Holodomor in Ukraine

In this paper I will be discussing with you the Holodomor and what it was like to live during this time in the Ukraine. I will also be sharing with you some examples from three people that lived through this horrible experience. As well as how Ukrainians pay respect to the

lives of those lost during that time.

Eighty years ago during the winter of 1932 through the spring of 1933 the people of Ukraine went through what is known today as the Holodomor. This was a man-made famine that was brought on by Joseph Stalin, whom was part of the communist party.

Over this period more than three million people were killed due to starvation this was because Joseph Stalin set extremely high standards that the people of Ukraine could not meet. As a result of not meeting the quota that was expected of the people, the authorities would then step in and the people would be charged, then they would take everything that the family had as well as the seeds that were set aside for planting in the fields. As a result of this happening the people could not provide the required standards

and then there would be a levy placed on the people and this resulted in the loss of meat and potatoes.

In the article titled Holodomor: Memories of Ukraine’s silent massacre dated November 23, 2013 a women by the name of Nina Karpenko who at the time was 87 years old tells us what it was like to live during this time. She begins by showing the reporter what she and her family ate which was a combination of cheap cornmeal, wheat chaff, dried nettle leave as well as weeds, salt and water. Nina would knead all of this together to make a dull green mass to make a patty and would then place wax shavings in a pan so that the patty would not stick and after this was done she would then have what she called bread. Nina also spoke about how her father had passed away early on and how his legs swelled and he expired as he was trying to consume a small amount of food which is a common occurrence when close to starvation. She also talked about the time her mother walked to the next town to try to obtain something for her family to eat and in doing so Nina’s mother exchanged her earring and a gold cross she wore for about 2 kg of flour then she would make what was known as weed loaf that looks and tastes like grass and this as well as a soup that her mother had made out of horsehide that was cut into pieces and then boiled and this is how the family survived.She also goes on to say that others in the village of Matskivtsi which is located in the central Ukraine were not as fortunate.

The article titled Ukraine’s Genocide by Famine written by Alec Torres dated November 9, 2013 starts out talking about a young girl by the name of Eugenial Sakevych, but is now known as Eugenial Dallas who remembers going to a field to gather half-frozen potatoes and vegetables to make a soup and at this time the Soviet Union was teaching the people to report on each other as well as spy on the other village members. Eugenial and her mother came back with some half-frozen vegetables and reported this and the next thing her mother was arrested and never seen again. Eugenial then goes on to say that she was born around 1925, but did not know just how old she was. She remembered her father being taken to Siberia and was deemed a criminal, because of the few acres of land that he owned. The article