The position of the National Museum of the Holodomor-genocide regarding advertising materials containing information on the demographic losses of Ukrainians from the Holodomor of 10.5 million victims

On the eve of Holodomor Memorial Day, which this year is on November 26, advertising materials appeared on the streets of Kyiv stating that “the communist regime killed 10.5 million Ukrainians.” It was this number of victims that caused a scandal in the information space in 2021, the indignation of the scientific community and the public, and the Museum was accused of falsifications. Since such a number of victims as a result of the Holodomor of 1932-1933 was not properly substantiated and scientifically proven.

The National Museum of the Holodomor-Genocide, as the main centre of commemoration of the victims of the Holodomor genocide, carries out scientific, research and educational activities regarding the greatest tragedy of the Ukrainian nation in the 20th century. In particular, it is engaged in scientific research on the number of victims.

However, the museum categorically opposes falsifications in such studies and is against populism surrounding the Holodomor. After all, this harms Ukraine and its efforts to achieve recognition of the Holodomor as a genocide of Ukrainians in the world. Scientifically unfounded exaggerations of the consequences of the Holodomor cast doubt on Ukraine’s ability to truthfully tell the world community about its tragic past. We are for honest academic discussion and spreading only proven facts about the Holodomor of 1932-1933.

Therefore, the Museum protests against replicating data on 10.5 million victims, as these results have not been proven. Moreover, the specified number of victims was deduced through numerous falsifications and manipulations, as the scientific community has repeatedly emphasized:

Open letter from scientists and the public regarding falsifications in the field of research and the spread of information about the Holodomor genocide of the Ukrainian people.

Genocide beyond numbers: falsification of information about the Holodomor.

Hennadiy Yefimenko. How the story of the Holodomor is devalued Episode 1: “Assatkin’s formula” from the NKVD investigators as an argument in the assessment of losses.

Hennadiy Yefimenko. Devaluation of the story about the Holodomor. Episode 2: Falsification of Stepan Sosnovy’s work.

We call on everyone to use checked, verified and scientifically proven data. But do not discredit Ukrainian historical science and the memory of the Holodomor.