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holodomor

Holodomor Flame started its journey in Austrailia

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Canberra became the international focus on April 6, 2008 when the International Torch Relay – Remembrance Flame was lit by Mr Stefan Romaniw, Chairman of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organizations and Ukrainian World Congress International Coordinating Committee of the 75 Anniversary of the Holodomor.

The Flame began its journey in Australia with the historic lighting of the Flame, which was held on Sunday April 6, 2008 at 1.00 pm. at the Holodomor Memorial St Nicholas Orthodox ChurchGrounds Mackay Gardens, Turner.

Sunday’s ceremony included a Torch Blessing by the Reverend Mychailo Solomko of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Rev. Oleh Stefanyschyn of the Ukrainian Catholic Church and the official lighting of the Torch by the International Committee Chair Stefan Romaniw and Ambassador of Ukraine ‘Valentyn Adomaytis who passed to the survivors of the Famine – Mrs. Aleksandra Kryvoschyjia and Mrs. Janeczko, who in turned handed the Torch to youth representatives in the community and to Senator Gary Humphries Senator of the Australian
Parliament Parliament, who attended with his son, Owen.

Pictures from the event can be found here and here.

canada, documentary, video

‘The English Surgeon’ wins HotDocs!

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From the Globe & Mail:

Toronto — A film about a British neurosurgeon’s heroic efforts to bring relief to tumour victims in Ukraine has won the $10,000 award for best international feature documentary at the 15th annual Hot Docs festival. The North American premiere of The English Surgeon, directed by Geoffrey Smith, was one of seven films honoured last night at a ceremony in the Isabel Bader Theatre at the University of Toronto.

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I was at the first screening of this movie and it was very good! Unfortunately the DVD is only available in Europe. Congratulations to director Geoffrey Smith for an excellent job!

canada, holodomor, news, Uncategorized

Holodomor torch burns in Red Deer

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The Red Deer Advocate picked up a story on the Holodomor Remembrance Flame in Red Deer, Alberta yesterday:

“He (Stalin) didn’t want them to fight for independence,” Horlatsch said. Among the millions killed were Horlatsch’s cousins. The family of 11 all starved to death.

…

The Toronto man told students how officials would prevent people from getting food. “They would tear down the walls of your house or dig up your gardens looking for hidden food,” he said.

…

“We would get two spoonfuls of bread crumbs with water and it kept us alive,” he said. By January 1933, Horlatsch was too weak from hunger to go to school. When he returned the next year, a third of his class had died. Grade 12 student Robyn Holitski said she was not aware of the famine before Friday’s presentation. “I’m surprised more people don’t know, it sounds like something that should be part of our textbooks somewhere.”

…

“So many people died, we want people to know about it and recognize it,” Horlatsch said.

The tour returned to Edmonton this morning and will be in Vancouver this evening before heading to the US.

holodomor, usa

Holodomor Flame tours the USA

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Courtesy UkraineGenocide.org’s calendar

UPDATE: Added some newspaper articles going into more details of upcoming tours in various cities. Also follow the Flame on Google Maps!

canada, holodomor

Holodomor Remembrance Flame in Alberta

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The Edmonton Journal (and to a lesser extent the Edmonton Sun) ran articles of the Holodomor Remembrance Flame coming to Edmonton as part of its Canadian, American and World Tour of 33 countries. The day prior the Flame was in Vegreville. Presenting the flame in Canada is 87-year old Holodomor survivor Stefan Horlatsch who was 12 during the famine:

“There were many sad moments,” Horlatsch said, addressing students at Balwin. “I hope I can awaken us about what happened 75 years ago.”

Horlatsch spoke of the agony of losing 11 family members during the famine, while eating anything he could find in the woods to survive.

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“When I one day visited the house, there were three dead bodies already in the house and nobody was even planning to bury them because they were not strong enough,” said Horlatsch, who now lives in Toronto.

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The tour continues on to Red Deer and Calgary tonight.

UPDATE: The flame double-backed to Edmonton on Saturday, being presented at the Alberta Legislature. Pictures are available here and here (thanks CyberCossack).

UPDATE #2: Pictures from Calgary are here!

UPDATE #3: Found some more pictures from the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton on Flickr.