UKRAINE: Holodomor, Stalin's Red Famine

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“I remember Holodomor very well, but have no wish to recall it. There were so many people dying then. They were lying out in the streets, in the fields, floating in the flux. My uncle lived in Derevka – he died of hunger and my aunt went crazy – she ate her own child. At the time one couldn’t hear the dogs barking – they were all eaten up.”


The Holodomor, spanning from 1932 to 1933, marked a harrowing period during which millions of Ukrainians grappled with starvation, a man-made famine orchestrated by Stalin. The term "Holodomor" itself translates to "death by hunger" in Ukrainian. This famine emerged as a consequence of Soviet policies, strategically implemented by Stalin to assert control over the Ukrainian peasantry, particularly targeting those who resisted these policies—the so-called "kulaks."

This tragic episode unfolded as an extension of a broader campaign aimed at subduing Ukraine into submission. It commenced with the intimidation, arrest, and purge of Ukrainian intellectuals, writers, artists, priests, religious leaders, and political figures perceived as threats to Soviet ideologies and state-building aspirations.

For decades, the reality of the Holodomor was either denied or concealed. However, the oral transmission of this dark chapter persisted from grandparents to children in Ukraine. Presently, over a dozen countries memorialize this sorrowful event, recognizing it as a genocide perpetrated against the Ukrainian people by the Russians.


THE PRELUDE TO FAMINE

In 1917, with the fall of the Russian imperial family and the ascent of the Bolsheviks, Ukraine experienced a brief stint as an independent nation. However, by 1922, it was compelled to integrate into the newly formed USSR, or the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, rebranded as the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic. During this era, the nation predominantly thrived on agriculture and rural lifestyles, with the majority engaged in farming. Renowned for its fertile soil and abundant grain, Ukraine earned the moniker "bread basket of the Soviet Union."

This prosperity drew Stalin's ambition to gain absolute control over the region. Despite having a distinctive culture and tradition, Ukraine's independent thinking and identity became a cause for concern among Stalin and the Politburo by the late 1920s. Fearing potential protests, they initiated a crackdown on Ukrainian intellectuals and "leaders of society", either arresting or ruthlessly eliminating them. Writers, artists, politicians, and priests fell victim to this purge, aiming to weaken Ukrainian leadership and foster susceptibility to socialist ideals. Concurrently, Stalin launched his five-year plan, ultimately securing control over Ukrainian agriculture.

Stalin's overarching objective was the industrialization of the Soviet Union, focusing on constructing coal, steel, and oil plants for electricity development. To fund this endeavor, he implemented a system of collectivized agriculture, consolidating smaller privately owned farms into larger state-run entities for easier control. This strategy allowed Stalin to take all crops from Ukraine, selling them to the West for financial gain.

Despite his meticulous plans, Stalin faced resistance from many Ukrainian farmers unwilling to join collective farms. In response, he orchestrated a propaganda campaign, branding these dissenters as "kulaks", Russian for wealthy peasants. Widespread posters carried slogans like "Down with the Kulak class!" and "Annihilate the Kulak class!" depicting them as traitors and enemies of the state.

Stalin's confiscations were indiscriminate, targeting both rich and poor "kulaks" alike. The Cheka, the secret police of the time, seized people's livestock, belongings, and forcibly expelled them from their homes. Some unfortunate individuals faced deportation to Siberia and other labor camps in Russia for their refusal to comply.


STALIN'S RED FAMINE IN UKRAINE

By 1931, Stalin imposed stringent quotas for grain production across the Soviet Union, surpassing the capabilities of farmers. Failure to meet these daily quotas resulted in severe consequences, including deportation to Siberia, confiscation of livestock, eviction from homes—even in the harsh winter. The Cheka searched homes for even small amounts of hidden grain. Laws enacted by the summer of 1932 threatened imprisonment or execution for those concealing even the slightest amount of grain.

The repercussions of collectivization were acutely felt throughout the Soviet Union, but Ukraine bore a particularly heavy burden. Stalin aimed to completely subjugate and control the Ukrainian populace. In the winter of 1932, the Soviet Union not only collected grain but also seized other potential food sources such as cattle and livestock.

By the winter of 1933, the situation had worsened considerably. Entire villages and farms were blacklisted for failing to meet food quotas, rendering them ineligible for assistance. Stalin further exacerbated the crisis by prohibiting migrations from these famine-stricken areas to larger cities and closing the borders with Ukraine. Those attempting to escape were forcibly returned, ensuring they faced starvation in their villages.

The severity of the famine drove people to extreme measures for survival. Some resorted to eating their pets, consuming anything edible from trees—flowers, leaves, or bark. Others turned to eating the flesh of dead animals found on the roadside, and tragically, desperation led to instances of cannibalism.

The summer of 1933 marked the peak of the Holodomor. Subsequently, the Soviet Union implemented minor measures, and the hunger gradually abated. Confiscations of grain decreased, possibly due to a weakened labor force, compelling Stalin to normalize the situation. By 1934, most of Ukraine's farms were collectivized, and the population worked for the state. While exact figures for Holodomor casualties remain elusive, estimates suggest around 3.9 million people lost their lives.

The staggering loss of life prompted the USSR to relocate individuals from Russia and other parts of the Soviet Union to Ukraine, aiming to rebuild the labor force. Approximately 117,149 people were resettled in total.


AFTERMATH

Following the peak of the crisis, Stalin initiated an extensive campaign to deny its occurrence. The Russian press faced a ban on using the term "famine," and international journalists were prohibited from entering Ukraine. Approved language was restricted to phrases like "food shortage" or "food supply issues." While acknowledging that Ukrainians were hungry, the press was forbidden from using the term "starving" and emphasized that the crisis affected Russia as much as the rest of the Soviet Union.

Some brave international journalists attempted to report on how Stalin's five-year plan adversely impacted food supplies in the USSR and detailed the severity of the famine. They endeavored to capture photographic evidence and present it to their respective government representatives in the West. However, Western politicians, reluctant to involve themselves in Soviet policies, either ignored or denied the famine or downplayed its significance. Regrettably, some of these courageous journalists also faced arrest.

To conceal evidence, Stalin took measures such as destroying archive documents related to the crisis and ensuring that death certificates attributing deaths to hunger did not mention famine-related reasons, such as stating they died of starvation.

Raphael Lemkin, the researcher who coined the term "genocide," applied it to Ukraine for four key reasons: the execution of intellectuals, the destruction of churches and priests, the mass killing of the population through starvation, and the societal fragmentation resulting from forced resettlement.


CONCLUSION

In summary, Ukraine's tumultuous history under Stalin's regime serves as a poignant reminder of the immense suffering endured by its people. Unfortunately, echoes of this tragic past persist today, exemplified by the ongoing full-scale military conflict fueled by Putin's regime.

It is crucial for the West not to turn a blind eye to Ukraine once more. The historical context and current events vividly illustrate that Ukrainians continue to face profound challenges under Russian leadership. Recognizing this reality compels us to stand in solidarity with Ukraine, fostering a collective commitment to safeguard its sovereignty and the well-being of its people amidst historical injustices and present-day struggles.

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