By Ann Harvey,
Yorkton This Week, April 30, 2008
Holodomor survivor, Stefan Horlatsch, 87, and two Yorkton youth representatives carried the torch to the podium at City Centre Park Monday Night (April 28). This flame, the symbol of remembrance of the 1932-1933 famine-genocide in which millions of people — mostly Ukrainian — died in Josef Stalin’s effort to crush the independence and nationalism of Ukraine, is in Canada as part of a 33-country trip.
Horlatsch is accompanying the torch as it tours his adoptive nation. In introducing him, Sonja Pawliw, Ukrainian Canadian Congress Yorkton Council vice-president, said the survivor was born in 1921 in Eastern Ukraine and grew up on the small farm his family owned. During Holodomor their livestock and grain was forcibly seized by the Soviets. Eleven members of his family perished. In 1991 Horlatsch led a walk for freedom across Ukraine, 4,500 kilometres. He is also a past president of Canadian Friends of Ukraine.
In a brief interview following the memorial, Horlatsch spoke to Yorkton This Week, with warmth, friendliness and a clear desire to prevent future genocides. He said, “My father was sent to Siberia and he died there when I was very young. “My mother with the five kids, and I was the oldest at 12 years, she struggled. She was, I say, a saint.” People were dying, he said. “She saved not only myself but others in the family. “She was, for about two or three years before Holodomor, drying bread, making bread crumbs and hiding it in different places. “I would say that was really the voice of God telling her to do it.”
Horlatsch said his message for Canadians, is to pray to God that such things don't happen again. Preventing future genocides anywhere in the world was the theme for the entire memorial.
The 45-minute program began with singing the Ukrainian national anthem followed by Merle Maximiuk, Ukrainian Canadian Congress Yorkton Council president, welcoming the about 100 people to City Centre Park. She explained that this commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Holodomor began with a launch in November 2007.
Describing the results of taking the harvest from Ukraine she said witnesses reported little children were skeletons, their limbs dangling from bloated abdomens and only their eyes showing lingering signs of childhood. One child reported that her father lay motionless on a bench and her mother had gone blind from hunger. She begged her uncle to take her to another community, saying she was still young and wanted so much to live.
“We hope that this program today will bring awareness for many of us as we know there is famine in the world today.”
She introduced the other podium honoured guests: Father Methiodius Kushko of St. Mary’s Parish who gave the closing prayer, Father Patrick Pawlinsky of Hyas, Kamsack, Swan
River Parish District who gave the opening prayer, Ed Lysyk, UCC Saskatchewan Provincial Council president, Horlastch, Pawliw, Yorkton Mayor Chris Wyatt and Yorkton Coun. Randy Goulden. Except for Wyatt who spoke English and Horlatsch who spoke briefly in Ukrainian the speakers spoke in both languages.
The two youths — Natalie Ortynsky, a Grade 11 Yorkton Regional High School student, and Isaac Pasloski, a Grade 5 St. Mary’s School student, held the torch for members of the audience to light their candles and them provide lights to others.
Wyatt said, “I think the most important part of this is to remember. This affects me.”
“The stories that came from the homeland to Beaverdale, Sask., will never be forgotten. I believe that the famine that was brought upon the people of the Ukraine can potentially happen in other countries.
“It’s up to the remembrance of today ceremonies to make sure they never happen.”
Lysyk said, “We want our education system to teach our youth that these events happened.”
Holodomor is touched on in Grade 5 but the students aren't told enough, he said. “It needs to be better explained.” He told the audience that the fourth Saturday in November is the official day for commemoration of Holodomor.
Manitoba had legislated it and it is being discussed in Ontario. “We're hoping the Government of Saskatchewan will show some leadership in regard to this.”
Maximiuk asked people to keep their candles and relight them on that day. A moment of silence concluded the program.