Dear Editor:
In response to the recent vandalism of the Holodomor memorial in Kyiv, Nicholas Kocherha, president of the Ukrainian Genocide Famine Foundation – USA Inc., sent a letter to the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in which he stated that “the foundation …considers the act to be an insult which is unacceptable in a democratic state. The sculpture stands as a reminder to the Ukrainian people, and the whole world of our history, and the price of freedom that cost the lives of tens of millions of Ukrainians… for over a century the Ukrainian diaspora has been doing everything possible to establish worldwide recognition of Ukraine; and with the joint efforts of Ukrainians across the globe, many countries now acknowledge the Genocide of Ukrainians in 1932-1933, during which over 10 million Ukrainians were exterminated… the bronze sculpture must be restored and installed in its dedicated place.”
Mr. Kocherha urged President Zelenskyy “…to take personal control of the investigation into the act of vandalism, apprehend and prosecute the criminals, in accordance with the laws of Ukraine” and “to ensure adequate state protection of the memorial.” He noted: “This should never occur in our homeland and enemies should not be allowed to destroy our historical memory.”
The UGFF-USA, Inc. is grateful to the organizations that expressed strong condemnation of the memorial’s desecration and to President Zelenskyy for his condemnation of such acts against the memory of the millions of victims and his directive to law enforcement to investigate.
Marie Slobidsky
Chicago
The letter writer executive secretary of the Ukrainian Genocide Famine Foundation – USA, Inc.