Victims of Holodomor, famine in Moldova commemorated in Chisinau

The victims of the Holodomor in Ukraine and the famine in Moldova during the Soviet period have been commemorated at an event held at the Ukrainian House in Chisinau. The ceremony brought together representatives of the Ukrainian and Moldovan communities, members of Moldova’s government, diplomats from Ukraine, Romania, the USA, Poland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Denmark and international partners.

President of the National Congress of Ukrainians of Moldova, Dmitri Lekartsev, emphasized that the truth about the Holodomor had been passed down from generation to generation, despite fear and prohibitions. He also drew a parallel with current events:

"Today, the enemy tries to take away light and warmth by destroying Ukraine's energy system. Only the courage of Ukraine's Defense Forces prevents this darkness from spreading. In Moldova, we feel this through economic and political pressures, just because we chose freedom, democracy and peace," Lekartsev said.

The participants lit candles and took symbolic apples in memory of those who did not survive. The apple, a dream of children during the famine times, has become a symbol of remembrance and lost lives.

Director of the Agency for Interethnic Relations Veaceslav Reabcinschi highlighted that the repressive methods used in the Holodomor had been also applied in Moldova, noting that the tragedy had affected his family too.

"I was born in Chernivtsi and I remember my parents' stories about those times. My father was left with a scar for life after hitting a stone while trying to find a piece of beetroot. My mother never ate red beet again, the only food from that time. These memories must be passed on to future generations, so that such tragedies do not repeat."

Ukrainian Ambassador to Moldova Paun Rohovei thanked the 32 states that had recognized the Holodomor as genocide, including the parliament of Moldova, which adopted this decision unanimously.

"Just as people survived and rose from the ashes, Ukraine will never kneel and will achieve the long-awaited peace, especially a just peace."

According to historical estimates, the Holodomor (1932-1933) claimed between 4 and 7 million lives in Ukraine, while the famine in the Moldavian SSR (1946-1947) took over 123,000 lives, with another approximately 400,000 being severely affected by malnutrition and dying in the subsequent years. Behind these enormous numbers, there are women, men and children, people who wanted to live, create, and raise their families, but whose destinies were cut short.