The population of Hatskivka village (Khoroshivskyi district, Zhytomyska region) suffered from the Holodomor-genocide of 1932–1933 in Ukraine.
Lidia Turkovska (Semenii), born in September of 1926 in Hatskivka village, recalls, “I had to experience very painful things during the Holodomor. We lived in a very small village (100 inhabitants or even less). The family was poor; we lived due to the farming, but when collectivization and the Holodomor occurred, the situation turned to be dramatically bad.
I lived together with my parents and elder sister. My cousins lived nearby. When we were out of food, we had to eat grass, branches, and leaves. My mother often asked me to go to the neighbors to ask for food, and sometimes I succeeded.
My dad was a driver at the local farmers. They were able to give him food which he brought home. Sometimes he had to leave the village and work in Donbas for months. This was the most difficult time for the family.
When people died, their bodies remained on the road. The cart with a horse came to carry them to the mass graves. In general, the graves were not marked, but people put several crosses.
I have striking memories about visiting my cousins. I went for a walk to them, but they bare had the strength to move. They lay on the floor, apathetic, half-dead, not able to move. I still remember their gloomy faces; horrible memories remain in my head.
Many people died in my village, and I feel fortunate that my family survived.”