Documentary on Soviet-engineered Holodomor forced famine now available online

The documentary “Holodomor: Minnesota Memories of Genocide in Ukraine,” produced by three Ukrainian churches, is now available to watch free online, the Holodomor Research and Education Consortium (HREC) Canada announced.

The film is accessible at the following link.

The project is the outcome of four years of cooperation between parishioners from the Ukrainian Orthodox and Greek Catholic churches in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, including St. Michael’s and St. George’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church, St. Constantine Ukrainian Catholic Church and St. Katherine Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The 30-minute documentary explores how the tragic memories of the Holodomor – the man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine in 1932-1933 that was engineered by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin and his henchmen and which claimed millions of lives – have been preserved and passed down through families, communities, and generations.

“I wanted to make the story of the Holodomor personal and relatable for American audiences,” said first-time writer and director Zina Poletz Gutmanis.

The film also draws parallels between the 1932-1933 genocide and the current one of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This connection is made through the involvement of Ukrainian soldiers, who are currently undergoing rehabilitation in one of Minnesota’s medical centers.

Another key message of the film is the vital role of the global Ukrainian community in preserving the memory of the Holodomor and advocating for Ukraine’s support, both during the genocide and in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war.

More than 75 Ukrainian Americans contributed to the documentary’s production.