The term “Holodomor” is derived from the Ukrainian words “голод” (holod) meaning “hunger” and “мор” (mor) meaning “plague” or “extermination.” It refers to the man-made famine that took place in the Soviet Ukraine from 1932 to 1933.
Cause
The famine was a direct result of the policies of Joseph Stalin’s Soviet regime. The forced collectivization drive led to a catastrophic drop in agricultural production.
Death Toll
It is estimated that between 3.5 and 7 million Ukrainians died as a result of starvation. Some estimates even go higher.
Resisting Collectivization
Many Ukrainian peasants resisted Soviet collectivization policies, leading to the state branding them as “enemies of the people.”
Food Confiscations
The Soviet government confiscated grain and other foodstuffs to export and meet its own internal quotas, even as Ukrainians starved.
Information Suppression
The Soviet government, under Stalin, denied the existence of the famine both domestically and internationally. Foreign journalists were restricted from traveling to the affected regions, and those who reported on it faced repercussions.
Recognition
For decades, the Holodomor was not widely recognized due to Soviet denial and lack of awareness outside of Ukraine. It was only in the late 20th and early 21st centuries that it began to be internationally acknowledged as a genocide.
Modern Views
Today, the Holodomor is recognized by Ukraine and many other countries as a genocide against the Ukrainian people. However, Russia and some other states do not officially label it as “genocide.”
Remembrance in Ukraine
Ukraine observes a Holodomor Remembrance Day on the fourth Saturday of November every year.
Evidence
Although the Soviet state suppressed information, evidence of the Holodomor comes from survivor testimonies, photographs, documents, and the work of journalists who covertly reported on it.
Impact on Ukraine and its relations with Russia
The trauma of the Holodomor has had a profound and lasting impact on Ukrainian national consciousness and its relations with Russia.
The Holodomor remains a deeply sensitive and controversial topic. For many Ukrainians, it symbolizes the worst of Soviet oppression and the resilience of the Ukrainian people in the face of such adversity.
Questions about the Holodomor, aka the Terror-Famine? Here we present the origin story and give you facts on the history of the Holodomor, an event that killed over 3 million...
