In temporarily occupied Crimea, the aggressor state systematically pursues a policy of erasing Ukrainian civic and ethnic identity, a key component of which is the obliteration of historical memory about the Holodomor of 1932–1933. Together with the National Museum of the Holodomor-Genocide, we shed light on Russia’s systematic criminal policy.

The genocide of the Ukrainian people, perpetrated by the communist regime, was one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century. For decades, the Soviet Union devoted immense efforts to concealing the truth about this grave international crime: falsifying demographic data, fabricating myths, destroying and hiding documents on the organization and course of the Holodomor, and persecuting those who mentioned it.

Ukraine gradually reclaimed the suppressed memory of the Holodomor and worked to heal the trauma it caused. In 1993, during the first official commemoration of the tragedy’s victims, Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk classified it as a genocide—a designation later affirmed by the Ukrainian parliament in resolutions in 2002 and 2003, and officially enshrined in law on November 28, 2006. Following these declarations by Ukrainian leaders and parliament, the international recognition of this crime also began.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia unilaterally declared itself its successor and continued the criminal policies of manipulation and concealing the truth about the Holodomor. As it became impossible to hide the fact that millions of Ukrainians died from man-made famine, the primary method of manipulation shifted to promoting the false narrative that the famine of 1932–1933 was widespread across the USSR. Russia claimed the situation in Ukraine and the Kuban was no different from most other Soviet-occupied territories or regions. It propagated numerous other fabrications that distorted the understanding of the Holodomor and the genocide of Ukrainians, including the myth that Ukrainians themselves were to blame for the famine. Additionally, Russia actively opposed the international process of recognizing the Holodomor as genocide.

In 1932–1933, Crimea was part of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) and faced the tragedy of the Holodomor primarily due to refugees fleeing the man-made famine in the Ukrainian SSR (USSR). This was further compounded by restrictions on Ukrainian peasants entering Crimea and the prohibition of food supplies being sent to Ukraine. We explored this in a previous publication.

Memoirs of Ukrainians who sought refuge in Crimea during the Holodomor often highlight the assistance provided by Crimean Tatars. Mustafa Dzhemiliev, the leader of the Crimean Tatar people, recalled that his father learned some Ukrainian words from a man who lived with their family in 1933.

Over time, a tradition of commemorating the millions of victims during Days of Remembrance emerged. These solemn events brought together the efforts of civil society and government representatives, creating a space for collective reflection on the tragedy. Throughout the 21st century, memorial crosses were installed in various parts of Crimea to honor the victims—a tradition that continued until Russia’s aggression and occupation of the peninsula began.

The first memorial cross was created at the request of Bishop Klyment of Simferopol and Crimea of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchate). It was designed and donated by Crimean Tatar sculptor Ilmi Ametov and placed in a niche near the entrance to the Cathedral of Saints Volodymyr and Olha in Simferopol.

However, after the 2014 occupation, the aggressor state reinstated practices of falsifying and silencing the truth about the Holodomor while glorifying the organizers of this crime. The destruction of memorial sites and literature about the Holodomor, the removal of books from libraries, repression against activists, and forced expulsions of those supporting remembrance activities have become routine under the occupation regime.

The occupiers not only erase the memory of the tragedy but also obstruct any memorial events, using repressive legislation to suppress even the slightest expressions of Ukrainian identity. In occupied Crimea, the historical truth about the Holodomor as one of the most heinous crimes against the Ukrainian people is replaced with propaganda that denies its genocidal nature.

Russia’s totalitarian machinery seeks to eradicate all things Ukrainian in Crimea. Yet, we remain steadfast. Ukrainian Crimea will inevitably be liberated, and the Ukrainian state will ensure that the national memory of all of Russia’s crimes—past and present—is restored.