Thousands of Ukrainians abroad commemorate Holodomor victims, call to stop Russia

Thousands of Ukrainians abroad gathered in central squares of cities worldwide to honor the memory of millions of innocent victims of the Holodomor and to remind the world of the atrocities russia is currently committing in Ukraine.

This year’s campaign aimed to commemorate the victims of the Holodomor— the genocide of the Ukrainian people in 1932–1933— as well as the victims of the ongoing genocide being perpetrated by russia against Ukraine. It also sought to call on all civilized nations to recognize the Holodomor and russia's ongoing war against Ukraine as genocide against the Ukrainian people and to recognize russia as a terrorist state.

Batumi, Georgia

“In 1932–1933, the Soviet regime orchestrated an artificial famine that claimed millions of Ukrainian lives. The world remained silent then. Nearly a century later, russia has once again invaded independent Ukraine, seeking to repeat the crime of genocide — to destroy the Ukrainian people and their identity,” says Dmytro Vasylenko, head of the “Communities Army of Ukraine” NGO. “When choosing between good and evil, between the victim and the perpetrator, neutrality is not an option. Ukraine must receive robust financial and military aid without delays or restrictions to defend itself effectively. Meanwhile, russia must finally be stripped of all resources that enable its genocidal war against Ukrainians.”

Stockholm, Sweden

Co-founder of the “Communities Army of Ukraine” NGO, famous Ukrainian artist Andriy Yermolenko, recalls how the artificial famine killed half of his family in the Sumy and Chernihiv regions. “The civilized world remained silent then, but it has no right to do so again; otherwise, can it still call itself civilized? Genocide must not only be recognized today, it must be stopped!” states Mr. Yermolenko.

West Palm Beach, the U.S

It is worth noting that the “Communities Army of Ukraine”, together with leaders of Ukrainian communities abroad, regularly organizes international campaigns across dozens of countries on various continents. These efforts aim to continually remind the world of Ukraine’s struggle for its independence and freedom, as well as the critical importance of its support by the free world.

Budapest, Hungary

Paris, France