VOC Museum Open Holodomor Exhibit

The Victims of Communism Museum is proud to host a new temporary gallery, “Holodomor Then; Genocide Now; Justice When.” The exhibit, which was curated in partnership with the U.S. Committee for Ukrainian Holodomor Genocide Awareness and the Embassy of Ukraine, chronicles the Soviet-made famine that killed millions of Ukrainians from 1932-1933 and connects this dark chapter to Russia’s ongoing and brutal war in Ukraine.

The Holodomor was a deliberate act of genocide by the Soviet Communist government, which was controlled at the time by Joseph Stalin. Stalin’s stated goal was to crush Ukrainian nationalism and collectivize agriculture in Ukraine. To achieve this, he ordered the requisition of grain from Ukrainian farmers, and blocked the import of food into Ukraine, creating and perpetuating a famine.

Today in Ukraine, the Holodomor remains a painful memory — a reminder of the country’s vulnerability to both Russian and Soviet aggression, as well as the importance of fighting for freedom. In Russia, President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly denied that the Holodomor was a genocide. The Kremlin’s ongoing historical revisionism of Ukraine’s history and identity is intended to whitewash the crimes of the Soviet Union and used to justify Russia’s war.

Open to the public through February 4, 2024, the exhibit showcases writings from Holodomor witnesses, a replica of the Holodomor Memorial in Washington D.C., and a collection of photos from Alexander Weisenberger who documented the Holodomor through his camera during the height of the famine. Connecting Moscow’s historical oppression of Ukraine to the present, the gallery also features shrapnel from the war and photos exposing the impact of Putin’s invasion on the Ukrainian people.

To learn more about the exhibit and to plan your trip, visit the Victims of Communism Museum website here.