Holodomor

This past Saturday, November 28 was the National Rememberance Day for Holodmor. Holodomor comes from the Ukrainian words hunger and plague. From 1932-33,  eight million people died of stravation due to the forced famines of the Stalin and the  Soveit Regime. Although food was plentiful during this time, as a result to punish Ukrainian nationlist, Soviet forces decreed that all food belonged to the collective state, and to be in possesion of food would be considered a crime. Troops were sent in to conviscate and punish anyone who witheld food from the governement. There are tales confiscated grains standing several stories high and rotting away. Anyone that tried to get the grain was shot. For seventy years this tragedy remained a Soviet secret. There was almost no documentation on it, people were not allowed to speak of it and the offical statement of the government was that it never happened. But it did happen, and millions of people died under one of the most frightening regimes of  modern history. Only four years ago Ukrainian finally had the political freedom to establish memorials and a national day of rememberance for those that died of starvation. The last Saturday of every month  at four o clock local time, there is a national moment of silence for the victims.  Holodmor is one of the most tragic events in Ukraine's history. And when you listen to the stories of those that survived it is always very sombering. Six years after the famine Ukraine would be invaded by Natzi Germany and suffer another five years of terror, only to be passed back into the hands of Stalin and his cult of the personality. Yet through  it all Ukrianians managed to hold on to their language and culture and the hope that one day they would be their own country again. In 2011 Ukraine will celebrate 20 years of peaceful independance. This past 20 years has given them a lot to be thankful for. One of the greatest things being the religious freedom they enjoy and the spiritual awareness of the people. I'm certain that the Ukrainian people have not been forgotten, God has a great work in store for them.