Wolodymyr Murha, 67, of Livonia Mich., was asked by The Ukrainian Weekly’s Matthew Dubas, to give his reflections on attending the Holodomor Memorial unveiling in Washington on November 7. Following are his comments.
My parents’ memories of life in Ukraina would bring me to tears as they described the good life before communism took full hold in Ukraine. My father’s description of family occasions were influenced by his background of a village life 50 miles from Kyiv.
As Tato (father) told an emotional tale he would tear and I would respond with tears. Many times I asked him to stop a sad story because I did not want to cry anymore and the anger that I felt was tremendous. At times I would swear revenge upon the perpetrators, and Tato would have to calm me down. Seeing the pain that Tato and Mama were experiencing while describing the past generated a need to love and protect them by a 13-year-old. I would listen to life and village stories for years, then the descriptions of the Holodomor began.
Mama lived in Kyiv and Tato in Bila Tserkva while attending school. They saw the starving appear on the streets of the cities begging for food, shelter and help in general. If they would help, punishment from the authorities could be severe. The fear of authority that permeated Ukrainians was tremendous. Mama would not talk about the Holodomor, fearing her emotions and memories would surface. She would sing melodically sad songs to help her cope. Tato would have screaming nightmares.
My mother-in-law’s village recollections were of brutal incursions of operatives storming in and confiscating food while beating villagers. Operatives would stand guard, preventing my mother-in-law in helping her grandparents. They perished.
All of the negative experiences of Soviet Ukraine did not frighten or discourage me from being a Ukrainian in America. I needed to learn, fight, conquer and teach. America afforded me and others the opportunity to feel free and comfortable to nurture a beautiful ancient culture without the fear of retribution. Ukraine grew and prospered in the United States of America. My family needed to pay respect to those who perished in the Holodomor but also to pay respect and love to those who suffered under Soviet Russian-dominated communism. America helped our community in memorializing our tragedy, and I had to be part of that.
Other motivations for attending the Holodomor dedication ceremonies included my commitment to the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus as a performer. It is an honor to be part of such a group of dedicated and talented people having an unwavering regard for their Ukrainian heritage. The chorus brought me to Washington in 1964, not as a performer, but as a student of the bandura. Performing in Ukraine in 1991 and in 1994 gave me cultural and political insight into the citizens. Visiting my father’s village brought me to my knees.
And the experiences of not quite a lifetime brought me to Washington in November of 2015.