2023 marked 90 years since the Holodomor, the genocide of the Ukrainians. The exact number of victims may not be known because the perpetrators deliberately destroyed evidence. While estimates vary, some Soviet, Russian, and Ukrainian historians and demographers suggest a range of 3 to 5 million victims; however, recent research by Ukrainian criminologists and historians indicates that as many as 10 million Ukrainians became victims of the totalitarian regime. It was the most devastating genocide of the twentieth century, perpetrated by Joseph Stalin and his henchmen. The Kremlin covered up the crime and denied it for over half a century. Along with organizing many commemorative events across the United States, the UNWLA, together with the Naftali Foundation, co-sponsored the publication of the book Holodomor, the Genocide of the Ukrainians: A History with Sources, written by Dr. Victoria A. Malko, Department of History, California State University, Fresno. 

The Holodomor was an intentional act of mass extermination of people in Ukraine and ethnically Ukrainian regions of the Soviet Union. It falls under the definition of genocide as stated in Article II of the U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, adopted in 1948. The top leadership of the Communist Party and the GPU (State Political Directorate, better known as the secret police) of the Soviet Union, along with their collaborators, perpetrated this crime at both national and district levels. This genocide specifically targeted Ukrainians as a national group to thwart the crystallization of the nation and prevent Ukraine’s secession from the Soviet Union. The Holodomor represents a classic case of genocide denial, disinformation, and cover-up by the perpetrators, press, and academia. It verges on the destruction of the identity of the Ukrainian nation, creating a national Stockholm syndrome. The genocide, which has never been prosecuted, is being repeated as a result of the 2022 Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. This has far-reaching global security implications. The stories of survivors, told from their perspectives, are crucial for gaining a deeper insight into the totalitarian regime. These stories of courage and struggle for human dignity among Ukrainians will inspire the younger generation, encouraging them to be cognizant of injustice and actively defend human rights.

The UNWLA has been at the forefront of advocacy and educational efforts for recognizing the Holodomor as a genocide of the Ukrainians. We are proud to support and popularize this valuable work. By today, according to the information from the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington, D.C., only 34 States in the USA recognized the Holodomor as a genocide.

You can read and download the book here. 

Use this book as an inspiration and source of valuable data to continue your educational and advocacy efforts. 

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Citation information
Victoria A. Malko. Holodomor, the Genocide of the Ukrainians: A History with Sources. Fresno: The Press at California State University, 2023.
Book URL: https://unwla.org/projects/holodomor-the-genocide-of-the-ukrainians/

© 2023 The Press at California State University, Fresno | Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, sponsor. Book content produced by The Press at California State University, Fresno is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.