Inside: l Interview: Anne Applebaum on “Red Famine” – page 9 l Carpathian Ski Club holds 65th annual races – page 14 l 1983 Famine symposium archives restored – page 15

ThePublished U by thekrainian Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationeekly Vol. LXXXVII No. 10 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019 $2.00 OCU hierarch fears further persecution Looking back at the Battle of by Russian occupying authorities in by Mark Raczkiewycz Prelude and backdrop of battle Russian-led forces had repeatedly flout- – Four years and one month ago, ed the first Donbas war truce that was bro- the second of two major and decisive bat- kered in Minsk in September 2014 follow- tles took place in the Donbas war. In the ing the disastrous battle. Fighting in Oblast, escalated in the fall and winter of that year ’s army tested itself against regular and reached a crescendo in January 2015 and irregular units of the Russian military, as clashes persisted for the Donetsk including battle-hardened mercenaries Airport, in the Debaltseve bulge and from the Wagner private military outfit. around Shyrokyne, 30 kilometers east of As in the August 2014 , the Azov Sea coastal city of . Kyiv was overwhelmed by a superior foe Slowly, -led forces continued to that broke through thin defensive lines gain territory. with a heavy concentration of forces and This included the area around Debaltseve, modern weaponry. In the end, more than a city that had a pre-war population of nine towns and territory were lost in a 25,000. It was considered strategic to both pocket of land that was sandwiched sides, because it sits on the “nexus of multi- between Russian-occupied to the ple highway and railroad lines that are criti- west and to the east. cally important,” read the U.S. Army report. Ukraine’s armed forces general staff, in However, this part is “overstated,” former pomisna.info an analysis of the battle published on British Lt. Col. Glen Grant, a defense reform Archbishop Klyment of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine was briefly detained by February 3, 2016, said that 136 personnel Russian occupying authorities in the Crimean capital of Symferopol on March 3. He expert at the Ukrainian Institute for the were killed and 331 wounded during clash- Future, told The Ukrainian Weekly on is seen above in front of the gate to the Ukrainian military compound in Perevalne in es on January 27-February 18, 2015. March 2014, at the time of Crimea’s occupation by Russian forces. February 27. The casualty figures don’t include volun- Because this swath of territory is what by Mark Raczkiewycz last onslaught on him. And he, of course, teer forces – namely the . the British expert called a “northern pincer can’t feel safe anymore.” Total Ukrainian losses were 300 dead and sticking into Russian territory,” KYIV – On March 3, Archbishop Klyment “Although the Russian occupation regime 700 wounded, according to a report decided to take it over as a “bonus opportu- (Kushch) who heads the Crimean eparchy stopped short of imprisoning the archbish- authored by Maj. Amos Fox of the U.S. Army nity,” he said. of the newly formed Orthodox Church of op… this is a very dangerous new move in Fort Benning on September 14, 2016. It made no sense for Ukrainian forces to Ukraine (OCU), went to the bus station in Russia’s persecution of the Ukrainian “The battle for control of Debaltseve hold the pocket unless it was going to use it Symferopol to embark on a trip to visit a Orthodox Church and of Klyment himself,” destroyed the 128th Mechanized Brigade as a “ram to re-take more territory” or Ukrainian political prisoner in the Russian the Human Rights Protection Group and the Donbas Battalion as fighting forma- “heavily fortify it to make it impregnable,” city of Rostov-on-Don. said in a March 4 statement. “It comes only tions,” the U.S. Army reported concluded. said Mr. Grant, who also is a senior fellow at Instead, the high-ranking clergyman, weeks after Klyment was forced to appeal “The Russian and separatist losses are far the U.K. Institute for Statecraft. who also heads the OCU’s mission to assist more difficult to define as Russia continues victims of human rights abuses and detain- (Continued on page 15) to deny any involvement in the battle.” (Continued on page 16) ees, had his journey truncated at 11:45 a.m. in the peninsula’s capital, according to the OCU press service. It was 15 minutes before the bus’s scheduled departure for a destina- tion where 20-year-old Ukrainian Pavlo Poroshenko receives International Statesman Award Hryb is being held in a pre-trial detention center on what human rights groups say are by Ulana Baluch Mazurkevich trumped up charges of “terrorism.” Russian-occupying authorities took the PHILADELPHIA – President Petro archbishop into custody. Ostensibly, it was Poroshenko of Ukraine was honored with because Archbishop Klyment had stolen the International Statesman Award by the religious items from the church – OCU’s only World Affairs Council of Philadelphia. The house of worship in Symferopol, where he award ceremony, VIP reception and dinner serves – said his lawyer Mykola Polozov. He took place on Wednesday, February 20, at was released after several hours without the historic Union League of Philadelphia. charges pressed and didn’t provide a state- Past recipients of this prestigious award ment to the occupying police force. have included Mikhail Gorbachev, Yitzhak “The Great Fast [Lent] begins, and today Rabin and Anwar Sadat. we read the Gospel of mercy and compas- President Poroshenko arrived at the sion,” he said after his release through the Union League accompanied by Valeriy OCU press service. “Now you have clearly Chaly, Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S; seen who is merciful, and who boldly Volodymyr Yelchenko, permanent repre- abhors all Christian norms. Therefore, we sentative of Ukraine to the United Nations; pray, keep the law of God and do our best Oleksii Holubov, consul general of Ukraine to alleviate the suffering of our boys.” in New York; and Pavlo Klimkin, Ukraine’s This is only the beginning of Archbishop minister of foreign Affairs. Klyment’s apparent persecution, his lawyer The president and his delegation were World Affairs Council of Philadelphia warned in a televised interview with welcomed on the doorsteps of the stately President with Ulana Mazurkevich and Craig Snyder at the Ukrainian Channel 4. “This is only the start,” entrance to the Union League in Philadelphia. In the background is Ambassador Mr. Polozov said. “I don’t think this is the (Continued on page 11) Valeriy Chaly. 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019 No. 10

ANALYSIS

Kyiv bans foreign military basing EU envoys approve more sanctions Latvia; Pavlo Klimkin, minister of foreign affairs of Ukraine; Sven Mikser, minister of European Union ambassadors have on the territory of Ukraine agreed to impose asset freezes and visa minister of foreign affairs of Lithuania; Jacek bans on eight Russians involved in the cap- Strikingly, Constitutional Court Judge Czaputowicz,foreign affairs ministerof Estonia; of Linasforeign Linkevičius, affairs of by Ridvan Bari Urcosta ture and jailing of 24 Ukrainian seamen in Mykola Melnyk suggested that by eliminat- Poland; Margot Wallström, minister of for- Eurasia Daily Monitor an incident near the Kerch Strait in ing this paragraph from the Constitution, eign affairs of Sweden; Anders Samuelsen, The Ukrainian Parliament adopted sever- Ukraine has inadvertently deprived itself of November 2018, according to several sourc- minister of foreign affairs of Denmark; al symbolic amendments to the Constitution the only legal means to allow NATO-member es familiar with the discussions. The sanc- Chrystia Freeland, minister of foreign affairs on February 7. The amendments, which countries to maintain longer-term presence tions backed by the ambassadors on March President Petro Poroshenko signed into law on Ukrainian soil. Consequently, the recent- 6 are measures that are expected to be for- foreign affairs of Romania; Jeremy Hunt, on February 19, aim to make Ukraine’s stra- ly adopted amendments de facto contradict mally approved next week, according to dip- Britain’sof Canada; secretary Teodor ofMeleşcanu, state for foreignminister and of tegic course toward the North Atlantic each other and Ukraine’s national interests lomats who spoke on condition of anonymi- Treaty Organization (NATO) and the in the face of pervasive Russian aggression ty because they were not authorized to dis- minister of foreign affairs of the Czech European Union irreversible (Ukrinform. (Justice.org.ua, December 6, 2018). cuss the issue publicly. After that, the eight Republic.Commonwealth According affairs; to them, Tomáš the events Petříček, that net, February 19). Mr. Poroshenko had per- Similarly, a former deputy head of the Russians will be added to the EU list of peo- unfolded in Crimea five years ago have once sonally submitted the draft law to the legis- Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Viktor ple and entities who have been hit with again taught that security and freedom can- lature on September 3, 2018. Trepak, openly questioned why Paragraph sanctions for undermining the territorial not be taken for granted and that the inter- One key amendment removes Paragraph 14 should be removed if, in its wording, it integrity of Ukraine. The list, which was cre- national law and individual and collective 14 of Section XV (“Transitional Provisions”) does not explicitly name Russia and could ated after Russia seized control of Ukraine’s security must be upheld. As noted, provid- of the Constitution (Rada.gov.ua, Septem­ be reapplied to the country’s actual allies in Crimea region in March 2014 and backed ing help and assistance to Ukraine is crucial ber 3, 2018). This constitutional clause the West. Repealing this clause without separatists fighting Kyiv’s forces in a war as Ukraine’s security is linked to the security explicitly permits foreign countries to tem- putting anything else in its place would that has killed some 13,000 people since of the whole of Europe. “We will continue porarily lease pre-existing military bases require the to undertake a April 2014, now consists of 163 individuals our non-recognition policy with respect to on Ukrainian territory for stationing their whole new round of Constitutional changes and 44 entities. The sanctions against them the illegal annexation of Crimea, and contin- military personnel (UNIAN, November 22, that could legalize the possibility of hosting will be prolonged by six months next week. ue to condemn Russia’s aggression against 2018). NATO militaries on Ukrainian soil in the The additional eight Russians are either offi- Ukraine in the strongest terms,” the minis- Specifically, this provision legitimized future (Zaxid.net, September 6, 2018). cers who were involved in the Kerch Strait ters emphasized. It is also underscored that Russia’s ongoing lease of its naval base in In response to such criticism, the head of incident or Russian judges who oversaw the the policy of coordinated international sanc- Sevastopol, Crimea, since the break-up of the Ukrainian delegation to the NATO subsequent jailing of the Ukrainians, who tions sends a clear message to Russia that the Soviet Union. The Ukrainian govern- Parliamentary Assembly, Iryna Friz, public- remain in pretrial detention in the disregard for international law has conse- ment, under then-President Leonid ly reassured that the repeal of Paragraph Lefortovo jail in Moscow. The incident quences. (Ukrinform) Kuchma, had originally written in Para­ 14, Section XV, will not harm Ukraine’s occurred on November 25, 2018, when graph 14, Section XV, as a concession to aspirations to join the North Atlantic Russian Coast Guard vessels fired on and EU extends freeze on assets Moscow in 1997, while the two countries Alliance. She added that Articles 85 and 92 seized three Ukrainian Navy vessels and The European Union has extended asset were negotiating the Treaty on Friendship, already provide sufficient legal justification their crews while they were on their way freezes on former Ukrainian President Cooperation and Partnership between for permitting the presence of foreign for- from the Black Sea to the Ukrainian port of Viktor Yanukovych and 11 other Ukraine and Russia. Last September, Mr. mations in Ukraine. The presence of foreign Mariupol, on the Sea of Azov. Moscow Ukrainians suspected of embezzling state Poroshenko announced that his govern- military units in Ukraine will be handled accuses them of illegally entering Russian ment would not voluntarily extend the according to procedures regarding multi- funds. The EU imposed asset freezes territorial waters, which they deny. The inci- against Mr. Yanukovych and his inner circle Russian-Ukrainian friendship treaty, which national exercises, with the approval of all dent increased tension over the Kerch Strait, is now set to expire on March 31, 2019 terms by the Ukrainian Parliament, she shortly after the collapse of his government which is the sole passage from the Black Sea in late February 2014. The bloc accused Mr. (UNIAN, September 19, 2018). concluded (UNIAN, September 21, 2018). to the Sea of Azov and runs between Russia According to Mr. Poroshenko, by repeal- In an effort to address the legal uncer- Yanukovych and his collaborators of misap- and Russian-held Crimea. (RFE/RL, based propriation of state funds. Apart from the ing Paragraph 14, Section XV, Ukraine is tainties that were raised by the repeal of the on reporting by Rikard Jozwiak in Brussels) preparing itself for any potential legal temporary basing clause in the Constitution, former president, the restrictive measures Russian challenges as to its claims to mili- the Verhkovna Rada on February 26 passed West will not forget Crimea still include his son Oleksandr, and former tary bases in Crimea (particularly, the naval a new law on the admission of units of the Prime Ministers Mykola Azarov and Serhiy facilities in Sevastopol), once Kyiv retakes armed forces of foreign states onto the terri- “We will neither forget nor abandon Arbuzov. The asset freezes will be extended de facto control over the Russian-occupied tory of Ukraine in 2019, to participate in Crimea,” reads the statement of the foreign until March 6, 2020. The ruling came into peninsula (TSN, September 20, 2018). this year’s series of planned multinational affairs ministers of 11 countries that was force on March 5 when the notice was pub- Other experts have proposed that the exercises. Over the course of 2019, these published on February 27 in the Opinion lished in the EU’s Official Journal. (RFE/RL, amendment aims to build up additional exercises will attract more than 14,000 mili- column of The Guardian. In particular, the with reporting by DPA) legal grounds for future litigation cases tary personnel of the Ukrainian Armed signatories to the statement are Edgars against Moscow in international courts Forces and about 8,000 foreign participants. (Continued on page 12) (Segodnya.ua, September 20, 2018). The exercises are set to include the joint But critics have argued that the amend- Ukrainian-U.S. Rapid Trident, the Ukrainian- Rinkēvičs, minister of foreign affairs of ment to remove the basing clause from the U.S. Sea Breeze, the Ukrainian-Romanian Constitution will have the unintended con- Riverine, the multinational Maple Arch, and he krainian eekly FOUNDED 1933 sequence of essentially enshrining a “non- the Ukrainian-British Vorir Votcher T U W aligned status” on Ukraine. They further (Ukrinform.ua, February 26, 2019). An English-language newspaper published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., alleged that the repeal of Paragraph 14, Despite initial divisions among the polit- a non-profit association, at 2200 Route 10, P.O. Box 280, Parsippany, NJ 07054. Section XV, came about as some sort of geo- ical elite regarding the recently passed Yearly subscription rate: $90; for UNA members — $80. political compromise between the West Periodicals postage paid at Caldwell, NJ 07006 and additional mailing offices. and Russia (RBC, February 8, 2019). (Continued on page 18) (ISSN — 0273-9348) The Weekly: UNA: Tel: (973) 292-9800; Fax: (973) 644-9510 Tel: (973) 292-9800; Fax: (973) 292-0900

U.S. general advocates more defenses for Ukraine Postmaster, send address changes to: The Ukrainian Weekly Editor-in-chief: Roma Hadzewycz RFE/RL Gen. Scaparrotti, who is also the top 2200 Route 10 Editor: Matthew Dubas commander of NATO, said the United States P.O. Box 280 The commander of U.S. forces in Europe has already sold Javelin anti-tank missiles Parsippany, NJ 07054 e-mail: [email protected] called for bolstering Ukraine’s defenses to Ukraine. against Russian aggression, in eastern But he told senators there were other The Ukrainian Weekly Archive: www.ukrweekly.com Ukraine as well as in the Black Sea. things – “like sniper systems, ammuni- Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti made the com- tion”– that Washington could provide to The Ukrainian Weekly, March 10, 2019, No. 10, Vol. LXXXVII ments on March 5 in testimony before the strengthen Ukraine’s forces. He also said Copyright © 2019 The Ukrainian Weekly U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee. Washington might consider boosting naval Gen. Scaparrotti spoke just over three defenses in the Black Sea, though he did not months after Russian naval forces seized specify how. ADMINISTRATION OF THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY AND SVOBODA three Ukrainian vessels operating in the Moscow “continues to arm, train,” and Kerch Strait, near Crimea and the Sea of even “fight alongside anti-government forc- Walter Honcharyk, administrator (973) 292-9800, ext. 3040 and advertising manager fax: (973) 644-9510 Azov. A total of 24 Ukrainian sailors were es in eastern Ukraine,” Gen. Scaparrotti e-mail: [email protected] also detained. Russia has insisted Ukrainian said. He also accused Moscow of violating Subscription Department (973) 292-9800, ext. 3040 vessels were illegally crossing maritime the 2015 Minsk agreement designed to end e-mail: [email protected] borders. the conflict. (With reporting by AFP) No. 10 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019 3

NEWS ANALYSIS New naval strategy of Ukraine to 2035: Implications and challenges

by Ihor Kabanenko which covers the period until 2025, aims at Global Consulting (Mil.gov.ua, February 6). (Depo.ua, February 5). Ukrainian experts Eurasia Daily Monitor developing capabilities to establish control Ukrainian planners consider the most believe that the French shipbuilder in ques- over territorial waters and beyond, approx- pressing task in the short term to be neu- tion may be the firm OCEA (Defence-ua. The commander of the Naval Forces of imately up to 40 nautical miles from the tralizing the most dangerous maritime com, February 5). Such French patrol boats Ukraine, Admiral Ihor Voronchenko, intro- coast of Ukraine. Control over territorial threats to Ukraine’s national security with- could significantly increase Ukraine’s abili- duced the “New Strategy of the Naval Forces waters requires surveillance and carrying in its coastal offshore zone. ties to provide sea control and protect not of the to 2035” at out enhanced actions outside of the According to Admiral Voronchenko, only its littoral waters but also the wider the International Maritime Security 12-mile zone. these tasks should be performed by the EEZ. However, these specific platforms Conference in late November 2018. At least The goal of the second stage (2025- country’s “mosquito” fleet – based on were not considered within the framework a year of intensive work preceded this docu- 2030) is to recover and further develop the Ukraine’s pre-existing concept to build up of the Naval Strategy to 2035. So if the ship ment. Admiral Voronchenko noted that the Naval Forces’ capabilities to protect the Navy by introducing large numbers of construction deal with France moves for- strategy concentrates on building up real Ukraine’s national interests at sea through- small but quick and well-equipped boats ward, it may end up posing a challenge to naval capabilities to adequately respond to out its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), up (Pravda.com.ua, December 17, 2018; see the state’s current efforts as well as poten- maritime threats created by its more pow- to 200 nautical miles from the coast. Eurasia Daily Monitor, March 9, 2017). Two tially result in some resource duplication. erful maritime enemy. “This requires new The third stage (2030-2035) aims at fur- Giurza-class armored boats and two Other challenges, including bureaucratic thinking, some time and essential recours- ther expanding on the capabilities gains Centaur-class fast assault craft are planned management issues, should be considered es,” he summarized (Mil.gov.ua, November made in the first and the second stages in to be commissioned in 2019 (Tsn.ua, as well. For one thing, top Ukrainian mili- 29, 2018). order for the Navy to be able to protect December 11, 2018); and two U.S.-built tary personnel still widely subscribe to From its very outset, the naval strategy Ukrainian national interests in the world Island-class patrol cutters are expected to Soviet-era doctrinal approaches to opera- looks “Western” in terms of its structure ocean. finally enter service with the Ukrainian tions, and many of them lack any proficien- and content. Admiral Voronchenko did not The recovery of Ukraine’s naval poten- Navy this summer (Segodnya.ua, December cy in the official NATO languages. Moreover, hide the fact that it was, in fact, developed tial in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov is 28, 2018). Ukraine’s Armed Forces continue to be in close cooperation with Western experts. viewed by the strategy as a crucial task Around the same time as the above- dominated by a land-oriented political cul- The international maritime community’s before Kyiv, to be accomplished at the state mentioned naval strategy seminar was tak- ture, with naval representation largely involvement, in particular, has crystalized level. And notably, the document proposes ing place in Odesa, Petro Tsygal, the head of absent at the strategic levels. And finally, the long-term vision of making the that to implement the naval strategy, while the State Border Service of Ukraine, Ukraine’s Naval Command has limited Ukrainian Navy interoperable with the taking into account the ultimate goal of declared, “Negotiations with French part- influence over needed procurements of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) attaining NATO membership, Ukraine ners are being held regarding the purchase maritime and coastal armaments. (Prismua.org, November 28, 2018; Navy. should apply the North Atlantic Alliance’s of 22 modern patrol ships... this will give us Close cooperation with the U.S. and mil.gov.ua, January 11, 2019). so-called DOTMLPF (doctrine, organiza- the opportunity to completely cover the sea other international partners can substan- The strategy lays out three closely inter- tion, training, materiel, leadership, person- border line with reliable protection” tially help Ukraine tackle these challenges connected components of the navy’s com- nel, facilities) methodology as a way to (Espreso.tv, February 4). Earlier, the to upgrading the country’s naval capabili- bat potential – physical, conceptual and address the current capability gap with Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs noted ties. In the meantime, however, Ukraine will moral – which are to be formed in accor- NATO. that a project for producing new border need to demonstrate momentum in imple- dance with Allied Joint Doctrine AJP-01. The It is also worth noting the Ukrainian protection vessels jointly with a French menting its naval strategy by credibly reas- document defines the priorities for the cre- Naval Command’s drive to start implement- company would be proposed to the serting maritime security and freedom of ation of modern and effective naval capabili- ing this strategy as soon as possible. The Ukrainian government in 2019 (Opk.com. navigation in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov. ties. These are to be accomplished consis- first seminar on creating an implementa- ua, January 6). These would be modern, 32- tently and in three stages by 2035, in accor- tion plan already took place in Odesa, in to 35-meter-long boats, manufactured at The article above is reprinted from dance with requirements of Allied Joint early February. Importantly, the meeting one of the Ukrainian shipyards in coopera- Eurasia Daily Monitor with permission from Doctrine for Maritime Operations AJP-3.1. involved a defense advisor from the United tion with a French company, but with a high its publisher, the Jamestown Foundation, The first stage outlined in the strategy, States, Michael McCarthy of McCarthy degree of project localization in Ukraine www.jamestown.org.

100 days since Russia’s capture of Ukraine’s sailors

KHARKIV, Ukraine – The Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group (KHPG) report- ed on March 5 that 24 Ukrainian prisoners of war remain in Russian detention 100 days after Russia’s attack on three Ukrainian Naval vessels near Crimea. Russia’s behavior was con- demned by the interna- tional community but the sanctions thus far have been “like a pinprick to an elephant,” according to Nikolai Polozov, the coordinator of the law- yers representing the POWs. KHPG noted: “The men are held in the Lefortovo remand prison in Moscow, with the FSB ‘investigators’ prevent- ing them from receiving visits or phone calls from their families in Ukraine. This is clearly part of the unabating psychologi- cal pressure that Russia is hoping will break the men.” Press 4 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019 No. 10

OBITUARIES Omelan Kowal, OUN member, political activist and leader, 98 UWC ment of the Ukrainian Youth Association: originally as one of its founders and leaders in Belgium, and later in 1958- TORONTO – Prominent Ukrainian political activist 1978 as president of the Ukrainian Youth Association Omelan Kowal died on January 19 in Lviv. World Executive. The Ukrainian World Congress noted: “The passing of In Belgium, Mr. Kowal also dedicated significant time to Omelan Kowal is a painful loss not only for his family, but for several generations of Ukrainians who remember he held the posts of president and secretary general, and Omelan Kowal as an undefeatable warrior in the struggle managedthe development the organization’s of the Ukrainian publications. Аid Committee Among hisin which nota- for an independent Ukrainian state, and since 1991 – for its ble accomplishments are the acquirement of the consolidation, and also for his tireless efforts in building a Educational-Recreational Ukrainian Youth Center in strong Ukrainian community worldwide.” Ardennes and a Center for the Ukrainian Aid Committee in Since 1938, Mr. Kowal was a member of the Brussels. Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), one of the With the re-establishment of the independence of organizers of the Proclamation of the June 30, 1941, Act of Ukraine, Mr. Kowal integrated himself into the community the Restoration of the Ukrainian State in the oblast of and political life of the country, particularly with the estab- Ivano-Frankivsk, and a prisoner of Nazi concentration lishment of the Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists and camps. popularization of the educational concept authored by The name of Mr. Kowal is closely connected with the Prof. Hryhoriy Waschenko. He obtained Ukrainian citizen- UWC, beginning with the first congress of what was then UWC ship and returned to live in Ukraine. known as the World Congress of Free Ukrainians in 1967 Omelan Kowal For his service to the Ukrainian people and Ukraine, Mr. in New York, during which he was elected to the world Kowal received numerous awards, including the Order of body’s Presidium as deputy treasurer. From that time for- Mr. Kowal also initiated and contributed to the develop- Merit, III degree; the Order of Freedom, an honorary medal ward, Mr. Kowal was repeatedly elected to the Presidium ment of the Coordinating Branch of Ukrainian Central depicting St. George from the City of Lviv; the Order of St. and the Secretariat; in 1971-1972 he held the position of Community Organizations (now called the European Volodymyr the Great from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church treasurer. Mr. Kowal actively participated in many UWC Congress of Ukrainians) as a member of the Presidium – Kyiv Patriarchate; the Belgian Royal Order of Leopold II; congresses, including most recently in 2013, and UWC from 1950, and its president during the years 1990-1995. and the highest named recognition, “Lytsar-Vytiaz,” from annual general meetings. He dedicated several decades of his life to the develop- the Ukrainian Youth Association World Executive.

Andrij Makuch, John J. McKetta, international leader scholar, researcher, in field of chemical engineering, 103 community activist, 62 by Chrystia Wynnyk Wilson AUSTIN, Texas – John J. McKetta Jr., professor emeri- tus and dean emeritus at The University of Texas at Austin and namesake to the chemical engineering department in the Cockrell School of Engineering, died on January 15 at the age of 103. Dr. McKetta was born in 1915 into a Ukrainian immigrant family and grew up in Wyano, Pa. He start- ed out working in the coal mines with his father and brother, but quickly decided that he would prefer mak- ing chemicals from coal versus digging for the coal. It was during the Great Depression that Mr. McKetta decided he wanted to attend college and study to be a chemical engineer. There was no money for such a lofty dream. Determination drove him to handwrite letters to the presidents of 54 colleges asking for UCC admission and a job to cover the tuition. Only one col- Andrij Makuch lege answered him and Mr. McKetta earned his bache- UCC lor’s degree from Tri-State University in Indiana. He went on to earn an M.S. and a Ph.D. from the OTTAWA – Andrij Makuch, a talented Ukrainian Canadian schol- ar and intellectual, passed away on January 18. He was 62. University of Michigan. Mr. Makuch made a significant contribution to Canadian scholar- In 1946 Dr. McKetta joined the chemical engineer- ship through his many years of work at the Canadian Institute of ing department at The University of Texas at Austin. Chrystia Wynnyk Wilson Ukrainian Studies (CIUS), as an editor at the Encyclopedia of Ukraine He called UT Austin – where he earned the reputa- Dr. John J. McKetta and an author of many articles and reviews in scholarly periodicals. tion of being one of the friendliest and most inspira- He was also a research coordinator of the Ukrainian-Canadian tional mentors at the university – home for more than “Challenge for McKetta,” a $25 million fund-raising Program at CIUS and most recently held the position of senior 70 years. campaign to advance the department and honor Dr. manuscript editor of the Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine in the Dr. McKetta’s research established him as an inter- McKetta, and that year the department was officially Toronto office of the CIUS. national leader in the field of chemical engineering; he named the McKetta Department of Chemical As associate director at the Holodomor Research and Education was a renowned expert in the thermodynamic proper- Engineering. The department is ranked as the fourth Consortium, Mr. Makuch fostered increasing knowledge about the ties of hydrocarbons. He served as energy adviser to best undergraduate chemical engineering department Holodomor in Canada and around the world. five U.S. presidents (Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy in the nation. A former executive director of the Ukrainian Canadian Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush), In 2013, Dr. McKetta was voted one of UT Austin’s Congress in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Mr. Makuch combined his authored 87 books, edited the 68-volume 10 most inspiring professors by the Texas Exes. He had love of education and scholarship with a deep dedication to the Encyclopedia for Chemical Processing and Design, was a tradition of calling former students on their 65th Ukrainian Canadian community. a member of the National Academy of Engineering, birthday. He will be most remembered for his dedica- “Mr. Makuch’s passing is a profound loss for our community,” and was named one of the “50 Chemical Engineers of tion to students and his enthusiasm for life and his stated Alexandra Chyczij, national president of the Ukrainian the Foundation Age” by the American Institute of contagious smile. Canadian Congress. “I had the honor to know Andrij personally, Chemical Engineers. Dr. McKetta was fiercely proud of his Ukrainian and he will be remembered for his kindness, generosity and humor. On behalf of the Ukrainian Canadian community, I express At UT, Dr. McKetta served as executive vice-chancel- roots. This writer’s family met the professor when son my deepest sympathies to Mr. Makuch’s family and friends during lor of the University of Texas System, dean of engineer- Brian was a student at UT Austin in the Chemical this difficult time.” ing and chair of the Chemical Engineering Department Engineering Department. Once Dr. McKetta heard Mr. Makuch was born in Lethbridge, Alberta, and grew up in three separate times. Brian was Ukrainian, the bond was formed instantly. Victoria, British Columbia. He completed his master’s degree at In the 1990s, McKetta made a $1 million donation Dr. McKetta’s Ukrainian roots and their importance the University of Alberta in Edmonton. to the chemical engineering department which and place in his family were never forgotten and were The funeral liturgy was on January 24 at St. Josaphat Ukrainian equaled the total of all the paychecks he had received spoken about by his granddaughter Elisabeth Sharp Catholic Cathedral in Edmonton, Alberta. Interment followed at from the university. He challenged alumni to match it McKetta at the memorial held at the university on St. Michael’s Cemetery. and they did. In 2012 the department completed the February 9. No. 10 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019 5

THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM

UNA CELEBRATES 125 YEARS: A snapshot from history, 1914

Seen above is the UNA Supreme Assembly elected at the 13th Convention, which Stefanovych, Nicholas Vaverchak, Vasyl Hryshko and Stephen Melnyk. It was at this was held in Buffalo, N.Y., on September 7-12, 1914, with 312 delegates participating. convention, after a decade of ethnonational development, that the name of the organi- Seated in the first row (from left) are: Simon Yadlowski (supreme financial secretary), zation was changed from Ruskyi Narodnyi Soyuz (Ruthenian National Association) to Alexis Sharshon (supreme treasurer), Dmytro Kapitula (supreme president), the Rev. Ukrainian National Association. Volodymyr Spolitakevych, Ivan Vaverchak (supreme vice-president), Michael Uhorchak (supreme secretary), Andrew Savka; second row: John Glowa, Vasyl Levchyk, Maria A photo archive of UNA history has been launched on the UNA website. It is a work in Bilyk (supreme vice-presidentess), Julian Pavchak, Volodymyr Lototsky, Dmytro progress that will be expanded and refined. To take a look, go to unainc.org/una/the-una-is- Andreiko, Nicholas Rosolovych; third row: Osyp Stetkevych, J. Senchyna, Andrew 125-years-old/.

UNA presents gift s The UNA announces to New Haven children Scholarships and Awards for students attending college in the 2019-2020 academic year.

Students wishing to apply for a UNA scholarship or award must meet the following criteria:

• Have been an active, premium-paying UNA member for at least two years by June 1st of 2019 • Have had a single premium policy or an annuity, valued at a minimum of $5,000 during the last two years • Be enrolled as a full-time student in an accredited college or university, studying towards their rst bachelor’s degree

 e application for a UNA scholarship or award must be postmarked no later than June 1, 2019.

For complete details and applications, please call the UNA headquarters or visit the Our Bene ts page on the UNA website at: www.UNAInc.org

UNA, Inc. 2200 Route 10 NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Children received Christmas gift bags prepared and distributed Parsippany, NJ 07054 by Gloria Horbaty, UNA advisor and financial secretary of Branch 414 in New Haven. The children participated in the annual St. Nicholas play on December 23, 2018, that 800-253-9862 ext. 3035 was presented by St. Michael School of Ukrainian Studies. – Gloria Horbaty 6 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019 No. 10

WINDOW ON EURASIA The Ukrainian Weekly One hundred days Ukraine has separated from Russia, One hundred days. As of March 5, the Ukrainian sailors captured by Russia on November 25, 2018, had spent 100 days as prisoners of war. The men were seized but Russia hasn’t from Ukraine off three Ukrainian Navy vessels – the artillery boats Berdyansk and Nikopol, and the by Paul Goble rather to Europe. “And the Ukrainian army sea mule tugboat Yany Kapu – as they were sailing in the Black Sea toward the Azov is not super-strong but is sufficiently capa- Sea. The incident near the Kerch Strait was a clear violation of international law and “The victory of the Kyiv revolution in ble, and there is not the slightest sign that it an incontrovertible act of war. The Russian coast guard first rammed the tugboat, February 2014 marked the final divorce of will throw down its arms and go home.” then fired upon all three ships and took the ships and all aboard into custody. Since Ukraine and Russia, and thus became one In short, Mr. Shelin says, “Ukrainians then, the men – who have been charged with trespassing on “Russian territory” – of the most important events of the 21st have left and are living their own life.” They have been POWs. They face sentences of up to six years in prison. century, Sergey Shelin says. In the five years don’t accept the idea anymore that they are The Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group (KHPG) pointed out: “Russia’s since, Ukraine has made use of this new sit- anybody’s, including Russia’s, “younger behavior was condemned by the international community, but the sanctions thus far uation in positive ways while Russia has brother” or “junior partner.” have been ‘like a pinprick to an elephant,’ according to Nikolai Polozov, the coordina- not been able to accept it, he states. Unfortunately, Russians from top to bot- tor of the lawyers representing the 24 POWs.” “The official dismantling of the USSR was tom have not adjusted to this new reality. KHPG reported that “the FSB resorted to its standard (and illegal) methods at the conceived, as far as these two countries are The Kremlin and the popular masses view very beginning, and forced three of the men to repeat on camera that they had ‘illegally concerned, as a formal event,” the Rosbalt Ukrainians as ungrateful traitors; and, as it crossed Russia’s state border.’ ” Thus, it was important that a team of lawyers, one for commentator says, and for some time it is well known, traitors are hated more than each prisoner, was quickly organized by Ukraine. The human rights monitoring organi- remained such in both countries. But the enemies of other kinds. At the very least, it zation went on to cite Mr. Polozov’s explanation that the lawyers’ first priority was to events of 2014 made the dismantling real, is harder to forgive them and move on. prevent the Russian authorities and FSB from confusing and disorienting the men, and Ukraine has acted on that (rosbalt.ru/ But Russians do not understand that especially given the “ferocious working-over” to which they were being subjected. The blogs/2019/02/22/1765790.html). “national independence is not treason,” Mr. FSB would hold “talks” with each of the POWs, trying to get them to confess to having Today’s Ukraine, Mr. Shelin writes, “is a Shelin notes. “This is the right of a nation if committed a crime or to give testimony against the others. In some cases, “special” cell- poor but viable state, which over the past a nation is conscious of itself.” The Russians mates were planted with the men. “Our lawyers were able to explain to all of the POWs five years has shown its ability to live with- remain “people of the empire” and expect the position based on the Third Geneva Convention (relative to the treatment of pris- out Russia.” Personal ties have weakened, others to continue to accept that arrange- oners of war). All of the naval sailors have stated both to the investigators and the economic dependency has as well, and now ment – one that puts the Russians on top, courts that they are under the protection of this convention and are prisoners of war,” Russia is viewed there as another country – forever. he underscored. Indeed, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted hostile, rather than part of some larger enti- This is not the first time something like a resolution that states the detained sailors must be treated in accordance with the ty, as Russians still continue to view Ukraine. this has happened among Russians. “In the Geneva Convention. At the same time, PACE demanded their immediate release, as Ukraine’s economy has “grown for the 1990s, the object of a quite strong and long did other governments and international bodies, including the European Union. fourth year in a row, quite slowly but all the dislike was little Estonia” and the reasons The servicemen are currently held in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison; a Moscow dis- same faster” than Russia’s. Its people are no trict court ruled that they will be held in remand until the end of April. The latest longer going to Russia to find work but (Continued on page 18) news is that they will undergo psychological and psychiatric examinations, as per another court ruling. In the meantime, their lawyers are preparing individual appeals to the European Court of Human Rights and other international courts. Five days after Russia’s attack on Ukraine’s ships, President Donald Trump tweet- ed: “Based on the fact that the ships and sailors have not been returned to Ukraine Three very different visions from Russia, I have decided it would be best for all parties concerned to cancel my previously scheduled meeting…” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley both condemned the unwarranted attack and of post-Putin Russia expressed support for Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia. Since then, the EU has by Paul Goble much like the present and the past. And she imposed sanctions on Russian officers who took part in the attack on the Ukrainian suggests that that someone even more vessels; the U.S. has sent ships into the Black Sea, most recently the guided-missile ’s failure to provide a pic- authoritarian and Stalinist, like Lavrenty destroyer Donald Cook for NATO maritime security operations; and the EU is expect- ture of the future in his address to the Beria, may come after Mr. Putin departs ed to officially announce new sanctions in the coming days. Federal Assembly and growing indications (ivpavlova.blogspot.com/). To be sure, there has been vocal international condemnation of Russia’s aggres- that the power vertical on which he has And in the third, Georgy Kasyanov, a sion, but it has yielded no results. The detention of Ukraine’s sailors has now passed relied is “decaying” (themoscowtimes. Russian historian at the National Academy the 100-day mark, and their ordeal appears to be far from over. Back home, the sail- com/2019/02/22/the-kremlin-hierarchy- of Sciences of Ukraine, argues that the ors’ families fear that the world has forgotten about these hostages of Russia. “Our is-fast-decaying-a64589) have ever more departure of Mr. Putin will be “a catastro- kids are in need of help,” Lyuba Chuliba, mother of 28-year-old Sergei Chuliba, told people talking about what a post-Putin phe” for Ukraine and other nearby coun- the CBC. “The whole world must know that our boys are good.” It’s well past time for Russia might be like. tries because a leadership struggle within the world to take stronger action. Three Russian commentators, one in Russia would likely involve actions abroad Moscow, one in the United States and one to build authority (apostrophe.ua/article/ in Ukraine, on February 22 provided politics/foreign-policy/2019-02-22/smert- extremely suggestive but in some ways putina-stanet-katastrofoy-dlya-ukrainyi-v- mutually exclusive visions of what Russia chem-opasnost/23937). Turning the pages back... will look like once the current Kremlin Given the number of unknowns, none of March leader passes from the scene, as will inevi- these three, nor indeed anyone else, can tably happen either voluntarily, by the force specify exactly what will happen. But all Sixty years ago, on March 15, 1959, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, in of circumstances, or as a result of death. three of these and many other commenta- his nationally syndicated weekly newspaper column, called for 15 In the first, economist Vladislav tors as well capture some of the complexity American action designed to aid the liberation of the people Inozemtsev argues that Mr. Putin’s Russia, of the situation, one in which after Mr. Putin enslaved by Soviet Russia, listing Ukraine among the top on the 1959 like the Soviet Union before it, has entered both the leaders and the population will list. into a confrontation with the West and undoubtedly fashion a future both similar Excerpts from the column were reprinted on the front page of turned away from normal economic and and different from today. The Ukrainian Weekly’s issue of March 28, 1959. Bishop Sheen wrote: political development and this means that Over the last 150 years, Russia has gone “If a neighbor across the street from where you live had knowingly and certainly the Putin regime will pass away along with through numerous leadership, generational robbed every other house on your side of the street save your own; if he had murdered him, just as was the case with Joseph Stalin and political changes. Sometimes there has some of the home owners or else sent a few of them into exile; if he had stripped many or Mikhail Gorbachev (echo.msk.ru/blog/ been a change at the top without changes rooms of furniture and brought them into his own house, and then began accusing you of partofair/2375953-echo/). in broader policies, but sometimes the being a robber and a thief and a murderer, even writing articles to the paper to that effect, In the second, Irina Pavlova, a Russian change at the top has ushered in massive what would you do? historian based in the U.S., fundamentally changes – some of which have proved sus- “Would you merely say that you were not a robber, or would you write to the newspapers disagrees. She argues that the future will be tainable and some not. and merely state that you are not a thief? Or if he made these charges in court, would you be That past is instructive – in this Ms. silent about the plundering of the houses and the enslavement of some of the children? “Then why is it that when the United States and the Western World are accused of Paul Goble is a long-time specialist on Pavlova is correct. But it has not always being oppressors of people, wanting to start a nuclear war and enslave people, of being ethnic and religious questions in Eurasia been a straightjacket – and in this both Mr. imperialistic and an enemy of peace, do we merely make denials at the United Nations who has served in various capacities in the Inozemtsev and Mr. Kasyanov point to cer- instead of giving a list of the countries that they have robbed, pillaged, raped and confis- U.S. State Department, the Central tain patterns that open the door to change. cated! Why do we not name names, and remind the Soviet Union of some of the countries Intelligence Agency and the International As the end of the Putin era approaches – they have confiscated, such as Ukraine, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Broadcasting Bureau, as well as at the Voice and while no one knows when and how it the Karelian Isthmus of Finland, Poland, Lithuania, , Armenia, Albania, Outer of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio will end – ever more people are going to Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, China and others?” Liberty and the Carnegie Endowment for weigh in on what it might be. Bishop Sheen urged that the Soviet Union should be questioned daily by the U.N. for its International Peace. The article above is Their suggestions will not only lead enslavement of the aforementioned countries. “…Instead of being on the defensive, would reprinted with permission from his blog many to ask new questions but will also called “Window on Eurasia” (http://windo- form in some cases a roadmap, however (Continued on page 18) woneurasia2.blogspot.com/). incomplete it will inevitably prove to be. No. 10 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019 7

NEWS AND VIEWS Ongoing aid to Ukraine being shipped by UUARC Ukraine’s elections and Washington

One of the main stories coming out of Capitol Hill has had a long-standing Ukraine this year will be elections, elec- interest in Ukrainian elections. There have tions, elections. Presidential elections will been many resolutions over the decades be held on March 31, with a likely run-off calling for democratic, fair and transparent between the top two vote-getters three elections. Sometimes these would convey weeks later, on April 21. Later this year, in concerns in advance of elections that October, Ukrainians will again go to the looked as if they would be problematic, polls to elect a new Verkhovna Rada. These such as those in 2002, 2004 and 2012. will be important national elections for There were also congratulatory resolutions charting additional necessary reforms that for elections, especially those that demon- would enhance Ukraine’s independence strated Ukraine’s progress toward meeting and democracy, drawing Ukraine closer to international standards. the Euro-Atlantic community of democratic The Helsinki Commission in particular nations and further away from a hostile, held congressional hearings or public brief- autocratic Russia. And Russia’s ongoing ings throughout the years, often featuring aggression makes these elections all the the testimony of IRI, NDI and IFES, and more challenging. issued staff reports and press releases. The election campaign is in full swing – Senate and House Helsinki commissioners vibrant, boisterous, contentious and some- or Helsinki Commission staff have partici- times downright nasty. (This, of course, is pated in every OSCE Parliamentary not a uniquely Ukrainian phenomenon.) Assembly delegation of the larger OSCE And it is highly competitive. Nobody knows observation missions to Ukraine. who will win. This stands in stark contrast NDI and IRI have also helped encourage A. Antonenko with Ukraine’s unfree neighbors Russia and Ukrainian elections that meet democratic UUARC volunteers load humanitarian aid for Ukraine. Belarus. standards by deploying numerous election Washington is paying close attention to missions. Both will be doing so again for UUARC to all our volunteers and donors. Thanks to Ukraine’s elections, as are our international the upcoming presidential elections. The your good will, the UUARC is able to partners – the European Union, Canada Ukrainian Congress Committee of America PHILADELPHIA – On January 12, the arrange the dispatch of such necessary and international organizations such as the (UCCA) has fielded election monitoring United Ukrainian American Relief assistance in its containers. Organization for Security and Cooperation missions since independence and will have Committee (UUARC) sent the first humani- The next container will be sent to the in Europe (OSCE). more than 50 observers on March 31. The tarian aid shipment of 2019 to Ukraine. Donetsk region. We will be loading on The U.S. has been keenly interested in Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) will also The main contents of the shipping contain- Saturday, March 30, at 7 a.m. to noon, at the Ukrainian elections for nearly three be deploying a mission, as it often has in er included medical equipment and sup- United Ukrainian American Relief decades – monitoring, observing and the past. plies, medical consumables, surgical instru- Committee headquarters at 1206 Cottman encouraging elections that meet interna- The largest and most authoritative elec- ments, patient hospital beds with mattress- Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19111. We are asking tional democratic standards. The State tions player in Ukraine and elsewhere in es, regular and electric wheelchairs, walk- all volunteers to call 215-728-1630. We Department, U.S. Embassy Kyiv and United Europe and Eurasia is the 57-state OSCE, of ers, crutches, canes, adult diapers, hygiene encourage men of all ages to come out and States Agency for International which both the United States and Ukraine products, equipment for children with help. The more young men who volunteer Development (USAID) have all been are members. The OSCE fields by far the severe disabilities, clothing, shoes, linens for this task, the easier it will be for every- involved, tracking not only the political largest election observation missions (with and books. one. Please note that the UUARC provides environment but also the election process. both long-term and short-term observers) These items are distributed to Ukrainian community service certificates to those Even prior to the demise of the Soviet and has become the gold-standard of inter- soldiers and civilians who are suffering who need them. Any donation of time is Union, a handful of people – staffers, includ- national election observation worldwide – from the ongoing war and the failing econo- greatly appreciated – one hour, two hours, ing myself, at the Helsinki Commission, the OSCE issues pre-and post-election my in Ukraine. This particular shipment is five hours. other U.S. officials – as well as representa- assessments and a comprehensive final intended for the Hospital for the Disabled of We are hopeful for continued aid from tives of U.S. NGOs – observed elections and report following each election. Official U.S. the War and Repressed in Vynnyky, the community because, unfortunately, referenda in Ukraine in March 1990, March State Department post-elections statements Khodorovsky District Hospital, there are still many people in need in 1991 and, most notably, Ukraine’s historic, almost always track with those of the OSCE, Zhuravnivsky Municipal Hospital, the Red Ukraine who live in difficult conditions and December 1, 1991, referendum on indepen- as do those of our international partners. Cross of Chortkiv, the Znamensky Children’s await our support. dence. Helsinki Commission reports on Often the U.S. has provided the greatest Boarding School, the Zaluchansky Please be advised that we are no longer these votes leading up to the dissolution of number of observers to these missions of Orphanage, the Congregation of the accepting women’s clothing. The most- the Soviet Union proved to be valuable, as any OSCE country. For the March 31 elec- Daughters of St. Vincent DePaul in Sniatyn, needed items are medical equipment and they were the only public reports by a U.S. tions, the OSCE mission will consist of 100 Social Services of the Sisters Servants in supplies, and non-expired medical consum- government agency (the majority of whose long-term and 750 short-term observers. Lviv, and others who help the needy in ables, gently used men’s and children’s commissioners are members of the Senate The OSCE has given generally favorable Ukraine. The books are for the Kobrynsky clothing, linens and blankets, diapers for and the House of Representatives) during assessments of Ukraine’s elections as being Museum in Kolomyia and the Curia of the babies and adults, school supplies and that period of historic transition. in line with international democratic stan- Following independence, concerted dards – even while criticizing shortcomings Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych of the hygiene products. efforts to help Ukraine develop institutions and making specific recommendations in Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church. Sincere gratitude to everyone who to foster democratic elections grew rapidly. its detailed reports on how to improve elec- The UUARC expresses sincere gratitude assists the UUARC with this program. With permanent offices in Kyiv since the tions. Nonetheless, Ukraine’s elections, mid 1990s, the National Democratic while generally reflecting the will of the Institute (NDI) and the International people, have by no means been problem- Explore the archives Republican Institute (IRI) have played a free. The worst election in Ukraine’s history of The Ukrainian Weekly and Svoboda online: vital role in these endeavors, working with was the second round of the 2004 presi- www.ukrweekly.com political parties and civil society to dential election, which sparked the Orange strengthen democracy, including credible Revolution and wide condemnation from www.svoboda-news.com elections. Others U.S. NGOs, such as the the international community that led to a International Foundation for Electoral re-run that was free and fair. Among the Our online archives are made possible by our generous sponsors: Systems (IFES), have been key in develop- better elections were the last, post-Maidan Self Reliance New York Federal Credit Union ing Ukraine’s election infrastructure, presidential and parliamentary ones of Shevchenko Scientific Society U.S.A. including cybersecurity assistance, often 2014, as well as the 2006 and 2007 parlia- working with Ukraine’s Central Election mentary votes that followed the Orange Selfreliance Ukrainian American Federal Credit Union Commission. The work of these and other Revolution. Anonymous donor organizations has been largely funded by One manifestation of interest in the cur- SUMA (Yonkers) Federal Credit Union the USAID and the State Department, rent elections is the Transatlantic Task Heritage Foundation of 1st Security Federal Savings Bank through money appropriated by the U.S. Force on Elections and Civil Society in Congress. Ukraine, which was formed by the U.S.- Bahriany Foundation Ukraine Foundation’s Friends of Ukraine and others Orest Deychakiwsky may be reached at [email protected]. (Continued on page 15) 8 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019 No. 10 No. 10 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019 9

Interview with Anne Applebaum on “Red Famine: Stalin’s War on Ukraine”

by Marta Baziuk lar part of the book’s thesis? What is it that people who consider themselves More than a year has passed since the knowledgeable have to unlearn? publication of Anne Applebaum’s “Red The one issue has to do with intentional- Famine: Stalin’s War on Ukraine.” The paper- ity. Did Stalin really set out to kill these peo- back and audiobook editions are now also ple? And the reason that this continues to available. In an interview conducted on get asked is that there isn’t a piece of paper January 16 by Marta Baziuk, executive direc- where Stalin says “I would like to kill a lot tor of the Holodomor Research and of Ukrainians.” And so there are some in the Education Consortium (Canadian Institute of historical community who go on asking Ukrainian Studies, University of Alberta), Ms. whether we can make this assumption in Applebaum reflects on the reception and the absence of that piece of paper. Several impact of the book. chapters in my book – in fact, the way the The critical response to “Red Famine” whole book is constructed – are designed has been overwhelmingly positive. to show how we know Stalin knew that the What’s your reaction to that? Famine was happening, how particular laws were passed and measures taken I was surprised by how good it was, and aimed at deepening the Famine specifically from a wide range of people too. I thought in Ukraine, and so on. But for some people, there would be more pushback from main- there will always be the problem that there stream academics. The reviews were over- isn’t that piece of paper, or if there ever whelmingly positive in the British and the was, it’s missing – we haven’t found it American press, including The New York among archival documents. Times, The Washington Post, The Sunday Author Anne Applebaum (right) and Marta Baziuk, executive director of the I find it a really positive sign that one of Holodomor Research and Education Consortium Times in London and The New York Review the most prominent historical journals, of Books. The book was well received in Contemporary European History, conduct- Ukraine, and so on. For many academics it tion] is that a division of the Ministry of Denmark, where I went to promote it, and ed a debate on the topic. An issue of the was convincing. There are a few like [Stalin Culture ran a competition to determine in Norway, the Netherlands and Estonia. journal this past summer contained a sec- biographer] Steven Kotkin, who has made what books should be included in I’m going to Germany in the spring to pro- tion called Roundtable on Soviet Famines several remarks in interviews about not Ukrainian libraries. “Red Famine” was mote it, and it will be interesting to see the featuring articles by eight scholars, some of believing the thesis of the book, but he among the top 10 books selected from reception there. It’s about to be published whom in the past have been very skeptical hasn’t reviewed it. more than 2,000 entries. This is important in Spain, so I’m going to Madrid next week. about the issue of intentionality. While Would you say that the reception of because then the book becomes part of There are French, Italian and Portuguese some of them remain skeptical, they are Ukrainian historiography. The book also editions coming next fall, I believe. This the book has fallen along ideological now willing to be part of a debate and con- lines? won an award at the Lviv Book Fair for Best kind of book takes a long time to translate versation, and I feel like the book opened Book in the history category because the publishers often go back to that up in a useful way. There really hasn’t been a left-right split But I should also say that by far the most original sources when the footnotes are Early on there was a review that got a lot in the reception, which did happen in the unpleasant reaction came from Ukraine. translated. of attention by Sheila Fitzpatrick, who is a case of my “Gulag” book 15 years ago. While most of the response has been “Red Famine” also came out last fall in classic revisionist historian. For many years That’s partly because the left and the right enthusiastic, there has also been a negative Poland and was a bestseller. It received she argued against those who saw the have changed and partly because Soviet reaction that seems to some degree coordi- national attention and was reviewed on the Famine as one of Stalin’s goals, and refused studies has changed so much. Now that we nated, although I don’t want to be too para- front pages of newspapers. I had huge to recognize the uniqueness of the have access to archives, there really isn’t a noid. This is a small group of “nationalist” crowds at events – 500, 600 people in Ukrainian Famine, or even that it was puni- left-right argument on many issues that critics who find the book insufficiently anti- Gdansk, Lublin, Warsaw, Poznan. I was on tive at all. But actually, although she is criti- used to be politically contentious. The Russian and who object to use of the mor- national television talking about it. I think it cal of me personally – she doesn’t like my depoliticization of the field also means tality statistics produced by specialists who came at the right moment in Poland. Right politics and so on – her review acknowl- there is more openness to hearing work with the archives. These are the only now there is a real desire to know some- edges maybe for the first time in print that Ukrainian stories from all sides of academia fact-based statistics that we have, but there thing more about Ukraine. People in Poland there may be a case that some of what hap- and from the mainstream media. A decade are people who simply want the numbers know more about Ukraine than in most pened was intentional. Her review essen- or two ago, writing about the Ukrainian to be higher. Unfortunately, with social places, but details of the Famine and the tially said Anne Applebaum is objection- independence movement, for example, media, this gets spread around, and when story of the Ukrainian independence move- able but the book is OK. might have been dismissed as an obscure, I’ve presented the book in Ukraine, both in ment – these are not well-known stories. right-wing cause. It’s clear from the reviews Kyiv and Lviv, I’ve had questions coming Nobody has been taught them in school. I A huge jump. of my book, with just very, very few excep- from that line of criticism, which I don’t did a number of events for the Ukrainian Yes, a huge jump. I think it’s because tions, that that’s gone. community in Poland, which is quite big hear outside of Ukraine. while a lot of the evidence in the book has now, partly because of the ease with which What do you hope the longer term And Russian reaction? appeared in Ukrainian and in other places Ukrainians can work in Poland. We had impact of the book will be? in bits and pieces, marshaling it in one I have not seen a Russian state reaction events in Warsaw and a big event at the place, as my book does, was convincing for Obviously what I’d like longer term is for in English. Maybe one from inside Ukraine university in Lublin. I know the community many people who for the first time were the thesis of the book to be incorporated in Ukrainian, but in English, not at all. bought the book in large numbers. seeing the evidence put together, about the into the big books about Soviet history, and In Poland, there is a big anti-Ukrainian On the issue of genocide, are you sur- laws passed, the memoirs describing the for people who take survey courses in push from the far-right and Russia, and to prised by the emotions and energy kinds of searches that were conducted in Soviet history at university to read the book some extent the nationalist government, or read references to it. That would be my around the question? and I think the book was perceived as hope. I think it’s too early to say. I know of I’m not surprised. It is a very emotive pushing back against that even though it is courses being taught at British universities issue. I understand that Ukrainians want not about contemporary events. This partly where they’re using the book, and I’ve had the word “genocide” used as acknowledge- explains some of the enthusiasm for the academics tell me that they teach the book ment from the world that what happened book. People who didn’t like the new anti- or are using it. to them was a horrific crime. I wanted “Red Ukrainian tone in Polish politics wanted to But I think there’s another kind of Famine” to be a history book, not an argu- read something or to go to an event where impact. This is a book written for a general ment about genocide. If it was seen as set- that line was going to be opposed. So it had readership, and my impression is that it has ting out to make an argument about geno- some kind of political echo in Poland. I also been helpful for people who just want cide, it wouldn’t be taken as seriously by meet people in Poland all the time who to have some background on the history of historians or by general readers. And so I have read it and who talk about it. the country. Because the book starts in felt it was important to separate that ques- And what about the other important 1917-1918 with the Ukrainian declaration tion and explain it as part of the history – neighbor for Ukraine? Will there be a of independence, it’s also useful to people the history of the idea of genocide and how Russian translation of “Red Famine”? who are engaged in contemporary discus- it connects to the Ukrainian Famine. sions about Ukraine, about the war and Genocide is a legal, moral, political question I haven’t heard of any interest in having Russia and so on. That makes me feel – not a historical question. If you mix it up it published in Russia. There has been talk encouraged. And it has sold pretty well in with the history, you can discredit your his- in Ukraine of publishing a Russian- English as well as in other languages. tory. By the way, Timothy Snyder has also language edition, but I don’t know at this written about the Ukrainian Famine and point whether that is under way. It would Can you comment on the reception in about Stalin’s intentionality, and for exactly be great if it happened. Ukraine? the same reasons, he also stays away from Among people acquainted with Soviet One very nice thing I heard from engaging in discussions about genocide. and Eastern European history, have you Cover of the Anne Applebaum’s book Liudmyla Hrynevych [director of HREC in encountered resistance to any particu- “Red Famine”: Stalin’s War on Ukraine.” Ukraine, the publisher of the Ukrainian edi- (Continued on page 18) 10 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019 No. 10 No. 10 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019 11

its last leg.” Poroshenko... Mr. Snyder continued: “On the frontlines of these seismic events are the people of (Continued from page 1) Ukraine… the leading edge of history has Union League building by the president of become a familiar, if not comfortable, reali- the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, ty for Ukrainians several times during the Craig Snyder; Kristi Scogna, executive assis- last century.” He further noted: “Ukraine tant; and Ulana Mazurkevich, president of has stood as a nation under assault by con- the Ukrainian Human Rights Committee. ventional and unconventional means, fight- Upon entering the reception area, the ing against the first acts of foreign aggres- president was greeted by the acclaimed sion.” Mr. Snyder then briefly spoke about Ukrainian mixed choir Accolada under the the Holodomor, the Revolution of Dignity baton of Bohdan Henhalo, singing, “O God, and about the Heavenly Hundred. Grant Many Blessed Years” and “God Bless In presenting the award to President America.” Poroshenko, Mr. Snyder stated: “President The award reception was opened with Poroshenko has led and is leading his coun- the singing of the Ukrainian national try as it seeks to defend itself and to defend anthem by Sofiya Pitula and the American ideals America has long declared to be uni- anthem by Yuliya Stupen. versal truths, against subversion and out-

In welcoming the president of Ukraine, right invasion.” He continued: “He is fight- World Affairs Council of Philadelphia Mr. Snyder also acknowledged the presence ing a fight in a direct line of descent from The Ukrainian choir Accolada with the president of Ukraine. of Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), who sits the fight of America’s founders, here in on the House Foreign Affairs Committee Philadelphia, for national independence World Affairs Council saying that he consid- He concluded his remarks by stating, “It and is co-chair of the Congressional and popular sovereignty.” ers the award an acknowledgement of joint is absolutely true that peace and freedom Ukraine Caucus. In bestowing the award, Mr. Snyder stat- efforts and the recognition of the progress are twin goals… It is our noble mission to Mr. Snyder spoke about the mission of ed: “In recognition of this valiant and vital that the Ukrainian nation has made. He achieve lasting peace through the support the World Affairs Council, which was estab- work by President Poroshenko and the went on to note that the award is a symbol of freedom.” lished in 1949, weeks after the creation of Ukrainian people, it is my high honor and of unity and solidarity with Ukraine, and After Mr. Poroshenko’s remarks, Mr. NATO, in hopes of preventing future world personal privilege to present to President spoke about the Heavenly Hundred and the Snyder thanked Ms. Mazurkevich and her wars. Mr. Snyder also issued a stark warn- Poroshenko the International Statesman Revolution of Dignity. He then referred to Ukrainian Human Rights Committee for ing that “nothing in human affairs is perma- Award of the World Affairs Council of the words of President Abraham Lincoln: many years of collaboration and called nent, and we all know that the internation- Philadelphia.” “Our task is to ensure that those dead, upon her to raise a toast to the president of al order born after World War II is today Accepting the award, President those who gave their lives, so that we might Ukraine. under great stress, and quite perhaps, on Poroshenko thanked Mr. Snyder and the live free, shall not have died in vain.” In her toast, Ms. Mazurkevich exclaimed: The Ukrainian president highlighted the “You, Mr. President, took up the ideals of threat from the Kremlin, saying “the hand the Revolution of Dignity, …you stood up to that manipulated the previous regime lies, to intimidation, to the Russian aggres- keeps on stretching its claws to our sor. We stood with you. …We rallied, we throats.” Mr. Poroshenko also spoke about demonstrated, we called upon the U.S. the Holodomor and the Kremlin’s total dis- Congress to hear your pleas.” regard for human life, about Crimea as an Then, raising her glass, Ms. Mazurkevich occupied territory, and about the Crimean declared: “To President Poroshenko, a true Tatars and Russia’s prisoners of war. He international statesman.” said that in today’s globalized world the After dinner, when the president and his ongoing Russian aggression against delegation were ready to depart, Mr. Ukraine is a challenge not only to Ukraine Poroshenko commented to the attendees but to all democratic communities. that it was truly a wonderful and warm event President Poroshenko then thanked the and that he felt he was part of a large family United States for standing “shoulder to He promised to return to Philadelphia. shoulder with us.” He expressed his grati- Many of the attendees – members of the tude to the U.S. Congress for passing a Philadelphia diplomatic corps, and major bipartisan resolution commemorating the donors to the World Affairs Council – said Holodomor and recognizing it as a geno- they were impressed with President cide. He thanked the Philadelphia Poroshenko’s remarks, which were deliv- At dinner (from left) are: Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, President Petro Holodomor Committee for getting the City ered in flawless English. The evening, one Poroshenko, Craig Snyder, Foreign Affairs Minister Pavlo Klimkin and Ulana of Philadelphia to recognize the Holodomor attendee commented, “was sheer perfec- Mazurkevich. as genocide of the Ukrainian people. tion.” , ATTENTION Debutante Ball Organizers!

on April 7. In keeping with our tradition, The Ukrainian Weekly will publish a special section devoted to the Ukrainian community’s debutantes. The 2019 debutante ball section will be published April 1.

The deadline for submission(with captions of all and materials photo –credits) stories – and is photos [email protected] Please e-mail materials to: 12 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019 No. 10

informed the European Council that Yanukovych and his inner circle shortly Chernivtsi, Skhemy spoke with Olena NEWSBRIEFS Ukrainian criminal proceedings against after the collapse of his government in Savva. According to Batkivshchyna’s him had been suspended before the renew- February 2014. The bloc accused reports, Savva contributed three payments (Continued from page 2) al of the bloc’s restrictive measures, the Yanukovych and his collaborators of misap- of 14,999 hrv ($560). Ms. Savva, however, Klyuyev to be removed from sanctions list council should have sought clarification on propriation of Ukraine’s state funds. denied making any donation or having any the issue from Ukrainian authorities. (Rikard Jozwiak of RFE/RL) connection with Ms. Tymoshenko’s party. The European Union removed Andriy Several diplomats from EU member states “Where would I get so much money from?” Klyuyev, the head of former Ukrainian who are familiar with the talks but not Poroshenko fires ally amid scandal she said. Retiree Vasyl Lendel from President Viktor Yanukovych’s presidential authorized to speak on the record told Ukraine’s president has fired his close Kostopil was listed in the party’s accounts administration, from its sanctions list. The RFE/RL that the lack of compelling evi- ally Oleh Hladkovsky from the post of the as making several donations totaling near- move comes after a July 2018 ruling by the dence from Ukraine had forced EU to con- first deputy chairman of the National ly 40,000 hryvnas ($1,490). He denied EU’s general court, which said that the sider removing Mr. Klyuyev from the list. Security and Defense Council amid allega- making any contributions. Skhemy uncov- bloc’s restrictive measures against Mr. His brother, Serhiy Klyuyev, was removed tions that Mr. Hladkovsky’s son was ered similar discrepancies in the Kyiv area Klyuyev for 2017-2018 should be annulled. from the same sanctions list last year. involved in smuggling spare parts of mili- as well. The National Agency on Corruption He did, however, remain on the sanctions Serhiy Klyuyev, who was a businessman tary equipment from Russia. In a post on Prevention (NAZK) refused to comment on list as the asset freeze was prolonged by and lawmaker from Mr. Yanukovych’s Party Twitter on March 4, Petro Poroshenko the Skhemy findings, saying only it was one year in March 2018, with a separate of Regions, was the nominal owner of wrote that Mr. Hladkovsky was also sacked examining the financial statements of all ruling for the new sanctions period neces- Mezhyhiria, the lavish Yanukovych resi- from the post of the chief of the inter-min- political parties and that more than 200 sary to be delisted. In the July 2018 ruling, dence outside Kyiv that is now a museum. isterial commission for policies on military suspected administrative violations have the court concluded that, since Mr. Klyuyev The EU imposed asset freezes against Mr. and technical cooperation and export con- been referred to law enforcement. The trol. Mr. Poroshenko’s move comes a week Internal Affairs Ministry told Skhemy they after media outlet Bihus.Info’s program could not investigate Batkivshchyna’s “Nashi Hroshi” (Our Money) alleged that accounts without a complaint from NAZK. Mr. Hladkovsky’s son, Ihor, organized a ring (Oleksandr Chornovalov of RFE/RL’s to smuggle spare military-equipment parts Ukrainian Service) TO PLACE YOUR AD CALL Walter Honcharyk (973) 292-9800 x3040 from Russia in 2015, a year after Moscow Poroshenko’s new anti-graft bill or e-mail [email protected] seized Ukraine’s Crimea region and threw its support behind militant pro-Russia sep- President Petro Poroshenko has pro- aratists in the eastern regions of Donetsk posed fresh legislation to fight corruption, a SERVICES PROFESSIONALS and . The report alleged that state day after Ukraine’s Constitutional Court defense facilities purchased the smuggled threw out a previous anti-graft law – a move spare parts from private companies linked that raised concerns the country is back- to Ihor Hladkovsky and his friends at highly tracking in the battle against corruption. Mr. inflated prices. It claimed that Poroshenko’s proposal comes as he trails in Ukroboronprom, the state concern that opinion polls on Ukraine’s March 31 presi- supervises defense industry production dential election. Mr. Poroshenko is running facilities, knew the origin of the smuggled for a second term, but his record on fighting parts but agreed to buy them. The report corruption is a topic of debate – with oppo- also alleged that Ihor Hladkovsky and his sition lawmakers calling for his impeach- two associates illegally earned at least 250 ment over graft allegations involving a close million hrv ($9.2 million U.S.) by smuggling ally. Ukraine in 2015 passed a law criminal- the items from Russia through three major izing illicit enrichment in 2015 as a condi- МАРІЯ ДРИЧ private firms, one of which belonged to Mr. tion of receiving bailout loans from the Ліцензований Продавець Poroshenko at the time. A day after the Страхування Життя International Monetary Fund and for the investigative report was broadcast on European Union to grant visa-free travel to МАRІA DRICH YouTube on February 25, President SERVICES Licensed Life Insurance Agent Ukrainian citizens. But the Constitutional Poroshenko suspended Oleh Hladkovsky Ukrainian National Assn., Inc. Court on February 27 overturned the law from his post and two days later on grounds that it contravened the pre- 2200 Route 10, Parsippany, NJ 07054 announced that a probe has been launched sumption of innocence. “This morning I Tel.: 973-292-9800 ext. 3035 into the allegations. (RFE/RL, with report- have signed, and now I am commissioning e-mail: [email protected] ing by ) to register, a presidential bill which takes Suspicious donations to Yulia’s campaign into account the remarks but preserves the HELP WANTED key position – the inevitability of criminal The presidential campaign of former punishment for illicit enrichment,” Mr. Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has reg- Poroshenko said on February 28. The Live-in caregiver needed for my mother istered numerous suspicious donations, Constitutional Court’s decision was in Silver Spring MD. Near churches, repeating a pattern that journalists uncov- denounced by a Ukrainian law enforcement thriving Ukrainian community, nice ered in her Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) home. Experience/patience with AZ agency as a “step back” in the fight against preferred. party’s accounts in 2016. According to a corruption. The National Anti-corruption [email protected] new investigation by Skhemy (Schemes), a Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) said in a state- or 617-566-1996 joint project by RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service ment that the Constitutional Court’s ruling and Ukraine’s UA:Pershy television chan- was “politically motivated and contradicts nel, many of the individual donations listed Ukraine’s obligations on the ratified U.N. Seeking live-in companion in Ms. Tymoshenko’s financial disclosures Convention against Corruption [and] its for a 92 year old lady reveal suspicious patterns that could indi- agreements with the International cate fraudulent manipulations. In addition, Monetary Fund and the European Union.” OPPORTUNITIES in Mount Laurel, NJ. several individuals who are listed as The agency said that about 65 corruption Please call 856-904-5695 Tymoshenko donors told Skhemy that they cases it is currently investigating and involv- or email [email protected] did not make any such contributions. ing some $20 million will now be closed. Earn extra income! Asked to comment on the investigation’s (RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, with reporting The Ukrainian Weekly is looking findings, Ms. Tymoshenko denied wrong- by AP and Reuters) for advertising sales agents. Run your advertisement here, doing. “[The National Agency on Corruption Prevention] can investigate Tymoshenko: Rada blocks impeachment For additional information contact in The Ukrainian Weekly’s Walter Honcharyk, Advertising Manager, these matters,” she said. “We are transpar- Ukrainian lawmaker and former Prime The Ukrainian Weekly, 973-292-9800, ext 3040. CLASSIFIEDS section. ent. Everything is done absolutely publicly. Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has accused the All our income and expenses are absolutely leadership of the Verkhovna Rada of inten- public.” According to Ms. Tymoshenko’s fil- tionally impeding an impeachment process ings, her campaign received no donations against President Petro Poroshenko just a at all between January and May 2018. month before Ukraine’s presidential elec- KULINSKI MEMORIALS Since that time, she has pulled in 160 mil- 809 SOUTH MAIN STREET • MANVILLE, NJ 08835 tion. Ms. Tymoshenko, a presidential candi- lion hrv ($6 million U.S.), 145 million hrv date whose Batkivshchyna party has joined TEL. 908-722-3130 FAX 908-253-0027 ($5.4 million) from private individuals. with other parties to start the impeach- TOLL FREE 800-458-5467 [email protected] According to Skhemy’s analysis, numerous ment process, told Parliament on February individuals contributed identical amounts, 28 that the Rada’s leadership had annulled • Serving Ukrainian families for over 60 years often either just less than 15 hrv ($0.56) or forms to support the impeachment drive. • Over 40 granite colors to choose from just less than 150,000 hrv ($5,600). One She also said the parliamentary leadership individual contributed identical amounts has refused to register a draft resolution on • Custom etchings several times from banks in different cities. creating a temporary commission to inves- • House appointments available Sometimes, entire families made donations tigate the alleged involvement of Mr. on the same day and sometimes a single • Serving the tri-state area Poroshenko’s close associates in the smug- • 5 minutes from South Bound Brook, NJ individual made numerous identical con- tributions within a short time span. In (Continued on page 13) No. 10 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019 13

vaccinate every child.” UNICEF said statis- NEWSBRIEFS tics by the World Health Organization showed there were 35,120 cases of mea- (Continued from page 12) sles in Ukraine last year – a massive rise gling of spare parts from Russia for military from about 5,000 in 2017. It added that, equipment. “That means that [parliament’s according to the Ukrainian government, leadership] is covering up the crime, is try- 24,042 people have been infected in the ing to silence it,” Ms. Tymoshenko said. first two months of 2019 alone. The worst- Verkhovna Rada Chairman hit area of the country has been the west- With deep sorrow we share with you rejected Ms. Tymoshenko’s statement and ern Lviv region, “where negative attitudes the news of the passing of our beloved called on her “to stop imposing pressure on toward immunization, and previous short- Husband, Father, Grandfather parliament’s activities.” Ms. Tymoshenko ages in vaccine supply, have resulted in low announced her party’s move to impeach vaccination rates.” UNICEF said it has pro- the president on February 26, accusing Mr. vided ongoing support to accelerate rou- Poroshenko of treason. The move came a tine immunization across Ukraine to LUBOMYR M. KRUSHELNYCKY day after a media outlet aired a program address vaccine hesitancy in the crisis that Engineer, founder of a classical music series alleging that people close to Mr. has claimed 30 lives since 2017. (RFE/RL) at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art in Chicago. Poroshenko enriched themselves by smug- gling spare parts for military equipment Ukraine pulls out of Eurovision born October 27, 1941 in the Lemko town Krynytsia, from Russia. Mr. Poroshenko on February Ukraine has announced it will not partic- died February 14, 2019 in Kingston, N.Y. 28 issued his first public reaction to the ipate in the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest investigative journalists’ report, saying on amid a scandal in its national selection pro- Funeral services were held on February 23, 2019 his presidential website that a probe has cess. The National Public Broadcasting at St. John the Baptist Church in Hunter, N. Y., been launched into the allegations. The Company of Ukraine said on February 27 He leaves behind: Ukrainian Constitution says the president that Ukraine would not participate after “can be impeached if he or she commits singer Anna Korsun, who performs under wife Oksana née Shust high treason or other crimes.” Among other the name Maruv and who won the domes- sons: Mark with wife Anastasia things, the process requires an investiga- tic selection process, refused to sign a con- tion by a special prosecutor and multiple tract stipulating that she would not per- Paul with wife Stephany votes in Parliament, including a three- form in Russia for at least three months fourths vote following approval by the after the competition and pledging not to grandchildren: Luke and Julia Constitutional Court. (RFE/RL, with report- make any “statements that may call into as well as extended family and many, many friends ing by UNIAN) question the issue of the territorial integri- from his personal and professional life. Big rise in measles cases in Ukraine ty and security of Ukraine.” Relations between Ukraine and Russia have been Lubomyr was prеceded in death by his parents - in 1982 Leontij Ukraine suffered the world’s largest strained over Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Krushelnycky (founder of chorus “Dumka”) and in 2009 Lydia increase in the number of measles cases in Ukraine’s Crimea region and Russia’s mili- Krushelnycky (founder and director of “Ukrainian Stage Ensemble”). 2018, some of them the result of the so- tary, political, and economic support of sep- called “anti-vax” movement, the United aratist entities in parts of eastern Ukraine. Contributions in memory of Lubomyr may be made to The Ukrainian Nations children’s agency says. A UNICEF Maruv withdrew from Eurovision consider- Museum in New York City, or to the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art in report on March 1 said Ukraine led an ation on February 25, accusing the authori- Chicago. “alarmingly high” worldwide surge in mea- ties of “censorship.” The performers who sles cases, blaming much of it on growing came in second, third, and fourth place all ВІЧНА ЙОМУ ПАМ‘ЯТЬ! “vaccine hesitancy” that threatens to undo refused to take Maruv’s spot in the compe- decades of work to get the “highly prevent- tition, which will be held in Israel in May. able, but potentially deadly disease” under Eurovision has been a field of conflict control. Health officials worldwide have between Russia and Ukraine in the past. In expressed concerns about the “anti-vax” 2016, Ukraine infuriated Russia by submit- movement spreading on social media and ting a ballad by singer Jamala that elsewhere that has raised fears in some described the brutal 1944 Soviet deporta- adults that vaccinations can be harmful. tion of the Crimean Tatars. Russian officials “Almost all of these [measles] cases are pre- argued that the song should have been dis- ventable, and yet children are getting qualified under rules forbidding political infected even in places where there is sim- content in performances. When that entry Ділимося сумною вісткою, що з волі Всевишнього, ply no excuse,” said Henrietta H. Fore, won the competition, Kyiv hosted the 2017 у понеділок, 11 лютого 2019 року, в Чікаґо UNICEF’s executive director. “Measles may rendition and refused to allow the Russian несподівано відійшов у вічність наш найдорожчий be the disease but, all too often, the real contestant to enter the country because ЧОЛОВІК, ТАТО, ДІДО і СТРІЙКО infection is misinformation, mistrust, and she had performed in Crimea after the complacency. We must do more to accu- annexation. (RFE/RL, with reporting by rately inform every parent, to help us safely AFP and AP) св. п. ВІКТОР ТАРАН нар. 18 серпня 1939 р. в с. Козилівка на Чернігівщині. With deep sorrow we announce that Віктор був інженер-механік, активний член та колишній голова Nicola Zacharcenko чікаґівського відділу Союзу Українських Філателістів та Нумізматів, 95, of Philadelphia passed away on March різьбар, любитель мистецтва. 1, 2019. He was born July 8, 1923 in Ukraine to the late Prokop and Anna Zacharcenko. He is ПОХОРОННІ ВІДПРАВИ відбулися predeceased by his sister Antonia Brozda. в п’ятницю, 15 лютого 2019 року, в Чікаґо He was the husband of Evangelina (Selles) з похоронного заведення Музики до Української православної катедри св. кн. Володимира. Zacharcenko; father of Kira McKissick (William), Maria Sabasino (Peter), Anna Zacharcenko, and Nicholas Zacharcenko (Maryann); Залишені в глибокому смутку: step-father of Denise Nash (Christopher), Royal Uhlman (Mary), and Mark Uhlman (Jennifer); grandfather of Christopher McKissick, Kellie McKissick, дружина - ХРИСТЯ (з ДАЧИШИНІВ) Devon Sabasino Arnold, Peter Sabasino, and Brittany Zacharcenko; great син - МИХАЙЛО ТАРАН grandfather to Siena Arnold and Andrew Arnold; and brother to Katherine дочка - НАТАЛКА (& МИКОЛА) ЛІСОВСЬКІ Iwaskiw, Anna Dmytryszyn; and Nancy Smerechenski. внучка - РОКСОЛЯНА ЛІСОВСЬКА внуки - ЛУКАШ, МАТЕЙ ЛІСОВСЬКІ Funeral services took place on Wednesday, March 6, with entombment - IAN, KIERAN TARAN at Sunset Memorial Park in Feasterville, PA. племінниці - МАРТА ТАРАН - ІНА (& TOM) PIROVANO In lieu of ˜ owers contributions can be made to the National Kidney племінники - MICHAEL, HANNAH, NATALIE PIROVANO Foundation at Kidney.org or the Cardiovascular Research Foundation at crf.org. ближча і дальша родина і друзі в США, Канаді й Україні May his memory be eternal. Вічна Йому пам’ять! 14 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019 No. 10 Carpathian Ski Club holds 65th annual races HUNTER, N.Y. – The Carpathian Ski Club, known by its Ukrainian acronym as KLK, con- ducted its 65th annual races at Hunter Mountain on Saturday, March 2, in what were deemed excellent ski conditions. Fifty-one competitors participated in this family-friendly event that welcomed skiers and snowboarders ranging in age from 3 to over 75. Later that day, a dinner and awards ceremo- ny were held at Villa Vosilla in nearby Tannersville, N.Y. Attending were racers and their families, as well as members and support- ers of the Carpathian Ski Club. Many came attired, as suggested, in Ukrainian embroidered shirts and blouses – now a KLK tradition. A moment of silence was observed at the beginning of the evening in honor of KLK mem- ber Roman Hawrylak, who passed away in 2018 at the age of 99. The program was opened by Andrew Hadzewycz, president of the Carpathian Ski Club. As Roma Hadzewycz announced the winners in each age group of competitors, trophies and med- als were presented by the KLK leadership, includ- ing Vice-President Eri Palydowycz and skiing Hadzewycz director Orest Fedash. Participants of the Carpathian Ski Club’s 2019 races during the awards dinner.

The youngest champions of the 2019 ski races: 3-year-old Kaya Mykyta, and her The fastest male skier of the 2019 races, Andrey Mykyta (center), with Vera Hrab (right), the fastest female skier of the 2019 brother, Zorian Mykyta, 6. Nestor Blyznak, father of last year’s winner of the traveling trophy, races, is congratulated by the 2018 winner of the travel- and Orest Fedash, KLK skiing director. ing trophy, Talia Pawluk. Special traveling trophies were awarded to the fastest female and male skiers (no repeat winners are allowed), whose names were announced by 2019 KLK race results Mr. Fedash. Vera Hrab received her trophy from last year’s winner, Talia Pawluk. Andrey Mykyta Girls 4 and under Snowboard, Men 30-34 accepted his trophy from Nestor Blyznak, the 1. Kaya Mykyta women 45-50 1. Markian Hadzewycz father of last year’s winner, Mark Blyznak. 1. Margaret Begley At the conclusion of the program, Mr. Girls 6 and under Men 35-39 Hadzewycz cited the financial support pledged by 1. Alexandra Pawluk Bi-ski, women 1. Andrey Mykyta three Ukrainian credit unions – Self Reliance New 1. Adriana Wojcickyj 2. Paul Jarymowycz York Federal Credit Union, Ukrainian Selfreliance Girls 8 and under Federal Credit Union (Philadelphia) and Nova UA 1. Renata Skoratko Boys 6 and under Men 40-44 Federal Credit Union (Clifton, N.J.). He also thanked 1. Zorian Mykyta 1. Damien Vena the race registration committee composed of Adia Girls 10 and under Fedash, Christine Klufas and Ms. Hadzewycz. 1. Kateryna Pawluk Boys 10 and under Men 45-50 Finally, it was announced that the 2020 ski 2. Sophia Temnycky 1. Oleksa Kucher 1. Ihor Pawluk races will take place at Hunter Mountain on 2. Marko Skoratko Rocco Vena, champion among boys 14 Girls 12 and under 2. Vasyl Hotsko and under, receives his award from KLK February 29, a date certainly easy to remember as 3. Nicholas Temnycky Vice-President Eri Palydowycz. 2020 is a Leap Year. 1. Vera Hrab Men 55-59 2. Anna Kramarchuk Boys 12 and under 1. Eri Palydowycz Girls 16 and under 1. Arthur Hrycak 2. Yuriy Kucher 2. Lucas Pawluk 1. Olena Kucher 3. Stefan Wojcickyj 4. Stepan Pidzyraylo 2. Christina Silver Boys 14 and under 3. Adriana Hotsko 5. Andrew Rakowsky 1. Rocco Vena 6. Nestor Porytko Women 35-39 2. Peter Hrycak Men 60-64 1. Talia Pawluk Snowboard, 1. Andrew Kozak Women 45-49 boys 14 and under 2. Yuri Kobziar 1. Anya Nawrocky 1. Volodymyr Kurchak 3. Vlodko Temnycky 2. Halyna Hotsko Boys 16 and under Men 65-69 Women 55-59 1. Marko Wojcickyj 1. Roman Stelmach 1. Christa Kozak 2 Thomas Silver 2. Ihor Mykyta 2. Natalia Wojcickyj Snowboard, Men 75-79 Women 60 and over boys 16 and under 1. Alex Berest Top skiers among men age 45-50, Ihor Christa Kozak (left) and Natalia Wojcickyj 1. Maria Silver 1. Artur Mydlyk 2. Joseph Vena Pawluk (left) and Vasyl Hotsko. were the top women skiers age 55-59. No. 10 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019 15 Restoration and preservation of 1983 Famine symposium archives completed

by Anna Barabash understanding of this important event in the highest spirit of scholarly inquiry and MONTREAL – Safeguarding archives and with sensitivity and intellectual rigor it oral history is a critical phase of historical requires, I am confident you will perform data-preservation for a community and its the task well.” future generations. With 2018 marking the Prof. Michel Grenon, director of ICES, 85th anniversary of the Famine-Genocide stated in 1983: “… scholars must eventually worldwide, a major project – that of restoring come to terms with the obscurity which and safeguarding unique historical material still shrouds this event. In other words, that filmed the First International Conference how can a historical fact of such magnitude on the 1933 Famine in Ukraine held at be obfuscated?” Université du Québec à Montréal (UQàM) in Mr. Luhovy stated, “had it not been for the early 1980’s – was undertaken by Yurij the far-sighted decision to film this sympo- and Zorianna Luhovy and their team. sium in the 1980s, there would not have The 1983 international symposium, been a lasting record of the proceedings organized by Prof. Roman Serbyn and Dr. over three decades later.” Bohdan Krawchenko, was co-sponsored by Work continues to safeguard a second the Interuniversity Center of European public panel presentation on the Holodomor Studies (ICES), which includes four held the next day in Montreal, as well as safe- Montreal universities: the University of Adriana Luhovy guarding early interviews conducted with Montreal, McGill University, Concordia Director Yurij Luhovy in the studio working on the archive restoration project of the Famine survivors in Montreal and 10 addi- University and UQàM, together with the 1983 international symposium on the Holodomor. tional survivors in Toronto. Eyewitness testi- Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies at monies were filmed with the assistance of the University of Alberta. time, had to be color corrected, thereby in Soviet Ukraine”; Prof. Vsevolod Isajiw, Volodymyr Hayduk. The 1983 symposium was filmed by a enhancing the original as much as possible, University of Toronto, “The Consequences Oral history helps reconstruct the past, crew from Concordia University that to keep the quality of the original taping. of the Famine on the Structure of the enriches historical knowledge, and brings included Peter Blysczak and his team, Editing was required, prolonging the work. Ukrainian Society”; Dr. Nina Strokata- to life the voices and experiences of those directed by Mr. Luhovy. The restoration process was time-consum- Karavanska, “Malnutrition: A Social Policy who lived through the genocide. It safe- The restoration project is a unique record ing, requiring a great deal of patience. I for Over Sixty Years”; Prof. Bohdan guards historical memory for future gener- of the early work conducted in the diaspora began in May 2018 and completed the proj- Bociurkiw, Carleton University, “Destruction ations, project organizers note. on the 1932-1933 Famine-Genocide in ect at the end of December, assisted by of the “Ukrainian Church”; Prof. Yuri The restoration project of the first inter- Soviet Ukraine during a time when the Andriy Kostiv and Zorianna Hrycenko.” Shevelov, Columbia University, “La Montée et national symposium was made possible Soviet Union was still denying the Famine, The two-day international symposium, la Chute de la Politique d’Ukrainisation”; with support from the Ukrainian National archives in the Soviet Union were not acces- held March 25-26, 1983, included 20 Prof. Frank Chalk and Prof. Jonassohn, Federation, Montreal Branch; La Caisse sible, and survivors were afraid to talk. renowned participants. Successful main- Concordia University, “Conceptualizing Populaire Desjardins Ukrainienne de The UQàM symposium speakers were stream media coverage, as well as a book and Genocide and Ethnocide”; Marco Carynnyk, Montréal; the Holodomor Research and filmed on U-MATIC ¾” videotape. This for- photo exhibit at the McGill University Library, Toronto, “Oral History”; Dr. Bohdan Education Consortium of the Canadian mat, now discontinued, left the community was organized by Ms. Hrycenko, bringing the Krawchenko, University of Alberta, “Le Parti Institute of Ukrainian Studies, University of at risk of losing these historic archives, public’s attention to the 1933 Famine. Communiste d’Ukraine et la Famine”; Prof. Alberta; Shevchenko Foundation Ukrainian which were in a very fragile state, in danger Regarding the symposium Prof. Serbyn Serbyn, Université du Québec à Montréal, “La War Veterans’ Fund; Ucrainica Research of disintegrating and disappearing. commented: “The uniqueness of the confer- Famine de 1921: Un Modèle pour 1933?” Institute; BCU Foundation and others. Mr. Luhovy, director of the project, ence lay in the fact that it examined not only The papers provide knowledge about the The entire restoration project consists of explained: “The restoration work entailed Stalin’s starvation of the Ukrainian farmers early contributions in Holodomor studies. three components: the 1983 international transferring the 14 one-hour U-MATIC but also the destruction of the Ukrainian In the introduction to the 1983 sympo- symposium, the public panel on the tapes. Because the tapes were extremely national elites, the Ukrainian Church, lan- sium, Prof. Russell Breen, vice-rector for Holodomor, and interviews conducted in brittle with the passing of time, each tape guage, culture – all the qualities that made academics of Montreal Concordia Montreal and Toronto with Famine- required constant attention to avoid break- Ukrainians a nation and a culture.” University, stated: “The theme, indeed a Genocide survivors to be put online with ing. The accumulation of magnetic oxide Among the prominent presenters and challenging one, the 1933 little-known links to other sites on the Famine-Genocide. particles required cleaning the heads every their topics delivered in English, French or though, man-made event, stands as a fur- For further information, readers may call few minutes. Once successfully transferred Ukrainian were: Dr. James Mace, Harvard ther example of man’s inhumanity through- 514-481-5871 or see website www. to DVD, each shot, which had faded with University, “The Man-Made Famine of 1933 out history.” …Your task, to attempt an yluhovy.com.

OCU hierarch... Ukraine’s elections... (Continued from page 1) (Continued from page 7) to the international community to prevent the effective Network (FOUN) Democracy and Civil Society Task Force destruction of [his] Church, which first came under attack (which I co-chair along with Jonathan Katz of the German soon after Russia’s invasion and annexation.” Marshall Fund), and the Reanimation Package of Reforms There were 44 registered parishes affiliated with the (RPR), Ukraine’s largest pro-reform NGO coalition. The Kyiv Patriarchate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on the Transatlantic Task Force has in recent months held four peninsula when Moscow invaded in February 2014, OCU international video-conferences during which experts and spokesperson Archbishop Yevstratiy (Zoria) told The government officials in Washington, Kyiv, Brussels and, Ukrainian Weekly. Only nine OCU communities remain as most recently, Ottawa discussed various aspects of elec- of March 6 of this year. tions in Ukraine, including the political environment, elec- The European Union and the U.S. have continuously Andrei Sabinin/Facebook toral process, reforms, and cybersecurity threats and other extended sanctions on Russian entities and individuals for Pavlo Hryb, 20, who is being held by Russian authori- malign interference by Moscow. the takeover of the peninsula; this past week, the U.S. ties for alleged terrorism – charges that rights groups As in the past, the United States and its democratic allies extended them for another year. say are trumped-up. need to be attentive to the conduct and not just the out- The EU is also mulling new restrictive measures over Ukraine says there are over 70 Ukrainian political pris- come of the elections. Despite the perceptions of some, the Russia’s attack on three Ukrainian navy vessels and subse- oners incarcerated in Russian-run prisons. United States does not – and should not – pick favorites. quent capture of 24 seamen in the Black Sea last November. Archbishop Klyment still intends to visit Mr. Hryb, his We need to support democratic principles, not individual According to a March 6 tweet by Radio Free Europe/ father Ihor Hryb told the UNIAN news agency. His son was candidates. Integrity of elections matters, so we should Radio Liberty reporter Rikard Jozwiak, the sanctions will only 19 when Russia’s KGB-successor agency, the FSB, focus on encouraging elections that meet international be “formalized next week” on “eight people from Russia for abducted him on August 24, 2017, after he travelled to democratic standards, even if we may not like the outcome. detaining” the servicemen. Belarus to meet a woman he thought he met online. Irrespective of results, the U.S. will continue to engage with In addition, he said that sanctions against 163 Russian The younger Hryb is blind in one eye and “has only Ukraine, but if the quality of elections is wanting, it calls people and 44 entities “will also be prolonged by six 15-20 percent vision in the other,” his father told into question Ukraine’s commitment to democracy, affects months next week.” Hromadske television channel on December 21. Because of relations with the West and plays into Putin’s hands. U.S. Russian-occupying authorities have conducted a cam- “portal hypertension” that requires daily intake of medica- and international attention and observation helps to paign of persecution against Crimean Tatars as well as eth- tion and a special diet, his condition could become fatal, ensure that this is not the case and that all of Ukraine’s nic Ukrainians on Ukraine’s territory of Crimea since the Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Liudmyla Denisova elections this year are free, fair, open and transparent. annexation. said on January 29, as cited by UNIAN. OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President George It includes “discriminatory practices and human-rights Russian authorities had previously detained Archbishop Tsereteli, speaking in Kyiv on February 28, said it best: violations and abuses, including torture, ill treatment, Klyment on October 19, 2016, for one hour when he tried “Holding a competitive, peaceful and well-administered enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and detention,” a entering the Crimean peninsula from mainland Ukraine. presidential election is vital to advance the democratic 2018 U.N report on Crimea stated while urging Russia to The detention occurred “without an explanation or reason,” development of Ukraine and promote stability and securi- end the practices. he told the Holos Krymu (Voice of Crimea) news agency. ty in the OSCE region.” 16 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019 No. 10

One by one, towns fell as Kyiv saw its Looking back... forces being gradually encircled in the pocket. By January 30, 2015, fell (Continued from page 1) in conditions of blowing snow and frigid Adhering to the first Minsk ceasefire of winter. By February 9, 2016, the town of September 19, 2014, made defending the Lohvyne was taken over along the M03 Debaltseve bulge “untenable” and “gave the highway that linked Ukrainian troops with enemy an advantage to conduct offensive their headquarters and logistics base in operations simultaneously in three direc- to the northwest. tions,” the Ukrainian military analysis stated. Kremlin-led forces had successfully Still, Kyiv had to slow Russia’s encroach- pinched off the bulge three days before the ment to stop it from achieving its main goal of second Donbas war truce was signed in the further advancing upon Ukrainian-controlled Belarusian capital. Ukraine’s analysis stated “Artemivsk (presently Bakhmut), that any interim ceasefire that was agreed and later Kharkiv [Ukraine’s second largest upon during talks in Minsk let Russia to city],” the Ukrainian analysis read. amass more forces in the Debaltseve area. Thus, fighting continued. Kyiv withdrew The U.S. military described Russia’s oper- ational approach as vacillating “between a from the Donetsk airport in the second half Max Avdeevv of January 2015 “because there was nothing strategy of attrition and exhaustion.” A column of Russian tanks near the town of Debaltseve on February left to defend,” as National Security and The strategy focused on “trapping 18, 2015. Defense Council Secretary Oleksandr Ukrainian ground forces and slowly blud- Such tight coupling enabled Russian-led taking it over on February 20, 2015, in clear Turchynov said then. geoning them through the repetitious employment of indirect fire and armored forces to create a “near-instantaneous sen- violation of the second truce. But the further loss of territory forced thrusts,” according to Maj. Fox. As Russian- sor-to-shooting system,” Maj. Fox wrote. Seeing the futility of trying to hold Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko back led forces closed in on Debaltseve itself, Fighting also revealed Ukraine’s inferior- Debaltseve, Kyiv launched small-scale to the negotiating table in Minsk on “the attack quickly took the form of a ity at the tactical level and slow reaction to breakouts from the encirclement starting February 11, 2015, to meet with his Russian siege… to inflict a high cost on the on-the-ground realities because of poor on February 13, 2015. Ukraine’s analyses counterpart Vladimir Putin, then-French Ukrainian army and the civilian popula- communication with the high command. maintains that it was organized and President Francois Hollande and German tion…in pursuit of the city.” Another mistake, according to British planned, which led to only to 110 killed and Chancellor Angela Merkel as mediators. By the end of fighting on February 18, expert Mr. Grant, was Ukraine’s tendency to 270 wounded. Details of fighting 2015, 8,000 civilians had fled the city and “concentrate forces” in response to Russian Kyiv inflicted “heavy casualties” on another 6,000 were killed, according to the attacks. Russian-led forces which stopped them Russian-led forces first advanced on the United Nations Office for the Coordination This propensity to “seize the initiative,” advancing further once the Debaltseve pock- west flank of the Debaltseve pocket in late of Humanitarian Affairs. Maj. Fox wrote, worked to Russia’s advan- et was taken, the Ukrainian analysis read. January 2015, targeting the town of After Vuhlehirsk and before Lohvyne fell, tage: “Siege warfare plays into Russia’s pro- “By the night of February 18, 2015, about Vuhlehirsk, a railroad hub. the village of Ridkodub and Nikyshyne fell clivity for offensive indirect fires to slowly 2,500 Ukrainian troops had withdrawn from U.S. estimates put the concentration of in the southern end of the pocket in early erode Ukrainian combat power and politi- Debaltseve, leaving about 4,500 soldiers still Russian forces in the Debaltseve area at February 2015. Efforts to retake the fallen cal will, allowing Russia to obtain its associ- in and around the city,” Maj. Fox wrote. 9,000 “conventional and unconventional towns and villages failed. ated operational objectives.” Unlike the Ukrainian analysis, the U.S. troops… this number doesn’t include the “The overall situation was extremely major’s report noted that “Ukrainian forces Withdrawal of forces cooperation of separatists, partisans and acute,” the Ukrainian analysis read. were forced to flee from the roads, abandon other proxy forces.” Moscow-led forces achieved “a high level Thus, with the so-called “road of life” cut their vehicles and make for safety on foot… Ukraine said it faced a combined force of of synergy” during the fighting, the off for Ukrainian soldiers, the military start- In the process, Russian forces destroyed up to 19,000 and by January 27, 2015, Kyiv American military report stated. ed to prepare a withdrawal from Debaltseve innumerable Ukrainian combat vehicles and had 13,000 personnel committed in the Coordination illustrated the “Russian predi- on February 14, 2015, two days after the captured close to 100 Ukrainian soldiers.” area known as Sector C. lection for employing drones, Spetsnaz Minsk II ceasefire was signed – it was sup- Lessons learned Although “pound for pound” Ukrainian [special forces], GRU [military intelligence] posed to take effect on February 15. soldiers had a “value of three to one against and partisan forces in conjunction with one The eastern flank of the pocket collapsed Russia continues using the Donbas war as the Russians,” Mr. Grant said, “they another for reconnaissance to support the by February 16 near Luhansk and a testing ground for fresh troops, new weap- [Russian-led forces] had more numbers, battalion tactical group and army head- Chornuhyne. ons and operational strategies, Mr. Grant more organization, more equipment and quarters at the Southern Military District Despite the truce, Moscow kept advanc- said. For example, Moscow deployed a mod- more rockets.” [in Russia’s Rostov-on-Don].” ing on the surrounded city before finally ernized T-72 tank that has the fighting capa- bility of its latest T-90 tank, which was also seen in the Debaltseve battle. Russia used horizontal command mech- anisms by eliminating “divisions and aligned its expeditionary capability in its brigades and regiments…with the battalion tactical group” as the “physical embodi- ment of this adjustment,” Maj. Fox wrote. Ukraine, on the other hand, still relies on a stationary command post in the rear that is removed from on-the-ground field com- manders. Since the battle, Ukraine has somewhat improved in other areas, Mr. Grant said. “Yes, the brigade commanders are better… but overall it is a Soviet army that tends to look modernized,” he added. The top Ukrainian brass still demon- strates an “unwillingness to learn,” Mr. Grant said. The fact that the Ukrainian military deemed Debaltseve a success is at the crux of the matter, Yuriy Butusov, a war corre- spondent and chief editor of Censor.net, told The Ukrainian Weekly. “The [military] Leadership didn’t know what was going on; there wasn’t enough objective information about the enemy and of our own capability,” he said. “Logic dictates that if we gave up space, if we gave up territo- ry, then we lost.” As of today, 7.2 percent of Ukraine’s ter- ritory, including Crimea, is under Russian control. More than 10,300 people have been killed in the war and 1.5 million more internally displaced. The size of the Russia-controlled territory is 16,700 square kilometers – larger that the country of Montenegro or state of Connecticut, according to the U.S. State Graphic by the U.S.-based think tank Institute for the Study of War shows the situation in the area of Debaltseve on February Department’s Bureau of Conflict and 13-19, 2015. Stabilization Operations. No. 10 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019 17 18 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019 No. 10

Interview... UUARC prepares for its 75th anniversary (Continued from page 9) Was the Holodomor in your opinion a genocide? The word has a number of definitions, including Raphael Lemkin’s original conception and the U.N. geno- cide convention definition. So I think we have to clarify what we mean. The term “genocide” is commonly used to describe a category of the most heinous crimes deserving our utmost moral condemnation. Of course the Holodomor is such a crime. When Stalin and his associates were made aware of starvation in Ukraine, they chose to intensify the suffering by increasing grain requisitions, confiscating all sorts of foodstuffs and preventing the starving from seek- ing food elsewhere. As the Ukrainian countryside starved, the USSR sold grain abroad and refused offers of interna- tional food aid. These actions were accompanied by attacks on the Ukrainian intelligentsia, church leaders and even communists. The Kremlin condemned millions in Ukraine to death by starvation in an effort to crush the Ukrainian national movement and eliminate potential political challenges.

B.Pawluk During the writing of “Red Famine,” you mentioned The board of directors of the United Ukrainian American Relief Committee: (standing, from left) Borys Pawluk, that HREC should consider translating the book Donna Siletsky, Myroslawa Hill, Nila Pawluk, Olia Kuzewycz, Chrystia Senyk, Ihor Kusznir, Marta Jarymovych, “Transformation of Civil Society” by William Noll from Natalia Mykijewycz, Olga Jakubowska, Lew Iwaskiw, Dr. Nestor Zarichny, (sitting) Marta Kokolskyj, Ulana Ukrainian into English. That project is about half fin- Prociuk, UUARC President Dr. Larissa Kyj, Luba Siletsky, Oksana Woroch, Metodij Boretsky. (Not present for the ished. Could you say why you felt this was worthwhile? board photo: Vasyl Litkewycz, Dr. Wasyl Salak, Dr. Nataliya Doliba, Dr. Irena Stolar, Petro Kosyk, Bohdan Radelytsky, Eugene Serba, Ihor Mirchuk and Alexander Brozhyna.) It’s a unique book that contains interviews conducted in the 1980s of hundreds of people from across the Ukrainian by Larissa Kyj Over the years, the UUARC‘s programs continually countryside about their experiences with collectivization changed to meet new needs of Ukrainians in Europe and and the Holodomor. No one else undertook anything like it. PHILADELPHIA – In 2019, the United Ukrainian South America, and since 1991 providing continuous aid to It is the only thing of its kind. That book deserves attention. American Relief Committee (UUARC) will celebrate its 75th the people of Ukraine. The Ukrainian American community You have said that after your trilogy – “Gulag,” “Iron anniversary. understands that a permanent aid organization that can Curtain” and “Red Famine” – you would not be writing swiftly respond to the needs of Ukrainians throughout the At the second congress of the Ukrainian Congress another book on the Stalinist period. You mentioned world is necessary and has generously supported the Committee of America, which took place on January 22, wanting to write about Eastern Europe after the fall of 1944, in Philadelphia, with the participation of three frater- UUARC. Without these donors, the organization could not communism. Have you begun that project? nal organizations, the Ukrainian National Association, exist. Providence Association and the Ukrainian National Aid The UUARC executive board has formed a jubilee com- I am at the very beginning, just starting to do the Association, it was decided to create a separate non-political mittee and approved the following commemorative plan: research now. humanitarian aid organization to assist Ukrainian refugees. to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the UUARC on October In the years you worked on “Red Famine,” you con- The committee convened on June 20, 1944, in New York 12 and to prepare a jubilee book in the Ukrainian and tinued to write on contemporary issues. Are current City, and the UUARC started fulfilling its mission of extend- English languages, with special emphasis on the latter events separate in your mind, or do you find yourself ing a helping hand “brother-to-brother” by assisting years of the charitable organization’s activity. making connections to your Holodomor research? Ukrainians in refugee camps during and after World War II, Chrystia Charyna Senyk and Myroslawa Mazurok Hill and then helping to resettle more than 70,000 refugees in were chosen to co-chair the jubilee committee; Natalia One always makes connections. I gave a talk on the book the United States. Siletsky Mykijewycz was chosen as editor of the jubilee book. at a school in London two nights ago, and it was the night that the mayor of Gdansk had been murdered. Part of the talk – which was with 17- and 18-year-olds – was about what we mean by hate speech and hateful rhetoric, and separate way because the main vector in international life rhetoric that’s designed to divide people and encourage is toward cooperation and unity, but that isn’t true. And Ukraine has separated... violence. I’m not making direct links between the past and some complain that Ukraine hasn’t shown the way for the present, but some of the technology of producing anger (Continued from page 6) Russia to change – but that is not Ukraine’s responsibility, and hate isn’t that different from the 1930s. I find that were more or less the same. The existence of that state as the commentator argues. making connections between the past and present first of an independent one seemed to Russians both unreason- “Good or bad, Ukraine does not owe us anything,” Mr. all encourages people to read the book and also helps them able and incorrect. Shelin says. “This is another country. It lives by its brains understand why some of this is background to today’s This Russian hostility led to a growth of ethnic national- and for itself, not for us. I do not think that five years of life events. I often talk about Putin’s thinking about Ukraine ism which has ebbed with time and to an explosion of without Russia has passed for it in vain, but this is for its and the historical roots of that thinking, some of which “civic energy” which has transformed Estonia into a citizens to decide.” dates back to the 1930s. I try not to be over simplistic European country on its own. Because it is smaller and eth- But can Russians say that they have changed in the five nically more distinct than Ukraine, the Russians have most- years they have lived without Ukraine? because there aren’t exact parallels, but I think the past is ly come to terms with Estonia’s separateness. The answer is mixed. “One thing has changed for the the context for the present. Unless you understand what What is distressing, Mr. Shelin continues, is that, in the better: the masses are tired of the hostility. They are fed up happened before, you don’t understand why people feel case of Ukraine, not only the powers that be and the mass- with focusing on it and want attention to be paid to their the way they do now. Everything is linked in my head. es are anti-Ukrainian but a large portion of Russia’s intel- problems at home. And only our most senior people as lectual circles are as well. They too display emotions that before are not tired: for them, the empire has no alterna- can only be explained by the continuing power of imperial- tive” than to proceed as before. That is their tragedy and ist ideas among Russians. Russia’s. Kyiv bans... Some Russian intellectuals say Ukraine shouldn’t go its Ukraine, meanwhile, is moving on and ahead. (Continued from page 2) package of Constitutional amendments designed to rein- force Ukraine’s pro-Euro-Atlantic orientation, it was clearly Citing Lin Yutang’s book “The Secret Name,” Bishop adopted in response to the uncertainties surrounding who Turning... Sheen noted that Stalin had won at the Yalta Conference will win this year’s upcoming presidential and parliamen- following the second world war, and the Soviet leader lived tarian elections as well as ongoing nervousness about (Continued from page 6) up to the words he had spoken before the conference: Russia’s continuing revanchist aggression. not our strength lie less in constantly dealing with the Words have no relation to actions – otherwise what kind of It is worth pointing out that Ukraine is highly unlikely to Soviets than in pleading for the liberty and independence diplomacy is it? be able to join NATO as long as Vladimir Putin maintains of the submerged populations of Eastern Europe? There is Mr. Yutang’s book reiterated: “Words are one thing; power in the Kremlin. Moreover, Mr. Putin can be expected nothing that so much disturbs a thief as to be caught with actions another. Good words are a mask for a concealment to try to more aggressively tackle the “Ukrainian question” the stolen goods in his own hands, and not all the waters of of bad deeds. Sincere diplomacy is no more possible than in order to prop up his own flagging popular support at seven seas are enough to wash the blood from the Soviet dry water or wooden air.” home. And if Moscow does, indeed, attempt to reignite the hands that suppressed freedom fighters of Hungary [refer- Concluding his column, Bishop Sheen warned, “So long simmering war in the Donbas, Kyiv will clearly need consti- ring to the Hungarian Revolution of 1956].” as the Soviets can make the United States discuss nuclear tutionally unambiguous legal mechanisms already in place Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs Vyacheslav Molotov warfare, space, summit meetings and the free city of Berlin, for potentially allowing foreign allied forces on Ukrainian “lied when he said that he would allow the nations of it distracts the Western World from the basic problem of soil for extended periods of time. Eastern Europe to preserve their integrity and sovereignty, taking the stolen goods from their hands.” so too Soviets today continue the dictum of Lenin to lie, Source: “Bishop Sheen says U.S. should act to liberate Reds’ The article above is reprinted from Eurasia Daily Monitor deceive and distort in order to further the Soviet revolu- enslaved nations,” The Ukrainian Weekly, March 28, 1959. with permission from its publisher, the Jamestown tion,” Bishop Sheen continued. Foundation, www.jamestown.org. No. 10 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019 19

Through Exhibit, “Rushnyky: Ritual Cloths of the Cossack Lands March 23 Lenten retreat, “Making Space for Grace in Every Moment,” August 31 of Ukraine,” Ukrainian History and Education Center, Tampa, FL Ukrainian Orthodox League, Ybor City Campus of Somerset, NJ 732-356-0132 or [email protected] Hillsborough County Community College, Student Services Building, [email protected] March 15 Presentation by Olga Burlyuk, “Paper: Civil Society in Cambridge, MA Ukraine Post-Euromaidan,” Harvard University, March 23 Artist talk, “The New Unnatural,” Ukrainian Institute of https://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/civil-society- Chicago Modern Art, www.uima-chicago.org or 773-227-5522 ukraine-post-euromaidan March 23 Film screening, “Harvest of Despair,” with Dr. Yuri March 15 Ukrainian Contemporary Animation, Ukrainian Institute Shrewsbury, NJ Mishchenko, Ukrainian National Women’s League of America New York of America, www.ukrainianinstitute.org (Branch 98), Shrewsbury Public Library, [email protected]

March 16 Lecture by Olha Martynyuk, “The Bike History of Ukraine March 23 Embroidery workshop, with instruction by Lubow New York 1880-2020,” Shevchenko Scientific Society, 212-254-5130 through June 1 Wolynetz, The Ukrainian Museum, 212-228-0110 or New York www.ukrainianmuseum.org March 16 Concert, featuring the centennial program of the Ukrainian Skokie, IL Bandurist Chorus, North Shore Center for the Performing March 24 Divine liturgy, St. Michael Academy Chapel, Arts, www.northshorecenter.org or 773-447-9858 Austin, TX www.facebook.com/events/2013367212291179

March 16 St. Patrick’s Day Ukrainian-style celebration, Syracuse March 27-31 Film screening, “Julia Blue,” Sonoma International Film Syracuse, NY Ukrainian National Home, [email protected] Sonoma, CA Festival, www.juliabluethemovie.com

March 17 Concert, featuring the centennial program of the Ukrainian March 30 Pysanka workshop, The Ukrainian Museum, Cleveland, OH Bandurist Chorus, The Cleveland Museum of Art, New York 212-228-0110 or www.ukrainianmuseum.org www.bandura.org or 440-364-4369 March 30 Lenten retreat, “Don’t Just Go to Church, Be the Church,” March 17 Concert, featuring piano duo Anna and Dmytro Shelest, Villa Marie, PA Ukrainian Orthodox League of the U.S.A., Villa Marie Alexandria, VA The Washington Group Cultural Fund, The Lyceum, Education and Spirituality Center, 412-565-9441 or www.twgcf.org or [email protected] [email protected]

March 18 Presentation, “Medical Reform in Ukraine Explained by March 30 Memorial concert, honoring Lubomyr Krushelnycky, New York a Brain Surgeon” by Dr. Igor Kurilets, with panelists Drs. Chicago with pianist Mykola Suk and violinist Oleh Krysa, Marta Lopatynsky, Tina Goloborodko and Luke Tomycz, Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, Razom for Ukraine, Ukrainian Medical Association of North www.uima-chicago.org or 773-227-5522 America, Caveat, www.facebook.com/events/2353903397962127

March 21 Panel discussion, “Ukrainian Dialogue: Kyiv Patriarchy and Entries in “Out and About” are listed free of charge. Priority is given to events Jenkintown, PA Russian Aggression in the Kerch Strait,” with Paul Grod, the advertised in The Ukrainian Weekly. However, we also welcome submissions Rev. Anthony Perkins and Ambassador Roman Popadiuk, from all our readers. Items will be published at the discretion of the editors Manor College, http://manor.edu/ukrainian-dialogue and as space allows. Please send e-mail to [email protected]. JACQUES HNIZDOVSKY PRINTS DRAWINGS PAINTINGS William Greenbaum Fine Prints has been in business now for more than 50 years. We currently have 25 signed prints by Mr. Hnizdovsky for sale and we are seeking to purchase more of his prints as well as his drawings and paintings.

ALL PRINTS NOW ILLUSTRATED ONLINE AT: www.greenbaumprints.com Please email us at [email protected] or phone us at 508-284-7036. William Greenbaum Fine Prints 98 South Street Rockport, MA 01966 Open By Appointment Member: International Fine Print Dealers Association 20 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019 No. 10

PREVIEW OF EVENTS

Saturday, March 16 with works for solo and four hands piano by Ukrainian composers. The recital will fea- NEW YORK: The Shevchenko Scientific ture works by Lev Revutsky, Myroslav Society invites all to a lecture, “The Bike Skoryk, Oleksandr Zhuk, Fanny History of Ukraine 1880-2020,” by Olha Mendelssohn, Cécile Chaminade, Clara Martynyuk, a senior lecturer at the History Schumann and Amy Beach. A reception to Department of the National Technical meet the artists will follow the performance. University of Ukraine in Kyiv. Dr. Martynyuk The concert will be held at 3 p.m. at The is also a 2018-2019 Fulbright Scholar at Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St., Alexandria, Maryland University. The lecture will take VA 22314. Suggested donation: $20; free for place at the society’s building, 63 Fourth students; unreserved seating. For more Ave. (between Ninth and 10th streets) at 5 information visit http://www.twgcf.org or p.m. For additional information call 212- e-mail [email protected]. 254-5130. Saturday, March 23 Sunday, March 17 SHREWSBURY, N.J.: A special screening of ALEXANDRIA, Va.: The Washington Group the film “Harvest of Despair,” with special Cultural Fund will present the husband-and- guest Dr. Yuri Mischenko will take place at wife team of pianists Anna and Dmytro Shrewsbury Public Library, 1001 Route 35, Shelest. At their official Carnegie Hall debut Shrewsbury, NJ 07702 at 2 pm. The event is in February 2018, their CD Release of sponsored by Ukrainian National Women’s “Ukrainian Rhapsody” brought renewed League of America Branch 98. For more attention to the music of their homeland information see https://bit.ly/2SopTsG.

PREVIEW OF EVENTS GUIDELINES Preview of Events is a listing of Ukrainian community events open to the public. It is a ser- vice provided at minimal cost ($20 per listing) by The Ukrainian Weekly to the Ukrainian community. To have an event listed in Preview of Events please send information, in English, written in Preview format, i.e., in a brief paragraph of several sentences that includes the date, place, type of event, sponsor, admission, full names of persons and/or organizations involved, and a phone number and/or e-mail address to be published for readers who may require additional information. Items must be no more than 100 words long. Preview items must be received no later than one week before the desired date of pub- lication (i.e., they must be received by 9 am Monday morning). Please include payment for each time the item is to appear and indicate date(s) of issue(s) in which the item is to be published. Also, senders are asked to include the phone number of a person who may be contacted by The Weekly during daytime hours, as well as their complete mailing address. Information should be sent to [email protected]. When e-mailing, please do not send items as attachments – simply type the text into the body of the e-mail message. Preview items and payments may be mailed to: Preview of Events, The Ukrainian Weekly, 2200 Route 10, P.O. Box 280, Parsippany, NJ 07054.