PARSIPPANY, N.J. – The governor of Illinois, Bruce Rauner, on May 19 presented a proclamation commemorating “the 85th anniversary of the Ukrainian Famine Genocide” in which he “encourage[d] all Illinoisans to memorialize the victims and survivors of [the] Holodomor.”
The governor’s proclamation noted the plans of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, Illinois Division, to hold 85th anniversary commemorations of the Holodomor anniversary throughout 2018. It described the Holodomor as “a famine genocide in Soviet Ukraine from 1932 to 1933 during which millions of Ukrainians starved to death.”
The proclamation points out that “the people of Illinois recognize the importance of remembering and learning from dark chapters in human history to ensure that such crimes against humanity are not repeated” and states that “we honor the memory of those who lost their lives during [the] Holodomor and pay our respects to the American Ukrainians in Illinois who lived through this tragedy and have told their horrific stories.”