Mykolaiv Oblast State Archives publishes collection of Holodomor eyewitnesses' testimonies

The State Archives of Mykolaiv Oblast has published in digital format all documents of the fund No. 6146 "Collection of testimonies of eyewitnesses of the Holodomor of 1932-1933, now living in Mykolaiv Oblast."

This was reported by the State Archives on its social media page.

The collection was formed in 2009-2011 in pursuance of the Decree of the President of Ukraine of June 12, 2009, No. 432/2009 "On Additional Measures to Commemorate the Victims of the Holodomor of 1932-1933 in Ukraine" and the order of the head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration of June 19, 2009, No. 226-p "On Measures to Commemorate the Victims of the Holodomor of 1932-1933 in Ukraine and Further Research on the Holodomor in Ukraine in the Mykolaiv Region." In 2009, the testimonies of 18,521 Holodomor witnesses living in the Mykolaiv region were re-systematized.

The collection's files are organized mainly by geographical and alphabetical principles, with internal descriptions indicating the surnames, names, patronymics of witnesses and sheet numbers. The collection currently includes 78 cases.

Residents of Bessarabia also shared their memories of those terrible years. In Southern Bessarabia, at least 112,986 people died as a result of the famine, including many children. Official death lists compiled by district registrars in 1946-1947 were significantly underreported, so the actual number of victims was probably much higher. Residents of the Bolhrad district left their memories in the memory of their children and grandchildren, in interview notes and books, which helps preserve historical memory.

Сергій Лозовський