Patriarch Filaret, an eyewitness of the Holodomor, names causes of 1932-1933 genocide of Ukrainians
The meeting was attended by the first President of Ukraine, Leonid Kravchuk, Members of Parliament of Ukraine, members of the Cabinet of Ministers, heads of Churches and religious associations of Ukraine, representatives of other national governments and parliaments, representatives of the diplomatic corps and public organizations.
A thematic video about the Holodomor was screened. A Minute of Silence was announced.
Patriarch Filaret of Kyiv and All Russia-Ukraine, as one of the last witnesses of the 1932-33 Holodomor, spoke before the audience. He was four years old and he remembered well what was happening at that terrible time in Ukraine.
The head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyiv Patriarchate named two causes of the Holodomor in Ukraine aimed at the destruction of the Ukrainian people:
“The first is that, at that time, the population census showed 85 million Ukrainians and 65 million Russians. Therefore, the godless Soviet leadership decided to eliminate the Ukrainians so they did not dominate over the Russians. As a result of the Holodomor, the census of 1939 has already shown that the number of Ukrainians was only 65 million, and that of the Russians increased.
Second: Bukharin's quote had had its effect: “Who owns bread, he has power.” And the Ukrainian peasants owned bread. The process of passing to the hands of Soviet power was launched, while the Ukrainian peasants refused to go to the collective farms.”
Patriarch Filaret extended his gratitude to the world countries for recognizing the Holodomor in Ukraine as a genocide.
“Recognition of the Holodomor as genocide is what consolidates our state today. The Ukrainian people are strengthening. We were being killed, but we are alive and not only alive, but also we are firmly established. Our young boys in the east of Ukraine are protecting our state, giving their bodies and souls for our freedom. This is true, because we do not want and we won’t live in slavery.”
