The first monument to the Holodomor victims unveiled in Israel

On Wednesday, 3 November, the official unveiling of the first Holodomor memorial in Israel took place in Jerusalem. The event was held as part of the commemoration of the victims of the genocide of Ukrainians, with the participation of representatives of the Ukrainian delegation, led by the Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Taras Kachka, the Jerusalem Municipality, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Knesset, the diplomatic corps, and the Ukrainian community.

In the sculptural composition, we see a broken millstone, as a reminder of the destructive policies of the Soviet regime and a symbol of the broken circle of life, and a raised hand holding five ears of grain, reminiscent of the notorious repressive law. According to the authors’ idea, the composition symbolises the burden of memory, the indomitable spirit of the Ukrainian people and their deep faith in rebirth and healing.

Lesia Hasydzhak, the head of the National Museum of the Holodomor Genocide, expressed gratitude to everyone involved in installing the monument and emphasised the significance of this event during the opening ceremony.

“The Holodomor became possible because Ukrainians did not have their own state, their own army, or support in the world. Artificial famine became the instrument of genocide, resulting in the deaths of over 4 million Ukrainians,” she noted. “Today, Russia has been waging a genocidal war against Ukraine for 11 years. Putin’s Russia, which is the successor to the Soviet Union and Stalin’s Russia, denies Ukraine’s right to exist, falsifies and appropriates history, and denies the Holodomor. Therefore, it is more important than ever for Ukraine to have the Holodomor recognised as genocide at the international level. This is a restoration of historical justice and support for Ukraine and our people in these difficult times. That is why the recognition of the Holodomor by the State of Israel is so eagerly anticipated and crucial for every Ukrainian. After all, who else but a nation that has suffered the greatest genocide in human history can show such sensitivity in standing in solidarity with us and recognising a similar crime, a crime of genocide that continues to this day. We believe that the appearance of this monument is only the first step.”

Photo by the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Israel and Lesia Hasydzhak.