Help us to deflect it!

It is not only freedom of speech which the attackers of the civic network “Maidan” and Ukrainian human rights sites are trying to undermine, but our call to remembrance of victims of Holodomor.

While we work to ensure protection from such barbaric attacks in future, we invite all those who would like to add their voice to our appeal to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs with regard to Holodomor 1932-1933 in Ukraine to write to the address below.

The Russian Ministry on 14 December issued a statement regarding what it regards as anti-Russian sentiments in Ukraine.  We would invite the honourable members of the Ministry and all our readers to look closely at our letter.  We defy anybody to find any Russophobic elements in an appeal to all people of good will to remember the victims of a terrible crime committed by Stalin’s murderous regime. 

By the day before the attack began, our appeal had been signed by approximately one thousand people from Ukraine, Russia and other countries.  They, like us, believe it to be vital that we remember the victims of an artificially caused famine and give proper assessment and information about Holodomor if we are ever to hope to prevent such crimes in the future.

Our statement says that we are tired of banging our heads against geopolitical walls.  Let those who ordered the attack against us be in no doubt.  We have no intention whatsoever of tolerating a virtual wall. Please help us overcome this virtual barrier by adding your name to our appeal.

Please write to [email protected] and simply ask us to add your name to the appeal.  If you would like to, indicate your profession or similar information.  Since our appeal is aimed at uniting people from all over the world, we would be grateful if you would add where you are writing from (the country, and if possible, the city).

Thank you for your support!

Halya Coynash

Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, “Maidan” Alliance

Raising awareness about Holodomor  –  About our appeal

We are asking people in Ukraine, Russia and all countries of the world to help us raise awareness about Holodomor 1932-1933 in Ukraine.
We keep hitting our heads against a geopolitical wall, and believe it is time to seek a more constructive way forward.  We are therefore writing the following letter – petition to the Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs. .
There is no question of presenting grievances against today’s Russia, nor of settling scores. However we would stress that when speaking of Holodomor the world must not be governed by geopolitical, economic, energy-related, or political considerations.
It is a question of justice, of willingness to try to understand the past and to do all in our power to ensure that such a crime never happens again.
Please help us by adding your voice to ours.

Appeal to the Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs

With the 75th anniversary of Holodomor 1932-1933 in Ukraine approaching, we welcome the adoption by UNESCO of Resolution “Remembrance of the Victims of the Great Famine (Holodomor) in Ukraine” which the Russian Government signed. The Resolution points out that the Famine was the result of the cruel actions and policies of the totalitarian regime. and calls on member states to ensure measures aimed at raising awareness about Holodomor.
As you are aware, Ukraine’s position, supported by 12 other countries, and very many historians, researchers and individuals throughout the world, is that Holodomor 1932-1933 was an act of genocide against the Ukrainian nation.
We do of course mean here the entire Ukrainian nation, all those people living during that terrible time on Ukraine’s territory, not only ethnic Ukrainians.
There would appear to be opposition at official level in Russia. Many other countries are also clearly reluctant to take any stand on Holodomor which they fear will “annoy Russia”.
This denial of the obvious is entirely incomprehensible to us since the crime in question was one perpetrated by a totalitarian regime which both Ukraine and Russia have unequivocally condemned..
We are therefore writing to ask
1) that you ensure access by researchers and representatives of the international community to all archival material, including KGB documents, presently held by the Federal Security Service, which pertains to the late 1920s and 1930s. In Ukraine all archival material pertaining to Holodomor in the possession of the Ukrainian Security Service [SBU] has been declassified. .
2) unless, of course, the archival material provides evidence to the contrary, that the Russian Government declares Holodomor 1932-1933 in Ukraine to have been an act of genocide against the Ukrainian nation perpetrated by the totalitarian regime under the rule of Joseph Stalin.
3) that Russia promotes the dissemination of information about Holodomor 1932-1933 in Ukraine to ensure that the lessons of this tragic page are inculcated in young generations. This will be in keeping with the principles and aims of UNESCO, of which Russia is a member-state.
We are convinced that without acknowledgement of this crime, it will be impossible to create the conditions which guarantee that such crimes will never again be perpetrated.

You can sign our appeal by writing to [email protected]