欧宝娱乐

Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

效械褉胁械薪 谐谢邪写: 胁芯泄薪邪褌邪 薪邪 小褌邪谢懈薪 褋褉械褖褍 校泻褉邪泄薪邪

Rate this book
袩芯褔褌懈 褔械褌懈褉懈 屑懈谢懈芯薪邪 褍泻褉邪懈薪褑懈 褍屑懈褉邪褌 芯褌 屑邪褋芯胁懈褟 谐谢邪写 锌褉械蟹 1932鈥�1933 谐. 袙 薪芯胁邪褌邪 褋懈 泻薪懈谐邪 袗薪 袗锌褗谢斜邪褍屑, 薪芯褋懈褌械谢泻邪 薪邪 薪邪谐褉邪写邪 鈥炐熝冃恍秆喲娧€鈥�, 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟褌邪 薪邪 褌褉邪谐懈褔薪懈褌械 褋褗斜懈褌懈褟 懈 泻邪泻 褌械 褋邪 懈蟹锌芯谢蟹胁邪薪懈 芯褌 小褌邪谢懈薪 蟹邪 锌芯写褔懈薪褟胁邪薪械褌芯 薪邪 校泻褉邪泄薪邪 薪邪 褋芯斜褋褌胁械薪懈褌械 屑褍 锌谢邪薪芯胁械. 鈥炐笛€胁械薪 谐谢邪写鈥� 褋械 蟹邪薪懈屑邪胁邪 薪械 褋邪屑芯 褋 谐芯谢械屑懈褌械 懈褋褌芯褉懈褔械褋泻懈 胁褗锌褉芯褋懈 鈥� 泻邪泻胁芯 胁褋褗褖薪芯褋褌 褋械 褋谢褍褔胁邪 锌褉械蟹 芯薪械蟹懈 薪械褋锌芯泻芯泄薪懈 谐芯写懈薪懈 懈 泻邪泻胁懈 褋邪 锌褉懈褔懈薪懈褌械 蟹邪 谐谢邪写邪, 鈥� 薪芯 锌芯泻邪蟹胁邪 褋褗斜懈褌懈褟褌邪 懈 锌褉械蟹 芯褔懈褌械 薪邪 芯褔械胁懈写褑懈褌械 鈥� 褋械谢褟薪懈, 斜芯褉械褖懈 褋械 蟹邪 褌褉芯褏邪 褏谢褟斜, 褋谢械写 泻邪褌芯 胁褋懈褔泻芯 懈屑 械 芯褌薪械褌芯; 屑谢邪写懈 泻芯屑褋芯屑芯谢褑懈, 芯褌懈褕谢懈 芯褌 谐褉邪写邪 胁 褋械谢芯褌芯, 蟹邪 写邪 褋械 斜芯褉褟褌 褋 鈥炐靶窖傂秆€械胁芯谢褞褑懈芯薪薪懈褌械 械谢械屑械薪褌懈鈥�; 褍泻褉邪懈薪褋泻懈 锌芯谢懈褌懈褑懈, 褉邪蟹泻褗褋胁邪褖懈 褋械 屑械卸写褍 褋谢褟锌邪褌邪 谢芯褟谢薪芯褋褌 泻褗屑 袦芯褋泻胁邪 懈 懈薪褌械褉械褋懈褌械 薪邪 褋芯斜褋褌胁械薪懈褟 褋懈 薪邪褉芯写...

鈥炐笛€胁械薪 谐谢邪写鈥� 械 锌褗褉胁邪褌邪 泻薪懈谐邪 薪邪 斜褗谢谐邪褉褋泻懈 械蟹懈泻, 泻芯褟褌芯 胁 褌邪泻邪胁邪 写褗谢斜芯褔懈薪邪 褉邪蟹谐谢械卸写邪 袚谢邪写芯屑芯褉邪. 袠蟹褟褋薪褟胁邪薪械褌芯 薪邪 褌芯蟹懈 懈褋褌芯褉懈褔械褋泻懈 屑芯屑械薪褌 械 泻谢褞褔芯胁芯 蟹邪 褉邪蟹斜懈褉邪薪械褌芯 薪邪 写薪械褕薪懈褌械 褍泻褉邪懈薪褋泻芯-褉褍褋泻懈 芯褌薪芯褕械薪懈褟 懈 懈薪褌械褉锌褉械褌邪褑懈褟褌邪 薪邪 芯斜褖芯褌芯 懈屑 泻芯屑褍薪懈褋褌懈褔械褋泻芯 屑懈薪邪谢芯.

424 pages, Paperback

First published September 7, 2017

2393 people are currently reading
25164 people want to read

About the author

Anne Applebaum

42books2,942followers
Anne Elizabeth Applebaum is a Polish-American journalist and writer. She has written extensively about Marxism鈥揕eninism and the development of civil society in Central and Eastern Europe. She has worked at The Economist and The Spectator, and was a member of the editorial board of The Washington Post.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
4,549 (52%)
4 stars
3,229 (37%)
3 stars
750 (8%)
2 stars
115 (1%)
1 star
63 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,151 reviews
Profile Image for Debbie W..
906 reviews792 followers
February 25, 2022
In 2008, Canada (and several other countries) established the Ukrainian Famine and Genocide ("Holodomor") Memorial Day Act, and that the 4th Saturday in November shall be known as "Ukrainian Famine and Genocide ("Holodomor") Memorial Day.

Holod = hunger
Mor = extermination


Being of Ukrainian descent, I thought it only fitting that I read this book at this time, with the hope of gaining more knowledge about this historical atrocity. Author didn't let me down! Her extensive research detailed the following directives imposed by Stalin that created the famine of 1931-1934 when approximately 5 million people starved to death:

1. collectivization (the replacement of private farms with state-run farms) made entrepreneurial farmers into so-called "paid" laborers. This led to the loss of the incentive for growing more grain as well as respect for property, dignity, and human life;
2. grain requisitions - Stalin's unrealistic demands were specifically aimed at Ukraine's peasants who couldn't meet grain export requirements (for various reasons.) The goal was to sacrifice the peasant in order to industrialize the USSR; therefore, all grain was confiscated, even that saved for bread and for seed;
3. blacklisted farms and whole villages- extremely harsh punishments (including death!) were meted out when grain quotas weren't met, including the ban of trade, confiscations and various sanctions;
4. strict border controls - meant to keep starving peasants from leaving their homes in search of food;
5. extraordinary searches - it was most disturbing to read how the starving peasants would eat anything, even resorting to cannibalism, in order to survive! Also disturbing was how brigades were on constant lookout and would take away anything of value that could be exchanged for food, implements that could be used to prepare food, and, of course, "food" itself. Many people were executed for such "infractions";
6. a call for the end of Ukrainization - this included language, schools, history, culture and overall identity (aka genocide!); and,
7. blockade of information - Stalin refused to admit he was wrong and went to great lengths to cover up this famine from faking census registries to misleading foreign celebrities and press corps.
Interesting note: Canadian journalist, Rhea Clyman (she is mentioned in 's book ) was forcibly deported when she was caught travelling across the USSR in 1932 and reporting on the Holodomor.

Applebaum reports how the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster forced Mikael Gorbachev to initiate his glasnost policy which eventually allowed this famine to be brought to light and confirmed. This also spawned discussion as to whether or not it should be classified as a genocide.

My overall thoughts:
1. Although Applebaum's detailed research made for some heavy academic reading at times, I didn't want to give up on this book since I felt personally invested;
2. I finally learned why some of my Ukrainian ancestors weren't directly affected by this famine; and,
3. I also appreciated the inclusion of 24 pages of black and white photos as well as four maps depicting various points in history relevant to this book.

A MUST READ for anyone interested in European history!
Profile Image for Annette.
918 reviews558 followers
April 11, 2022
#unitedwithUkraine #supportUkraine #standupforukraine #slavaukraini #gloryukraine

As we know, in any case, in order to understand an issue, we need to understand the background. In this case, in order to understand the famine, we need to understand the history of Ukrainian fight for independence.

It鈥檚 not until the late 20th century that Ukraine establishes a sovereign state, after centuries of paving their way to it. (Between 16-17th centuries 鈥� the lands were part of Poland under the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth, and between 18-20th centuries 鈥� part of the Russian empire). As explained, that is due to the geography. The Carpathian Mountains marked the border in the southwest, but the gentle forests and open fields or the open steppe in the east could not stop invading armies.

What makes the lands of Ukraine so special? Fertile lands. The rich soil that is especially fertile in the lower part of the Dnieper River basin brings good crops that can be grown twice a year. Donbas on the eastern edge of Ukraine is known for the mining and manufacturing.

The Ukrainian Revolution of 1917 (beginning of the Ukrainian War of Independence 1917-1921) was sparked by the shortages of food. The Russian empire had struggled with food supplies since WWI as they strived to eliminate middlemen, creating non-capitalist form of grain distribution and collective farming.

The drought in the summer of 1921 combined with confiscatory food collection policies, lack of sufficient men to work in the fields, and the acres of unsown land proved catastrophic. You survive bad weather through the preservation and storage of surplus grain. But the surplus was all confiscated, resulting in famine. Despite all that, Lenin鈥檚 tactics sharpened. More pressure was put on peasants in better-off provinces, Ukraine was deemed to be one.

Some scholars argue that the famine was used instrumentally to put an end to the Ukrainian peasant rebellions.

The strength of the wealthy farmers was unacceptable to Stalin. Thus, he reinforced collective farming (which was tried on a small scale and mostly abandoned in 1918-1919). Impossible grain quota led to starvation. Due to the export policy, the Ukrainians watched food leaving their hungry republic. In 1932, the requisitions extended to the livestock, vegetables and dairy products.

In January 1933, the borders of Ukraine were closed to put an end to people leaving the villages to save themselves from starvation.

In springtime, the famine in 1933 reached its peak.

The post-famine crisis suddenly faced a drastic shortage of labor in the Ukrainian countryside. That further led to resettling people from Russia.

The above information is a rough outline for what the book explores in great detail. There is a great effort to present the information in many points, which at times, sounds repetitive and tedious.
Profile Image for Susan.
2,936 reviews577 followers
September 5, 2017
Although this book is about the 鈥楬olodomor鈥� (the word is derived from the Ukrainian words, 鈥榟olod鈥� or 鈥榟unger鈥� and 鈥榤or鈥� or extermination) or famine of 1932-33, it is actually about much more than that. It is about the repression of the Ukrainian intellectual and political class, of the Sovietisation of Ukraine, the collectivisation of agriculture and the attempts to wipe out Ukrainian culture and language.

Ironically, it was the fertile soil and relatively mild climate of Ukraine, which led to them becoming so valuable to the Soviet Union. The country had two harvests a year and was responsible for feeding far more than their own region. The author takes us back to the revolution of 1917 and traces how the period of upheaval saw optimism for Ukraine, but, by 1918, Lenin was making plans to occupy the area. In fact, the first half of this history looks at the various uprisings, uneasy periods of peace, discontent, crisis and rationing, which led up to the events of 1932/33.

By 1930, collectivisation of farming led from what had been a loose organisation of farming, by the Soviet Union, to tight control and grain requisitioning demands which were impossible to fulfil. There was pressure on the agricultural peasants to send more and more grain outside Ukraine, but the farmers themselves lost control of their lives 鈥� and lost enthusiasm for working the land. However, Stalin鈥檚 policies led to famine across the grain-growing regions of the USSR and nowhere more than Ukraine. Not only was the country under pressure to keep producing 鈥� and yet not keeping - enough crops to keep them alive, but anyone caught stealing food faced many years in a labour camp, or death. By the end of 1932, over 100,000 people had been sent to camps and 4,500 were executed.

The author then goes on to the actual famine period which is terrible to read about. All grain now was t be collected to fulfil Russian demands and no excuses were accepted. However, although activists swept through villages; taking not only grain, but fruit, seeds, vegetables, flour 鈥� indeed everything from crusts on the table to the family cow 鈥� there was no sympathy for the Ukrainian people. It is clear that Soviet newspapers presented the starving population as unpatriotic; arguing they did not care about the workers or the 5 year plan.

Although this is a serious historical work, it is not dry or dull in any way. There can be nothing about this book which fails to move you 鈥� reading of children who die during lessons at school, of the distrust, suspicion and lack of empathy as witnesses became indifferent to the suffering around them, is both tragic and horribly real. Yet, this is as much about the attempts by the Ukrainian people to retain their culture and language, as it was to resist the government鈥檚 attempts to starve their nation. I must admit I knew little about Ukrainian history, but this was an eye opening read about a terrible period of history and of a people who survived against the odds.




Profile Image for Beata .
881 reviews1,347 followers
October 25, 2017
Ann Applebaum does not disappoint. A thorough account of the most terrifying times in the history of Ukraine. Superb panorama and the background. Ms Applebaum presents us with not just the several years of the famine itself but also explains in detail the reasons behind the tragedy of millions of innocent people. The Author colleced accounts by ordinary people, and some are truly horryfing, making us aware of the fact that often our own suffering makes us immune to the suffering of others.
Profile Image for Maziyar Yf.
738 reviews527 followers
June 7, 2024
禺丕賳賲 丕倬賱亘丕賲 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 賵 乇賵夭賳丕賲賴 賳诏丕乇 丌賲乇蹖讴丕蹖蹖 丿乇 讴鬲丕亘 禺賵丿 賯丨胤蹖 爻乇禺 亘賴 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 賮噩丕蹖毓 讴賲鬲乇 卮賳丕禺鬲賴 卮丿賴 倬乇丿丕禺鬲賴 . 賮丕噩毓賴 丕蹖 讴賴 丿乇 爻丕蹖賴 丨賵丕丿孬 鬲賱禺 倬爻 丕夭 禺賵丿 賲丕賳賳丿 賴賵賱賵讴丕爻鬲 蹖丕 亘賲亘丕乇丕賳 丕鬲賲蹖 賴蹖乇賵卮蹖賲丕 賵 賳丕讴丕夭丕讴蹖 賮乇丕賲賵卮 卮丿賴 亘賴 賳馗乇 賲蹖 乇爻丿 . 賲賵囟賵毓 丕氐賱蹖 讴鬲丕亘 丕賵 賯丨胤蹖 賲氐賳賵毓蹖 蹖丕 賴賲丕賳 赖賵賱賵丿賵賲賵乇 蹖丕 賯丨胤蹖 亘夭乇诏 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 亘賵丿賴 讴賴 賲蹖賱賵賳賴丕 讴卮鬲賴 亘賴 噩丕 诏匕丕卮鬲 .
讴鬲丕亘 丕賵 亘賴 胤賵乇 讴賱蹖 丿賵 賲賵囟賵毓 丕氐賱蹖 乇丕 丿賳亘丕賱 讴乇丿賴 : 丕賵賱 亘蹖賳 爻丕賱賴丕蹖 1917-1934 亘乇 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 趩賴 诏匕卮鬲賴 賵 亘賴 賵蹖跇賴 趩賴 丕鬲賮丕賯蹖 丿乇 爻丕賱賴丕蹖 1932 賵 1933 丕賮鬲丕丿賴 責 亘乇丕蹖 倬丕爻禺 亘賴 倬乇爻卮 賴丕蹖 賮賵賯 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 诏乇蹖夭蹖 讴賵鬲丕賴 亘賴 鬲賯爻蹖賲 卮丿賳 賲鬲毓丿丿 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 賲蹖丕賳 賱賴爻鬲丕賳 貙 乇賵爻蹖賴 貙 丕賲倬乇丕鬲賵乇蹖 毓孬賲丕賳蹖 賵 丕鬲乇蹖卮 賲噩丕乇爻鬲丕賳 夭丿賴 賵 乇蹖卮賴 鬲賲丕蹖賱丕鬲 丕爻鬲賯賱丕賱 胤賱亘丕賳賴 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 乇丕 倬爻 丕夭 丕賳賯賱丕亘 乇賵爻蹖賴 亘乇乇爻蹖 讴乇丿賴 . 賲亘丕乇夭丕鬲 丕爻鬲賯賱丕賱 禺賵丕賴丕賳賴 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳蹖 賴丕 亘賴 乇賴亘乇蹖 爻蹖賲賵賳 倬鬲賱蹖賵乇丕 丿乇 爻丕賱 1917 賲賳噩乇 亘賴 鬲卮讴蹖賱 讴卮賵乇 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 卮丿 貙 丕爻鬲賯賱丕賱蹖 讴賴 卮賵乇亘禺鬲丕賳賴 毓賲乇 趩賳丿丕賳蹖 賳丿丕卮鬲 賵 趩賳丿 爻丕賱 亘毓丿 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 鬲賵爻胤 卮賵乇賵蹖 亘賱毓蹖丿賴 卮丿 賵 丕爻鬲賯賱丕賱 丌賳 亘乇丕蹖 丿賴賴 賴丕 亘賴 毓賯亘 丕賮鬲丕丿 .
鬲賱丕卮 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 亘乇丕蹖 卮乇丨 丌賳趩賴 亘乇 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 賲蹖丕賳 爻丕賱賴丕蹖 1917-1934 诏匕卮鬲賴 爻禺鬲 爻鬲賵丿賳蹖 亘賵丿賴 . 夭亘丕賳 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳蹖 亘賴 毓賳賵丕賳 毓丕賲賱 鬲賯賵蹖鬲 讴賳賳丿賴 賵 賴賵蹖鬲 亘禺卮 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳蹖 賴丕 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 賲賴賲鬲乇蹖賳 賮丕讴鬲賵乇賴丕 亘賵丿賴 .丿乇 丨丕賱蹖 讴賴 丿乇 卮賴乇賴丕 夭亘丕賳 乇賵爻蹖 貙 賱賴爻鬲丕賳蹖 蹖丕 蹖蹖丿蹖卮 氐丨亘鬲 賲蹖 卮丿賴 丿乇 乇賵爻鬲丕賴丕 乇賵爻鬲丕賳卮蹖賳丕賳 亘賴 夭亘丕賳 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳蹖 氐丨亘鬲 賲蹖 讴乇丿賳丿. 鬲囟毓蹖賮 夭亘丕賳 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳蹖 賵 鬲丨賲蹖賱 夭亘丕賳 乇賵爻蹖 丌賳 诏賵賳賴 讴賴 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 賳賵卮鬲賴 丨鬲蹖 丿乇 丿賵乇丕賳 乇賵爻蹖賴 鬲夭丕乇蹖 賴賲 蹖讴 爻蹖丕爻鬲 毓賲丿賴 亘賵丿賴 賵 賲爻讴賵 賳卮蹖賳丕賳 丕氐賵賱丕 夭亘丕賳 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳蹖 乇丕 蹖讴 夭亘丕賳 賳賲蹖 丿丕賳爻鬲賳丿 亘賱讴賴 氐乇賮丕 丌賳乇丕 賱賴噩賴 丕蹖 诏乇賮鬲賴 卮丿賴 丕夭 夭亘丕賳 乇賵爻蹖 賲蹖 丿丕賳爻鬲賳丿 . 賲爻讴賵 亘丕 鬲囟毓蹖賮 夭亘丕賳 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳蹖 爻蹖丕爻鬲 賳丕亘賵丿蹖 賲賱蹖 诏乇丕蹖蹖 丿乇 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 賵 賴丿賮 賲賴賲鬲乇 賳丕亘賵丿蹖 賮乇賴賳诏 賵 賲賱鬲 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 賵 匕賵亘 卮丿賳 丌賳 丿乇 丿賱 乇賵爻蹖賴 賵 爻倬爻 卮賵乇賵蹖 乇丕 丿賳亘丕賱 賲蹖 讴乇丿 . 賳鬲蹖噩賴 丕蹖 讴賴 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 丕夭 爻蹖丕爻鬲 赖賵賱賵丿賵賲賵乇 賵 鬲囟毓蹖賮 賵 賳丕亘賵丿蹖 賮乇賴賳诏 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳蹖 诏乇賮鬲賴 噩賴鬲 爻蹖丕爻鬲 讴賱蹖 乇賵爻蹖賴 賵 蹖丕 卮賵乇賵蹖 乇丕 丿乇 亘乇丕亘乇 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 鬲丕 爻丕賱賴丕蹖 賲卮禺氐 讴乇丿賴 : 爻乇讴賵亘 丕蹖丿賴 賲賱蹖 诏乇丕蹖蹖 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 賵 賳丕亘賵丿 卮丿賳 賴乇诏賵賳賴 趩丕賱卮 賲蹖丕賳 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 賵 卮賵乇賵蹖 賵 卮賳丕禺鬲賴 卮丿賳 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 亘賴 毓賳賵丕賳 亘賴 毓賳賵丕賳 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 噩賲賴賵乇蹖 賴丕蹖 卮賵乇賵蹖 . 丕蹖丿賴 丕蹖 讴賴 丿爻鬲 讴賲 80 爻丕賱 毓賲乇 讴乇丿 .

乇賵爻蹖賴 貙 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 诏乇爻賳诏蹖 賵 賯丨胤蹖

乇賵爻蹖賴 賵 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 丕夭 爻丕賱 1921 丿趩丕乇 賯丨胤蹖 卮丿賳丿 讴賴 噩丕賳 5 賲蹖賱蹖賵賳 賳賮乇 乇丕 诏乇賮鬲 . 丕蹖賳 賯丨胤蹖 亘賴 爻亘亘 禺卮讴爻丕賱蹖 睾蹖乇 毓丕丿蹖 鬲卮丿蹖丿 賴賲 卮丿 賵 毓賵丕賲賱蹖 賲丕賳賳丿 噩賳诏 噩賴丕賳蹖 丕賵賱 賵 噩賳诏 丿丕禺賱蹖 乇丕 賲蹖 鬲賵丕賳 夭賲蹖賳賴 爻丕夭 丌賳 丿丕賳爻鬲 . 賱賳蹖賳 丕蹖賳 賯丨胤蹖 乇丕 亘賴 乇爻賲蹖鬲 卮賳丕禺鬲 賵 鬲賱丕卮 賴丕蹖蹖 賴賲 丿乇 噩賴鬲 賲賴丕乇 丌賳 丕賳噩丕賲 丿丕丿 . 丌賳 诏賵賳賴 讴賴 丿乇 讴鬲丕亘 鬲乇丕跇锟斤拷蹖 賲乇丿賲 丌賲丿賴 鬲賱丕卮賴丕蹖 亘蹖 賵賯賮賴 賲丕讴爻蹖賲 诏賵乇诏蹖 賵 爻禺丕賵鬲 丌賲乇蹖讴丕蹖蹖 賴丕 爻亘亘 賳噩丕鬲 噩丕賳 賲蹖賱賵賳賴丕 賳賮乇 丕夭 賯丨胤蹖 卮丿 . 丕倬賱亘丕賲 倬爻 丕夭 卮乇丨 丕蹖賳 賯丨胤蹖 亘賴 賲賵囟賵丕 丕氐賱蹖 讴鬲丕亘 蹖丕 賴賲丕賳 赖賵賱賵丿賵賲賵乇 蹖丕 賯丨胤蹖 亘夭乇诏 倬乇丿丕禺鬲賴 . 賯丨胤蹖 讴賴 毓丕賲賱 丌賳 禺卮讴爻丕賱蹖 賵 蹖丕 胤亘蹖毓鬲 賳亘賵丿 . 丕蹖賳 賯丨胤蹖 亘乇賳丕賲賴 賵 丕蹖丿賴 丕爻鬲丕賱蹖賳 亘賵丿 賵賴賲丕賳 诏賵賳賴 丕夭 匕丕鬲 卮蹖胤丕賳蹖 賵賳亘賵睾 丿蹖賵丕賳賴 賵丕乇卮 丕賳鬲馗丕乇 賲蹖 乇賮鬲 丕蹖賳 亘乇賳丕賲賴 賲禺賵賮 乇丕 亘丕 賲賵賮賯蹖鬲 丕噩乇丕 讴乇丿 .

夭賲丕賳蹖 讴賴 睾匕丕 禺賵乇丿賳 噩乇賲 賲蹖 卮賵丿

丿乇 爻丕賱 1932 丨夭亘 讴賲賵賳蹖爻鬲 賲噩賲賵毓賴 丕蹖 丕夭 鬲氐賲蹖賲丕鬲 乇丕 鬲氐賵蹖亘 讴乇丿 讴賴 亘賴 賯丨胤蹖 丿乇 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 卮丿鬲 亘禺卮蹖丿 賵 丌賳乇丕 诏爻鬲乇卮 丿丕丿 . 丨夭亘 爻蹖丕爻鬲 丕卮鬲乇丕讴蹖 爻丕夭蹖 賲夭丕乇毓 乇丕 亘賴 卮丿鬲 诏爻鬲乇卮 丿丕丿 . 丿賴賯丕賳丕賳 讴賴 丕爻鬲丕賱蹖賳 丌賳丕賳 乇丕 丿卮賲賳 卮賲丕乇賴 蹖讴 禺賵丿 賲蹖 丿丕賳爻鬲 賲賵馗賮 亘賴 鬲丨賵蹖賱 丿丕賲 賴丕蹖卮丕賳 亘賴 讴賱禺賵夭賴丕 卮丿賳丿 . 丿乇 賴賲蹖賳 丨丕賱 倬賱蹖爻 賵 賳蹖乇賵賴丕蹖 丨夭亘 亘丕 丕賳诏蹖夭賴 丕蹖噩丕丿 诏乇爻賳诏蹖 賵 鬲乇爻 賵丕乇丿 禺丕賳賴 丿賴賯丕賳丕賳 卮丿賳丿 賵 賴賲賴 禺賵乇丕讴蹖 賴丕蹖 丌賳丕賳 卮丕賲賱 爻蹖亘 夭賲蹖賳蹖 貙 趩睾賳丿乇 貙 賳禺賵丿 賵 賱賵亘蹖丕 賵 丌賳趩賴 丕夭 丿丕賲 賴丕 賵 丨蹖賵丕賳丕鬲 禺丕賳诏蹖 丌賳丕賳 賲丕賳丿賴 亘賵丿 賵 丨鬲蹖 睾匕丕賴丕蹖蹖 乇丕 讴賴 乇賵蹖 丕噩丕賯 賵 蹖丕 亘乇爻乇 爻賮乇賴 丿賴賯丕賳丕賳 賳诏賵賳 亘禺鬲 亘賵丿 亘丕 禺賵丿 亘乇丿賳丿 .丕爻鬲丕賱蹖賳 亘乇丕蹖 讴丕賲賱 讴乇丿賳 賳賯卮賴 卮蹖胤丕賳蹖 禺賵丿 丿爻鬲賵乇 賲氐丕丿乇賴 亘匕乇 丿賴賯丕賳丕賳 乇丕 氐丕丿乇 賵 亘賴 丕蹖賳 鬲乇鬲蹖亘 丌賳丕賳 乇丕 丕夭 賲丨氐賵賱 爻丕賱 亘毓丿 賴賲 賲丨乇賵賲 讴乇丿 . 丕賲丕 丕賵 亘賴 丿賴賯丕賳丕賳 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳蹖 賮乇氐鬲 丕賳鬲禺丕亘 丿丕丿 . 丌賳 賴丕 賲蹖 鬲賵丕賳爻鬲賳丿 丕夭 诏賳丿賲 賵 睾賱丕鬲 禺賵丿 氐乇賮 賳馗乇 讴乇丿賴 賵 丕夭 诏乇爻賳诏蹖 亘賲蹖乇賳丿 蹖丕 賲蹖 鬲賵丕賳爻鬲賳丿 亘丕 倬賳賴丕賳 讴乇丿賳 睾賱丕鬲 禺賵丿 禺胤乇 丿爻鬲诏蹖乇蹖 賵 丕毓丿丕賲 乇丕 亘賴 噩丕賳 亘禺乇賳丿 . 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 鬲賵囟蹖丨 丿丕丿賴 讴賴 趩诏賵賳賴 倬賱蹖爻 亘丕 丕亘夭丕乇賴丕蹖 賲禺氐賵氐蹖 賲丕賳賳丿 賲蹖賱賴 賵 蹖丕 賳蹖夭賴 貙 夭賲蹖賳 貙 鬲禺鬲 賴丕 賵 诏賴賵丕乇賴 賴丕 貙 丿蹖賵丕乇賴丕 貙 丿賵丿讴卮 賴丕 貙 鬲賳賴 丿乇禺鬲丕賳 貙 賱丕賳賴 爻诏 賴丕 貙 讴賮 趩丕賴 賴丕 賵 乇賵丿禺丕賳賴 賴丕 乇丕 爻賵乇丕禺 賲蹖 讴乇丿賳丿 鬲丕 睾賱賴 賵 亘匕乇 賵 蹖丕 匕禺蹖乇賴 丿賴賯丕賳丕賳 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳蹖 乇丕 讴卮賮 賵 囟亘胤 讴賳賳丿 . 賴蹖賵賱丕 爻倬爻 丿爻鬲賵乇 丿丕丿 賲乇夭賴丕蹖 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 亘爻鬲賴 卮賵丿 賵 丿賴賯丕賳丕賳 丨賯 爻賵丕乇 卮丿賳 亘賴 賯胤丕乇 乇丕 賴賲 賳丿丕卮鬲賴 亘丕卮賳丿 . 亘丿蹖賳 诏賵賳賴 鬲賯乇蹖亘丕 鬲賲丕賲 賲賵丕丿 睾匕丕蹖蹖 丕夭 丿爻鬲 賲蹖賱蹖賵賳 賴丕 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳蹖 禺丕乇噩 卮丿 賵 亘禺卮 亘爻蹖丕乇 賲賴賲蹖 丕夭 倬乇賵跇賴 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 夭丿丕蹖蹖 丕賳噩丕賲 卮丿 . 丕賵 倬蹖卮鬲乇 賵 蹖丕 賴賲夭賲丕賳 亘丕 賲賲賳賵毓蹖鬲 丕爻鬲賮丕丿賴 丕夭 夭亘丕賳 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳蹖 鬲賯乇蹖亘丕 丿乇 賴賲賴 噩丕 賵 丿爻鬲诏蹖乇蹖 賴丕蹖 亘爻蹖丕乇 诏爻鬲乇丿賴 賯卮乇 賮乇賴賳诏蹖 貙 賲毓賱賲丕賳 貙 丕爻丕鬲蹖丿 丿丕賳卮诏丕賴 貙 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 賴丕 賵 卮丕毓乇賴丕 賳丕亘賵丿蹖 賮乇賴賳诏 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 乇丕 卮乇賵毓 讴乇丿賴 亘賵丿 .
卮丕蹖丿 噩丕賱亘 鬲乇蹖賳 亘禺卮 讴鬲丕亘 禺丕胤乇丕鬲 丕賮乇丕丿蹖 亘賵丿賳丿 讴賴 丿乇 丕蹖賳 賯丨胤蹖 賵丨卮鬲賳丕讴 夭賳丿賴 賲丕賳丿賳丿 . 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕蹖 丕蹖賳 丕賮乇丕丿 亘爻蹖丕乇 亘丕賵乇 賳讴乇丿賳蹖 賵 趩诏賵賳诏蹖 賳噩丕鬲 蹖丕賮鬲賳 丌賳賴丕 卮亘蹖賴 亘賴 賲毓噩夭賴 亘賵丿賴 . 亘蹖卮鬲乇 亘丕賯蹖 賲丕賳丿賴 賴丕 丕夭 賳賯卮 亘爻蹖丕乇 丨蹖丕鬲蹖 诏丕賵 賵 卮蹖乇 丌賳 丿乇 夭賳丿賴 賲丕賳丿賳 賵 噩丕賳 亘賴 丿乇 亘乇丿賳 爻禺賳 诏賮鬲賴 丕賳丿 . 賳诏賴 丿丕乇蹖 诏丕賵 丿乇 夭賲丕賳蹖 讴賴 倬賱蹖爻 亘丕 倬卮鬲讴丕乇蹖 亘丕賵乇 賳讴乇丿賳蹖 賲乇睾 賵 禺乇賵爻 丿賴賯丕賳丕賳 卮賵乇亘禺鬲 乇丕 賲蹖 诏乇賮鬲賴 讴賲 丕夭 賲毓噩夭賴 賳丿丕卮鬲賴 . 亘乇禺蹖 丕夭 禺丕賳賵丕丿賴 賴丕 賴賲丕賳賳丿 爻賵賮蹖 丿乇 丕賳鬲禺丕亘 爻賵賮蹖 賲噩亘賵乇 亘賴 丕賳鬲禺丕亘蹖 爻禺鬲 卮丿賴 賵 丕夭 亘蹖賳 賮乇夭賳丿丕賳 禺賵丿 蹖讴蹖 乇丕 爻蹖乇 讴賳賳丿 . 倬丿蹖丿賴 賵丨卮鬲賳丕讴 丿蹖诏乇蹖 讴賴 乇禺 丿丕丿賴 賲乇丿賴 禺賵丕乇蹖 賵 丌丿賲 禺賵丕乇蹖 亘賵丿賴 . 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 賵丨卮鬲賳丕讴 鬲乇蹖賳 禺丕胤乇賴 賴丕 賲乇亘賵胤 亘賴 賲乇丿蹖 丕蹖爻鬲 讴賴 丕夭 賴賲爻丕蹖賴 丕卮 賲蹖 倬乇爻丿 賮乇夭賳丿丕賳卮 讴噩丕爻鬲 賵 丕賵 倬丕爻禺 賲蹖 丿賴丿 賮乇夭賳丿丕賳賲 乇丕 禺賵乇丿賲 . 丕诏乇 夭蹖丕丿 氐丨亘鬲 讴賳蹖 鬲乇丕 賴賲 賲蹖 禺賵乇賲 .

卮賵乇賵蹖 貙 乇賵爻蹖賴 賵 丕賳讴丕乇 赖賵賱賵丿賵賲賵乇

丌卮讴丕乇 丕爻鬲 讴賴 丕爻鬲丕賱蹖賳 賵 賲賯丕賲丕鬲 讴乇賲賱蹖賳 賴蹖趩 诏丕賴 賳倬匕蹖乇賮鬲賳丿 讴賴 賯丨胤蹖 賵噩賵丿 丿丕卮鬲賴 . 亘丕蹖诏丕賳蹖 賴丕蹖 賲丨賱蹖 貙 爻賵丕亘賯 賲乇诏 賵 賲蹖乇 賳丕亘賵丿 卮丿 賵 丕爻鬲丕賱蹖賳 丨鬲蹖 丿丕丿賴 賴丕蹖 賲乇亘賵胤 亘賴 爻乇卮賲丕乇蹖 乇丕 賴賲 鬲睾蹖蹖乇 丿丕丿 賵 噩賲毓蹖鬲 乇丕 亘蹖卮鬲乇 讴乇丿 . 鬲丕 夭賲丕賳 丨蹖丕鬲 卮賵乇賵蹖 賯丨胤蹖 丕賳讴丕乇 賲蹖 卮丿 賵 亘丕 乇賵蹖 讴丕乇 丌賲丿賳 乇跇蹖賲 禺卮賳 倬賵鬲蹖賳 爻蹖丕爻鬲 賴丕蹖 賲爻讴賵 丿賵亘丕乇賴 亘賴 卮丿鬲 囟丿 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 卮丿 . 賯丨胤蹖 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 丿乇 爻胤丨 噩賴丕賳蹖 亘賴 亘丨孬 賴丕蹖 賳丕夭賱蹖 賲丕賳賳丿 賳爻賱 讴卮蹖 貙 噩賳丕蹖鬲 毓賱蹖賴 亘卮乇蹖鬲 鬲丕 鬲賳賴丕 蹖讴 毓賲賱 鬲乇賵乇 丌賲蹖夭 噩賲毓蹖 爻賯賵胤 讴乇丿 丕賲丕 丿乇 賴乇 氐賵乇鬲 賳賲蹖 鬲賵丕賳 讴鬲賲丕賳 讴乇丿 讴賴 賯丨胤蹖 丕鬲賮丕賯 丕賮鬲丕丿 賵 毓賲丿蹖 賴賲 亘賵丿 賵 亘禺卮蹖 丕夭 蹖讴 亘乇賳丕賲賴 亘乇丕蹖 鬲囟毓蹖賮 賴賵蹖鬲 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳蹖 賲丨爻賵亘 賲蹖 卮丿 .

丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 賲爻蹖乇 爻禺鬲 诏匕卮鬲賴 賵 丌蹖賳丿賴 鬲丕乇蹖讴 倬蹖卮 乇賵

賲爻蹖乇蹖 讴賴 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 丿乇 賯乇賳 亘蹖爻鬲賲 诏匕丕乇賳丿賴 爻禺鬲 賵丨卮鬲賳丕讴 賵 禺賵賳蹖賳 亘賵丿賴 . 诏乇趩賴 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳蹖 賴丕 丿乇 亘禺卮蹖 丕夭 丕蹖賳 乇丕賴 倬乇 丿乇丿 賵 乇賳噩 亘丕 乇賵爻賴丕 卮乇蹖讴 賵 賴賲 丿乇丿 亘賵丿賴 丕賳丿 . 賮噩丕蹖毓蹖 賲丕賳賳丿 噩賳诏 噩賴丕賳蹖 丕賵賱 貙 噩賳诏 禺賵賳蹖賳 丿丕禺賱蹖 貙 賯丨胤蹖 1921 貙 赖賵賱賵丿賵賲賵乇 賵 爻倬爻 噩賳诏 噩賴丕賳蹖 丿賵賲 貙 讴卮鬲丕乇 蹖賴賵丿蹖丕賳 丿乇 丿乇賴 亘丕亘蹖 蹖丕乇 貙 賴賵賱賵 讴丕爻鬲 賵丨卮鬲賳丕讴 丿乇 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 賵 丕賱亘鬲賴 禺胤乇 賯丨胤蹖 賲氐賳賵毓蹖 丿蹖诏乇 亘賴 丿爻鬲 賳丕夭蹖 賴丕 讴賴 卮讴爻鬲 亘乇賳丕賲賴 丌賳丕賳 乇丕 賳丕鬲賲丕賲 诏匕丕卮鬲 鬲賳賴丕 亘禺卮蹖 丕夭丿丕爻鬲丕賳 倬乇 乇賳噩 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 亘賵丿賴 賵 賴爻鬲賳丿 . 卮賵乇亘禺鬲丕賳賴 爻禺鬲蹖 賵 賲氐蹖亘鬲 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 丿乇 丕蹖賳 賯乇賳 賴賲 丕丿丕賲賴 蹖丕賮鬲賴 賵 禺乇爻 乇賵爻蹖賴 亘丕乇 丿诏乇 亘賴 鬲丕乇蹖禺 貙 賴賵蹖鬲 賵 賮乇賴賳诏 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 丿爻鬲 丿乇丕夭蹖 讴乇丿賴 丕爻鬲 .
丿乇 倬丕蹖丕賳 亘丕蹖丿 诏賮鬲 讴賴 讴鬲丕亘 賯丨胤蹖 爻乇禺 乇丕 鬲賳賴丕 賲蹖 鬲賵丕賳 賲丕賳賳丿 賲賯丿賲賴 丕蹖 讴賵鬲丕賴 亘乇 乇丕亘胤賴 丿賵 讴卮賵乇 亘丕 蹖讴丿蹖诏乇 賵 鬲噩乇亘賴 賲卮鬲乇讴 賵 丕賱亘鬲賴 賲鬲賮丕賵鬲卮丕賳 丕夭 賳馗丕賲 爻賵爻蹖丕賱蹖爻鬲蹖 丿丕賳爻鬲 . 亘賴 賴賲蹖賳 鬲乇鬲蹖亘 禺丕賳賲 丕倬賱亘丕賲 鬲賵丕賳爻鬲賴 賲蹖丕賳 丌賳趩賴 丕賲乇賵夭 亘蹖賳 乇賵爻蹖賴 賵 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 賵 丌賳趩賴 丿乇 诏匕卮鬲賴 賲蹖丕賳 丌賳丕賳 诏匕卮鬲賴 乇丕亘胤賴 亘乇賯乇丕乇 讴賳丿 . 丕夭 賳诏丕賴 丕賵 赖賵賱賵丿賵賲賵乇貙 卮賵乇賵蹖 爻丕夭蹖 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳 賵 爻乇讴賵亘 诏爻鬲乇丿賴 賳禺亘诏丕賳 丕賵讴乇丕蹖賳蹖 乇丕 亘丕蹖丿 倬爻 夭賲蹖賳賴 丕爻丕爻蹖 賵 讴賱蹖丿蹖 丕鬲賮丕賯丕鬲 丕賲乇賵夭 丿丕賳爻鬲 .
Profile Image for nastya .
388 reviews477 followers
March 11, 2022
You know how in every election in the USA there is always a divisive question about abortions? In Ukraine one of the main issues forever was to give Russian a status of a second official language or not. It sounds kinda stupid from outside, right? I mean, Switzerland has 15 of them, what鈥檚 a big deal. Well this book shows how huge a wound and how deep it goes in Ukrainian history. Ukrainian culture and language was meticulously eviscerated by the Russian Empire and then Communist government. Moscow communists even abolished the first Ukrainian - Russian dictionary and exterminated its authors. It鈥檚 a miracle that Ukraine is a country, really. After all the bloody history. Poland, Austria, Russia, they all attacked it from all directions through all the bloody history for the fertile land and grain.
------------------------------------
鈥淯krainians are just primitive former serfs and Ukrainian language is just a dialect of Russian鈥�.

Reading you see the way Japanese treated Koreans as lazy, dirty and primitive. Also a lot of the same sentiment you find in older English novels about Irish. Remind you of anything?

To make a nation that has such a fertile soil that it can give two harvests a year, starve to death, you really need to despise it. When there was a bad harvest, Stalin ordered to still give all the grain up and also pay meat and potato tax. And while Ukrainians were dying, the USSR upped the export of grain and meat to Europe. This was Genocide. And the world knew and closed their eyes to be friends with Stalin.
------------------------------------
Duranty was the correspondent for The New York Times in Moscow between 1922 and 1936, a role that, for a time, made him relatively rich and famous. Duranty, British by birth, had no ties to the ideological left, adopting rather the position of a hard-headed and sceptical 鈥渞ealist鈥� trying to listen to both sides of a story. 鈥淚t may be objected that the vivisection of living animals is a sad and dreadful thing, and it is true that the lot of kulaks and others who have opposed the Soviet experiment is not a happy one,鈥� he wrote in 1935. But 鈥渋n both cases, the suffering inflicted is done with a noble purpose.鈥�

He got Pulitzer Prize for his work about successes of collectivisation.
------------------------------------
A debate broke out inside the Vatican鈥攐ne faction wanted to send a famine relief mission to the USSR, another preached diplomatic caution. The argument for caution won. Although the Vatican continued to receive information about the famine, the Holy See mostly kept silent in public.

I hope he prayed for them...
------------------------------------
In 2005, less than half of Ukrainians used the language as their main form of communication. Ten years later two-thirds preferred Ukrainian to Russian. Thanks to Russian pressure, the nation is unifying behind the Ukrainian language as it has not done since the 1920s.
------------------------------------
This book was short but it was unbearably hard to read. I had to rest every few chapters and cool down my boiling blood.

P.S. Anne Applebaum is an awesome storyteller.
Profile Image for Jennifer (Insert Lit Pun).
312 reviews2,166 followers
March 31, 2022
Thoughts here!

Discussing things like Ukrainian history and geography, the Russian Revolution, collectivization (yikes), the purging of intellectuals, and the international cover-up following the starvation of close to 4 million Ukrainians.
Profile Image for Dan.
1,246 reviews52 followers
January 9, 2020
Red Famine: Stalin鈥檚 War in Ukraine by Anne Applebaum

The absence of natural borders helps explain why Ukrainians failed, until the late twentieth century, to establish a sovereign Ukrainian state. By the late Middle Ages, there was a distinct Ukrainian language, with Slavic roots, related to but distinct from both Polish and Russian, much as Italian is related to but distinct from Spanish or French. Ukrainians had their own food, their own customs and local traditions, their own villains, heroes and legends. Like other European nations, Ukraine鈥檚 sense of identity sharpened during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. But for most of its history the territory we now call Ukraine was, like Ireland or Slovakia, a colony that formed part of other European land empires.

The Ukraine has experienced a mind-boggling amount of horror over the last century. Geographically sandwiched between perhaps the two most murderous governments in world history, Nazi Germany and Stalin鈥檚 Russia, we know in any scenario that it could not have turned out well for the Ukrainians. Looked down upon by the Germans and the Russians who would fight over this territory in both world wars. For Germany, the Ukraine was largely an impediment to get to Russia and for Russia the black soil and wheat fields of Ukraine were vital. If anyone ever thought communism could work on a wide scale, please read this book. There is no way that collectivism can prevent famine and in some cases causes it even in the absence of malevolence. In a non-capitalist society there is little incentive for farmers to produce more crops as the central government just takes it away and does not store the surplus. So when droughts come there is not enough food. Not too dissimilar to what happened during the Irish Potato famine where the British government would not return the non-blighted potatoes to the Irish. In the Ukraine however there was an even more insidious situation with Stalin.

The focus of this book is on Stalin鈥檚 policies toward the Ukraine for the years from the Russian Revolution through the 1930 Stalinist era. There is also plenty of historical context prior to and after this period that is provided by Applebaum. I think the analysis is the best part of the book. Before going deeper here is the list I compiled on some of the horrors of the past Ukrainian century. These are not in any particular order.

1. 1918 to 1920 Jewish Pogrom in Ukraine.

Between 1918 and 1920 combatants on all sides鈥擶hite, Directory, Polish and Bolshevik鈥攎urdered at least 50,000 Jews in more than 1,300 pogroms across Ukraine, according to the most widely accepted studies, though some put the death toll as high as 200,000. Tens of thousands were injured and raped as well. Many shtetls were burnt to the ground. Many Jewish communities were blackmailed out of all their worldly goods by soldiers who threatened to kill them unless they paid up.

2. The ban on using the Ukrainian language. This started long before the Russian revolution but its effect was widespread illiteracy.

The Ukrainian language was a primary target. During the Russian empire鈥檚 first great educational reform in 1804, Tsar Alexander I permitted some non-Russian languages to be used in the new state schools but not Ukrainian, ostensibly on the grounds that it was not a 鈥渓anguage鈥� but rather a dialect. In fact, Russian officials were perfectly clear, as their Soviet successors.

3. The Chernobyl disaster in the Ukraine in the 1980s and its harmful effects on the people there. Not much covered in this book but there is ample evidence that the lack of an adequate Soviet response to the meltdown had a lot do with Moscow鈥檚 disdain for the Ukraine.

4. The Ukraine was briefly a sovereign state from 1918 to 1921 but this changed with Lenin鈥檚 Red invasion. Apparently the Whites didn鈥檛 think highly of the Ukraine either. Hundreds of thousands died there in the Famine of 1921 and countless others were eventually saved by Herbert Hoover鈥檚 relief efforts. Yes the same Herbert Hoover who failed miserably as America鈥檚 president during the early Depression of the 1930s. Lenin, who was very reluctant to accept the aid, capitulated but continued to accuse the Americans of spying on Russia during this period of relief.

5. In WWII more than 2 million Ukrainian soldiers who were conscripted into the Red Army died on the front lines at places like Stalingrad. The number of military deaths versus the populace in the Ukraine Republic was one of the highest proportions in any WWII country. Many memorials have been installed since.

6. The heaviest focus of this book is on the death of nearly 4 million Ukrainians in the famines of 1931 to 1933. These famines were almost completely caused by Stalin鈥檚 regime. Through collectivization they forcibly took the Ukrainian wheat for use in Russia and intentionally starved many regions to suppress revolts.

7. The average life span of Ukrainians after the famine of 1932 was eight years! The Ukrainian children had been so malnourished during these years that more than half of those that initially survived did not live to adulthood. Yikes.

8. The effects on the psyche of the people from the tens of thousands of incidents of cannibalism. There is a large section of this book that speaks to the horror that is cannibalism.

9. The Nazi SS slaughter of millions of Jews and Ukrainian soldiers in WWII. Other than The Jews in Poland no group suffered more deaths attributable to the Holocaust than the Jews of the Ukraine.

10. Ukrainian deaths from the current conflict with Russia began in 2013. The thousands of deaths are perhaps as not overwhelming as some of the earlier periods in the Ukraine but these numbers are high by today鈥檚 standard of limited wars.

If you want to understand at least some of the historical reason for the bad feelings on the part of Ukrainians towards Russia then you need to read this book. We must remember that Jewish people had been living in the Ukraine since 1030 A.D and they suffered more than any group during the last 100 years and that is saying a lot.

4 stars. Overall this book was exceptionally well researched. It is a little dry in the middle though and lacks a personal narrative. Also be forewarned 鈥� the evil that Stalin perpetrates towards the Ukrainians in this book is quite detailed and graphic.

Overall I鈥檓 glad I read it. I am reading Applebaum鈥檚 more famous book Gulag next.
Profile Image for Marquise.
1,907 reviews1,199 followers
March 16, 2022
If you want to know what treatment Ukraine has endured throughout her history at the hands of different empires, read this book.

If you want to know which overlord was the worst to them, read this book.

If you want to know what the Soviet Union did to Ukraine during several famines (yes, plural), read this book.

If you want to learn why the Holodomor was not only the worst of these famines but a specifically man-made and well-tailored "famine within a famine" meant to punish Ukraine alone, read this book.

If you want to know why Ukrainians are currently fighting tooth and nail against Russia and won't surrender, read this book.

Hell, even if all you want is a historical context for the farmer with a tractor towing Russian tank meme, read this book!
Profile Image for Micah Cummins.
215 reviews303 followers
July 18, 2022
Red Famine: Stalin's War on Ukraine by Anne Applebaum is a gripping tale presenting the horrors that occurred in Ukraine during a period now referred to as the holodomor. The word is comprised of two parts, the first, 'holod, the Ukrainian word for hunger, and 'mor,' the Ukrainian word for death or, extermination.

The period presented in this work focuses on the systematic starvation of the country of Ukraine at the hands of Stalin and the Soviet Union between the years 1932 and 1933, in which roughly four million Ukrainian men, women, and children were killed by means of starvation.

When Stalin first came to power, the people of Ukraine had a very strong sense of national pride, many considered themselves Ukrainian first, rather than Russian, or members of the Soviet Union. Almost immediately, Stalin began fearing a nationalist Ukrainian revolution that could ultimately end in the shattering of Soviet ideology, and so a ruthless Soviet purge of Ukrainian intellectuals and religious leaders began. Many Ukrainian leaders and intellectuals wanted to elevate Ukrainian to the status of the national language, replacing Russian in that category. Schools and churches began using Ukrainian rather than Russian, which Stalin saw as another step toward a Ukrainian nationalist revolution and in turn, his own loss of control of Ukrainian land, and agricultural exports.

Ukraine holds claim to some of the world's most fertile soil, and has in that light gained the rights to the title 鈥淭he Breadbasket of Europe.鈥� Because of their climate and soil, Ukraine can manage two crop harvests a year, both a 鈥榳inter鈥� and a 鈥榮pring鈥� wheat. This was one particular aspect that drew Stalin to Ukraine. Stalin wanted to drastically increase the industrialization and agricultural production of the Soviet Union, creating a five-year plan to accomplish his goals. In order to realistically accomplish the Soviet plan of industrialization, Stalin had to greatly increase the Soviet Union鈥檚 grain exports coming out of Ukraine to sell to not only other parts of the USSR but to the west as well, to fund the expansion.

Ukraine became the target for the heaviest collectivization. The collectivization of farms was essentially the creation of communal farms where multiple farmers would work together to produce a larger crop yield, as opposed to smaller farms producing smaller yields. As one can imagine, most Ukrainian farmers were not happy about, or interested in, the proposition of collectivization, and many were fiercely opposed to it.

In a backlash to the soaring unpopular opinion of Ukrainian collectivization, Stalin launched a massive propaganda campaign labeling those farmers against collectivization as 鈥渒ulak,鈥� a Russian word meaning a peasant of wealth. These 鈥渒ulaks鈥� were portrayed by Stalin as being greedy, and vile, along with harboring anti-soviet feelings. Those who were labeled as 鈥渒ulaks鈥� would have their homes searched by Soviet police who would confiscate any grain found to be hidden in the home. Those deemed to be 鈥渒ulaks鈥� were also subject to arrest, imprisonment, exile, or even execution. Death was the fate of hundreds of thousands of Stalin鈥檚 鈥渒ulaks.鈥�

For those who survived the 鈥渒ulak鈥� purges, grain production quotas soared so high as to verge on the impossible. When production requirements were not met, those responsible in the eyes of the Soviets had their homes searched, and unlike their first searches of the Soviet police, not only was any grain found taken but anything edible at all, including livestock and even pets. A vicious cycle had been created whereby farmers were forced to cultivate an impossibly high amount of product, and if they failed, which was inevitable, they would be stripped of anything they could eat.

Ukrainians became so hungry that anything they found would be eaten. Rotten horse flesh, insects, leaves, bark, and grass. Those who lived near water or forests had a saving grace in the form of mice and forest rodents, as well as tree fruits and ground vegetation; those near rivers were able to fish and gather frogs and river bank vegetation. Ukrainian houses that were discovered by the Soviet police to be in the possession of grain or any other edible subsistence faced charges as serious as ten years in the gulag, or even execution.

Individuals, families, and even entire villages could be blacklisted, whereby they were completely unable to procure any type of sustenance at all. There were a select few who could earn a government stipend, but even those deemed worthy could hardly purchase an adequate amount of food for their families.

Many Ukrainians' attempted to escape the country and make it to larger cities where the effects of the famine had not hit as hard. However, it didn鈥檛 take long for Stalin to catch on to the escape routes, which led to the complete closing of Ukrainian borders. Those caught escaping were either dragged back to their villages to die of starvation, or shot.

It wasn鈥檛 until the population of Ukraine became so depleted that Stalin began pulling back his efforts to starve out the country. Stalin began sending Russian peasant families to farm the Ukrainian land, however, quotas became lighter and more realistic. It was then that the horrors of the famine began to lift, as more and more farms fell to collectivization, and larger and larger portions of Ukrainian land came under Soviet control.

Stalin and the Soviet Union went to extreme lengths to cover up what really happened in Ukraine. 鈥淔ood Shortage鈥� was often the common answer to the question of what took place. Death certificates were altered so that 鈥渟tarvation鈥� never appeared as the cause of death. Even the 197 census, which showed a major decrease in population was made public. And those responsible for its recordings were killed.

It was not until Gorbachov鈥檚 glasnost policy that the USSR even made a public reference to the Ukrainian famine, or made it legal for others to do so. However, neither the Soviet Union nor the present-day Russian state has ever acknowledged their role as the instigators of the Holodomor, but history remembers, and the true story of the horrors that took place on Ukrainian soil, and who caused them, must never be forgotten nor allowed to repeat.

Applebaum has written a book that illuminates the political motivations for the horrors of the Holodomor in Ukraine, but she also doesn鈥檛 lack the human interest factor. Going from the opulent offices of Soviet officials, to the squalor and terror of the Ukrainian villages, a complete narrative, both one based on policies, and people, is presented to the reader.
Profile Image for happy.
312 reviews106 followers
March 27, 2018
In Red Famine, the author, Anne Applebaum, does an extremely good job of explaining just what happened in 1931-'34 when an estimated 3.9 million people starved to death and why. Starting with the Russian Civil War that followed World War I, the author looks at the Ukrainian desire for independence and why Ukraine had never been able to obtain that independence. She looks at the Bolsheviks' strategy to subdue the Ukraine and keep it part of Russia and by extension the USSR.

While discussing Ukrainian desire for independence, Ms. Applebaum also looks at the Ukrainian culture, language and religion. She explains just how close the Ukraine came to independence during the civil war. She opines if the various independence groups could have cooperated with one another and with the White Russians, there was very could chance independence could have been achived. She also gives reasons as to why that cooperation never took place.

After the Civil War, the author looks at the Bolsheviks first attempts to collectivize agriculture and its failure in the early 20鈥檚. The collectivization was not successful and less grain was collected than projected. This led to famine. During this famine, the gov鈥檛 admitted they had a problem and accepted outside help including from the US. Lenin and by extension the Soviet gov鈥檛 ended up backing down and leaving the Ukrainian agriculture system alone, allowing the peasant farmers to own their own land and animals and keep their language and religion. In this section the author also give a pretty good summation of why the collectivization failed. However, I found this section to be a little dry and text bookish.

Fast forward to the late 20鈥檚 and after the power struggle was resolved following Lenin鈥檚 death, Stalin again decides to force the collectivization of agriculture, not only in the Ukraine, other agriculture regions of the USSR. One thing I found interesting about Stalin鈥檚 initial attempts, is that they used a carrot and stick approach 鈥� the peasant could keep his land, but had to pay very high taxes. If he collectivized, the peasant would have access to the latest techniques and equipment. At the same time this was going on the Government in Moscow was in dire need of hard currency and signed contracts to deliver more grain than the area was producing. Moscow and by extension, Stalin, thought the deference could be made up with the collectivization of agriculture.

Ms. Applebaum鈥� s descriptions of what happened next are heart rending! I feel that her descriptions of the famine is by far the best parts of the book. They are difficult to read! She describes the efforts the Soviet Gov鈥檛 made to collect grain and other food stuffs. In addition to grain, the collectors took seeds, the produce of the small vegetable gardens people were allowed, farm animals - both food and working, any stored food, food sent in from the outside, and even farm equipment. The collectors literally took every morsel they could find, leaving both the collective farmers and the Kulaks both without anything to eat or plant the next spring. As this is going on, the author also recounts the Soviet efforts to stamp out the Ukrainian culture, language and religion.

Finally while recounting the famine, the author looks at just what extreme hunger does to people. She tells of the apathy in the starving population. People would literally step over dead and dying children as they went about their daily tasks with out a second thought. Many attempted to leave the Ukraine Steppes (which was forbidden) and make it to the cities, which were relatively well fed or out the Ukraine entirely. Finally she looks at the cannibalism that occurred and the rationale behind it. It boils down to, 鈥淭hey are going to die anyway so鈥︹€� While not universal, parents ate children, children ate parents and many people just ate those who died. Ms. Applebaum looks at the effect of this on the culture as a whole and how some accepted it and others looked on it with horror. Ms Applebaum includes several pictures of the starving and dead that are believed to be the only photos taken of famine victims.

The final section of the book looks at how the Soviet Officials from Stalin down covered up the famine. They did this through travel restrictions, just flatly denying anyone was starving, manipulating the foreign press amoung other methods. The author looks at the NY Times correspond William Durranty鈥檚 reporting, which also denied anyone was starving in the Ukraine and won him a Pulitzer Prize. The gov鈥檛 also refused to release the 1937 census that showed 8-10 million people missing from projection and eliminated (killed) many of those who worked on it. Until the day of its breakup, the USSR denied that there was ever a famine in the Ukraine during the 1930s

To sum this up. This first half of the narrative is a little dry and some ways reads like a text book. However, when the author starts describing the hows, whys and effects of the 1931-鈥�34 famine, it is in many ways mesmerizing. One niggling criticism, the author uses the Ukrainian/Russian spelling of all place names with out a cross reference to the common Western spellings. Some are easy to figure out, others I still have no idea. Even with that, this is still a solid 4 star read.
Profile Image for Mara.
1,891 reviews4,252 followers
May 2, 2022
Wow, what a huge reminder about how many gaps we all have in our knowledge of history! To think that so many people suffered and died within living memory and yet I had no idea. I do continue to not fully connect with Anne Applebaum's writing style, which is what kept me from absolutely loving it, but I learned a lot and it really made to mull on what "genocide" really means & if those distinctions matter in the face of mass atrocities that may fall short of that technical definition
Profile Image for Jenny (Reading Envy).
3,876 reviews3,647 followers
May 1, 2022
This is a feat of research and writing about Ukraine in the 1930s, and how Stalin's policies intentionally targeted Ukrainians, resulting in widespread famine and what many consider genocide. From collectivization to dekulakization, the author shows how Ukraine was stripped of its resources and culture and then punished further for not being able to provide more. I was shocked this time period is still highly debated/contested - largely by the Russian government - well shocked might be too strong of a word, after all Putin borrows from Stalin in categorizing Ukrainians as Nazis in order to justify his decisions.

For my tastes, there are so many names and so many details that the reading was sometimes a slog. However I don't know how the author could have written it without those details since she has done so well pulling them all together. I just don't read a lot of history.

This is one of the books I selected for the non-fiction quarter of Reading Envy Russia (#readingenvyrussia) - April was month 1 so you can still join in with 2 more months of non-fiction reading to go.
Profile Image for Margarita Garova.
483 reviews253 followers
April 11, 2021
鈥溞� 褌芯胁邪 褌褍泻 邪泻芯 械 卸懈胁芯褌...小泻褗锌懈 斜褉邪褌泻芯 袠谐薪邪褌懈泄, 邪泻芯 械 胁褗蟹屑芯卸薪芯, 屑芯谢褟 褌械 写邪 屑懈 懈蟹锌褉邪褌懈褕 锌邪泻械褌褔械 褋 薪邪泄-薪械芯斜褏芯写懈屑芯褌芯. 袧褟屑邪 薪懈褖芯 蟹邪 褟写械薪械, 邪 褌褉褟斜胁邪 写邪 褋械 褟写械.鈥�

袚械芯谐褉邪褎懈褟褌邪 械 褋褗写斜邪. 孝械蟹懈 写褍屑懈 褋邪 写胁邪 锌褗褌懈 锌芯-胁邪谢懈写薪懈 胁 褋谢褍褔邪褟 薪邪 校泻褉邪泄薪邪 鈥� 鈥溞缎秆傂叫秆喰把傂� 薪邪 袝胁褉芯锌邪鈥�, 泻邪泻褌芯 褟 薪邪褉懈褔邪褏屑械 械写薪芯 胁褉械屑械 胁 褔邪褋 锌芯 谐械芯谐褉邪褎懈褟. 袩谢芯写芯褉芯写薪邪褌邪 褍泻褉邪懈薪褋泻邪 蟹械屑褟 械 芯斜械泻褌 薪邪 写褗谢谐芯谢械褌薪懈 邪锌械褌懈褌懈 芯褌 褋褌褉邪薪邪 薪邪 谐芯谢褟屑邪褌邪 泄 褋褗褋械写泻邪 袪褍褋懈褟 鈥� 泻邪泻褌芯 胁 斜懈褌懈械褌芯 褋懈 薪邪 鈥溠喰把€褋泻邪鈥�, 鈥溠佈娦残笛傃佇盒扳€�, 邪 写薪械褋 泻邪褌芯 鈥溞啃狙佈傃佈娦残笛傃佇盒扳€�. 袧邪褑懈褋褌懈褌械 褋褗褖芯 褋屑褟褌邪褌, 褔械 褍泻褉邪懈薪褋泻懈褟褌 褔械褉薪芯蟹械屑 屑芯卸械 写邪 褉邪蟹褉械褕懈 锌褉芯写芯胁芯谢褋褌胁械薪懈褌械 锌褉芯斜谢械屑懈 薪邪 袙械褉屑邪褏褌邪. 袙褗芯斜褖械, 褍泻褉邪懈薪褑懈褌械 锌芯褔褌懈 薪械 褋邪 胁懈写械谢懈 斜褟谢 写械薪 胁 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟褌邪 褋懈.

袗薪 袗锌褗谢斜邪褍屑 械 薪邪懈褋褌懈薪邪 写芯斜褉邪 胁 褉邪蟹薪懈褖胁邪薪械褌芯 薪邪 屑邪褖邪斜薪懈 懈褋褌芯褉懈褔械褋泻懈 褌械屑懈 褋 褟褋薪芯褌邪, 邪薪邪谢懈褌懈褔薪芯褋褌 懈 写芯褋褌褗锌薪芯褋褌, 泻邪泻褌芯 胁械褔械 褋械 褍斜械写懈褏 芯褌 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪 泄 蟹邪 褋褌邪谢懈薪褋泻邪褌邪 褋懈褋褌械屑邪 芯褌 谢邪谐械褉懈 袚校袥袗袚, 邪 褋械谐邪 懈 芯褌 懈蟹褋谢械写胁邪薪械褌芯 泄 蟹邪 袚谢邪写芯屑芯褉邪. 孝械屑邪褌邪 蟹邪 屑邪褋芯胁懈褟 谐谢邪写, 褋锌芯谢械褌褟谢 褍泻褉邪懈薪褑懈褌械 锌褉械蟹 1932-1933 谐., 懈蟹谐谢械卸写邪 褌褟褋薪邪 褋邪屑芯 薪邪 锌褉褗胁 锌芯谐谢械写.

袛褗谢谐邪褌邪 屑褍 锌褉械写懈褋褌芯褉懈褟 褋懈 懈屑邪 褋胁芯褟 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟 懈 褌褟 械 胁 褋芯斜褋褌胁械薪懈褔械褋泻芯褌芯 芯褌薪芯褕械薪懈械 薪邪 褑邪褉褋泻邪 袪褍褋懈褟 泻褗屑 鈥溠幮缎叫把傂� 锌褉芯胁懈薪褑懈褟鈥�, 胁 泻芯褟褌芯 卸懈胁械械 薪邪褋械谢械薪懈械 褋 械蟹懈泻, 斜懈褌, 褌褉邪写懈褑懈懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 褋邪 斜谢懈蟹泻懈, 薪芯 胁褋械 锌邪泻 褉邪蟹谢懈褔薪懈 芯褌 褉褍褋泻懈褌械. 袨泻褌芯屑胁褉懈泄褋泻邪褌邪 褉械胁芯谢褞褑懈褟 写芯薪邪褋褟 泻褉邪褌泻芯褌褉邪泄薪邪 锌芯谢懈褌懈褔械褋泻邪 薪械蟹邪胁懈褋懈屑芯褋褌 薪邪 褍泻褉邪懈薪褑懈褌械 懈 胁褗蟹褉邪卸写邪薪械 薪邪 褌褟褏薪芯褌芯 薪邪褑懈芯薪邪谢薪芯 写胁懈卸械薪懈械, 泻芯懈褌芯 褋邪 斜褗褉蟹芯 蟹邪写褍褕械薪懈 芯褌 褌械褉芯褉邪 薪邪 袚褉邪卸写邪薪褋泻邪褌邪 胁芯泄薪邪 懈 锌芯褋谢械写胁邪谢邪褌邪 斜芯谢褕械胁懈蟹邪褑懈褟 懈 褋褗胁械褌懈蟹邪褑懈褟.

袟邪锌芯褔薪邪谢邪褌邪 胁 薪邪褔邪谢芯褌芯 薪邪 30-褌械 谐芯写懈薪懈 薪邪褋懈谢褋褌胁械薪邪 泻芯谢械泻褌懈胁懈蟹邪褑懈褟 写芯褋褗褋懈锌胁邪 褍泻褉邪懈薪褋泻芯褌芯 褋械谢褟褔械褋褌胁芯. 校褋锌芯褉械写薪芯 褋 褌芯胁邪, 懈蟹薪芯褋褗褌 薪邪 锌褕械薪懈褑邪 懈蟹胁褗薪 小小小袪 褋械 锌褉械胁褉褗褖邪 胁 懈薪褋褌褉褍屑械薪褌 蟹邪 锌械褔械谢械薪械 薪邪 胁谢懈褟薪懈械 懈 锌褉懈褟褌械谢褋褌胁邪 薪邪 屑械卸写褍薪邪褉芯写薪邪褌邪 褋褑械薪邪. 袣胁芯褌懈褌械 蟹邪 蟹褗褉薪芯 芯褌 校泻褉邪泄薪邪 褋械 褍胁械谢懈褔邪胁邪褌 写芯 薪械褉械邪谢懈褋褌懈褔薪懈 褔懈褋谢邪. 袟邪锌芯褔胁邪 锌褉懈薪褍写懈褌械谢薪芯 懈蟹蟹械屑胁邪薪械 薪邪 蟹褗褉薪芯 芯褌 褋械谢褟薪懈褌械, 泻芯械褌芯 写邪谢械褔 薪邪写褏胁褗褉谢褟 褑械谢懈褌械 蟹邪 锌芯锌褗谢胁邪薪械 薪邪 泻胁芯褌懈褌械. 孝芯 褋械 锌褉械胁褉褗褖邪 胁 薪邪泻邪蟹邪褌械谢薪邪 屑褟褉泻邪, 泻芯褟褌芯 谢懈褕邪胁邪 褋褌芯锌邪薪懈褌械 薪械 褋邪屑芯 芯褌 锌芯褋械胁, 薪芯 懈 芯褌 锌褉械褏褉邪薪邪.

袛胁械 薪械褖邪 褋邪 斜懈谢懈 锌褉械写械谢薪芯 褟褋薪懈 薪邪 谐谢邪胁薪懈褟 胁懈薪芯胁薪懈泻 蟹邪 谐谢邪写邪 小褌邪谢懈薪 鈥� 锌褗褉胁芯, 褔械 泻芯谢械泻褌懈胁懈蟹邪褑懈褟褌邪 薪邪 褋械谢褋泻芯褌芯 褋褌芯锌邪薪褋褌胁芯 械 锌褗谢械薪 锌褉芯胁邪谢 懈 胁褌芯褉芯, 褔械 锌褉械蟹 1932-1933 谐. 胁 校泻褉邪泄薪邪 懈 小械胁械褉械薪 袣邪胁泻邪蟹 (泻褗写械褌芯 卸懈胁械械 屑薪芯谐芯斜褉芯泄薪芯 褍泻褉邪懈薪褋泻芯 薪邪褋械谢械薪懈械) 褏芯褉邪褌邪 薪械 锌褉芯褋褌芯 谐谢邪写褍胁邪褌, 褌芯械褋褌 薪械 褋懈 写芯褟卸写邪褌, 邪 薪邪锌褉邪胁芯 褍屑懈褉邪褌 芯褌 谐谢邪写.

袧褟屑邪 写邪 褋械 褋锌懈褉邪屑 胁褗褉褏褍 褋邪屑懈褌械 锌褉芯褟胁谢械薪懈褟 薪邪 谐谢邪写薪邪褌邪 褋屑褗褉褌, 褌械 褋邪 写芯褋褌邪褌褗褔薪芯 锌芯写褉芯斜薪芯 芯锌懈褋邪薪懈 芯褌 袗锌褗谢斜邪褍屑 褋 屑薪芯谐芯 懈 泻芯薪泻褉械褌薪懈 谢懈褔薪懈 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈, 泻邪泻褌芯 懈 写械屑芯谐褉邪褎褋泻懈 写邪薪薪懈. 袧懈褌芯 械 褌芯谢泻芯胁邪 胁邪卸薪芯 写邪谢懈 芯褌 褞褉懈写懈褔械褋泻邪 谐谢械写薪邪 褌芯褔泻邪 袚谢邪写芯屑芯褉褗褌 械 谐械薪芯褑懈写 鈥� 屑芯褉邪谢薪邪褌邪 写械褎懈薪懈褑懈褟 蟹邪 谐械薪芯褑懈写 锌芯-褋泻芯褉芯 斜懈 芯褌谐芯胁芯褉懈谢邪 褍褌胁褗褉写懈褌械谢薪芯, 蟹邪 褉邪蟹谢懈泻邪 芯褌 泻芯屑锌褉芯屑懈褋薪芯褌芯 褞褉懈写懈褔械褋泻芯 芯锌褉械写械谢械薪懈械 薪邪 屑械卸写褍薪邪褉芯写薪懈褌械 泻芯薪胁械薪褑懈懈.

袪械蟹褍谢褌邪褌褗褌 械, 褔械 屑邪褋芯胁懈褟褌 谐谢邪写 懈 薪械谐芯胁懈褌械 屑懈谢懈芯薪懈 卸械褉褌胁懈, 褋褗褔械褌邪薪懈 褋 写械卸褍褉薪懈褌械 斜芯谢褕械胁懈褕泻懈 褉械锌褉械褋懈懈, 写械锌芯褉褌邪褑懈懈, 褌械褉芯褉 懈 胁褗写胁芯褉褟胁邪薪械 胁 褌褉褍写芯胁懈 谢邪谐械褉懈, 芯斜械蟹泻褗褉胁褟胁邪褌 褍泻褉邪懈薪褋泻芯褌芯 薪邪褑懈芯薪邪谢薪芯 写胁懈卸械薪懈械 懈 褎懈蟹懈褔械褋泻懈 谢懈泻胁懈写懈褉邪褌 薪械谐芯胁邪褌邪 懈薪褌械谢懈谐械薪褑懈褟. 袛邪谢懈 褌芯胁邪 械 褍屑懈褕谢械薪邪 锌芯谢懈褌懈泻邪 薪邪 小褌邪谢懈薪 懈谢懈 鈥溞盒狙佇残敌叫� 褖械褌懈鈥� 褋 芯谐谢械写 泻褉邪泄薪懈褟 褉械蟹褍谢褌邪褌 褋褗褖芯 械 斜械蟹 蟹薪邪褔械薪懈械 (屑芯卸械 写邪 褋械 薪邪锌褉邪胁懈 褋褏芯写薪邪 邪薪邪谢芯谐懈褟 褋 屑邪褋芯胁懈褌械 褍斜懈泄褋褌胁邪 褋谢械写 写械胁械褌芯褋械锌褌械屑胁褉懈懈泄褋泻懈褟 锌褉械胁褉邪褌 鈥� 写邪谢懈 褌械蟹懈 写胁邪写械褋械褌 褏懈谢褟写懈 写褍褕懈 褋邪 懈蟹斜懈褌懈 锌芯写 薪邪锌芯褉邪 薪邪 鈥溠€械胁芯谢褞褑懈芯薪薪懈褟 锌谢邪屑鈥� 懈谢懈 褋褗胁褋械屑 薪邪褉芯褔薪芯).

袚谢邪写芯屑芯褉褗褌 懈屑邪 芯谐褉芯屑薪芯 芯褌褉邪卸械薪懈械 胁褗褉褏褍 泻芯谢械泻褌懈胁薪邪褌邪 锌邪屑械褌 薪邪 褍泻褉邪懈薪褑懈褌械 懈 薪械懈蟹斜械卸薪芯 褉械褎谢械泻褌懈褉邪 胁褗褉褏褍 褉褍褋泻芯-褍泻褉邪懈薪褋泻懈褌械 芯褌薪芯褕械薪懈褟 写芯 写械薪 写薪械褕械薪. 孝械锌褗褉胁邪 褌邪蟹懈 斜芯谢薪邪 褌械屑邪 褖械 斜褗写械 褏褍写芯卸械褋褌胁械薪芯 写芯褉邪蟹胁懈胁邪薪邪 胁 泻薪懈谐懈 懈 褎懈谢屑懈, 蟹邪 写邪 屑芯卸械 锌邪屑械褌褌邪 蟹邪 薪械胁懈薪薪懈褌械 卸械褉褌胁懈 写邪 薪械 斜褗写械 懈蟹谢懈褔械薪邪. 小懈谢薪芯 锌褉械锌芯褉褗褔胁邪屑 懈 褎懈谢屑邪 薪邪 袗谐薪械褕泻邪 啸芯谢邪薪写 鈥溞溞秆佈傃娧€ 袛卸芯褍薪褋鈥�.



Profile Image for Emiliya Bozhilova.
1,780 reviews353 followers
April 7, 2021
袣芯谐邪褌芯 胁芯械薪薪懈褌械 褉械褕邪褌, 褔械 褋邪 懈泻芯薪芯屑懈褋褌懈, 褏胁褗褉褔邪褌 谐谢邪胁懈, 懈 褌芯 薪械 屑械褌邪褎芯褉懈褔薪芯. 袗 泻芯谐邪褌芯 懈泻芯薪芯屑懈褔械褋泻懈 褑械谢懈 褋械 锌芯褋褌懈谐邪褌 褋 胁芯械薪薪懈 褋褉械写褋褌胁邪 懈 懈泻芯薪芯屑懈褔械褋泻懈 锌芯谢懈褌懈泻懈 褋邪 锌褉懈褉邪胁薪械薪懈 薪邪 芯褔邪泻胁邪薪懈 褉械蟹褍谢褌邪褌懈 芯褌 胁褗芯褉褗卸械薪芯 锌褉懈褋褗褋褌胁懈械...懈屑邪 褋屑褗褉褌. 袦薪芯谐芯 褋屑褗褉褌.

袣芯谢械泻褌懈胁懈蟹邪褑懈褟褌邪 薪邪 蟹械屑褟褌邪 胁 校泻褉邪泄薪邪 械 锌褉械褋褌褗锌谢械薪懈械 懈 褌褉邪谐械写懈褟. 袧械 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 褋褔懈褌邪褖懈褟褌 褋械斜械 褋懈 蟹邪 泻芯屑锌械褌械薪褌械薪 锌芯蟹薪邪胁邪褔 薪邪 懈泻芯薪芯屑懈泻邪 懈 褋械谢褋泻芯 褋褌芯锌邪薪褋褌胁芯 小褌邪谢懈薪 褉械褕邪胁邪 写邪 谢懈泻胁懈写懈褉邪 褔邪褋褌薪邪褌邪 褋芯斜褋褌胁械薪芯褋褌. 袧械! 袗 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 谐芯 锌褉邪胁懈 胁邪褉胁邪褉褋泻懈 懈 薪械谐褉邪屑芯褌薪芯. 袣芯薪褑械锌褑懈褟褌邪 蟹邪 谐褉械褕泻邪 懈 泻芯褉械泻褌懈胁薪懈 写械泄褋褌胁懈褟 械 薪邪锌褗谢薪芯 褔褍卸写邪 薪邪 写懈泻邪褌邪褌褍褉懈褌械 懈 锌芯写褔懈薪械薪懈褌械 懈屑 斜褞褉芯泻褉邪褌懈. 孝邪泻邪 褔械 卸械褉褌胁懈褌械 褋邪屑懈 褋邪 褋懈 胁懈薪芯胁薪懈, 褔械 褋邪 褋械 锌褉芯褌懈胁芯锌芯褋褌邪胁懈谢懈 薪邪 胁械谢懈泻邪 懈 褋锌邪褋懈褌械谢薪邪 懈写械褟. 袙 褉械蟹褍谢褌邪褌 小褌邪谢懈薪 懈薪褌械褉薪懈褉邪 胁 袣邪蟹邪褏褋褌邪薪 谐芯谢褟屑芯 泻芯谢懈褔械褋褌胁芯 薪械褋褗谐谢邪褋薪懈 褍泻褉邪懈薪褑懈, 芯锌褉械写械谢械薪懈 泻邪褌芯 泻褍谢邪褑懈. 袠, 锌邪褉邪写芯泻褋邪谢薪芯, 锌芯 褌芯蟹懈 薪邪褔懈薪 褋锌邪褋褟胁邪 卸懈胁芯褌邪 薪邪 褔邪褋褌 芯褌 褌褟褏 芯褌 锌芯褋谢械写胁邪谢懈褟 袚谢邪写芯屑芯褉. (袠屑邪屑 锌芯薪械 写胁邪 褋谢褍褔邪褟 褋褉械写 屑芯懈 锌芯蟹薪邪褌懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 写褗谢卸邪褌 褋褗褖械褋褌胁褍胁邪薪械褌芯 褋懈 薪邪 袣邪蟹邪褏褋褌邪薪...).

袙 泻谢懈屑邪褌邪 薪邪 1932 懈 1933 谐. 薪褟屑邪 薪懈褖芯 薪械芯斜懈褔邪泄薪芯. 袙邪谢懈, 泻芯谐邪褌芯 褌褉褟斜胁邪, 薪褟屑邪 褋褍褕邪, 褔械褉薪芯蟹械屑褗褌 褋懈 械 锌谢芯写芯褉芯写械薪. 袧芯 褋械谢褋泻芯褌芯 褋褌芯锌邪薪褋褌胁芯 薪邪 校泻褉邪泄薪邪 械 褋褗褋懈锌邪薪芯 芯褌 薪邪褋懈谢褋褌胁械薪邪, 薪械谐褉邪屑芯褌薪邪 懈 胁邪褉胁邪褉褋泻邪 泻芯谢械泻褌懈胁懈蟹邪褑懈褟 薪邪 蟹械屑褟褌邪, 褋褗锌褗褌褋褌胁邪薪邪 褋 褏邪芯褋, 斜褞褉芯泻褉邪褌懈褔薪芯 斜械蟹写械泄褋褌胁懈械 懈 懈蟹写懈褉胁邪薪械 薪邪 邪薪褌懈褋褗胁械褌褋泻懈 锌芯写褉懈胁薪懈 械谢械屑械薪褌懈. 袛邪 薪械 谐芯胁芯褉懈屑 蟹邪 锌褉械写褕械褋褌胁邪谢懈褌械 谐褉邪卸写邪薪褋泻懈 胁芯泄薪懈 褋谢械写 1917 谐. 孝邪泻邪 褔械 薪褟屑邪 泻芯泄 蟹薪邪械 泻邪泻胁芯 写邪 褋械 褋械械, 薪懈褌芯 泻邪泻胁芯 写邪 褋械 卸褗薪械, 泻邪泻褌芯 懈 锌芯褔褌懈 薪褟屑邪 泻芯泄.

袦芯褋泻胁邪 薪械 胁褟褉胁邪 薪邪 薪械褍褋锌械褏懈, 芯褖械 锌芯胁械褔械 邪泻芯 褋邪屑邪 谐懈 械 锌褉械写懈蟹胁懈泻邪谢邪, 懈 薪械 薪邪屑邪谢褟胁邪 泻胁芯褌懈褌械 蟹邪 褍泻褉邪懈薪褋泻邪 锌褕械薪懈褑邪. 袩邪褉褌懈泄薪懈褌械 褔谢械薪芯胁械 芯褌 校泻褉邪泄薪邪, 芯褋屑械谢懈谢懈 褋械 写邪 芯褌锌褉邪胁褟褌 邪锌械谢 蟹邪 锌芯屑芯褖 写芯 小褌邪谢懈薪, 斜褗褉蟹芯 褋械 芯蟹芯胁邪胁邪褌 斜械蟹 锌邪褉褌懈械薪 斜懈谢械褌 懈 写懈褉械泻褌薪芯 薪邪 袘械谢芯屑芯褉泻邪薪邪谢. 袩芯写 写褍谢邪褌邪 薪邪 锌褍褕泻懈褌械 褋械 褋褗斜懈褉邪褌 锌芯褋谢械写薪懈褌械 褌褉芯褏懈 蟹褗褉薪芯 芯褌 写芯屑芯胁械褌械. 啸芯褉邪褌邪 蟹邪锌芯褔胁邪褌 写邪 懈蟹屑懈褉邪褌. 袙懈写懈屑芯 懈 薪邪 褌褗谢锌懈, 锌褉械写 芯褔懈褌械 薪邪 泻褍锌 芯褔械胁懈写褑懈. 笑械谢懈 褋械谢邪 芯锌褍褋褌褟胁邪褌. 袣邪薪懈斜邪谢懈蟹屑褗褌 褋械 褕懈褉懈.

袦芯褋泻胁邪 薪懈泻芯谐邪 薪械 泻芯屑械薪褌懈褉邪 锌褉芯胁邪谢邪 薪邪 锌芯谢懈褌懈泻邪褌邪 褋懈, 芯褋胁械薪 写邪 锌芯褋芯褔懈 芯褖械 胁褉邪谐芯胁械-胁懈薪芯胁薪懈褑懈 (锌邪褉褌懈褟褌邪 械 胁懈薪邪谐懈 薪械胁懈薪薪邪) 芯褌 锌械褌邪褌邪 泻芯谢芯薪邪 薪邪 薪褟泻芯褟 褋胁械褌芯胁薪邪 泻芯薪褋锌懈褉邪褑懈褟. 袨褌谐芯胁芯褉薪懈 薪械 褋邪 锌芯褋芯褔械薪懈, 屑械褉泻懈 (锌芯褔褌懈) 薪械 褋邪 胁蟹械褌懈, 芯褋胁械薪 薪邪泻褉邪褟 胁 薪邪褔邪谢芯褌芯 薪邪 1934 谐., 蟹邪 写邪 薪械 褋械 蟹邪褌褉懈械 褑褟谢芯褌芯 薪邪褋械谢械薪懈械. 小褌邪谢懈薪 谢懈褔薪芯 芯褌屑械薪褟 锌褉械斜褉芯褟胁邪薪械褌芯 薪邪 薪邪褋械谢械薪懈械褌芯 薪邪 小小小袪 芯褌 1937 谐. 懈 褉邪蟹褋褌褉械谢胁邪 褋褌邪褌懈褋褌懈褑懈褌械, 泻芯懈褌芯 谐芯 锌褉芯胁械卸写邪褌.

袗锌褗谢斜邪褍屑 褉邪蟹泻褉懈胁邪 谐械薪芯褑懈写邪 胁 锌褗谢薪懈褟 屑褍 屑邪褖邪斜. 袠蟹褋谢械写胁邪薪械褌芯 懈 械 褋懈褋褌械屑邪褌懈蟹懈褉邪薪芯, 写械褌邪泄谢薪芯 懈 懈蟹锌懈锌邪薪芯. 袛褉邪蟹薪懈 屑薪芯谐芯 褋邪屑芯 胁 薪邪褔邪谢芯褌芯 懈 胁 泻褉邪褟 褋 写械卸褍褉薪懈褌械 邪薪谐谢芯褋邪泻褋芯薪褋泻懈 泻谢懈褕械褌邪 - 泻芯泄 斜懈谢 鈥溞盒拘残把€械薪鈥�, 泻芯泄 斜懈谢 鈥溞叫敌葱敌夹拘貉€邪褌懈褔械薪鈥� (?!). 袙褋械 械写薪芯 褋谢褍褕邪屑 褋褌邪褉邪 褋芯褑 锌褉芯锌邪谐邪薪写邪 薪邪 蟹邪锌懈褋 - 写邪 薪械 斜懈 褔懈褌邪褌械谢褟褌 写邪 蟹邪斜褉邪胁懈 泻芯懈 褋邪 鈥溞恍狙埿秆傂碘€�. 袧械 谐懈 褉邪蟹斜懈褉邪屑 褌械蟹懈 邪薪谐谢芯褋邪泻褋芯薪褋泻懈 邪胁褌芯褉懈, 褔械褋褌薪芯, 锌芯薪褟泻芯谐邪 锌懈褕邪褌 泻邪褌芯 蟹邪泻谢械褌懈 褋芯褑懈邪谢懈褋褌懈褔械褋泻懈 褑械薪蟹芯褉懈!

袦邪泻邪褉 懈 斜械蟹 锌褉械泻懈 写芯泻邪蟹邪褌械谢褋褌胁邪, 褌褟 锌褉芯泻邪褉胁邪 褌械蟹邪褌邪 蟹邪 袚谢邪写芯屑芯褉邪 泻邪褌芯 褍屑懈褕谢械薪 懈薪褋褌褉褍屑械薪褌 蟹邪 褍斜懈泄褋褌胁芯 薪邪 薪械锌芯泻芯褉薪懈褌械 褍泻褉邪懈薪褑懈 懈 褍泻褉邪懈薪褋泻邪褌邪 懈写械薪褌懈褔薪芯褋褌. 孝械蟹邪, 褋 泻芯褟褌芯 薪械 褋褗屑 褋泻谢芯薪薪邪 写邪 褋械 褋褗谐谢邪褋褟. 袧械 褔械 小褌邪谢懈薪 薪械 谐芯 械 懈蟹锌芯谢蟹胁邪谢 懈 蟹邪 褌邪泻懈胁邪 褑械谢懈, 褋褗胁褋械屑 薪械! 袧芯 褌芯胁邪 褋械 械 褋谢褍褔懈谢芯 锌褉懈 褋胁褗褉褕械薪 褎邪泻褌 - 锌褉芯胁邪谢械薪邪 邪谐褉邪褉薪邪 褉械褎芯褉屑邪, 褔懈懈褌芯 卸械褉褌胁懈 薪褟屑邪 泻邪泻 写邪 斜褗写邪褌 褋锌邪褋械薪懈 芯褌 褋屑褗褉褌芯薪芯褋薪懈褌械 锌芯褋谢械写褋褌胁懈械 锌褉懈 薪邪褋褌芯褟褖邪褌邪 (谢懈锌褋邪) 薪邪 懈泻芯薪芯屑懈泻邪 胁 小小小袪. 小褗蟹写邪胁邪薪械褌芯 薪邪 泻芯谢褏芯蟹懈褌械 械 谐褉邪薪写芯屑邪薪褋泻邪 懈 懈写懈芯褌褋泻邪 懈写械褟, 锌褉芯泻邪褉邪薪邪 芯褌 写懈泻褌邪褌芯褉, 泻芯泄褌芯 械 懈蟹胁械褋褌械薪 褋 薪械锌芯薪芯褋懈屑芯褋褌褌邪 褋懈 泻褗屑 胁褗蟹褉邪卸械薪懈褟. 袠蟹胁械褋褌械薪 械 褋褗褖芯 褋 薪械褋泻谢芯薪薪芯褋褌褌邪 褋懈 泻褗屑 褋邪屑芯芯斜胁懈薪械薪懈褟. 些芯屑 褋邪 褌褉褗谐薪邪谢懈 写邪 屑褉邪褌 芯褌 谐谢邪写 - 袨袣, 懈 斜械蟹 褌芯胁邪 蟹邪 薪懈褖芯 薪械 褋褌邪胁邪褌, 褖芯屑 薪械 芯褑械薪懈褏邪 懈写械褟褌邪 懈 锌芯谢懈褌懈泻邪褌邪, 写邪 写邪写械屑 褍褉芯泻 薪邪 芯褋褌邪薪邪谢懈褌械, 邪 锌芯褉邪写懈 懈泻芯薪芯屑懈褔械褋泻芯褌芯 锌芯谢芯卸械薪懈械 懈 褎邪泻褌邪, 褔械 懈蟹薪邪褋褟屑械 褏褉邪薪邪 蟹邪 蟹谢邪褌芯, 懈 斜械蟹 褌芯胁邪 薪褟屑邪 泻邪泻 写邪 褋械 褋锌邪褋褟褌... (孝芯胁邪 械 胁芯谢薪邪 懈薪褌械褉锌褉械褌邪褑懈褟 薪邪 斜邪蟹邪 胁锌械褔邪褌谢械薪懈褟 芯褌 锌褉芯褔械褌械薪芯褌芯 褌褍泻 懈 写褉褍谐邪写械).

孝邪泻邪 褔械 蟹邪 屑械薪 - 薪邪 斜邪蟹邪 懈蟹谢芯卸械薪懈褌械 褎邪泻褌懈 懈 胁锌械褔邪褌谢械薪懈褟 - 小褌邪谢懈薪 薪械 谐芯 械 锌谢邪薪懈褉邪谢, 谐芯褋锌芯卸邪 袗锌褗谢斜邪褍屑 褌胁褗褉写械 屑薪芯谐芯 锌芯写褑械薪褟胁邪 褋胁械褌芯胁薪邪褌邪 谐谢褍锌芯褋褌 蟹邪 褋屑械褌泻邪 薪邪 褋胁械褌芯胁薪邪褌邪 泻芯薪褋锌懈褉邪褑懈褟. 袧芯 谐芯 械 懈蟹锌芯谢蟹胁邪谢 褋褌褍写械薪芯泻褉褗胁薪芯 懈 薪械 械 薪邪锌褉邪胁懈谢 邪斜褋芯谢褞褌薪芯 薪懈褖芯, 蟹邪 写邪 谐芯 锌褉械写芯褌胁褉邪褌懈 懈 褋屑械谐褔懈, 泻邪褌芯 褋械 械 芯锌懈褌邪谢 写邪 谐芯 懈蟹褌褉懈械 芯褌 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟褌邪. 袧芯 胁褋械 锌邪泻 写械谢邪褌邪 芯褋褌邪胁邪褌 - 懈谢懈 薪械泻邪 锌芯薪械 褋械 薪邪写褟胁邪屑械.
Profile Image for Paul.
1,165 reviews74 followers
September 17, 2017
Red Famine 鈥� Stalin鈥檚 War on Ukraine

As someone from a Polish family who before the Second World War lived in the Kresy (East Poland now in Ukraine) it has always surprised me how little of this war against Ukraine and her people is not widely known in the West. My Grandfather often used it as an example of how evil Stalin was in the way he allowed policy, to kill people and relieve him of a troublesome part of the country of its affluence.

As a child, he lived in Podwo艂oczyska, a border town on the river Zbruch, and when playing alongside the river he often heard the machine gun fire of the Soviet border guards killing Ukrainians trying to escape, in order to feed their families and themselves. He would often talk of his childhood and the knowledge that on the other side of the river Zbruch, evil things were happening to Ukrainians. After 17th September 1940, my family would also feel the wrath of Stalin.

Following rural unrest in 1932, the harvest in the Soviet Union dropped by 40%, and between 1928 鈥� 1932 the livestock fell by 50%. One of the reasons being the peasants would rather feed themselves and their families instead of handing the cattle to the Communists.

All this from Stalin鈥檚 New Economic Plans which enforced collectivisation on the people, brought resistance, the liquidation of kulaks and a famine which would extend across the Soviet Union. Better known to Ukrainians and many East Europeans as the Holodomor, since independence has meant that this episode of cruelty and killing can become better known in the West.

Stalin knew what was going on in Ukraine, and what some readers might find hard to understand is that the Holodomor was completely man- made. It was his decisions, and that of his ministers that led to the famine, through the collectivisation of land and the eviction of kulaks, identified as enemies of the Revolution.

There are some historians who dispute the fact that the famine was man-made, I happen to agree with her assessment. Like Katyn, the Holodomor was the great unmentionable, Ukrainians could not talk about or acknowledge until 1991. Now is the time to tell the world and remind it what happened and not allow Stalin to be rehabilitated.

Anne Applebaum is not afraid to investigate and write about controversial parts of history, and the world is a better place for the light being shined into the dark corners. This is an excellently researched, well written book, this is not a dry history, this is a book that draws you in, and the writing keeps you captivated. I hope this book gets a wider audience, as it is compelling and tackle the ignorance that exists.
Profile Image for Chrissie.
2,811 reviews1,430 followers
November 3, 2017
This book has two interrelated themes - Ukraine鈥檚 path toward independence and the famine that occurred there 1932-1933.The history of Ukraine and Russia must be viewed together, and so the Bolshevik Revolution, the Civil War that followed, first Lenin鈥檚 and then Stalin鈥檚 reign are discussed too. The book starts in 1917 and concludes in the present. The famine that occurred 1921-1922, and for which international aid was given, came to be followed by the Great Famine of 1932-1933. The latter famine came to be known as the Holodomor. This word in translation means 鈥渢o kill by starvation鈥�, thus inferring that the famine was not simply due to natural causes but was instead purposefully instigated, an act of genocide led by Stalin. In an epilog, the author discusses if the latter famine should be classified as genocide. In any case, be that so or not, to understand the relations between Ukraine and Russia today, the past must be understood. It is this that is the purpose of the book. A clear and succinct introduction explains all of this. Knowing at the start that the genocide question will be discussed at the end, a reader reads with this question prominently at the fore.

The book begins with the first Ukrainian War of Independence,1917 to 1921. The February Revolution of 1917 led ethnic groups in the Russian Empire to seek increased autonomy and self-determination. The Ukrainian National Movement was formed. In June 1917, in Kiev, the Ukrainian People's Republic was declared, a sovereign state to be governed by the socialist-dominated "Central Rada". But it was short-lived. Year by year we follow events - collectivization, blacklisting, deportations, the famine of 1920-1921, liquidation of the kulaks and then unrealistic grain, livestock and vegetable requisitions imposed on a people without food. Travel restrictions so people could not flee.

The first half of the book, covering the years before the famine, were a struggle for me. I was seriously considering putting the book aside. The background information is essential, but dry in its presentation. Too many examples to prove one point. Too repetitive. Not engaging.

The famine is heartrendingly depicted. Physical and psychological effects of famine are documented. What was eaten when no 鈥渇ood鈥� was available. What was done with the dead. Personal experiences are told. People who lived through the famine are quoted. There is however little reference to source material. We are told 鈥渁 memoirist鈥� or 鈥渕ultiple witnesses鈥� or a 鈥淧olish diplomat鈥� claim 鈥︹€� but why are we not give the names of those making these statements?! Yet I do not doubt the validity of the claims made or the horror of what occurred.

Thereafter follow chapters devoted first to a discussion of death statistics and then the years after the famine. The absence of international aid, resettlement programs, Russification, purging of Ukrainian officials and destruction of evidence that the famine had occurred. Stalin claimed the 1937 census to be invalid! It showed all too clearly how many had died. These chapters were not dry. Finally, the epilog. It presents a straightforward analysis of whether the famine should or should not be considered a genocide. Well, it all depends on whose definition one goes by 鈥� Raphael Lemkin (1900 鈥� 1959), who coined the word 鈥済enocide鈥� and who initiated the Genocide Convention signed on December 9, 1948 OR the United Nation鈥檚 Convention on the Crime of Genocide itself. Lemkin referred to the mass killing of Jews in the Second World War, the killing of Armenians by the Turks and the Great Famine of 1932-1933 as genocide, but the Convention, which today constitutes the basis for international law, states that genocide is a state sponsored assault on an entire group of people or on a whole nation. That not all Ukrainians were targeted means the famine should not be classified as genocide.

To properly judge the events that took place in the Ukraine one must compare these events with what was happening elsewhere. I wish more had been spoken of the famine in the Volga region and Kazakhstan. There is some information, but not enough.

I very much liked the narration by Suzanne Toren. The reading is clear and at a tempo that allows listeners time to think. Many Russian names are given in the book鈥檚 first half; these are too often hard to distinguish. This is no fault of the narrator, but it does make listening more difficult than reading. I do not like that her intonation and pauses emphasize which events are evil. I am perfectly capable of figuring this out myself! I have given the narration four stars.
Profile Image for Tetiana Dzhyhar.
250 reviews36 followers
April 18, 2022
蟹写邪褦褌褜褋褟 褑械 锌械褉褕懈泄 褨褋褌芯褉懈褔薪懈泄 薪芯薪褎褨泻褕薪 锌褉芯 校泻褉邪褩薪褍, 褟泻懈泄 褟 锌褉芯褔懈褌邪谢邪. 胁褨写 褑褨褦褩 泻薪懈谐懈 写褍卸械 斜芯谢褟褔械. 胁 褕泻芯谢褜薪褨泄 锌褉芯谐褉邪屑褨 褏褍写芯卸薪褟 谢褨褌械褉邪褌褍褉邪 锌褉芯 谐芯谢芯写芯屑芯褉 锌械褉械写邪褦 卸邪褏懈 褌芯谐芯 锌械褉褨芯写褍, 邪谢械 薪械 褉芯蟹褍屑褨薪薪褟 褔芯屑褍. 褋邪屑械 褌芯屑褍 褌芯褌邪谢褜薪芯 胁邪卸谢懈胁芯 褔懈褌邪褌懈 薪芯薪褎褨泻褕薪. 芯泻褉褨屑 褍褋褜芯谐芯 褨薪褕芯谐芯 芯褋芯斜谢懈胁芯 蟹邪褔械锌懈胁 褉芯蟹写褨谢 锌褉芯 蟹邪薪械锌芯泻芯褦薪薪褟 屑褨卸薪邪褉芯写薪芯褩 褋锌褨谢褜薪芯褌懈. 褋锌芯褔邪褌泻褍 (邪卸 写芯 70懈褏 - 80懈褏 褉芯泻褨胁) 褋胁褨褌芯胁褨 褑械 胁褋械 蟹邪 褉褨写泻褨褋薪懈屑懈 胁懈泻谢褞褔械薪薪褟屑懈 斜褍谢芯 胁懈谐褨写薪芯 蟹邪屑芯胁褔褍胁邪褌懈 褔懈 褉芯斜懈褌懈 胁懈谐谢褟写, 褖芯 薪械 胁褋械 褌邪泻 锌芯谐邪薪芯. 褖芯斜 薪械 锌芯褋胁邪褉懈褌懈褋褜 蟹褨 褋褌邪谢褨薪懈屑. 蟹邪褏褨写薪褨 锌褋械胁写芯卸褍褉薪邪谢褨褋褌懈, 褟泻褨 锌懈褋邪谢懈 薪邪 斜谢邪谐芯 褉邪写褟薪褋褜泻芯褩 锌褉芯锌邪谐邪薪写懈 - 芯褋芯斜谢懈胁懈泄 胁懈写 写薪邪. 锌褉芯泄褕谢芯 90 褉芯泻褨胁, 邪 写械褟泻褨 锌芯写褨褩 褨 褉械邪泻褑褨褩 蟹 褑褨褦褩 泻薪懈谐懈 锌芯胁褌芯褉褞褞褌褜褋褟 蟹 褔芯褉薪芯褞 褨写械薪褌懈褔薪褨褋褌褞.
Profile Image for Czarny Pies.
2,754 reviews1 follower
May 24, 2019
Anne Appelbaum鈥檚 鈥淩ed Famine: Stalin's War on Ukraine, 1921-1933鈥� is a dazzling work of synthesis history that addresses much more than the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-33 (a.k.a. 鈥淭he Great Famine鈥�, a.k.a. 鈥淭he Holodomor鈥�, a.k.a. 鈥淭he Ukrainian Genocide鈥�). It also covers the Ukrainian War of Independence (1917-1921), the resistance of the Ukrainian peasantry to collectivization of agriculture in 1931, the attack on the use of the Ukrainian language and the elimination of the Ukrainian intellectual classes that coincided with the famine, the subsequent purge of the Ukrainian communist party, the cover-up that followed and the active assistance of Western journalists in the cover-up.
It was Robert Conquest鈥檚 鈥淗arvest of Sorrow鈥� published in 1986 that first established for the Anglo-Saxon world that there had indeed been a state induced famine in the Ukraine that killed somewhere between 3 and 6 million people in the Ukraine in the years of 1932 and 1933.
Conquest suggested that the famine might have been the result of a combination of unfavorable climatic conditions and communist incompetence rather than evil intentions. Appelbaum instead argues that bad weather was not in any way a factor in the disaster. Stalin had simply decided that he needed to crush the Ukrainian peasantry which had supported an independent Ukrainian state during the four years following the 1917 Russian Revolution and which had violently resisted the collectivization of agriculture. In 1932, Stalin decided to act. He ordered the seizure of grain and food in the Ukrainian countryside to create food shortages. Those districts which had most actively resisted collectivization and given the greatest support to Ukrainian independence were the ones subjected to the most drastic food seizures.
鈥淩ed Famine: Stalin's War on Ukraine, 1921-1933鈥� is an extremely important book that should be read by anyone interested in European history in the 20th century.
Profile Image for Arthur.
365 reviews20 followers
August 29, 2020
This book gives a thorough overview of how Ukraine got into existing (occupied in part or full by Poland, Austria or Russia over hundreds of years), the bureaucratic bungles (read "collectivists being themselves") that set the stage for famine, the holodomor itself, and decades worth of efforts by the Soviets (and Western leftists) to cover it up.

This is an extensively researched and very detailed -it really gets into the nitty gritty so its great if you want specifics, but perhaps a bit overwhelming if you just want a more generalized overview. The first person accounts are stirring enough they will keep you up at night.

Having had access to archives that Robert Conquest did not, I believe this book now forms the foundation for English language works on Holodomor.
Profile Image for Sweetwilliam.
171 reviews57 followers
May 30, 2021
This is what happens when the new Director of the Department of Agriculture's only previous experience is bank robbery and murder. It is a chilling account of the crimes that Stalin and his murderous regime perpetrated upon the poor people of the Ukraine shortly following the revolution. Lining the Ukrainians' up against the wall and shooting them would have been more merciful.

Read about how Stalin stole the land and deported just about every successful farmer in the Ukraine, labeling them as Kulaks, in his bid to create class warfare. Next he collectivized nearly all the farms and imposed a plan that was impossible to achieve. Many local communists opposed it which ensured a one-way ticket to the gulag and certain death by execution. Soon, there was no incentive to work. Why farm if the State is going to just take it? Collectivization did incentivize stealing. Why not? You were only stealing from the State? Soon, bands of Communists were raiding farms in the middle of the night confiscating anything edible. They were confiscating seeds! This was an intentional starving of a people because Stalin feared that the Ukraine, with their own language and culture, had their own dreams of an independence. Stalin intended to crush their spirit by creating a man-made famine and then resettle the Ukraine with Russians! Soon, Ukrainians, driven to madness by starvation, were eating their own children. They say that the people of the Ukraine were almost lucid in color. I am haunted by the account of a mother and baby, starving, and almost transparent with the infant suckling on his own knuckles to curb his own cravings, begging for something to eat. I am haunted of multiple accounts of people escaping to the cities to beg with their last breath for a morsel of food and instead of being nourished, beaten to death while accused of being kulaks, wreakers, or counter-revolutionaries. All the while, as in the Irish potato famine, the Soviet government was still exporting grain for cash while it's people were literally starving to death!

As an American, I was sickened by the reports of the Foreign Press Corps in Moscow covering for the murderous regime so they would not lose their press passes. A few reporters were able to make their way to the Ukraine. One man in particular tried to report on what he saw - whole villages empty with the dead laying everywhere and tossing a crust of bread into a spittoon and watching a starving person dive in after it. He was discredited by notable members of the Foreign Press Corps that wanted to maintain their special access and privilege with the regime. They downplayed it as "yeah, the people are hungry but it's not that bad." This reminds me a little bit of what current NBA and Hollywood stars, CEO's, and some politicians are doing to curry favor with the Communist regime of Red China.

Eventually, the truth did leak out and several leaders of the Soviet Union/Russia admitted to the regime induced famine. Every time a Putin-like leader came into power the story of a regime induced famine on the Ukraine was down-played or even recanted. Read the truth by Anne Applebaum. Understand the motivation for a free, independent Ukraine. What a horror that the Soviets and Nazi regimes perpetrated on these people! Read this and understand another reason why Communism is the worse form of government and the worst religion (yes I said religion) ever to victimize a people on planet Earth!

I would say enjoy but there is no enjoying a book that communicates a truth as disgusting as this. Only the Rape of Nanking may have depressed me as much as this one or maybe I made it through because I'm numb from all my reading of history? This is a case of going from bad to worse as the peasants were much better off in Russia than they were than in the Soviet Union. Read this to be informed why there is a need for an independent Ukraine.

In a local news broadcast I saw recently, a college professor was debating a political commentator on the merits of communism. The college professor argued that the horror stories of communism have been exaggerated. Sir, may the tortured souls of the Ukraine haunt you to your grave and into the afterlife you na茂ve, useful idiot. Read this book.
Profile Image for Theresa.
43 reviews
November 10, 2017
Anne Applebaum's Red Famine is an important history of the Ukraine (and USSR by default). Applebaum provides meaningful context beginning with the 1917 Ukrainian Revolution, famine of the 1920s, Stalin's agricultural collectivation policies of the late 1920s and early 1930s, and Ukrainian nationalist sentiment and peasant resistance prior to focusing on the terror famine known as the Holodomor occurring between 1932 and 1934. Holodomor is a term derived from two Ukrainian words for hunger and extermination. This famine was not created by crop failure or poor weather, it was a man made famine created by Stalin's agricultural policies, grain quotas (and associated penalties, including food confiscation inside homes, for not meeting those policies), etc. Ukrainian peasants, especially the Kulaks, that exercised resistance, were treated especially harsh. At least five million died during this famine, the vast majority in the Ukraine. Despite this tragic history and subsequent struggles, the Ukraine stands today as an independent nation.
Profile Image for A.L. Sowards.
Author听22 books1,197 followers
September 24, 2018
This is the first book I鈥檝e read by Applebaum, and I鈥檓 impressed. It鈥檚 not a happy book, but it鈥檚 an important book, covering a state-created famine that killed around four million people in Ukraine in the 1930s. The deaths weren鈥檛 caused by a drought, but by forced collectivization of farms, then a Soviet plan to export grain to gain foreign currency, then a series of confiscations that left peasants with nothing to eat. The deaths are tragic, made even more so by the malice behind Soviet policy. They could have been prevented. Instead, the Soviet government left men, women, and children with no food, turned neighbors against each other, and destroyed entire villages. Then they covered it up.

Applebaum also covers the years leading up to the famine, and the years beyond it up to the present. I listened to the audiobook, which had a really good narrator.
Profile Image for Chris.
Author听42 books12.7k followers
December 7, 2017
A wrenching and thorough account of the way Stalin created the famine that killed easily 3.5 million Ukrainians, and maybe far more. The eyewitness testimonies of the starvation are devastating. The last chapter is an especially interesting discussion of where the famine fits in the history of Genocide. For anyone interested in the history of the first decades of the Soviet Union, this is a must-read.
Profile Image for Luba.
165 reviews4 followers
April 29, 2018
Frankly, I don鈥檛 care whether we can call Holodomor a genocide or not. What I do care about is for people to remember and recognize that 4.5 million Ukrainians were killed purposefully by the Soviet State. I want people to know that 鈥渢he elimination of Ukraine鈥檚 elite in the 1930s 鈥� the nation鈥檚 best scholars, writers and political leaders as well as its most energetic farmers 鈥� continues to matter.鈥�

This is an incredibly well written and documented narrative about one of the most tragic but hidden pages of Europe鈥檚 20th century history. A must read for everyone who does care.
Profile Image for Bettie.
9,982 reviews6 followers
April 17, 2018


The Holodomor (Ukrainian: 袚芯谢芯写芯屑芯虂褉); derived from 屑芯褉懈褌懈 谐芯谢芯写芯屑, "to kill by starvation"), also known as the Terror-Famine and Famine-Genocide in Ukraine, and鈥攂efore the widespread use of the term "Holodomor", and sometimes currently鈥攁lso referred to as the Great Famine, and The Ukrainian Genocide of 1932鈥�33鈥攚as a man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine in 1932 and 1933 that killed an officially estimated 7 million to 10 million people. It was part of the wider Soviet famine of 1932鈥�33, which affected the major grain-producing areas of the country. [wiki sourced]




Description: In 1929 Stalin launched his policy of agricultural collectivization鈥攊n effect a second Russian revolution鈥攚hich forced millions of peasants off their land and onto collective farms. The result was a catastrophic famine, the most lethal in European history. At least 5 million people died between 1931 and 1933 in the USSR. But instead of sending relief the Soviet state made use of the catastrophe to rid itself of a political problem. In Red Famine, Anne Applebaum argues that more than 3 million of those dead were Ukrainians who perished not because they were accidental victims of a bad policy but because the state deliberately set out to kill them.

Applebaum proves what has long been suspected: after a series of rebellions unsettled the province, Stalin set out to destroy the Ukrainian peasantry. The state sealed the republic's borders and seized all available food. Starvation set in rapidly, and people ate anything: grass, tree bark, dogs, corpses. In some cases, they killed one another for food. Devastating and definitive, Red Famine captures the horror of ordinary people struggling to survive extraordinary evil.





Profile Image for Iryna.
4 reviews17 followers
March 22, 2021
效褍写芯胁邪 褨 谐褉褍薪褌芯胁薪邪 锌褉邪褑褟 薪邪褑褨谢械薪邪 薪邪 屑褨卸薪邪褉芯写薪褍 褋锌褨谢褜薪芯褌褍. 袗胁褌芯褉泻邪 薪械 锌褉芯褋褌芯 褉芯蟹锌芯胁褨写邪褦 锌褉芯 袚芯谢芯写芯屑芯褉, 褟泻 谢褞写懈 胁屑懈褉邪谢懈 褌邪 胁懈卸懈胁邪谢懈. 笑械 褨褋褌芯褉懈褔薪械 写芯褋谢褨写卸械薪薪褟, 芯褋薪芯胁邪薪械 薪邪 邪褉褏褨胁薪懈褏 写芯泻褍屑械薪褌邪褏, 褟泻械 胁 写械褌邪谢褟褏 锌芯泻邪蟹褍褦 褟泻 谐芯谢芯写 褋褌邪胁 屑芯卸谢懈胁懈屑 褨 锌械褉械褌胁芯褉懈胁褋褟 薪邪 褨薪褋褌褉褍屑械薪褌 锌芯泻邪褉邪薪薪褟 薪械蟹谐芯写薪懈褏 蟹 褋芯胁褦褑褜泻芯褞 褋懈褋褌械屑芯褞. 袗胁褌芯褉泻邪 褌邪泻芯卸 胁懈褋胁褨褌谢褞褦 锌褉芯斜谢械屑褍 胁懈蟹薪邪薪薪褟 袚芯谢芯写芯屑芯褉褍 谐械薪芯褑懈写芯屑, 锌芯谢褨褌懈褔薪懈褏 屑邪薪褨锌褍谢褟褑褨泄 褨 锌褉芯锌邪谐邪薪写懈 - 蟹邪褋芯斜懈 褟泻褨 胁懈泻芯褉懈褋褌芯胁褍胁邪胁 小芯胁褦褑褜泻懈泄 褋芯褞蟹 写谢褟 锌褉懈褏芯胁褍胁邪薪薪褟 锌褉邪胁写懈, 褨 褟泻褨 锌褉芯写芯胁卸褍褦 薪邪褋谢褨写褍胁邪褌懈 褋褜芯谐芯写薪褨褕薪褟 袪芯褋褨褟.
Profile Image for Sebastian Gebski.
1,151 reviews1,260 followers
July 30, 2024
I finished it a few hours ago, but I still struggle to set my thoughts straight. My first reaction after the final sentences was simply: "Fuck, fuck, fuck" and I wasn't able to phrase anything more coherent.

1. I'm not a fan of A. Applebaum but this book is HELLUVA good work. Chapeau bas. Even the way she concluded the book (final chapter) in a "technical", dispassionate, ultra-professional way, without using cheap, emotion-playing tricks. That's how you can tell a great journalist.

2. Unsurprisingly, this book is not easy to get through. But only because of the topic itself - it affects you deeply, touches something deep in you, makes you doubt things you believed in. Fortunately, the author (again) helps you on this journey. She has made the book as approachable as possible. It's well paced and structured, there's no repetition and the content is comprehensible for everyone, not just hardcore history aficionados.

3. This book is about Holodomor and also is not - at the very same time. How so? Holodomor is just a hard-to-believe, visible outcome, but ... I feel that the book is more about the greatest scourge that has ever invaded this world - communism. The tyranny of lying zealots, not afraid to break every freedom to introduce their utopia. For them, no truth was ever absolute; no boundary was impassable, and no atrocity was too much to bear.

Everyone should read this book. Not only to read about Holodomor, but rather to learn about what people could do to other people. Just like that. Because they can. Because the large numbers are just statistics, not real people (in their eyes). F_ck the communism, f_ck the apologists of the Soviet Union, f_ck the cynics who attempt to erase history. We will never forget.

P.S. Everyone here (in Poland) should never forget what fate was spared to us by Pilsudski when he defended us in 1920 from the very same fate.
8 reviews
December 16, 2019
Holy cow this booked sucked. There was literally no objectivity here. In the first chapter Applebaum states, 'Ukraine culture was clearly superior to Russian culture', without laying out any case as to why or any supporting argument. Just get Robert Conquest's 'The Harvest of Sorrow' instead and save yourself a few hours of your life from reading this overt diatribe against Russia.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,151 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.