HOLODOMOR COMMEMORATION TODAY

Throughout the world today, Ukrainians are lighting candles and praying for the millions of their countrymen murdered through forced famine in 1932-33 by the Russian Soviet regime.   You will find many news items about this, and many links to historical articles and books online.  

Just ignore the deniers and those twisting the truth -- there was no famine, it was not a genocide, there was a drought, and on and on.  Oh, yes, it did not happen (if it did at all) only in Ukraine, but also in Russia.....Sure.   It did, but in villages populated by Ukrainians, not in Russian ones.

One important thing -- if, as the Russians say, the hunger and deaths also happened in Russia -- where are the Russian commemorations of this horror?  Don't they want to mourn their own dead?  I don't remember reading about a single church service or candle-lighting for their memory.  

What?  There weren't any?  Why?  Could it be because there were no Russian deaths from hunger? 

Yes, we had the famine in Russia, not just in Ukraine -- but we stopped Ukrainians from crossing the border into Russia for food -- we even shot them, and didn't permit them to buy train tickets to leave.  But yes, we had our Russian dead -- we just don't commemorate them, and don't honour them....   Of course, you did.

TWO CLASSES LEFT AT MCNALLY'S

There is still time to register for the two remaining Ukrainian Culture classes at McNally Robinson --

http://www.ucc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/McNally-classroom.pdf  


The folks attending the previous ones are wonderful, enthusiastic, and participate in the very interesting discussions.   And many are attending all the classes. 

Please join us.

HOLODOMOR WEEK

It seems that not much has changed since I wrote the following after the 50th commemoration of the Holodomor in 1983:

http://www.infoukes.com/history/famine/tracz/

FOR REMEMBRANCE DAY

 

I have posted this last year, but it's so relevant to Remembrance Day that I'm doing it again.  

http://www.infoukes.com/genealogy/tracz/remember.html

SHE'S BACK!

Pryvit -- Greetings, dear friends.

I'm back from a wonderful trip to Ukraine.  Still trying to get back to Winnipeg time, and to recuperate from my wanderings.

Was in Lviv, Kolomyia, Kosiv, Stryi, and Kyiv, with other stops along the way.  Attended the Publishers' Forum in Lviv (one of the largest book fairs in Europe after Frankfurt).  Ran into many old friends there.  Saw the monastery and shrine at Hoshiv, visited the Stepan Bandera Museum in Uhniv, and saw the Kvitka Cisyk Museum and School in Lviv.  Spoke at the Ivan Honchar Museum in Kyiv (great crowd for my folk medicine lecture).  Met with the person in charge of an art album on 18th c. sculptor J.-G. Pinzel  -- I translated the text into English -- and found out the volume will be for the upcoming Pinzel exhibition at the Louvre!

Enjoyed walking (very much), dining (all kinds), drinking -- love the Ukr. beer, shopping -- some lovely stuff, including books.  One big disappointment -- lost my camera after the first week -- dropped it as I ran for the marshrutka (mini-bus).   ARGHGHGH!   All those photos lost!  Got a new one, but mourn the ones from that first week.

Now to get back into the routine.  Have many projects and ideas.  Much writing and translating.  Will keep you posted. 

My first classroom session at McNally-Robinson two days after I returned was good.  Full house.  Nice to see familiar faces.  Check out my previous post on the next sessions - coming up later this month and on through January.

OFF TO UKRAINE!

As I mentioned a while ago, will be off to Ukraine for a while.  I'm thrilled, expecially to be at the Lviv Publishers' Forum (site only in Ukr.), the Hutsul Festival, and in Kyiv -- speaking again at the Ivan Honchar Museum.

You can click on the English version of the site.   This is such a vibrant and elegant museum and cultural centre.  And the people there live and breathe their heritage. 

If I have a chance, will post from Ukraine.  If not, will have much much material to write about when I return.  So looking forward to being there!  

ORYSIA'S COMMUNITY CLASSROOM COURSES AT MCNALLY ROBINSON BOOKSTORE

Hoping that the Winnipeggers and Manitobans will join me for some or all of these classes at the wonderful McNally Robinson Bookstore at Grant Park.   You can register by phone or online.