Memorial to the Victims of Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932-33

"On October 7, 2018, Hungary participated in the international memorial campaign “Let’s Light a Candle of Memory!” to commemorate the victims of the Holodomor, the 1932-33 man-made famine that devastated Ukraine. The events were organized by the Embassy of Ukraine in Hungary, the Society of Ukrainian Culture of Hungary, and various Ukrainian centers. The commemorations began at 12:00 in the St. Michael Church in Budapest, where the Ukrainian Greek Catholic community gathers. Before the liturgy, candles were lit by Ambassador Liubov Nepop, the First Deputy Head of the World Congress of Ukrainians, and the Head of the Ukrainian Culture Society of Hungary, Yaroslava Khortiani, along with Father Damian Gaborius, priest of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Hungary. These candles, lit during each Sunday service, symbolized the memory of those who perished during the Holodomor. Ambassador Nepop addressed the congregation, highlighting Hungary's role in recognizing the Holodomor as genocide in 2003 and expressing gratitude to the Hungarian people for their support in Ukraine's ongoing struggle against Russian aggression. The liturgy, accompanied by the choir "Novus," concluded with the song "Eternal Memory," honoring the victims. Following the service, participants marched through Budapest, carrying signs in both Ukrainian and Hungarian, including “Ukraine remembers – the world recognizes” and “Genocide of the Ukrainian people of 1932-33,” to the Holodomor memorial in the city. There, the memorial ceremony continued with a reading of a poem about the Holodomor by Oksana Gabor. Names of 85 children who died due to the famine were read aloud, with each participant placing a spikelet near the monument in memory of the victims. The ceremony continued with a memorial service, during which the Ukrainian choir “Novus” performed traditional church songs. Ambassador Nepop and Khortiani delivered speeches, expressing their heartfelt remembrances of the victims. A wreath made of wheat spikes, laid by children from the Ukrainian community, was followed by a symbolic lighting of candles and a moment of silence. The events culminated in the singing of the Ukrainian national anthem, marking the end of a moving commemoration that brought together members of the Hungarian public, the Ukrainian community in Hungary, and Ukrainian embassy staff."