Battlefords students learn shocking details of Ukrainian genocide

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“Genocide can be really subtle and happen pretty quickly and easily in simple ways,” she said. “I don’t think our generation understands how easy it is for it to take place.”

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The Holodomor genocide caused an estimated 2.4 to 7.5 million starvation deaths from 1932 to 1933 under Joseph Stalin.

Stephanie Bailey of the Holodomor National Awareness Tour said the interactive design of the bus and material ensure the information stays with students.

“We’re hoping students have a basic understanding of what the genocide was and of how it happened, under what kind of government it happened,” she said. “They need to understand why it’s incredibly important that we live in a democratic state.”

Bailey said the tour has been well supported in Saskatchewan, possibly because of the strong Ukrainian heritage in the province.

Among the many reactions she’s seen from students, Bailey said every student is shocked they’d never heard of the Holodomor genocide before.  

It was covered up for years and the first book about the genocide wasn’t written until 40 years after it ended. Ukraine didn’t officially recognize it as a genocide until 2006, with 24 countries, including Canada, following suit.

Bailey has a personal reason to be so invested in educating the public about the genocide. She grew up listening to stories about it from her grandmother, who lived through it and WWII before immigrating to Canada.

“Looking back and doing research, you realize just how horrific the Holodomor was and just how debilitating that psychological abuse is,” she said. “It’s one thing to die of starvation, it’s another thing to live through that and see everyone around you die of starvation.”

The tour, based out of Toronto, will be in the Battlefords again Wednesday, Oct. 12 before moving through Manitoba and back to Ontario.

Sarah Rae is battlefordsNOW’s court and crime reporter. She can be reached at Sarah.Rae@jpbg.ca or tweet her @sarahjeanrae.