Cannibalism in Ukraine

Posted by Kerry Kubilius Dec 3, 2007

Seventy-five years have passed since the Holodomor, or famine plague, killed up to 10 million Ukrainians. Older Ukrainians remember their experiences during the famine, as well as the relatives, friends, and community members who died from starvation during this period in early Soviet history.

Cannibalism in the Soviet Union is well documented. In Ukraine during the Holodomor, individuals might have eaten children or those who had already died. Parents strove to keep their children close when cannibalism was suspected by community members. Cautionary tales of children eaten by neighbors were not exaggerated warnings - they had their basis in truth.

Ukraine is divided over whether the famine, which is said to have been manufactured, can be classified as genocide. However, all Ukrainians agree that this terrible period in Ukrainian history is necessary to remember.