Holodomor Remembrance Day: The University Honors the Victims

Ukraine Commemorates the Victims of the Holodomor and Artificial Famines

Each year, on the fourth Saturday of November, Ukraine honors the memory of millions of innocent victims of the Holodomor of 1932–1933—genocide orchestrated by the Soviet totalitarian regime—and the victims of mass artificial famines of 1921–1923 and 1946–1947.

The Holodomor stands as one of the most horrific tragedies of the 20th century. Estimates suggest that between 4 and 7 million Ukrainians died during this period. People were deliberately deprived of food, with crops, livestock, and food supplies confiscated. This crime was aimed at destroying the Ukrainian nation, its identity, culture, and aspirations for freedom.

We remember every victim of this tragedy — every child who was denied a future, every family that lost loved ones, every community that disappeared from the map of Ukraine. This is a day when the entire country unites in mourning and prayerful remembrance of our ancestors who perished in this man-made famine.

Commemoration is not only about mourning the past; it is also about understanding that the fight for freedom and justice continues to this day. The candle of remembrance lit in our windows symbolizes our respect, solidarity, and resilience.

The Karazin University community also joined in honoring the memory of the Holodomor victims and those of the artificial famines. Today, students and staff participated in a workshop on crafting remembrance candles and attended a thematic lecture by Mariia Takhtaulova, Head of the Northeastern Interregional Department of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory. They also took part in the national campaign "Light a Candle of Remembrance." May the light of these candles remind us that memory endures and that truth is invincible.

Eternal memory to all those who perished.