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‘Holodomor: Voices of Survivors’ documentary teaches Regina high school students about genocide

Saskatchewan's Holodomor statue in Wascana Park. File / Global News

“Holodomor: Voices of Survivors” is a documentary produced and directed by Ariadna Ochrymovych, a Toronto-based filmmaker, that exposes Soviet Union propaganda secrets.

The short documentary, although only 30 minutes, took four years to make.

“It’s about the Ukraine famine genocide known as the Holodomor, which means death by forcible starvation,” Ochrymovych said.

“This happened [between] 1932 and 1933 in the Ukraine, engineered by dictator Joseph Stalin,” she said.

Ochrymovych said the film is an important piece of world history, one that is relatively unknown and not studied in schools.

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“The history of the Soviet Union is not understood by the Western world, North America is very blind,” Ochrymovych explained.

The film is now making its rounds at high schools in Saskatchewan. The author hopes to educate students on the Holodomor genocide and the effect it may have on the world today.

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“We have to also understand what’s happening in Ukraine today, it’s very important that the actions of Putin are understood,” Ochrymovych said.

“He intends to annex Eastern Ukraine and then move further into the West. He would like Ukraine again to become part of the Soviet Union,” she added.

The Catholic School Division in Saskatchewan is now reviewing their social studies curriculum. They plan to include the Holodomor genocide in the future.

“We really need to share the message and ensure that the right information about these historical truths.

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