November 2008 Holodomor Awareness Week in Winnipeg

By Roman Yereniuk

The Official Opening of Holodomor Awareness Week was attended by 1000 people and held at Manitoba Legislative Building on Sunday Nov 16, 2008. This past year marked the 75^th Anniversary of the Great Famine Genocide in Ukraine 1932-33. The MC for the event was a member of the Manitoba Legislature, Mr. Len Derkach. His Grace, Metropolitan Lawrence Huculak of the Ukrainian Catholic Church of Canada and Rev. Fr. Gene Maximiuik of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada lead the participants in special Holodomor prayers. The O. Koshetz Choir, First Mennonite Church Choir, Hoosli Male Choir, and students from the Ukrainian Bilingual Program performed several songs each, appropriate for the commemoration of the Holodomor.

Greetings on this occasion were extended by the Hon. Roseanne Wowchuk, Deputy Premier, who read the Proclamation signed by Manitoba Premier Gary Doer. She was followed by Hugh McFadyen, Leader of the Conservative Opposition; Dr. Jon Gerrard, Leader of the Liberal Party, the Hon. Vic Toews, President of the Treasury Board and Manitoba MP, the Hon. James Bezan, MP for Selkirk – Interlake; and Councillor Gord Steeves; Acting Deputy Mayor of the City of Winnipeg.  Leo Ledohowski, CEO and President of Canad Inns, who sponsored the video taping of famine accounts by survivors now living in Winnipeg and a major fund raiser for the event, also brought greetings to the crowd.

Some 25 survivors (most were present for the commemoration) attended the event and were presented certificates and gifts by the Hon. Dave Chomiak, Hugh McFadyen, Dr. Gerrad and Lesia Szwaluk. The Hon. Eric Robinson, Minister of Culture for the Province of Manitoba was presented a Holodomor painting by local artist Orysia Senitowich Gorski. The Province agreed to have the painting hung in a prominent location in the Legislative Building. A major world class Memorial Exhibit, commemorating the Holodomor 1932-33, was on display in the Rotunda of the Manitoba Legislative Building at the time of the Official Opening as well as for the entire week of the commemorative events.

A two-day public viewing of Holodomor films  was held at the Theatre of Maples Collegiate in Winnipeg. Films shown included Harvest of Despair: The 1932-33 Famine in Ukraine (by Slavko Novytski and Yuri Luhovy of Toronto); Holodomor: Ukraine’s Genocide of 1932-33 by Marta Tomkiw and Bobby Leigh of Los Angeles; Famine - 33 by Oles Yanchuk of Ukraine and Holodomor – Let Their Memory Be Eternal by Leo Ledohowski, President and Chair, Canad Inns, Winnipeg

On Friday, November 21, a Hunger Fast began at 8:00 pm and lasted until 2:00 pm Saturday, November 22, for youth ages 14 years and older at the University of Winnipeg. Guest speakers at the evening event were Antin Stowell - UCCLA Foundation Holodomor essay competition winner, Dr. Lubomyr Luciuk from the Royal Military College, representatives of Ukrainian churches, Fr. Dr. Borys Gudziak, Rector and visitor from the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, and Mrs. Krushliak, a Holodomor survivor.  Approximately 50 students participated in the 18-hour fast.

On Saturday, November 22, 2008 at 2 pm. the closing events of the Holodomor Awareness Week and famine commemoration were held at the Winnipeg City Hall Holodomor Monument.  Metropolitan Lawrence of the Ukrainian Catholic Church and Metropolitan John of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada and some 11 priests officiated at the Memorial Panakhyda Service.  After the service, some 500 attendees went inside City Hall for the continuation of the commemoration.  City Councillor Harry Lazarenko brought greetings on behalf of Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz.  Keynote speakers were Dr. Lubomyr Luciuk and Rev. Dr. Boris Gudziak.  Students from two Winnipeg Ridni Shkoly (Ukrainian heritage program schools) recited poems dealing with the theme of the Holodomor.

The week of commemorative events marking the 75^th Anniversary of the Holodomor and its victims came to a conclusion.  The Ukrainian Canadian Congress and the Winnipeg community received great media coverage on television and print media, including  front page and editorial stories in The Winnipeg Free Press.  The organizing committee noticed many new faces in the crowds attending the commemoration. Many people living outside Winnipeg also made the journey. All in all, the UCC commemoration in Winnipeg was a fitting tribute to the millions who died in 1932-33 in Ukraine. Special thanks is extended to all the volunteers who contributed to the 2008 Ukrainian Famine Commemoration Week and made it a success.

Dr. Roman Yereniuk is Acting Director of the Centre for Ukrainian Studies, St. Andrew’s College, University of Manitoba.