As part of his North American tour in November, 2011, Roman Krutsyk, head of the Kyiv branch of the All Ukrainian Memorial Society, included a visit to Edmonton. He spoke at the Ukrainian Youth Unity Complex on Sunday, November 27, 2011, before an audience of some 80 participants. After an exhaustive introduction detailing his many accomplishments by the president of the League of Ukrainian Canadian women, Ivanna Szewczuk, he spoke on the liberation struggle of the Ukrainian nation between 1917-1932, focusing on archival materials from which Memorial has prepared a detailed exposition describing the “National War” oblast by oblast, which he brought with him for display.
After his interesting presentation there followed a lengthy question and answer session in which he highlighted some of the archival materials and the method by which the exposition was prepared. He indicated that although some parts of the Ukrainian archives may have been removed from Ukraine, the archives still contain some 70,000 documents from which paint an accurate picture of events in Ukraine during the period after the national revolution of 1917-1921 until the period just before the Holodomor. He indicated that during this period there were over 268 uprisings by the Ukrainian nation against its communist oppressors, and that these uprisings caused great concern in Moscow, which contributed to Moscow’s plan to crush the Ukrainian nation, and any manifestations of Ukrainian nation consciousness. The Holodomor was a direct result of Moscow’s fear of losing Ukraine.
The SBU in Ukraine has commenced a campaign of intimidation against Krutsyk including an attempt to prosecute him, but so far the SBU has not succeeded in establishing any kind of case against him. Krutsyk stated that he does not fear such a prosecution but does not know whether efforts to discredit him and Memorial will continue after his return to Ukraine.
On Monday, November 28, 2011 Krutsyk spoke in Ukrainian to a gathering of MLAs and the public at the 3 rd. annual commemoration of the proclamation of the Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (Holodomor) Memorial Day Act, enacted by the unanimous vote of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Alberta in November 2008. Indicating that he was honoured to speak in Edmonton, the site of the world’s first memorial to the victims of the Holodomor, consecrated in 1983, he paid tribute to the Government of Alberta for its law recognizing the Holodomor as a genocide against the Ukrainian nation.
Krutsyk also paid tribute to all governments in Canada that have recognized the Holodomor as a genocide and stated that Ukrainians in Ukraine look to Canada as a beacon of democratic governance and an example for Ukraine to follow. He concluded his short remarks with the words, “Glory to Canada”, “Glory to Ukraine” and “Vichnaya Pamyat” to the victims of the Holodomor. After this formal ceremony he was introduced at the opening of the legislative session that day by Eugene Zwozdesky the former cabinet minister who spearheaded the enactment of the provincial law, and was warmly applauded by all MLAs present.
