The population of Pustovity village (Myronivskyi district, Kyivska region) suffered from the Holodomor-genocide of 1932-1933.
Before the Holodomor, more than 2000 people lived in the village. In 1928-1929, 3 collective farms were created: named after Molotov, “Pershe Travnia” (“The 1st of May”), and “Komunar” (“The Communard”). In 1928-1929, the forced collectivization was carried out by power methods. Among wealthy peasants, there was Kuzma Dryha and his sons. All their property was taken to the collective farm “Nezamozhnyk” (“The Poor Peasant”). The sons with their families were exiled to Syberia. People were expelled from their houses because of different causes (for example, if one did not want to enter collective farm). These houses were settled by the activists.
The mass confiscations of grain and property from the wealthy peasants, imposing them by racking fines and taxes started. The groups of “seekers”, consisting of up to 10 people, were organized. These “komsomoltsi” (“Komsomol members”,) as they were called in the village, were taking everything from the peasants: grain, potatoes, beans, cereals, even cooked dishes from the ovens, everything edible. All the grain was taken out of the village. The selling of the bread by collective farms and grinding of the grain in the mills without a special permission of village council were forbidden.
The most people died in spring and winter of 1933. People were dying from starvation, diseases, eating poisonous substances (chervils, amanitas, and other toxic plants and mushrooms). The most terrible fact is that there were the cases of cannibalism in the village.
Herman Sakov was bringing the dead to the ditches, which become the graves. He was riding the cart with harnessed by oxen along every street to pick the dead up everywhere: on the streets, in the ditches, in the houses. According to the eyewitnesses of these events (93 of them still live in the village), during the years of the Holodomor of 1932-1933, about 1000 people died. 494 victims are identified, 97 of them are children.
The mass grave is located at the village cemetery. In 1989, the monument to the Holodomor victims was installed there.