Ukrainian Embassy Secretary Oleksandr Pukhliak attends Rochdale Holodomor Remembrance Service

Rochdale Holodomor Remembrance Service

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Oleksandr Pukhliak, the First Secretary (Political Affairs) of the Embassy of Ukraine in UK, attended the annual service held at the Rochdale Memorial Gardens on Friday to commemorate both the 83rd anniversary of the Ukrainian Holodomor, and the 25th anniversary of the Twinning of Rochdale with Lviv in Ukraine.

Speaking about Rochdale’s remembrance, Mr Pukhliak said: “I’d like to thank the Mayor and all involved in the process of unveiling the memorial stone to Holodomor here in Rochdale.

“I’m deeply grateful to the Town Hall and councillors who took the decision to acknowledge the Holodomor genocide.

“It’s very important to learn lessons because now Russian authorities continue atrocities in Ukraine - Russia has illegally annexed Crimea and occupied part of Donbass - the main idea is to prevent further tragedies nowadays.

“Ukraine is grateful to the UK and the democratic world for their support in their fight for justice.”

The Holodomor was an artificial famine enforced by Joseph Stalin in 1932-1933 to try and force the Ukrainian population to adopt Soviet ideals. Between 7-10 million innocent men, women and children were brutally starved to death during this time.

The service began with a procession from Rochdale Town Hall to the Memorial Gardens before being led by Chairwoman of the Friends of Lviv/Holodomor Committee, Anna Kecyk.

Opening the service, she said: “In remembering the victims of Holodomor, we all share a responsibility to ensure that such atrocities never happen again.

“By allowing this memorial to be placed here in the Memorial Gardens, Rochdale is committed to honouring the Holodomor victims and to promoting international recognition.”

Wreaths were then laid at the Holodomor memorial by Mayor Ray Dutton and Mayoress Elaine Dutton, Mr Pukhliak and a representative of the Rochdale Ukrainian Community, followed by a one minute silence.

A service of remembrance was lead by Rev Bohdan Matwijczuk, Rev Father Yaroslav Riy, Rev Father Volodymyr Sampara, Rev Father Ewhen Nebesniak and Rev Canon Alan Shackleton.

After the service the lighting of the memorial candle, which was lit by Mayor Ray Dutton, took place in the Town Hall before a second one minute silence. A short presentation about Rochdale’s twinning with Lviv followed, showcasing similarities between the two towns.

Rochdale was the first town in the UK to twin with a newly independent country, and a bridge over the River Roch was renamed ‘Lviv Bridge’ in honour of this partnership.

A second presentation highlighted the atrocities of the Holodomor and detailed Rochdale’s history of remembering and recognising this act of genocide. Video clips were played, including harrowing footage, plus survivor testimonies and recordings by Gareth Jones, one of the first journalists to expose the horror.

Mayor Ray Dutton said: “This has left an emptiness inside me; it’s been quite an emotional service. It’s hard to believe a man could do this to others.

“As the snowflakes outside began to fall, it made me think, each one is unique. And like the ten million or so that will have fallen on us outside, they are as unique as the lives that were lost. Each of those snowflakes represent the lives of each of the ten million who lost their lives.

“We can’t change the past, but we can certainly influence the future.”

Gifts were presented to the Mayor and Mr Pukhliak by Anna Kecyk, including a book about the Holodomor and the presentation slides and Ukrainian gifts to the Mayoress. Mr Pukhliak presented the Mayor with a Ukrainian china plate and also gave a present to Anna Kecyk.

The service, organised by The Friends of Lviv, takes place each year to mark the anniversary of the Holodomor and to also remember the millions of innocent lives lost as a result.