Ukraine Deputy Prime Minister Mentions 'Holodomor' "Ukrainians Oppressed for Over 100 Years Know How to Unite"
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The 2019 film "Mr. Jones" centers on a British journalist who secretly infiltrates the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin in the early 1930s. He narrowly escapes death multiple times while sneaking into areas forbidden by the Stalin government. At that time, the Soviet government had complete control over the media, and even major foreign news outlets had no articles criticizing the Soviet Union. The protagonist experiences the terror of death not only from the Soviet army but also from starvation. It was difficult to find food anywhere. At the moment he was on the brink of death from hunger, he was rescued by some children. After hastily eating the soup containing meat given by the children, he regains consciousness. The children were tearing flesh from the corpses of neighboring houses to fill their stomachs, and upon realizing this, the journalist was horrified and vomited all the food he had eaten.
"Mr. Jones" is based on the Holodomor, the great famine that occurred in Ukraine in the early 1930s. It is estimated that more than 3 million people died at that time, and there are suspicions that the Stalin regime deliberately neglected the famine. "Holodo" means hunger, and "Mor" means many deaths.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on the 24th of last month, the Holodomor has been frequently mentioned. Olga Stefanishyna, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister, said in an interview with a foreign news outlet, "Ukrainians have always shown unity during difficult times," adding, "We survived the Holodomor." She continued, "We have suffered under Russia for over 100 years, so we know how to unite, and the only way to survive is through unity."
As Deputy Prime Minister Stefanishyna said, Ukrainians are resisting Russia's invasion with unprecedented unity, and a foreign news outlet described this as the birth of a new Ukraine. Since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine had shown signs of division with pro-Russian and pro-Western factions clashing over 30 years, but now everyone is fighting against Russia.
A social organization, Rating, conducted a telephone survey of about 1,200 people across Ukraine on the 12th and 13th of this month. 76% of respondents said that Ukraine's situation is moving in the right direction. More than 80% of respondents said they are helping Ukraine in some way, such as taking up arms, providing financial support, or sharing information. Among respondents, 91% said they actually feel hopeful. This was the highest figure in the history of Rating's public opinion polls.
Even residents with pro-Russian tendencies are taking up arms, donating money, and volunteering. Initially, President Putin expected that pro-Russian Ukrainians would welcome Russian troops if Russia invaded Ukraine, but this is now seen as a misjudgment.
Yuriy Boyko, who served as Deputy Prime Minister in the pro-Russian Viktor Yanukovych government from 2012 to 2014 and ran in the 2014 and 2019 presidential elections, has recently been strongly criticizing Russia. On his Facebook page, he wrote, "I condemn the Russian troops invading our country," and "I will do everything to help Ukrainian citizens going through terrible times and protect Ukraine." Since Russia's invasion, he has been encouraging citizens to enlist to help refugees in war zones and defend Ukrainian territory.
Professor Sergey Utenkov of Kharkiv University of Physics and Technology said, "People's attitudes toward the country have completely changed." He added, "Trust in the country has increased, and people are standing by those around them. This is a phenomenon never seen before."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a speech on the 14th, "The strength of Ukrainians is their immediate unity when trials come," adding, "Ukrainians find common ground, fight together, and create their identity." Andriy Sadovyi, mayor of Lviv, said, "We are witnessing the birth of a new Ukraine," and "I cannot imagine another Eastern European country showing such resistance; Ukraine is like David against Goliath."
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