Members of the Ukrainian community gathered in Regina to mark the Holodomor and commemorate those who died during the 1932-33 famine in Ukraine.
The Holodomor is recognized globally and in solidarity, a special service was held at the Legislative Building in Regina on Tuesday, where members of Saskatchewan’s Ukrainian community gathered to remember a terrible time in their past.
An outreach program manager for the Ukrainian Canadian Congress of Saskatchewan said he and his wife have been living in Canada for over seven years and have encountered a few bumps in the road.
“Our life in Canada was quite dynamic and interesting,” Mykola Zakharchuk said. “We all went through a number of issues that we dealt at first, like finding a place to live, finding our first jobs, getting enrolled with the university, and then looking for jobs as well.”
This year marks 15 years since the province recognized Holodomor Memorial Week. Elena Krueger, the president of Saskatchewan’s Ukrainian Canadian Congress, said the commemoration is important to the Ukrainian community.
“Today is important because we need to continue to support Ukraine,” Krueger said. “Many atrocities that took place in 1932 and 1933, we are seeing echoes again now as the Russian aggressors attack Ukraine and its people.”
With Holodomor Memorial Week, a memorial candle was lit and will remain lit throughout the week to represent unity with those around the world marking the Holodomor genocide.
In a release, Saskatchewan says it was the first jurisdiction in North America to officially recognize it as genocide in 2008.
International Holodomor Day is recognized on the fourth Saturday of November. This year, it falls on Nov. 25.