The Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine in Kyiv hosted the ceremonial opening of a hall named after James Mace — an American and Ukrainian historian, political scientist, and journalist who was the first to expose the truth about the Holodomor of 1932–1933 to the world.
"This is a unique case where a person without Ukrainian roots, an Indian from the Cherokee tribe, became one of the most dedicated defenders of the memory of the victims of the Holodomor. For him, Ukraine became a second homeland, and his work has forever changed the global understanding of the Holodomor as genocide" — emphasized the Academy Director Igor Ostash.
He also highlighted the increase in international recognition of the Holodomor, which sharply rose after the onset of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine.
From 1991 to 2022, 15 countries recognized the Holodomor as genocide. However, only after the beginning of the full-scale invasion — within a year and a half — almost as many countries made similar decisions. This shows how much the war has affected the world's consciousness.
Igor Ostash, Larisa Ivshina (editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Den"), Lesya Hasidzhak, director of the National Memorial Complex "Museum of Holodomor 1932-33", and Maryana Betza, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, attended the hall named after James Mace.
The event was also attended by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Maryana Betza, General Director of the National Museum of Holodomor-Genocide Lesya Hasidzhak, Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper "Den" Larisa Ivshina, as well as staff from the Diplomatic Academy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
Deputy Minister Maryana Betza noted in her speech that the Holodomor-genocide is not an abstract tragedy, but a crime with specific perpetrators and responsible individuals.
"Today, genocide is repeating itself. Russia is committing genocide against Ukrainians, erasing our identity in temporarily occupied territories, erasing the identity of our children whom it has abducted and deported. We must ensure accountability for every war criminal" — emphasized Maryana Betza.
She stressed that conveying the truth about the Holodomors is one of the key tasks of the Ukrainian diplomatic service and an important priority for Minister Andrii Sybiha.
At the opening, a segment of a documentary film about James Mace was shown, and attendees familiarized themselves with publications dedicated to the history of Holodomors in Ukraine.
The memory of James Mace is our candle in the window and a commitment to millions of innocent victims.