Candlelight vigil in Kitchener honours Holodomor victims and marks 1,000 days of Ukraine-Russia war

A solemn Saturday evening vigil at the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Transfiguration brought together community members to honour the victims of the Holodomor and reflect on 1,000 days since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Among those gathered was Sergii Tokayuk and Myroslava Makarenko, a Ukrainian couple who fled to Canada early in the Ukraine-Russia war but whose hearts remain with their family still living in Ukraine.

“They still [are] there in Kyiv region - my parents and my grandmother…so I try to contact with them every day just to make sure that they doing okay,” explained Makarenko.

The couple, who now reside in Waterloo Region, said the vigil was an emotional reminder of their family’s history and their current struggles.

“The most important is just spreading awareness and getting a bit more close with the community itself so that they are aware of what Ukrainians are and that we live here and what struggles we have,” said Tokayuk.

A vigil at the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Transfiguration commemorating Holodomor, Nov. 24 (Hannah Schmidt/CTV News)

The Holodomor, a man-made famine in the 1930s that claimed the lives of millions of Ukrainians, was a tragedy they grew up hearing about from their great grandparents. But today, the couple, alongside other members of the local Ukrainian community, see parallels between that dark chapter and the ongoing conflict in their homeland.

“My great grandmother…she still carries some of that weight of always caring about food, always having a lot of food, always to make sure that something like that never happens,” explained Tokayuk. “It's some kind of almost obsession with the food that many of the older generations still have.”

“We're trying to pass this knowledge from what happened years ago so it's not forgotten,” added Dmytro Ivanchenko, director of the PLAST Ukrainian Youth Association of Canada K-W branch.

The vigil drew dozens of attendees, many holding candles and waving Ukrainian flags. Participants took part in prayer, hymns and moments of silence as they reflected on the resilience of the Ukrainian people.

A photo of Hola Prystan, Ukraine (Courtesy Sergii Tokayuk)

“You can imagine the kind of toll it takes on the people, when the war is ongoing for two and a half years and there is no end in sight,” said Michael Doroshenko, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Waterloo Region.

The vigil also served as a call to action, urging support for those impacted by the ongoing conflict.

“It feels like there is more to be done by Canada that we continue to ask the federal government to do more to transfer more military equipment, which might not be useful to Canada, but will certainly be useful to Ukraine,” said Dorochenko.

Despite their fears, Tokayuk and Makarenko said the vigil brought them a sense of unity and hope. Although, the couple wishes to see more available supports for those fleeing the war and coming into Canada.

A photo of Sergii Tokayuk's family in Hola Prystan (Courtesy Sergii Tokayuk)

“I see the main problem for newcomers as finding a residence. Thankfully, a lot of local families show great kindness and great support and I know many cases where they housed people for months until they could find their own place. But it’s very difficult to find right away.” said Makarenko.