosperous future for Ukraine.
I ask, that as we gather here today, let us pledge to one another that we will always recall the victims of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide and their incredible sacrifice, as well as to thank those who continue to bring tragic episodes of man’s inhumanity to man to the attention of the world.