Saskatchewan Commemorates Holodomor

Released on November 22, 2022

During a special service at the Legislative Building today, MLA Terry Dennis, Legislative Secretary responsible for Saskatchewan-Ukraine Relations, joined with members of the province's Ukrainian community to commemorate the millions who died during the 1932-33 famine in Ukraine.

"The incomprehensible tragedy of the Holodomor, the Great Famine, took place 90 years ago, but it must not and will not be forgotten," Dennis said. "We remember and we join with our fellow citizens of Ukrainian heritage in Saskatchewan to ensure those who suffered and those who perished in those terrible years will be forever in our memory."

The service was held in solidarity with Holodomor Memorial Week, and a memorial candle was lit and will remain lit throughout the week to represent unity with those around the world marking the Holodomor genocide.

Holodomor means "extermination by hunger" in the Ukrainian language. In 1932 and 1933, the Soviet Union's management of agricultural crop production in Ukraine led to a man-made famine, resulting in the deaths of millions of people through starvation and deprivation. Crops were confiscated and regulations were imposed preventing people from leaving their communities in search of food.

In 2015, an exact reproduction of a statue entitled "Bitter Memories of Childhood" by sculptor Preto Drozdowsky was officially dedicated on the grounds of Wascana Centre. Located southeast of the Legislative Building on Lakeshore Drive, it serves as a permanent reminder of the tragedy. 

The Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan was the first jurisdiction in North America to recognize this genocide with the passing of The Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (Holodomor) Memorial Day Act in 2008.

International Holodomor Day is recognized on the fourth Saturday of November and this year falls on November 26, 2022.

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