Saturday 24 November 2012

Calgary's 2012 Holodomor Commemoration

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Calgary honored the Holodomor with a commemoration event that took place at 11 AM on Saturday, November 24, 2012 in the St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Church Cultural Centre.  Master of Ceremonies - Michael Ilnycky, President of Calgary's Ukrainian Canadian Committee.

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About a dozen students from Calgary's Ukrainian Student's Society presented a montage of poems, and verses (presented by Roman Storoschuk and Katrusia Owad,), an interpretive dance by Christina Chumak, and song accompanied and sung by Stephania Romaniuk.

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Dr. Roman Serbyn, a Canadian historian of Ukrainian origin, Holodomor scholar, and guest speaker from Montreal,  spoke in brief about how the Holodomor came about, and used the terms "post genocidal community" and "post colonial community" as descriptors of the Ukrainian community's internal perceptions of this experience.  Internal community change, and external acknowledgement is now possible because of free-er access to historical documents which irrefutably attest that the Holodomor was an act of intentional destruction of the repository of ancestral memory - the people of Ukraine.




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A Memorial Service (Panachyda) was served by the clergy of Calgary's Ukrainian churches, St. Stephen the Protomartyr Ukrainian Catholic Church, St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church.

The participants prayerfully joined in the singing of Vichnaya Pamyat' - the prayer for eternal memory of the reposed.

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Organizations listed participated by laying wreaths of memorial:  Sister Servants of  Mary Immaculate, Assumption of the  Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Stephen Protomartyr Ukrainian Catholic Church, St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Ukrainian Senior's Club at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Knights of Columbus-St. Nicholas Ukrainian Council #7659, Order of St. Andrew, Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada-Calgary, Ukrainian Museum of Canada-Calgary Collection, Ukrainian Catholic Women's League of Canada, League of Ukrainian Women in Canada-Calgary Branch, Barvinok Ukrainian Dance Society, Yalenka Ukrainian Dance Society, Tryzub Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, Suzirya Ukrainian Dance Theatre, Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble, Plast Ukrainian Scouts, CYM Ukrainian Youth, CYMK Ukrainian Orthodox Youth, Ukrainian Student's Society at the University of Calgary, SOS Ukraine, Ogen House Ukrainian Cultural Society, Echos of Ukraine Television Program, Ukrainian Canadian Civil  Liberties Association, Ukrainian School at Assumption Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Slava Chamber Choir, Ukrainian Canadian Professional and Business Association, Association of United Ukrainian Canadians, Friends of the Ukrainian Catholic University, Calgary Board of Education, Calgary Separate School Division, City of Calgary, Government of Alberta, Government of Canada, Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Ukrainian Canadian Congress.


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Our elected officials from three levels of government came to honor the event.  Speeches were given by elected officials, representatives of each respective level of government - Alderman Jim Stevenson - Ward 3, Government of Alberta - Linda Johnson, Calgary Glenmore and Government of Canada - Michelle Rempel, Calgary Centre North.
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An important forward looking presentation was given by the representative of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights -  Eric Hughes.  He spoke of the upcoming opening of the new museum in Winnipeg, the complexity of this human rights issue and the truly significant and critical role Canada's new museum will play in uncovering the truths for future generations - may they learn from the lessons of the past.








Thanking all the guests for their generous participation in today's commemoration, MC and UCC Calgary President Michael Ilnysky thanked CYM Ukrainian Youth Association for the Display and Artwork from the Kyiv Art Institute - and then  invited everyone to sing O Canada, the national anthem of Canada, and Sche Ne Vmerla Ukraina - the national anthem of Ukraine.  Then everyone was invited to a Hungry Lunch of broth and bread.


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