A famine in 1930s which killed millions of Ukrainians during Stalin era finally has a true memorial at Kiev. The famine was not due to natural reasons. The villagers were brutally starved and killed by hunger by then communist regime in Soviet Union. The memorial is a stark reminder of Stalin’s dark legacy. No amount of pressure, power could bury this simple harsh truth. All because of one man’s determination to uphold history of the period and not distort in even under pressure.

Till 1980s Soviet Union had banned all the discussions of the famine. But due to mounting international pressure Professor Kulchytsky was asked investigate reasons of the famine and concoct his findings. But he refused to conclude that famine was a natural disaster. His research findings clearly pointed to harsher truth that famine was man-made to wipe away Ukrainian dream of independence from Moscow. It was another silent genocide.

The memorial was inaugurated at Kiev in last November and is becoming one of the important pilgrimage sites. Another memorial is being built at Washington.

Via International Herald Tribune