The solemn events on the occasion of the 85th anniversary of the Holodomor of 1932-33 in Ukraine were held in the capital of Australia, Canberra.

"In 1932-33, in order to suppress the Ukrainian independent movement, Stalin condemned the people to starvation in a country that was then called the breadbasket of Europe. For many years, Soviet propaganda has tried to erase this tragedy of the Ukrainian people from world history... That is why for many people the Holodomor was a hidden genocide of the 20th century ", said Ambassador of Ukraine to Australia Mykola Kulinich in his speech.

Memorial festivities in the Australian capital were traditionally held at the memorable sign of the victims of the Holodomor, built on the project of Yuri Mentsinsky and located on the territory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Center.

The priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox and Greek Catholic churches ran a memorial service for the victims, the children of the Ukrainian Sunday school laid flowers to the monument, the Ukrainian diplomatic mission presented a thematic exhibition with testimonies of eyewitnesses of those terrible events, as well as international researchers of the tragedy.

 

At the invitation of the Ukrainian embassy, the embassies of Estonia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Belarus and Georgia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia, members of the Ukrainian community and ordinary Australians took part in the ceremonial service and veche.  

 

In all, throughout Australia, memorial events took place in each state and all Ukrainian churches of the Green Continent. The most extensive requiem evenings were held in Sydney and Melbourne, with the participation of the Ukrainian Youth Association and the Ukrainian musical groups of Australia.