Truth about the Holodomor in Kherson oblast to be revealed in early 2008

In February 2008 the residents of Kherson oblast will become widely acquainted with the latest materials on the Holodomor tragedy of 1932-33. This announcement was made by the governor of Kherson oblast Borys Sylienkov, as he commented on the Oct. 24 session of the Coordinating Council, which has been tasked with preparing measures dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor, Liga reports.

Sylienkov said that the work of the Coordinating Council, created by presidential decree on March 14, 2007, has enabled researchers to reveal the whole truth about the Holodomor of 1932-33, which “raged in Kherson region too. Ukrainian society must consolidate around its own history,” said the governor, who added that “for 75 years the Communist Party concealed the tragic truth and spread propaganda that there was no Holodomor in our region. Thanks to the president’s position, confirmation of tens of thousands of deaths as a result of the genocide of 1932-33 was found in the archives. Many unmarked graves were discovered. We have published information about the Holodomor in the Kherson lands based on evidence provided by eyewitnesses and disseminated it among local communities,” the governor of Kherson oblast emphasized.

According to Sylienkov, the truth about the events connected to the Holodomor must be conveyed first and foremost to the communities of southern and eastern Ukraine. “Following in the footsteps of historians and researchers in Kharkiv oblast, the residents of Kherson oblast will be widely familiarized with materials on the study of the Holodomor of 1932-33,” he summarized.

On Oct. 23 President Yushchenko arrived on a working visit to Kharkiv oblast, where he chaired a session of the Coordinating Council to prepare measures dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor. The main goal of the council is to draft proposals for coordinating tributes to the Holodomor victims, which will be organized by the Ukrainian government, and academic and social institutions.