“Five Ears of Grain”: BEVZA’s New Year’s set caused a wave of outrage
24 November 2025 01:15
Ukrainian fashion brand BEVZA has presented a set of Christmas tree decorations called Five Ears of Grain. Its name coincided with the popular designation of the repressive Soviet decree that preceded the Holodomor of 1932-1933, which is why the novelty caused a significant resonance in society.
The set immediately caused a wave of criticism – many Ukrainians, including the director of the Holodomor Museum Lesia Hasydzhak, the military and journalists, expressed their dissatisfaction, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
After the negative feedback, the brand’s founder Svitlana Bevza published her position, emphasizing the importance of popularizing Ukrainian symbols in the world, but no apology was issued.
The essence of the scandal
BEVZA has released a set of five pieces of jewelry in the shape of wheat ears – four gold and one “burnt”. The presentation took place on the eve of the Holodomor Remembrance Day.
In the brand’s comments, it was said that the five ears of grain are a “tribute to the memory of generations” embodied in “an eternal symbol of the resilience of the Ukrainian nation and its will to survive.” They noted that the set should “become a talisman of a festive home.”
BEVZA also explained: “Today, when Ukrainian fields are burning again and parts of the country remain occupied, these ears of wheat are a powerful sign of hope, endurance and the unbreakable bond between generations.”
The cost of the set is UAH 3,950. The authors of the idea emphasized that the “burnt” ear conveys “the power of the earth, the work of hands, and the light that persists even in dark times,” and that “[the ears] represent rebirth, hope, and unity of generations, becoming a talisman of your holiday home.”
Public reaction
After the post was published on social media, the brand received a large number of outraged responses. Lesia Gasydzhak, head of the National Museum of the Holodomor Genocide, was particularly sharp, reminding that the Law of 5 Ears of Grain is the popular name for the resolution that became one of the mechanisms of repression on the eve of the artificial famine.
She explained that the document was so named because the punishment could be imposed even “for a handful of grain picked up from a collective farm field.” According to her,
**”According to it (the resolution – ed.), the punishment for the so-called “theft of collective and cooperative property” was to be shot with confiscation of all property, and in extenuating circumstances – imprisonment for at least 10 years, also with confiscation of property.
As for the person who had everything taken away from him, condemning him and his family to death, and who was looking for at least some food: frozen potatoes, a couple of ears of grain in the field, or a dead horse doused with lime. “**
According to the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance, 54,645 people were convicted under this decree in five months, including 2, 110 who were sentenced to death. The punishment was even applied to children, the scholar emphasizes.
Gasydzhak asked a rhetorical question that summarized the public outrage:
“Good people, what is wrong with you? Do you really live in such a different reality? Don’t you at least know the basics of the basics-the history of this country you live in-and doesn’t the phrase “5 ears of grain” manifest itself as a persistent image in your heads? Are you really going to hang this on the Christmas tree?”
