Holodomor Memorial Day — Ukraine honors millions lost

Every year on the fourth Saturday of November, Ukraine observes Holodomor Remembrance Day — a national moment of mourning for the millions of people killed during the man-made famines of 1932–1933, 1921–1923 and 1946–1947. In 2025, the commemoration falls on November 22, when Ukrainians across the country and around the world pause at 16:00 for a minute of silence and light candles in memory of the victims.

Novyny.LIVE takes a closer look at the history, global recognition, and lasting impact of the Holodomor — and why this remembrance remains vital today.

A genocide engineered by the Stalinist regime

The Holodomor was not the result of drought or poor harvests. It was a deliberate act carried out by the Soviet authorities, who confiscated all food from Ukrainian villages, blocked movement out of affected regions, and used terror, mass arrests, and "blacklisting" of entire communities. By early 1933, mortality had surged to catastrophic levels, reaching its peak in June, when hundreds of thousands were dying each month.

Ukrainian scholars estimate that 4.5 million people were lost — including both those who died and those never born due to the demographic collapse. In 2006, Ukraine officially recognized the Holodomor as an act of genocide; today, 17 countries have adopted the same designation.

How the world responded — and why memory matters

Although Soviet authorities banned any public acknowledgement of the famine, the international Ukrainian community began commemorating the victims as early as 1933. Memorial services were held in Berlin, Canada, Lviv, and later in the United States, where prominent intellectuals such as Raphael Lemkin — the author of the term "genocide" — described the Holodomor as a "classic example" of the crime.

During the Cold War, recognition grew slowly. After Ukraine restored its independence in 1991, the country began rebuilding historical memory:

•  in 1998, a national day of remembrance was established;
•  in 2003, the UN General Assembly discussed the famine on its 70th anniversary;
•  in 2008, Ukraine opened the National Holodomor Memorial in Kyiv.

Echoes of history amid today’s war

This year’s commemoration takes place against the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion — a war marked by mass killings, deportations, deliberate destruction of cities, and attacks on Ukrainian cultural identity. Ukrainian officials and historians note that the Kremlin’s modern tactics mirror the aims of the Stalinist regime: to suppress Ukrainian national identity and break resistance through terror.

The 2025 remembrance campaign carries the slogan "We Remember. We Unite. We Will Prevail."

It emphasizes three messages:

• memory: acknowledging the scale of Stalin’s genocide;
•  unity: historic divisions once enabled Soviet domination, but unity now underpins Ukraine’s strength;
• victory: today, unlike in the 1930s, Ukrainians have a sovereign state, armed forces, and support from the democratic world.

How Ukrainians honor the victims today

At 16:00 on November 22, Ukrainians are encouraged to stop wherever they are — even briefly — and join the minute of silence. People gather at churches, memorials, and public squares. Many take part in the tradition known as "A Candle in the Window," first proposed by Holodomor researcher James Mace in 2003. The simple act symbolizes both remembrance and resistance — a reminder that the attempt to erase an entire nation ultimately failed.

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