Copyright © 2024 Euromaidanpress.com

The work of Euromaidan Press is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation

When referencing our materials, please include an active hyperlink to the Euromaidan Press material and a maximum 500-character extract of the story. To reprint anything longer, written permission must be acquired from [email protected].

Privacy and Cookie Policies.

Romania, Moldova, Ireland recognize Stalin’s Holodomor famine as genocide of Ukrainians

A statue of a small girl holding wheat spikelets stands near the Holodomor Museum in Kyiv. Photo: holodomormuseum.org.ua
Romania, Moldova, Ireland recognize Stalin’s Holodomor famine as genocide of Ukrainians

The parliaments of Romania, Moldova, and Ireland have recognized Holodomor, Stalin’s man-made famine of 1932-1933 that killed roughly four million Ukrainians, as genocide.

On 22 November, the Seanad Eireann of Ireland recognized the Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian people. “We show our solidarity with Ukraine in commemorating this man-made famine which was inflicted on the Ukrainian people by the deliberate policies of the totalitarian Stalinist regime which resulted in millions of innocent lives being lost,” the declaration said, according to Ukraine’s embassy to Ireland.

On 23 November, lawmakers of both chambers of the Romanian parliament voted for a common declaration condemning the deliberate Holodomor famine with 248 votes in favor (one deputy abstained). It recognizes the Holodomor as a “genocidal, systematic actions, direct, cynical, criminal actions of the Soviet Union and its leaders to physically destroy the Ukrainian nation,” Agerpres reports.

The following day, Moldova’s parliament adopted a declaration recognizing Holodomor as a genocide of the Ukrainian nation with 54 votes in favor and the opposition being absent in the voting hall.

“The Great Famine (Holodomor) in Ukraine was a consequence of planned measures with the deliberate intent to physically exterminate opponents of the communist regime and became the key instrument of the policy of mass collectivization and enslavement of those times. As a result, some 22.4 million people were forcibly isolated in a zone of mass starvation,” reads the text of the declaration, NewsMaker reports.

Moldova, Romania, and Ireland join 19 other countries that have recognized the Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian nation:

See which countries recognize Ukraine’s Holodomor famine as genocide on an interactive map

On November 24, Ukraine marks Holodomor remembrance day, commemorating the millions of Ukrainian peasants who died in result of an artificial famine during Stalin’s repressions 85 years ago, in 1932-1933.

The Holodomor was one of Stalin’s intentional policies regarding the Ukrainian population, an act of coercion and intimidation, an answer to the disobedience and resistance of Ukrainians against the coerced collectivization with which the totalitarian empire of the Soviet Union was to be built.

According to the research results of the Ptukha Institute of demography and social studies, 3 million 530 thousand people died from Holodomor in 1933. In 1932, 250 thousand died from starvation, and in 1934 – about 160 thousand. Overall, in three years – 3.9 million died, and 0.6 million more of the unborn, or, as they are also referred to, “indirect losses.” I.e., overall 4.5 million Ukrainians were lost due to the Holodomor of 1932-1933.

Find out about the Holodomor at a glimpse: Holodomor: Stalin’s genocidal famine of 1932-1933 | Infographic

Throughout decades, the topic of the Holodomor was tabooed. In Soviet times, the communist crime was hushed up. Only on 28 November 2006, Ukraine’s parliament recognized the Holodomor as genocide. Many other governments did the same.

Genocide refers to intentional actions aimed at the total or partial destruction of particular groups of the population or entire nations based on national, ethnic, racial, religious or religious motives. Examples of genocides include the Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide in Türkiye (1915-1923), the genocide in Rwanda (1994), the genocide in Srebrenica (1995).

One of the coauthors of the legal definition of genocide, Rafael Lemkin, considered Holodomor a classical example of a Soviet genocide, the longest and widest attempt to Russify and destroy the Ukrainian nation.

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.  We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!

To suggest a correction or clarification, write to us here

You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter

Please leave your suggestions or corrections here



    Euromaidan Press

    We are an independent media outlet that relies solely on advertising revenue to sustain itself. We do not endorse or promote any products or services for financial gain. Therefore, we kindly ask for your support by disabling your ad blocker. Your assistance helps us continue providing quality content. Thank you!

    Related Posts