Head of the UGCC at the National Museum of the Holodomor: ‘Honoring Genocide Victims is a Duty for Both the State and Every Ukrainian’
On July 23, the National Museum of the Holodomor Genocide officially received the Introductory Artistic Concept for the main exhibition’s second stage from the International Charitable Foundation of the Holodomor Museum. Among the Supervisory Board members of the Foundation was His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Father and Head of the UGCC.
The ceremony gathered government representatives, public figures, and religious leaders—philanthropists who contributed to creating the Introductory Artistic Concept for the exhibition’s second phase.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized the importance of public and state cooperation in preserving the memory of the Holodomor genocide:
“I believe that this is the key to understanding today’s event,” said the Head of the Church. “The state has a duty to honor its citizens, particularly those who became victims of this famine-genocide. The state cannot usurp the monopoly on honoring these people. Ordinary people, ordinary Ukrainians, should also have the opportunity to join this national noble endeavor.”
He noted that honoring the victims of the Holodomor is a moral obligation for every Ukrainian, a duty also felt by the Church, which contributed to developing the Holodomor Museum’s Introductory Concept.
“Our Church is part of civil society,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav. “We gave ordinary people the opportunity to join this cause… I want to mention those who contributed to the creation of the Museum, not only as a building but also to the exposition itself, which tells the truth about our pain and Ukrainian memory.”
During the ceremony, Viktor Yushchenko and Ivan Vasyunyk, chairman of the Supervisory Board of the International Charitable Foundation of the Holodomor Museum, presented letters of gratitude to the benefactors who made institutional contributions to the project, raising more than $800,000.
Notably, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church played a crucial role in raising funds for this concept. The Primate led the charity campaign “Seeds of Truth” on the online platform of the same name, helping the UGCC raise over UAH 2 million, significantly contributing to the total project budget.
The introductory concept of the exhibition was created by an international project team consisting of experts from Nizio Design International (Poland) and Haley Sharpe Design LTD (UK) and was fully funded by donations from the International Holodomor Museum Foundation. According to Lesia Hasydzhak, the Museum’s Director General, the exhibition integrates a deep artistic concept with the harsh reality of the tragedy.
Ivan Vasyunyk, chairman of the Supervisory Board of the International Charitable Foundation of the Holodomor Museum, stated that the Introductory Artistic Concept provides a comprehensive idea of what the new museum’s exposition will look like, covering nearly 4,000 square meters.
“The state is responsible for the major construction of the Museum, while philanthropists from Ukraine and abroad are responsible for recruiting the best designers for both architectural planning and exhibition design. Today marks the result of the first stage.”
Ivan Vasyunyk is convinced that after Ukraine’s victory in the war, the opening of the Holodomor Museum will be one of the most important cultural and political events: “I dream that the exposition of this museum will closely relate the Holodomor-genocide of 1932–1933 to the current genocidal war of Russia against Ukraine.”
The UGCC Department for Information
Photo by Volodymyr Tarasov / Ukrinform
