March of Remembrance’ in New York City: Ecumenical Service off 80th Anniversary Commemoration of the Genocide in Ukraine

On Saturday, November 17, 2012, thousands of Ukrainian Americans will march in New York’s borough of Manhattan under banners proclaiming “Ukraine Remembers – The World Recognizes!” and “Holodomor - Genocide in Ukraine: 1932-1933,” thus commencing a year-long tribute to the victims of the Ukrainian Holodomor of 1932-1933.  The March of Remembrance will begin at St. George’s Ukrainian Catholic Church promptly at 10:30am and conclude at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where a solemn ecumenical requiem service will follow at 1pm.  Previous March of Remembrances have been held in New York and other cities in the United States to raise awareness of the Ukrainian Holodomor within the American society. 

Throughout the procession route, participants in the March of Remembrance will distribute brochures, which provide a brief overview and history of the Ukrainian Genocide of 1932-1933. Communities participating in the March of Remembrance are requested to bring signs and placards promoting recognition of the Ukrainian Holodomor.

The purpose of the March of Remembrance is to promote knowledge of the Holodomor and to share this knowledge with others.  “During the March of Remembrance, we will remember the millions who died, and vow to do whatever we can to prevent such an atrocity from ever happening again.  It is the first event in an effort to tell the story of the Ukrainians who perished during the Genocide of 1932-1933,” stated Tamara Olexy, President of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA). 

Michael Sawkiw, Jr., Chairman of the U.S. Committee for Ukrainian Holodomor-Genocide Awareness 1932-33, also commented on continuous plans for “conferences and exhibits, and developing curricula for high schools and colleges to educate the world about the Holodomor, which are being proposed throughout the 80th commemorative year.  We also hope to dedicate a Memorial in 2013 to the innocent victims of the Ukrainian Genocide of 1932-1933 – on federal land in Washington, D.C.”