An Influence of Protracted Starvation on a Person and Transgenerational Consequences of the Holodomor-genocide

Author

Stasiuk Olesia    
a Ph. D. in History, general director of a National Museum Holodomor Victims Memorial

An Influence of Protracted Starvation on a Person and Transgenerational Consequences of the Holodomor-genocide

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to reveal connection between the influence of famine on the person and transgenerational consequences of the tragedy of the Holodomor-genocide of Ukrainians in 1932–1933. The methodologyof the study is based on the polydiscipline approach, within the scopes of which the methods of content analysis and cause-and-effect relationship analysis, methods of synthesis and generalization, methodological potential of transgenerational psychology, Genocide Studies and Trauma Studies are used for the adaptation of the selected material. The scientific novelty of the study consists in the disclosure of hidden logic which links the nature of famine and starvation, and the tragedy of the Holodomor-genocide. In order to understand the true scales and depth of transgenerational connections between those who have survived the terror by famine and contemporary generation of Ukrainians, one needs to reflect the psychological, physiological and socio-cultural dimension of trauma that settles on the level of feelings, beliefs and cognitive directives of the next generation. Conclusions. It is proved that the intent and organization of mass famine, aimed at the suppression of indocile Ukraine through the extermination of farmers and Ukrainians as ethnos and national group by the communist regime headed by J. Stalin have caused not only the death of millions of people, but also deep psychotrauma to the descendants and contemporary generations of Ukrainians. Starvation – a biological phenomenon – is closely connected with its social and political premises and especially consequences, because the national group on the stage of para-civil society has been prevented to turn into the political nation. In order to overcome these effects, both individual and mass, collective trauma therapies are necessary. Transformation of traumatic reminiscences into visual, audio or other image forms will help to create the positive semiosphere and expand the focus of traumatic event and overstep the traumatic closure and repetitiveness (instead tabooing of this topic will only deepen the trauma).

Keywords

Holodomor-genocide, protracted starvation, psychological trauma, transgenerational effects, collective trauma therapy.

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