George Voinovich: “I wish to remember the trials faced by the Ukrainian people and to pay tribute to their fortitude and love of freedom.…”

“I wish to remember the trials faced by the Ukrainian people and to pay tribute to their fortitude and love of freedom. At times in its history, Ukraine has been exploited and suffered greatly under repressive occupations. The Stalinist regime of the former Soviet Union sought to maintain control of the people and resources of the Ukraine through vicious oppression. The Ukrainian people have weathered many trials, but they have always fought for their freedom. It is my belief that as we embrace Ukraine's future, we must always remember the hardships of its past. The Ukrainian peasantry rebelled against the collectivization policies imposed on them by the Stalinist regime starting in 1925. It is documented that very few farmers voluntarily joined collectives until Soviet secret police and Bolshevik brigades were sent to crush the resistance. As agricultural production fell in 1932 due to drought and these Stalinist policies, the regime attempted to maintain its export level. To do this the regime brutally confiscated grain and foodstuffs from hunger-stricken villages. Trade and supplies of food and goods were banned from those villages which were considered to be 'underperforming,' while families who resisted were banished to central Asia. The totalitarian regime meted out harsh sentences, even the death penalty, against those who stole even small amounts of grain.”