“The People of Rochdale support you” says The Mayor of Rochdale

The Mayor of Rochdale has issued a statement in support of the people of Lviv. Rochdale is a town in the North West of England which is twinned with Lviv in Western Ukraine.

Cllr Peter Rush said:

“We want to let the people of Lviv know that we are thinking of you at this difficult time. We are proud of our close links with our sister city. You are in our hearts and minds and we support your quest for continued freedom and democracy.

“Our towns and our citizens have so much in common. As a traditional bridge between East and West, Lviv has centuries of experience in co-operation. Rochdale is the historic home of the UK’s Co-operative Society, which was formed during a period of strife for our people. Both towns know through experience that co-operation is the only way forward. We wish you a speedy and peaceful resolution to this crisis.”

• Rochdale has a sizable Ukrainian population and has a thriving Ukrainian Cultural Centre. 
• After WW2 the largest group of non-UK residents in Rochdale were Ukrainians. 
• Rochdale Council unanimously voted and called upon the Government to recognise 1933-34 ‘Holodomor’ as an official act of genocide. There is a memorial stone commemorating this in Rochdale’s Memorial Gardens. Each year on 23 November representatives of the Borough gather there to pay their respects. 
• The role of Mayor of Rochdale is that of ‘First Citizen’ who represents and speaks on behalf of the town. It is a non-political position.