The Holodomor became a very important historical lesson when Ukrainians lost their state in 1917-21, which ultimately led to millions of deaths.
This was emphasized by Anton Drobovych, Chairman of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance, at a special event of the Kyiv Security Forum, established by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Foundation “Open Ukraine” Foundation.
“Winston Churchill once said things that have later served the main idea of a Boris Johnson’s book on The Churchill Factor: a must to remember what is good and what is evil. A must to remember what certain people have done to you, or to remember what people could do if you gave in to evil,” he said.
“It is an obvious fact that national memory is a part of national security. One of the reasons why we did not give up, fought back and impressed the whole world with our bravery is our memory. Because we all remember clearly how a defeat in a war with russia can end,” Anton Drobovich emphasized.
According to him, the Holodomor became a very important historical lesson when Ukrainians lost the Ukrainian People’s Republic in 1917-21.
“Millions of our people gave up their freedom and dignity for a piece of bread from the Bolsheviks and Moscow. At first, they gave up their freedom, becoming a part of the Soviet project, and very soon, when during the famine they were forced to eat their own children, they gave up their dignity,” he said.
“Loss of human dignity is the most terrible thing that the Holodomor brought us. A large number of our people was forced to lose it under the yoke of genocidal actions of the Soviet totalitarian regime. If one exchanges freedom and dignity for a piece of bread, the next thing one loses is freedom, then dignity, and finally life itself,” said the Chairman of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance. He added that the above was the very reason why Ukraine should win the war with russia.
The Kyiv Security Forum established by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk “Open Ukraine” Foundation, is the major platform in this country to discuss problems and issues of war and peace, of national and global security.