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Additional Information on Gareth Jones, the journalist who brought the Holodomor, forced famine by the Bolsheviks, to Western readers.
My original note on Gareth Jones is in this link:
Additional data:
Memorials to Gareth Jones.
There are a few memorials for him.
Did you know he was allegedly murdered on August 12, 1935, the day before his 30th birthday.
Gareth Jones Street (Kyiv, Ukraine): In 2020, the Kyiv City Council renamed a street in the Shevchenkivskyi district in his honour.
Gareth Jones Street Will Appear in Kyiv, July 30, 2020,
Gareth Jones Street (Kyiv, Ukraine):
Kyiv Memorial Plinth. A large, trilingual plinth made of traditional Welsh slate sits on the Kyiv street named after him. It is decorated with crossed Welsh and Ukrainian flags and features his image.
Kyiv memorial plinth to honour investigative journalist Gareth Jones
Barry, Wales. In 2022, a blue plaque was unveiled at his family home in Barry, his Welsh hometown.
Life and work of Welsh journalist Gareth Jones celebrated at the Senedd
Council looks to rename area after journalist Gareth Jones
Aberystwyth University. A trilingual memorial plaque was unveiled at his alma mater in 2006. (I have already included photos of this plaque in the original note, attached).
National Library of Ukraine. Another memorial plaque is installed at the National Library in Kyiv, commemorating his reporting.
OPINION: Gareth Jones Plaque Has Arrived in Kyiv
In brief: Kyiv is preparing to unveil a plaque to a courageous Welshman – Gareth Jones – who was one of the few Western journalists to report the truth about the Holodomor.
Mr. Jones (2019) A biographical thriller directed by Agnieszka Holland, starring James Norton as Gareth Jones. The film tracks his harrowing journey into the Soviet Union and his quest to report the truth about the devastating famine. One of the distributors for North America is Samuel Goldwyn Films. I think that already tells us something.
Mr Jones review – newsman's heroic journey into a Soviet nightmare. Video of film trailer in the article.
The film takes creative liberties with the real timeline and events. I had a feeling we weren’t going to keep it real. It only took 84 years to finally make and release it. Still can’t get it right.
Some of the liberties taken:
The Holodomor: The film accurately depicts the horrific man-made famine in Ukraine in 1932–1933. It authentically recreates the desolate, snow-covered, and silent realities of the starving villages that Welsh journalist Gareth Jones witnessed.
Journalistic Cover-up: Jones’ struggle to get his story published is true. He faced immense pushback from Western politicians and was actively discredited by New York Times Moscow correspondent Walter Duranty, who covered up the famine to protect Soviet interests. Duranty was the Moscow Bureau chief for the New York Times. The N.Y. Times was then owned by Jewish Walter Ochs, who was married to Rabbi Isaac Wise’s daughter.
What is exaggerated or fictionalized:
The “George Orwell” Connection: The framing device involving George Orwell (Eric Blair) writing Animal Farm is highly anachronistic. Orwell did not meet Jones to discuss the Soviet Union during the timeframe of the trip; the book was published more than a decade later, though Orwell was heavily influenced by Jones’ legacy.
Sensationalized Details: Gareth Jones’ own family and biographers have noted that the film invents certain sensational aspects. For instance, Jones did not sneak around taking part in scenes of cannibalism as the film implies, and he had no romantic subplot. This is how you honor Mr Jones?
A Narrow Focus: The film centers heavily on Ukraine, but Jones’ actual reports detailed widespread starvation across vast regions of the Soviet Union, including Kazakhstan and parts of Siberia.There’s no where the Bolsheviks did not go, to cause havoc, despair & ruin.
Photos.
Gareth Jones Street, Kyiv, Ukraine
The Memorial Plinth for Jones & the Holodomor on Gareth Jones Street, Kyiv, Ukraine.
Blue Memorial Plaque for Jones in Barry, Wales, his hometown, located at the family home on Romilly Road.
The memorial at the cemetery, where Gareth Jones’ ashes are interred, in the family burial plot.
The Ukraine National Library, where a memorial plaque is installed for Gareth Jones.
Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine.
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine.
Constructed: 1976-1989. It took the Soviets 13 years to construct the library building.
Construction of the 27-story modernist complex began in 1976 and was completed in 1989. The project faced multiple delays during this period due to economic constraints within the Soviet Union. Website about building, architects. I could not find photo of the plaque itself. kathmanduandbeyond.com/…
Movie: Mr Jones 2019
