A Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (Holodomor) Memorial Day Commemoration and candlelight vigil will be held to honour those who died in Stalin-era genocide.

The Victoria branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress will sponsor a commemoration service at Christ Church Cathedral on Nov. 26.

The service will include a candlelight vigil at 4:15 p.m., on the south lawn of the cathedral, honouring over 3.9 million people who died in a man-made famine from 1932-1933.

As an important historical event for the Ukrainian community, the Holodomore Commemoration will include Ukrainian songs, performed by two Victoria-based Ukrainian choirs, as well as speeches.

B次元官网网址淲e must never forget what happened, particularly in light of the war going on in Ukraine today,B次元官网网址� said co-organizer Lesia Kuzyk. B次元官网网址淔or us, this commemoration is an opportunity to not only memorialize the Holodomore but also to acknowledge whatB次元官网网址檚 going on in Ukraine right now. ItB次元官网网址檚 an opportunity to share the story, the history of Ukraine.B次元官网网址�

Holodomore Memorial Day, which was officially recognized by the B.C. government in 2019, occurs annually on the fourth Saturday of November.

B次元官网网址淔or the Ukrainian community at this time in the war, with people newly arrived to Victoria, bringing the Ukrainian community together is, I think, very important for many reasons,B次元官网网址� Kuzyk said. B次元官网网址淥ne is just connection and for people to know we recognize the hardships that they are enduring and that their parents and grandparents endured in Ukraine. Secondly, itB次元官网网址檚 an opportunity for Ukrainians to come together and find fellowship.B次元官网网址�

The word itself means B次元官网网址渄eath by hungerB次元官网网址� in Ukrainian and the famine created and covered up by the Soviet government is considered a

Joseph Stalin used famine as a tool to suppress dissidents, wiping out 13.3 per cent of the Ukrainian population at the time.

Kuzyk said the service will be less of a performance and more of an opportunity to educate people on Ukrainian history and culture.

B次元官网网址淭his program that weB次元官网网址檝e put together is very, very thoughtful,B次元官网网址� Kuzyk said.

Donations for the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, which provides aid to Ukraine, will be accepted at the door.

For those unable to attend in-person, the service can be live-streamed at .

For more information visit: .

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