Three years ago, on November 7, 2015, more than 5,000 people witnessed the dedication of the Holodomor Memorial in Washington, near Union Station. The throngs assembled at Columbus Circle, where a jumbotron projection screen made the event visible to all.
Many of the people arrived by charter buses from Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and beyond, including Canada, to bear witness to a genocide long concealed from the world: the Holodomor that killed millions of Ukrainians in 1932-1933 on the orders of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.
Designed by architect Larysa Kurylas, the memorial called “Field of Wheat” is inscribed: “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.”
The memorial was blessed by Patriarch Filaret of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate, Patriarch Sviatoslav of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church and Metropolitan Antony of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A.
Speeches were delivered by dignitaries seated on a raised platform, including Reps. Marcy Kaptur (D – Ohio), Sandy Levin (D – Mich.), and Sen. Rob Portman (R – Ohio). (Messages were also received by Sen. Marco Rubio (R – Fla.), and Reps. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R – N.J.) and Brendan Boyle (R – Pa.).
Michael Sawkiw, head of the Holodomor Memorial Committee, stated: “…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.”
“…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,” Mr. Sawkiw said.
The unveiling ceremony concluded with the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus performing the “Prayer for Ukraine” (Bozhe Velykyi, Yedynyi).
The events were not limited to the memorial unveiling. A two-week-long exhibit inside the main hall of Union Station, titled “National Holodomor – Genocide by Famine,” informed visitors about the 1932-1933 Famine-Genocide in Ukraine. The exhibit featured 50 large panels and included a collection of books and pamphlets about the Holodomor, as well as Slavko Nowytski’s film “Harvest of Despair.”
The unveiling ceremony was followed by a reception at the Embassy of Ukraine, featuring First Lady of Ukraine Maryna Poroshenko as the prime dignitary. Ms. Poroshenko attended two special Holodomor memorial liturgies at St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Silver Spring, Md., and the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family in Washington.
Patriarch Sviatoslav presented the Order of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytksy to Ms. Kurylas and Mr. Sawkiw.
On Sunday, November 8, “An Artistic Tribute” memorial concert attracted 1,500 people to Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University. The program featured somber and reflective selections, with informative narration during the intermission.
Source: “Over 5,000 witness dedication of Holodomor Memorial in Washington,” by Roma Hadzewycz, The Ukrainian Weekly, November 15, 2015.