LETTERS AND TELEGRAMS

“Dr. Mace was widely known and respected in Canada as a scholar devoted to uncovering the truth about Ukraine’s history, and to correcting the distortions of the past. His untimely death is a loss to all who knew and admired him, and for historical scholarship in general”.

“ We at the American Embassy were saddened to learn of the death on May 3 of Prof. James Mace. Professor Mace devoted much of his life to research, writing and teaching about Ukraine. As the Executive Director of the U.S. Commission on the Ukraine Famine, which conducted an extensive inquiry into the history of the Holodomor and issued one of the most important and authoritative reports about it, Prof. Mace made an enormous contribution to setting straight the historical record of this tragic period in Ukrainian history. Through his teaching at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy National University, and at the International Christian University in Kyiv, he touched the lives of many young Ukrainians. He was active in promoting educational and scholarly exchanges between the United States and Ukraine, and often gave of his time and expertise to assist the Fulbright Program and other exchanges.

“Through his books, articles, and public speeches, Professor Mace greatly increased awareness of Ukraine in the United States, Canada and Europe. The insights and analysis that appeared in his weekly column in Den helped us better understand the Ukraine in which we work. His commitment to the ideal of an independent, prosperous and democratic Ukraine and his tireless and unselfish work on behalf of that ideal will be sorely missed.”

“Like so many, we are shaken and greatly saddened by the news you have shared. My husband, Maxim Tarnawsky, and I first met Jim at Harvard, when he came there as a research fellow, and we were, respectively, studying and working there. From the first, we admired his forthrightness, intelligence, and unwavering commitment to academic, historical, and moral principle. In those days more than two decades ago, he set about almost singlehandedly to bring the reality of what happened in Ukraine in 1932-33 to the attention of the Western scholarly community and then carried that knowledge on to the broader American and international ones. He had the professional skill and diligence to find and present the facts of what happened, and he never compromised on what he knew to be true.

“Ukraine has lost a true scholar and advocate. We mourn him, and send our condolences to his wife, family, and friends. May he rest lightly on Ukrainian soil, and may his work live on.”

“Few people did more than this first-rate scholar over the years to bring to the world’s attention the nature and magnitude of the genocidal Ukraine Famine. Throughout the last year, we had engaged in e-mail correspondence. I enjoyed receiving his insightful, at times ironic and witty comments. Jim was very supportive of the Senate’s genocidal Famine resolution and glad that such a measure had been introduced and had considerable support among Senators. Jim was an extraordinarily committed, courageous and valuable friend of Ukraine, and of the Ukrainian-American community. He will be greatly missed. Vichna Yomu Pamyat!”

“Me and my wife Olia were shaken by the tragic news. I knew James for a long time, and Olia have recently interviewed him for the Australian Radio SBS. We met in Kyiv more than once. He was an honest and brave man who always said truth about things that those in power prefer to cover up. Many in Australia still remember his visit and speeches on Holodomor back in the eighties.”