Вінніпеґ Український № 7 (31) (September 2017)

EVENTS RECAP. ОГЛЯД ПОДІЙ
INTERNATIONAL BLACK RIBBON DAY
hese days it seems that in order
T to have the world pay attention to
causes, one must resort to terrorism-to
bombing, to the taking of hostages,
to the killing of innocent people.
Seventy eight years ago on August
23rd 1939 an agreement was signed
between Stalin and Hitler that came
to be known as the Ribbentrop-Molotov
Pact; it claimed millions of lives.
The plan was not only to seize foreign
territories, the major intent was
to destroy the national states of Eastern
Europe and the Baltic nations; the
map of Europe changed. The entire
eastern part of Europe was redrawn
by two aggressors.
On that tragic historical day, Soviet
Russia and Nazi Germany capped years
of cooperation by dividing the territory
of Poland and the Baltic States such as
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania between
them. This Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact allowed the invasion of
Poland, first by Germany on September 1st, 1939 and soon after
by Soviet Russia on September 17th 1939.
Peter J. Manastyrsky, active member of the Winnipeg community
This Pact gave the Soviets acquisition of the
Baltic States, the eastern territories of Poland,
southern Finland, Bessarabia (today mostly
part of the modern-day Moldova) and northern
Bukovina (between Romania and Ukraine
on the northern slopes of the central eastern
Carpathian Mountains). During the Ribbentrop-Molotov
Pact, freedom of speech, freedom
of association and freedom of religion
were non-existent. These basic human rights
which we as Canadians take for granted was
violated by the Soviet Russia.
Therefore each year on August 23rd people
gather to show their solidarity for peace and
freedom. This day in August has been chosen
as International Black Ribbon Day to remember
the Soviet-Nazis Pact and the partition of
Europe. Also it is a day to call on all citizens
who believe in Peace with Freedom to stand
and call for an end to tyranny and oppression.
International Black Ribbon Day calls
upon to wear a black ribbon as a symbol to remember those
who lost their precious freedom and those who have become
victims because they have stood in defence of their beliefs.
August 23rd 1939 was a BLACK DAY in the history of mankind.
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