COHOES, N.Y. – Members of the Ukrainian community of New York’s Capital District gathered on Saturday, November 16, to commemorate the victims of the Holodomor.
At 10 a.m., braving 20 degree temperature and a blustering wind chill, participants observed the Holodomor’s 86th anniversary with solemnity and reverence.
The program opened with the laying of a wreath at the Cohoes Holodomor Memorial located in a small meditation park, followed by the singing of the U.S. national anthem by Iryna Petryk.
Dr. Andrij Baran, chairman of the New York Capital District Holodomor Committee, then spoke about the “The History and Meaning of Holodomor,” reminding all why we were there. This was followed by a moment of silence.
Rep. Paul Tonko (right) and Dr. Andrij Baran, with schoolchilden (from left) Zenia Karpishka, Roman Karpishka, Sofia Lozynska and Marina Serdyuk.
U.S. Congressman Paul Tonko then graciously added his sentiments regarding this tragedy and pledged to do his best to help keep the memory of the genocide alive.
Poems were then recited by the children of the Capital District School of Ukrainian Studies, among them Marina Serdyuk, Sofia Lozynska, Larissa Lee, Natalka Petroff and Bohdan Oliynyk. John Seneta contributed with a haunting rendition of “Allelluia” in Ukrainian.
A panakhyda memorial service then followed, with pastors of all four Ukrainian Churches of the Capital District participating: the Very Rev. Volodymyr Marusceac of Ss. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Cohoes, the Rev. Mikhail Myshchuk of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Watervliet, Father Vasyl Dovgan of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Troy and Father Marian Kostyk of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Amsterdam. They were assisted by Deacon Thomas Gutch and accompanied by the Watervliet Church Choir.
The program ended with the singing of the Ukrainian national anthem by all, led by the children of the Ukrainian school and directed by Ms. Petryk.