Holodomor victims honoured in Kyiv

Ukraine’s military and political leaders, religious leaders, and European leaders have taken part in a series of events commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor, a man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine that lasted from 1932 to 1933 and claimed the lives of millions of Ukrainians. It is considered a genocide of the Ukrainian people.

Source: Hromadske; Office of the President of Ukraine; Orthodox Church of Ukraine  

Details: An interfaith service of remembrance was held at the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (the Cave Monastery) on the morning of Saturday, 25 November, with religious leaders of different faiths praying side by side. Each of them said their own prayer for the innocent victims of famine in Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Olena Zelenska joined in the prayers, as did military leaders and government officials, including Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) Ruslan Stefanchuk, Head of the President’s Office Andrii Yermak, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi, and Defence Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov.

After the service, the attendees proceeded to the National Museum of the Holodomor Genocide. As a bell tolled, the President and the First Lady placed lamps at the Bitter Memory of Childhood monument. They were followed by the military and political leaders, representatives of foreign governments and foreign diplomats, and church and religious leaders.

The event was also attended by Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, President of the Swiss Confederation Alain Berset, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, heads and members of foreign parliaments, and representatives of the diplomatic corps.

Metropolitan Epiphanius of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine held a separate requiem service near the Holodomor memorial plaque next to St Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral.

The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Archbishop Sviatoslav, led a memorial service at the National Museum of the Holodomor Genocide.

A nationwide Light a Candle campaign took place at 16:00, with people placing lighted candles on their windowsills in accordance with a Holodomor Remembrance Day custom.

Many Ukrainians have brought votive lamps and flowers to the Bitter Memory of Childhood monument in Kyiv today.

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