Vigil links Ukraine’s historic tragedy to today’s search for peace

A silent candlelight march took place in Florence on Saturday evening Novembre 22, 2025, to honour Ukrainians killed in the ongoing war with Russia and to commemorate the victims of the Holodomor, the famine that devastated Soviet Ukraine between 1932 and 1933.

Around one hundred people gathered for the remembrance, which began with prayers at the Orthodox Church of St Michael the Archangel in via dei Lavatoi and ended at 7 p.m. in Piazza Santa Maria Novella. Members of the Ukrainian community were joined by local residents and representatives of the Italian political movements Azione, Più Europa and Ora.

The Holodomor, a term meaning “death by hunger” in Ukrainian, refers to the man-made famine that struck Ukraine under Joseph Stalin’s regime. Historians estimate that millions of people died after Soviet authorities requisitioned grain and sealed village borders, preventing food access. Today, the Holodomor is officially recognised by Ukraine and many other countries, including Italy, as a genocide against the Ukrainian people.

This year’s vigil carried special weight as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues into its fourth winter. Ukrainian representatives in Italy said the war continues to test both Ukraine’s endurance and Europe’s diplomatic resolve.

The commemoration coincides with renewed international debate over possible peace frameworks, including a “28-point plan” reportedly discussed by US president Donald Trump’s advisers. Analysts and European officials have largely viewed such proposals as favouring Moscow’s terms, arguing that they would amount to a form of capitulation rather than a just peace. Kyiv and its European allies maintain that any settlement must guarantee Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

As candles flickered in Florence’s historic centre, organisers said their message was one of remembrance and hope, that memory of past suffering might strengthen the pursuit of a just and lasting peace.

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