A New Series About the Holodomor: ‘Grandpa Myroshko’s Scary Tales’

Fresh Production Group, with the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, has begun preparations for the filming of the series “Grandpa Myroshko’s Scary Tales”. This is a spin-off of the film “Crickets Sing in the Rye”, which depicts the tragic events of 1932–1933.

The project aims to create a space for families to reflect together on one of the most tragic chapters in Ukrainian history, according to the film company’s Facebook page. “At a time when Ukrainian society is once again experiencing war, loss and mass trauma, the Holodomor subject takes on particular relevance as a reminder of the systematic extermination of the Ukrainian people and the struggle for the right to memory and truth,” the post reads.

The producer assures us that ‘Grandpa Myroshko’s Scary Tales’ will take a sensitive, artistic approach to a complex subject, using allegorical characters, family conversations and memories. This format allows the series to address a traumatic history without directly depicting violence, thereby ensuring the viewer’s emotional safety and maintaining its focus on a family audience.

The series will consist of three films, each of which is a standalone story, united by a common narrative framework and a core set of values that shape the experience of memory through empathy and humanity.

At the centre of the plot is the story of an ordinary Ukrainian boy whose childhood coincided with the difficult times of the Holodomor.