The Ukrainian community in B.C. is urging the City of Vancouver to erect a historical statue that commemorates the tragic famine that took place under Soviet rule.
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) in Vancouver is asking the city council to install a bronze statue of a girl holding five stalks of wheat, titled “Bitter Memories of Childhood.”
Olga Zarudina, the president of the UCC Vancouver branch, says it is paramount to reflect on the past tragedy amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war.
According to Zarudina, the Ukrainian community has been pushing for the installation for over a decade.
She says the monument, which is currently in possession of the UCC Vancouver, pays tribute to the countless victims who died during Holodomor, a man-made famine that was caused by the Soviet Union in the 1930s.
“It is painful, but also it is very important to understand that the genocide right now of the Ukrainian nation is still going on, maybe in a different way,” Zarudina said. “Russia attacking Ukraine once again, it’s kind of like history repeating in a way.”
Vancouver councillor Lenny Zhou submitted a motion to the city that urged the municipality to make the Ukrainian statue a public memorial and educational feature of the city.
The motion highlighted the past efforts of the Canadian government in recognizing Holodomor, while emphasizing Vancouver’s connection to its sister city in Ukraine, Odesa.
In 2008, the Government of Canada formally recognized the famine as a genocide against the Ukrainian people, making the fourth Saturday of November the national Holodomor memorial day.
Over a decade later, in October 2019, the Legislative Assembly of B.C. followed the federal government’s footsteps and nominated the same day as the provincial Holodomor memorial day.
1130 NewsRadio reached out to the City of Vancouver for an interview and was told that Councillor Zhou was unavailable for an interview.
The City of Vancouver will vote on whether the installation will happen or not on April 22. According to Zarudina, Ukraine’s ambassador to Canada will also be present at the meeting.
Ahead of the vote, Zarudina says she would like to emphasize that education, remembrance, and reflection of Holodomor are necessary.
She says that despite the sad memories and history surrounding the famine, recognition it is important.
“We cannot let this happen anywhere else in the world.”