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Holodomor is Ukrainian and means something like “To kill with hunger”. I’ll tell the story you may have heard of but do not fully understand the scope of. We’ll go back in time to 1932-33. Between 3 and 10 million Ukrainians died of starvation. The reason may be that some claim bad politics on Stalin’s side or as others claim, the proven action.

Causes

Ukraine is said to be Europe’s granary. The farmers in the area grew grain and were very skilled at it. In 1929-30, the peasants were forced into collectives. They had to give up land to the collectives and work there for a fee. Production was reorganized and cotton and sugar peas are produced. This was unknown production for the farmers. The farmers were against collectivization but were forced into these collectives. Those who opposed collectivization were declared enemies of the state and sent to labor camps in Siberia. Many of them died during the transport, even more died under the inhuman conditions in the labor camps.

The administration was poor and this meant that large parts of the crops were never harvested. Large parts of the production were also lost during storage and transport. The food that was produced was distributed throughout the Soviet Union and some was also sold abroad.

From being an area self-sufficient in food and which in addition sold the food to other regions in the Soviet Union, farmers’ production was now greatly reduced. They were reduced as a result of poor administration, restructuring of production and the fact that many farmers were sent to forced labor in Siberia.

The famine in Ukraine was known abroad. Stalin refused humanitarian aid from abroad. No foreigners were allowed to travel to Ukraine. Foreign visits to the Soviet Union were limited to Moscow. The reason for this was that no one should witness what happened.

See Holodomor Museum

The result of Holodomor

There was a shortage of food in large parts of present-day Ukraine and areas in Belarus, southern Russia and Georgia. The people began to starve. Stealing food to survive became a problem. Special laws were introduced in Soviet Ukraine. Theft of food led from 10 years in prison to the death penalty. Ukrainians living in other parts of the Soviet Union were also more exposed to hunger than the general population due to special provisions aimed at the Ukrainian population.

During 1932-33, an estimated 3 to 10 million people died of starvation. Official figures are difficult to calculate and therefore the gap in estimates is large. In a joint UN statement signed by 25 nations in 2003, the death toll was set at between 7 and 10 million.

Holodomor genocide or failed policy?

I take in this blog not to go through all the international researchers and what they mean. You can read it yourself. A total of 17 countries have recognized holodomor as a genocide. These countries are: Australia, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, USA, Vatican City State and Ukraine.

I am of the opinion that this is a proven act against both the peasants and the Ukrainian people. A proven act to destroy the Ukrainian national feeling. In my world, it’s a genocide.

Russia denies genocide

In the Soviet Union, genocide was attempted to remain silent. It was forbidden to talk about it. Russia denies Holodomor genocide, but explains it as a natural disaster.

The problem for Russia is that it has never settled with Stalin. Today, Stalin is becoming more and more “popular” among nostalgic Russians.. A settlement with Stalinism is required. The problem is that the dream of rebuilding the Soviet empire lives on among many Russians, in such a dream Stalin is a central figure.