The subject of the 2025–26 Essay Prize is the Holodomor.

The Holodomor — literally “death by hunger” — was one of the most appalling yet least-known atrocities of the 20th century. Nearly four million Ukrainians starved to death in a famine deliberately engineered by Stalin’s Soviet regime. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union forcibly removed grain from Ukraine and sold it abroad to obtain foreign currency.

After the famine, it was dangerous for anyone in the Soviet Union even to talk about it until after the communist regime fell in 1991. The Holodomor has been little known in the West but gradually that is changing. It is vital background for understanding the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

This essay competition is suitable for pupils who seek to widen their knowledge of 20th century history and enhance their university applications. Entries will be welcome from pupils in the sixth form in the academic year 2025-26.