On April 12, 2021, at the age of 96, Mykola Onyshchenko, a member of the Supervisory Board of the International Foundation of the Holodomor Museum, passed away. He was a victim of the Holodomor and for many years defended the uncompromising position of honoring every victim of the genocide and creating a modern, holistic Holodomor Museum.
Mykola Onyshchenko survived the 1932-1933 genocide in the village of Roza in the Berdiansk region of Ukraine. During World War II, he was sent to Germany as an “ostarbeiter”, a forced laborer, and then to Poland as a prisoner at a transfer point. From there, the Soviets immediately deported him and and all those prisoners to the Urals. He was a Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and a retired Chief Engineer at “Luhansk Diesel Locomotive Plant.” He was an internally displaced person since 2014 due to the ongoing Russian – Ukrainian war.
Mykola Pavlovych Onyshchenko’s active civic engagement was a guiding beacon not only for museum workers, the international community of the Foundation, donors to the Holodomor Museum Creation project, but also for many Ukrainians around the world. Mykola Onyshchenko’s contribution to the restoration and preservation of national memory cannot be overestimated.
We express our condolences to Mykola Onyshchenko’s family – his faithful wife Taisia Hryhorivna, daughter Lesya and son Taras. Let the example of Mykola Pavlovych’s civic service be a backbone and support for your family and an inspiration to your children on their life’s journey.
And for all of us, Mykola Onyshchenko’s civil testament will serve as a genuine challenge to fulfill the world’s first comprehensive Holodomor Museum.
“Our Ukrainian nation was damaged by the Holodomor. Those who passed through the tragedy, tortures, family losses, have changed forever. That’s why the Museum and the work around it must guide our nation’s renewal. All of Ukraine shall join in its construction”, said Mykola Onyshchenko.
An opportunity to bid farewell to Mykola Onyshchenko will take place on Thursday, 15 April 2021 in Kyiv:
– from 11:00 to 12:00 – in the ritual hall at Feofania hospital. The funeral ceremony will be conducted by Fr.Petro Landvytovych (Orthodox Church of Ukraine).
– from 14:00 – in the ritual building of Kyiv Crematorium (hall near the administration office).
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