National Holodomor Commemoration 2019

Video Description

Ukrainian Americans gathered in New York City on Saturday, November 16, to remember the victims of Stalin’s Famine Genocide – the Holodomor of 1932-1933. Gathering at the landmark St. Patrick’s Cathedral in the heart of Manhattan, attendees were greeted by His Eminence, Archbishop Anthony, Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, prior to the start of the ceremony. As the Ukrainian Chorus “Dumka” of New York began singing, students from St. George Academy slowly processed up the nave of the cathedral followed by Holodomor survivor Nadia Severyn, who was escorted by her grandson, Bill Wieting. A Ukrainian American Veteran (UAV) Color Guard was led by New Jersey State Commander Michael Hrycak, along with flagbearers Peter Polnyj and Nicholas Skirka, Commanders of Posts 27 and 301 respectively. Students from the “Samopomich” School of Ukrainian Studies in New York City, the Ukrainian School of Ukrainian Studies “Nova Khvylka” in Brooklyn, and the “Shkola Ukrainoznavstva” at the New York City oseredok of the Ukrainian American Youth Association (CYM) concluded the procession by following the lead of Ms. Severyn and individually laying a sheaf of wheat at the base of the sanctuary. Metropolitan Antony was joined by the Most Reverend Metropolitan-Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Eminence Archbishop Daniel of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, His Excellency Bishop Paul Chomnycky and the Most Reverend Bishop Emeritus Basil Losten of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in leading the traditional Ukrainian Memorial Service – the Panakhyda – at the start of the commemoration, with responses provided by the “Dumka” chorus, under the direction of Vasyl Hrechynsky. Following the requiem service, attendees were addressed by Andriy Futey, president of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), which has co-organized this annual commemoration for 35 years. Once again, the event attracted attendees from across the tri-state metropolitan area, including buses of churchgoers from New Jersey and Brooklyn, as well as of thousands of viewers who watched the livestream on UCCA’s Facebook page. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) continued his nearly unbroken record of attendance at this annual event, even following his succession to the status of the highest elected member of the Democratic Party in the country. In his remarks, the Senator hailed the efforts in Congress to recognize the Armenian Genocide earlier this year, as well as the resilience of the Ukrainian nation, “that has outlasted authoritarian thugs in the past, and will continue to do so in the future.” Additional remarks were made by Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko, the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN, as well as New York City Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, who represents the East Village Ukrainian community. Also in attendance were Oleksii Holubov, Consul General of Ukraine in New York, and Serhiy Kyslytsya, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, who were seated alongside the speakers but did not deliver remarks personally. Prior to the recessional, Metropolitan-Archbishop Borys Gudziak thanked all who participated in the day’s events in both the Ukrainian and English languages. On behalf all of the assembled speakers, he expressed the community’s sincere gratitude to Archbishop Timothy Cardinal Dolan, for graciously allowing the Ukrainian community to commemorate the Holodomor at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, after which the congregation rose for the singing of the spiritual anthem of Ukraine, “Oh God, Almighty and Only.”