LOS ANGELES – On a warm and sunny Sunday afternoon, November 11, the Ukrainian American community of Greater Los Angeles came together at the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide Memorial located in Grand Park, downtown Los Angeles, to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the Holodomor orchestrated by Joseph Stalin. The genocide of 1932-1933, which caused the painful death by forced starvation of up to 10 million men, women and children, was one of the most horrific crimes of the 20th century.
Elizabeth Zaharkiv
Keynote speaker Michael Sawkiw Jr.
The master of ceremonies, Luba Poniatyszyn Keske, welcomed the community and asked everyone to stand for the presentation of colors by Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization, followed by the singing of the American and Ukrainian national anthems by Asya Gorska. After flowers were placed at the memorial by Plast members, Elizabeth and George Yemetz read the names of the Holodomor survivors and victims who had resided in the Los Angeles area. Two survivors, Lesia Melnyk and Mykola Kucherenko, were present at the solemn commemoration.
Candles were lit by the audience as the ecumenical “litiya” prayer service for the Holodomor victims commenced in front of the memorial. Concelebrating were the Rev. Ihor Koshyk, pastor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church; the Rev. Vasyl Sauciur, pastor of St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Orthodox Church; the Rev. Vasyl Shtelen, pastor of St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Church; and the Rev. Yurij Shakh of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. Combined choirs from the three parishes sang the responses.
Michele Budilo
Two Holodomor survivors at the commemoration: Mykola Kucherenko (center) and Lesia Melnyk (right) with Mrs. Melnyk’s daughter.
The first keynote speaker was Michael Sawkiw Jr., chairman of the U.S. Committee for Ukrainian Holodomor-Genocide Awareness and vice-president of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America. Under Mr. Sawkiw’s leadership, the national Holodomor Committee has worked tirelessly to bring official recognition of the Holodomor by the U.S. Congress and nearly half of America’s state legislatures. Mr. Sawkiw presented an overview of the Holodomor and in particular he spoke about Raphael Lemkin, a lawyer of Polish-Jewish descent who coined the word “genocide” in 1944 and is considered the “father of the Genocide Convention.”
The second speaker was Dr. Borys Buniak, chief of gastroenterology at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse, N.Y., and past president of the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America. He is the writer and director of the UMANA project “When We Starve” for the U.S. Committee for Ukrainian Holodomor-Genocide Awareness. Dr. Buniak delivered a substantive and vivid picture of the slow and painful dehumanizing effects of the Holodomor on its victims.
Michele Budilo
Paul Budilo, president of Holodomor Committee of Southern California, addresses the Ukrainian American community at commemoration.
George Wyhinny, Ukrainian American actor and producer, gave a stirring and emotional reading in English and Ukrainian of the poem “A Memorial for Those Who Died of Hunger,” written by Dmytro Pavlychko. His presentation touched the depth of everyone’s soul, leaving few dry eyes.
As the commemoration was coming to an end, Paul Budilo, president of the Holodomor Committee of Southern California, thanked the Ukrainian American community for its support, and all participants, the Holodomor Committee and the Ukrainian Culture Center for organizing this event to remember and honor the victims of the 1932-1933 Famine-Genocide.
Oleg Kharchenko
Plast Ukrainian Scouts at the Holodomor commemoration.