AK: The local villagers went around from house to house asking for food. People didn’t come from outside the village, because they didn’t have any strength. Locals went from house to house around the village. I didn’t see any outsiders. The neighboring boys often came to us, because we had a bit [of food].

Interviewer – You fed them?

AK: Of course. My godmother’s daughters also came, and we gave them food.

Interviewer – And they survived?

AK: No, they didn’t survive. My godmother’s three children – Varvara, Hanya, and her son, Vasyo, died. Three doors down from us, Ivan and Vasyl died.

Interviewer – How old were these girls who died?

AK: The oldest one was about my age, from 1920, 1921 or 1922. The other one was younger. Varvara was 11 or 12, Hanya was 9 or 10. Vasya, I think, was only 4. He was the youngest. He was such a nice boy and he died.

There were branches growing above our house. He [the brother of my mother’s first husband] unscrewed the frame of the window, and broke into the house, and took our barley. After that it was very hard. He robbed us, but he himself didn’t survive. But we survived somehow. 1933 was very hard. My grandfather, my father’s father, died. I loved him very much.  Nobody was buried in coffins. There were no boards. I saw how the dead were taken away on a cart. In our neighbor’s house two boys died. Not far from us, three [children] died. [Someone died] in every house.

Interviewer – Many people died in your village?

AK: Very many. My friend’s entire family died. But she somehow survived. She was left alone. Her father, mother and three or four siblings [died].

Anastasia Kovalchuk (nee Varchenko)

Date of birth: 17 March 1921

Place of birth: Krasnolisy village, Kyiv oblastt

Witnessed Famine in: Krasnolisy village, Kyiv oblast

Arrived in Canada: 1978

Current residence: Winnipeg

Date and place of interview:  16 March 2009, Winnipeg

Excerpt From Full Interview