The Ukrainian Weekly 1986
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Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc.. і—і c, a fraternal non-profit association I ramian И v Vol. LIV No. 27 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 6, 1986 25 cents Ukrainian Writers' Congress opens Ukrainian becomes justice minister with defense of native language in major Canadian Cabinet shuffle by Michael B. Bociurkiw by Roman Sokhanyk namely, in environmental terms: "Our linguistic environment fisj the MUNICH — The Ninth Congress of OTTAWA — A major pre-election the Ukrainian Writers4 Union, which natural surrounding environment with- in which literature lives and is created. Cabinet shuffle by Prime Minister convened in Kiev on June 5, opened Brian Mulroney has resulted in the with an impassioned speech by Oles Language is the soul of every national culture, the supply of its strength and promotion of a Ukrainian, Ramon Honchar urging His fellow writers to (Ray) Hnatyshyn,to the justice portfolio cultivate and protect the Ukrainian the irreplaceable source of its develop- meM, and who if not we writers — but and an enhanced status for Canada's language. federal multiculturalism policy. Mr. Honchar is probably the most surely not only we — should be con- cerned about it?" The mid-term overhaul — an- prominent contemporary literary figure nounced by the prime minister June 30 in Ukraine. He is also a member of the Utilizing the concept of a "linguistic environment" that needs to be pre- — came on the heels of a recent public Ukrainian Central Committee, a candi- opinion poll which showed the Mul- date member of the CPSU Central served and protected is a particularly interesting twist in light of theapparent- roney government trailing by three Committee, and a deputy of the USSR percentage points behind the Liberals. Supreme Soviet. This high "political ly successful effort by Russian intellec- visibility" adds a certain amount of tuals to halt river diversion projects, a (The survey showing the Progressive authority to Mr. Honchar's statements, battle that was often fought in terms of Conservatives trailing behind the Libe- and it will be interesting to see if the Russian national interests, and the rals was based on a probability sample delegates assembled in the Ukrainian campaign that is currently under way to of 1,972 adults in Canada. The survey capital take up his call for a discussion save Russian historical and cultural — conducted by Environics Research of "our linguistic environment." monuments. Group Ltd. — has a probability sample Mr. Honchar's remarks on the lan- The delegates did not need to exercise estimated to be accurate within two guage issue were contained in a highly their imaginations all that much to percentage points, 19 in 20 times. The critical introductory address very much realize that Mr. Honchar was using an results of the poll: Thirty-nine percent in the style of Mikhail Gorbachev's allegorical mechanism to make a simple of decided voters would vote Liberal if Justice Minister Ray Hnatyshyn point: language, in this case the Ukrai- an election were called today; 36 percent "glasnost" campaign. He began his currying favor among members ot presentation with a reminder that "The nian language, is no less a cultural for the Progressive Conservatives; and heritage in danger of destruction than 24 percent for the New Democratic Canada's ethnocultural groups by 27th Party Congress has given us a moving former Indian affairs minister lesson in principledness and truth, a rivers, forests and ancient churches. Party. In Quebec — where the Tories For those who needed the problem received overwhelming support in 1984 David Crombie to the problem-plagued lesson in new thinking. We expect that Ministry of Multiculturalism. the discussions at our writers' meeting spelled out for them, Mr. Honchar — the poll showed that 49 percent explained: would vote Liberal; 25 percent NDP; Mr. Crombie, formerly one of To- will take place in precisely this spirit." ronto's most popular mayors, has been Following his own lead, the Ukrainian "Like every full-fledged language, and 25 percent PC.) fthe Ukrainian languageJ is suited for assigned the task of running the mam- writer chose to focus on the language Besides boosting the government's moth secretary of state department and issue, which has consistently been in the the school and for the lecture hall, it is sagging popularity in Quebec, the suited for the mundane and for the winning friends in ethnic communities forefront of the Ukrainian intelligent- shuffle is also believed to be aimed at (Continued on page 11) sia's concerns, but in a manner so forth- special occasion. But there are those right and indignant that it must have who need to be told that to hold the taken many of his listeners back to the language of one's own people in con- Canadian probe on war crimes 1960s and early 1970s. tempt means, above all else, to disclose Capitalizing on what he described as one's own narrow-mindedness. For being very much in vogue these days, some, our language seems to be "without rejects fact-finding in USSR namely, the determination to preserve, a future'just like those age-old Poltava by Michael B. Bociurkiw mission announced that travel behind Mr. Honchar posed the language ques- and other villages seemed to be 'without the Iron Curtain is no longer feasible tion in a rather unconventional manner, (Continued on page 15) HULL, Que. — Even though the given existing time constraints. Soviets have made an 1 Ith-hour offer to (Continued on page 11) fully cooperate with a Canadian corn- mission seeking evidence against sus- Petliura Library vandalized in Paris pected Nazi war criminals, no fact- INSIDE: PARIS — The Symon Petliura U- Also stolen were an icon with an finding trip behind the Iron Curtain will krainian Library here was vandalized embroidered ritual cloth, several bronze be made by Canadian investigators. on two separate occasions in the past commemorative medals issued by the The Deschenes Commission on war three months, according to a June 23 French court, seven paintings by Ukrai- crimes said the offer came too late. In communique issued by library officials. nian artists, three typewriters, a micro- what resembles an international tit-for- The incidents took place on March 29 phone and a collection of postage tat diplomatic skirmish, the Soviets and June 4. stamps with Ukrainian themes. have responded to Canada's decision by According to the official statement, Also on June 4, the St. Symon publicly criticizing the Canadian go- during the latest break-in, the vandals Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox vernment. ransacked the library and stole a ring Church, which is located in the same The Soviets — through dour Soviet belonging to Hetman Ivan Vyhovsky, building as the library, was desecrated. Embassy spokespersons in Ottawa — weapons of a 17th century Turkish The chalice and other religious items say the Canadians never had a "genuine soldier and a collection of Ukrainian were stolen, and crucifixes were scatter- interest" in gathering Soviet evidence currency. They destroyed several Ukrai- ed on the floor. and testimony. nian Easter eggs, or pysanky. A statement issued by Metropolitan But the normally timid Canadians The vandals also broke the locks and Mstyslav of the Ukrainian Orthodox have not taken the attacks sitting down. glass on several display cases and Church noted that prior to the second In an unusual move, the Deschenes Ш New York City mayor presents cabinets, and scattered their contents. break-in, St. Symon's Parish had re- Commission on June 12 released copies Liberty Awards to 86 ethnic Americans During the earlier accident, vandals ceived a French-language newspaper, of recent correspondence between its — page 3. took several personal possessions of titled Jewish Information, in which counsel and the procurator general of В More on Chornobyl — page 2. Petliura. head of the Directory of the Petliura was accused of conducting the USSR. Ш Nazi massacre at Gardelegen — Ukrainian National Republic and the pogroms. Copies of the letters — six in total — page 7. supreme commander of military forces. (Continued on page 15) were given to reporters after the corn- THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 6, 1986 No. 27 A GLIMPSE OF SOVIET REALITY Chornobyl dead buried near Moscow JERSEY CITY, NJ. — Twenty- standing above the graves. "No they are three of the official total of 26 victims not my people, but it's still horrible. who died as a result of the April 26 What a tragedy." The Chornobyl nuclear accident Chornobyl nuclear disaster have been Four newly released survivors of the buried in a suburban Moscow cemetery, nuclear incident, who were treated at a and East European fallout some 450 miles from their homes in Moscow clinic, visited the gravesite to Ukraine, reported The Washington pay homage to their colleagues before by David Marples statement to the Czechoslovak govern- Post on July 2. ment deploring the lack of information returning to Ukraine, according to the The dead, which include the only newspaper Sovietskaya Rossiya. The recent announcement by the about the disaster. woman known to have died in the (Continued on page 10) Hungarian government that electricity A week later, Stanislav Havel, the disaster, were laid to rest in two rows of imports from the USSR have fallen by chairman of the country's Atomic graves marked by bright new marble 1.5 percent since the Chornobyl acci- Energy Commission, declared that the headstones with gold lettering spelling Amnesty International dent highlights a point that has been Chornobyl accident was "no reason" to out their distinctly Ukrainian names — largely overlooked in the West: namely, change the program for nuclear power Nicholai Titenok, Vasily Ignatenko, that the nuclear accident could have a construction in Czechoslovakia.