A Public Talk On “Cultural Diplomacy and the Holodomor”
On December 10, 2024, the Holodomor Museum will host a public talk on “Cultural Diplomacy and the Holodomor” to mark the 76th anniversary of the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and International Human Rights Day.
Speakers of the event:
Lesia Hasydzhak, Director General of the National Museum of the Holodomor-Genocide, Ph.D.
Mykhailo Kostiv, Head of the Genocide, Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes Research Department, Ph.D.
Lisa Heike, Head of Cultural Section of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Ukraine
Tetiana Filevska, Creative Director of the Ukrainian Institute
Since the 1930s, the Ukrainian diaspora in various countries worldwide has tried to show the horrendous situation of Ukrainians within the USSR through the Holodomor history. After its collapse, when many foreigners did not yet perceive Ukraine and Russia as separate states, the Holodomor topic became one of those historical events that allowed foreigners to show the enormous losses suffered by Ukrainians while within the USSR. The process of recognising the Holodomor as an act of genocide aimed to restore historical justice and condemn the perpetrators.
As part of the event, the multilingual publication “Holodomor: Main Facts” will be presented to the public.
Today, during the full-scale invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine, the issue of deeper study of Ukrainian history and the Holodomor in particular has become relevant for foreigners. The Holodomor has become one of the key topics for understanding the nature of current Russian aggression against Ukraine and, accordingly, a crucial topic of Ukrainian cultural diplomacy. Parliaments of various countries adopted resolutions, statements, and declarations during 2022–2024, recognising the Holodomor as an act of genocide and honouring the memory of its victims. Despite all this, most foreigners still have limited awareness of the history of the Holodomor. That is why the researchers of the Museum prepared a publication that briefly presents the most important historical facts about the Soviet occupation of Ukraine and the mechanism the Russians used to commit the crime of genocide against the Ukrainian people. The brochure materials aim to help citizens of other countries rethink their previous stereotypical views on social and political processes, historical events, and phenomena. It also provides a deeper understanding of the reasons behind Russia’s current large-scale aggression against Ukraine. In addition, the publication will also be interesting to the Ukrainian reader as a concise and meaningful essay on the history of the greatest crime in our country’s history.
The popular science publication has been translated into English, German, and French. The translations into other languages are being prepared.
Date: Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at 12:00
Venue: Hall of Memory of the Holodomor Museum (Kyiv, 3 Lavrska Str).
Admission is free with prior registration. You can register here.