Speech at University of Western Australia, May 2012
The Great Famine, or in Ukrainian, Holodomor of 1932-33 is such a horrendous event and turning point in the history of the Ukrainian people that it has no parallel in world history. I do not intend to compare the genocide of the Ukrainian people with similar catastrophes elsewhere. No comparison or competition of the horrors of such a tragedy is possible, as a matter of principle. The historical uniqueness of the Holodomor rests in the fact that the current Ukrainian government expresses official doubts of the Holodomor’s scope, and does not recognize it as genocide. Rather than occupying a place of profound historical and sociological research, which could help frame the Holodomor in proper legal terms, the Great Famine, instead, continues to be the subject of political posturing and is even used as a bargaining chip in international negotiations. Продовження