Ukraine's 80th Anniversary of Man-Made Famine and Genocide

Floor Speech

Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Ukraine's man-made famine and genocide.

The ``Great Man-made Famine'' was executed under Joseph Stalin's Communist rule in an effort to eradicate Ukrainian culture, education, and social institutions. Under Stalin's regime, the Ukrainian people were stripped of their land and grain and were herded onto collective farms where they were eventually left to starve to death. What was once the ``breadbasket of Europe'' became home to a forced famine that ultimately took the lives of over 6 million innocent men, women, and children.

But Stalin's attempt to squelch the spirit and history of the Ukrainian people failed.

This Friday, the Ukrainian National Museum in Chicago will remember those whose lives were taken by this man-made genocide. The museum will also, justifiably, celebrate the strong and vibrant people in the nation of Ukraine that thrives today.

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