Holodomor Memorial Site approved in Washington, D.C.

On Thursday, October 2, 2008, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approved and awarded a parcel of federally owned land to the Ukrainian Government as the site for the Memorial to Victims of the Ukrainian Genocide of 1932-33, according to a press release forwarded to UNIAN by Morgan Williams, Founder and Trustee of "Holodomor: Through the Eyes of Ukrainian Artists" Collection and member of the International Holodomor Committee (IHC).

Public Law 109-340 authorized the memorial, as signed by President Bush on October 13, 2006 according to the "Ukraine in Brief", Volume IV, Issue of the Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS) in Washington, D.C. on Friday, October 3, 2008.

The "Ukraine in Brief" newsletter said: "The Ukrainian Famine-Genocide bill (HR562) was sponsored by Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI), co-chair of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, which passed unanimously in the House of Representatives and Senate in 2005, 2006 respectively.

The adopted site is an approximately 3100 square foot triangular site located at the intersection of North Capital Street, Massachusetts Avenue, and F Street in NW Washington, DC. Office, government, institutional, and residential buildings characterize the general area surrounding the site.

 The Postal Museum is across the street, and it is five blocks north of the U.S. Capitol. This open and visible site is situated in a busy and highly trafficked area that serves as a transition point between east and west Washington, DC.

The site is important as the first reservation west of Union Station, and is a significant entrance point from Union Station to NW DC through Massachusetts Avenue, which is known for its international character.

Speaking about the accomplishment of the site selection, Alan Harwood a Principal with EDAW, Inc., the planning and design firm that is leading the project team, "the Ukrainian memorial will be located on a wonderful and prominent site in the Nation`s Capital. It will be highly visible to many residents, employees, and visitors.”

Although the proposed memorial has not yet been designed, based on preliminary discussions, the Ukrainian Government has stated that it anticipates that the commemoration of this event will consist of a contemplative space with a memorial element appropriate for a landscaped setting. The proposed memorial is anticipated to “include typical features such as an abstract or allegorical element in a landscaped setting.”

Initiated under the auspices of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America in cooperation with Rep. Levin’s office, the process has been widely supported by the Ukrainian American community. The National Committee to Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Ukrainian Genocide of 1932-1933 has taken upon itself financing of the Environmental Assessment for the project.

Its chairman, Michael Sawkiw, Jr., thanked the community for their continued financial support: “Without the support of Ukrainian Americans, our dream of having a memorial in Washington, DC would not have come to fruition yesterday during the site selection hearing.”

The Ukrainian Government is confident that it can create a successful and functional public space that befits the site’s prominence in the National Capital, embracing the site’s natural openness, and seamlessly integrating the memorial into the surrounding environment."

 The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), The National Committee to Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Ukrainian Genocide of 1932-1933, and the Embassy of Ukraine to the United States, Dr. Oleh Shamshur, Ambassador, have been working together for many months to obtain approval of an appropriate site for the Holodomor Memorial.