The Holodomor Memorial Day is a time when we honour and pay tribute to the millions of people who fell victim to one of the most terrible and tragic periods in the history of Ukraine. The Holodomor of 1932-1933, which occurred as a result of political decisions and collectivisation, left a deep mark on the hearts of our ancestors and the history of our country.
Today, standing in front of the monument to the victims of the Holodomor and recalling the names of those who laid down their lives on the altar of their native land, we pay our respects and deeply honour their memory. This is not just a historical event – it is a memory of our roots, of what our people have endured and survived, bearing enormous losses and trials.
Today, Ukraine is defending its territory and democratic values from a country that justifies Stalin, his henchmen and descendants who organised famines, deportations, repressions and genocide. Decades later, darkness returned to Ukraine. And it became black and white again. All countries and all peoples who support Ukraine today understand this.
Now, in the light of these events, we must not only honour the memory of the victims of the Holodomor, but also try to understand how to avoid similar tragedies in the future. Memory is our lesson, our reminder of how important it is to protect freedom, dignity and human rights.
May the Holodomor Remembrance Day be a time of national unity, a time of deep reflection on the past and the identification of ways to overcome the challenges of today. Let us honour the memory of those who withstood the hardships and vow to do everything possible to prevent such suffering from happening again in the lives of our descendants.
We remember. We are fighting. We will not give up.