Lavro Nechyporenko’s book of memoirs, “The 33rd year” presented

Today, on February 8, Lavro Nechyporenko’s book of memoirs, “The 33rd year,” was presented at the Holodomor Museum. A manuscript with impressive content and an equally impressive history entered our museum collection in the autumn of 2020. And today, we are proud of the fact that we managed to give it a second life – to scientifically process and publish it so that what the author of the memoirs, a teacher from Boiarka Lavro Nechyporenko, wanted to share became available to the general public.

“It is known that the communist government made maximum efforts to destroy the evidence of its crimes, the biggest of which is the Holodomor-genocide,” said Lesia Hasydzhak, Acting Director General of the National Museum of the Holodomor Genocide. – Therefore, every diary, every memory, every epistolary source has an exceptional historical significance. And this manuscript is priceless for us because it is the first such artifact in our museum collection.”

Lesia Hasydzhak recalled that the edition of the book was partially printed with the funds earned by the museum itself thanks to conducting tours and selling its souvenir products, and partly with the assistance of His Beatitude Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv and All Ukraine and with the funds of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the parish of St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Washington (USA). It will allow the book to be distributed among libraries and researchers.

His Holiness himself emphasised the importance of preserving historical memory.

“Today is a historic event because we perpetuate the memory of those who gave their lives for Ukraine. They were destroyed by a man-made famine because they were Ukrainians and dreamed of their independent Ukrainian state, – Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine Epiphany says. – The enemy has not changed and continues its attempts to destroy us. We are paying a heavy price for the fact that we have chosen the European vector of development on our Maidans. But we will fight to the end because the truth always wins. And in this difficult period of trial by war, we must know our history. Since without knowledge of the past, we cannot build the future.”

Roman Moldavsky, an editor of the publication, candidate of historical sciences, and senior researcher of the Holodomor Museum shared Lavro Nechyporenko’s biography and the story of creating his manuscript. He noted that the work was written so emotionally that it allows the reader to immerse themselves in that time completely and fully feel it.

Oleksandr Lavrovych Nechyporenko, the son of the author of the memoirs, told interesting details about his father’s life and thanked the Museum for publishing his memoirs.

Andrii Kovaliov, historian, political scientist, and spokesperson of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who at one time came across information about Nechyporenko’s records in the SBU Archive, shared with those who present the details of this simply detective story. It was he who at one time contributed to the transfer of the valuable artefact to the museum.

You can buy Lavro Nechyporenko’s book “The 33rd Year” at the cash desk of our Museum (Kyiv, 3 Lavrska St.). The price is 170 UAH. If you are from another city, please write to us at [email protected]. You will receive an invoice for payment. Please send the payment receipt to the mentioned address, the contact details and the shipping address to send the order. Please note: publications are sent after the funds have been deposited into the Museum’s account.

Photo – Kyrylo Rusanivskyi, Lina Teslenko.