On 27 November 2025, the Evangelical Church of Liechtenstein in Vaduz hosted the Principality’s first-ever official ceremony commemorating the victims of the 1932–1933 Holodomor—the genocide of the Ukrainian people.
The event was organized by the Embassy of Ukraine in the Swiss Confederation and in the Principality of Liechtenstein, together with the Ukrainian Society in Switzerland, led by Honorary Consul of Ukraine Andrey Lushnytskyi, and supported by the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Liechtenstein David Jandrasits.
The ceremony opened with greetings from:
David Jandrasits, Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Liechtenstein,
Andrey Lushnytskyi, Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Switzerland and President of the Ukrainian Society in Switzerland,
Samvel Arustamian, Counselor of the Embassy of Ukraine and Deputy Head of Mission.
A special spiritual atmosphere was created by Pastor Barbara Vedam, who offered a prayer for the innocently killed victims of the Holodomor.
A historical analysis of the tragedy was presented by Professor Nicolas Hayoz, one of the leading scholars of Ukraine in the German-speaking world.
The musical part was performed by:
the children’s choir Perlynky,
the choirs Prostir and Okryleni,
who performed sacred and traditional Ukrainian pieces dedicated to the memory of the victims of famine and repression.
In his address, the Embassy representative emphasized that in the 1930s Ukraine and Liechtenstein did not yet have diplomatic relations, yet today the Principality participates in international initiatives commemorating the victims of totalitarian crimes, including the Holodomor.
A historical fact was also mentioned: as early as 1962, the Liechtensteiner Volksblatt newspaper published an article describing the Holodomor as a consequence of Stalin’s policy of mass starvation that claimed millions of lives. This highlights that the tragedy of the Ukrainian people was known in Liechtenstein long before Ukraine gained independence.
Special mention was made of Baron Eduard von Falz-Fein, a native of Southern Ukraine and one of Liechtenstein’s most renowned citizens, who throughout his life supported Ukrainian cultural and natural heritage. His personal story became a symbolic bridge between the Ukrainian steppe and the Liechtenstein Alps.
The Embassy of Ukraine sincerely thanks everyone who contributed to organizing and conducting the ceremony:
the Evangelical Church of Liechtenstein,
the Honorary Consulates of Ukraine in Switzerland and Liechtenstein,
Verein SKS Integrationshilfe,
the choirs Prostir, Okryleni, and the children’s choir Perlynky,
and the entire Ukrainian community of the Principality for their active role in preserving historical memory.