www.ukrweekly.com СВОБОДА JflSvOBOM Ж УКРАЇНСЬКИЙ ЩОДІННИК ЧИЙ?' U К И А І N І AN D АІ 14 UkrainiaENGLISH– LANGUAGnE WEEKL Y WeeEDITION k VOL. LXXXVI. No. 5 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 7,1979 v 25 CENTS ЩШНЯМФЇШ vie twin ww чюючтебчгшч?Фчючююючп ічнчтючююю у а ІФЮМ tt JH І Si Khrystos Rozhdaietsia—Christ is Born Azsk тіїєіііїбніїжжжжж^^ "Pray for our X Moscow steps up brethren" Ш-„ Wr^ і Russification of Nativity pastoral letter of the Sobor of Bishops of the Ukrainian Autocepha– lous Orthodox Church Ukrainian schools " We have seen His glory; the glory of NEW YORK, N.Y. - Ukraine is the Only-begotten Son comingfrom the being threatened with a new and Father." (John 1:14) increased wave -of Russificationr reported the press service of the Ukrainian Supreme Liberation Council Almost two thousand years have, (abroad). elapsed since that night when a salvific event occurred in the life of mankind. The targets ot this renewed attack on By the will of the all-good Lord, an the Ukrainian language are Ukrainian infant appeared on earth, an infant who schools, beginning with the first grade by His birth and later on. His ministry, through the universities, said the suffering and resurrection, re- ЗйШВКЖйй'де service. established the disrupted oneness of sinful humanity with its all-forgiving in November 1978, the journal Creator. The Christmas card above is a copy of a photograph of one received here from "Radianska Osvita" (Soviet Education) world in dire need, placed in manger in a Ukraine. While official Soviet printing shops do not issue religious Christmas cartspublishe d a list of instructions from the but only cards with New Year's greetings, this card reveals that, clandestinely, somecollegiu m of the Ministry of Education cave as narrated in the words of our people do extend Christmas greetings to their friends in the traditional manner.The Nativity carols. Yet, the magnitude of of the Ukrainian SSR which directed all inscription reads in English: "Dear Jesus, we are not rich andcannot bring you giftseducationa Of , l institutions in Ukraine to the long-awaited event was recognized gold, but a more precious gift we give you is thai of the faith in our hearts and sincere by the Magi from the East, and the love." bolster the teaching of the Russian "poor shepherds" sensed it. language. This, the press service said, is One and the other welcomed the a direct threat to the status of the nativlt Savior according to their abilities, and To all our readers who celebrate Christmas on January 7, we extend our best wisheslanguag e of Ukraine. gifted Him With their best possessions. for a joyous and merry celebration of our Savior's birth. Rumors of such a move began to The Magi offered precious gifts and circulate in Ukraine last spring when it (Continued on page 11) (Continued on past 2) UNA enters 85th year of activity Andriy Mycio, head of Supreme Executive Committe National Plast Command, dies NEWARK, N.J. - Andriy Zenon Mycio, head of the National Plast holds year-end meeting Command in the United States, a JERSEY C1TY, N.J. - With the Svoboda, the Rev. Gregory Hrushka. former regional commander of the 85th anniversary of the Ukrainian The meeting was attended by Dr. Organization of Ukrainian Nationa!– National Association just around the John O. Flis, Supreme President; Dr. ists-Ukrainian insurgent Army (UPA) corner, the members of the UNA Myron Kuropas, Supreme vice- and an active member of many Supreme Executive. Committee met President; Mrs. Mary Dushnyck, Ukrainian community organizations, here at the UNA home office on Supreme vice-President; Walter died here Wednesday, January 3. He Wednesday, December 27, to initiate Sochan, Supreme Secretary; Mrs. was 56. plans for the upcoming celebrations, as Ulana Diachuk, Supreme Treasurer; Mr. Mycio, an electrical-mechanical well as to discuss the jubilee Wasyl Orichowsky, Supreme designer by profession, was born membership drive and other activities Organizer; Dr. Bohdan Futey, November 5, 1922, in Polonna near of the UNA. chairman of the Supreme Auditing Sianik, Lemkivshchyna, Ukraine. The Ukrainian National Association, Committee; and Anthony Dragan, He was a member of the "Lisovi the oldest and largest Ukrainian Svoboda editor emeritus who asked to Chorty" Plast fraternity. He became a organization in the free world, was be present at the talks. member of Plast in 1942 in Sambir, founded in Shamokin. Pa., by pioneer western Ukraine, .nd continued his Ukrainian immigrants on February 22, - Treasurer's report activity in the Ukrainian youth 1894, the birthday of George organization in Mittenwald, Germany, Washington. The establishment of the The first report of the meeting, which and in the United States. UNA was called a "resurrection of was opened and chaired by Dr. Flis, was Mr. Mycio was a regional Ukraine in America," by its leading presented by Mrs. Diachuk. promoter and the first editor of (Continued on рак' 2) ' - - (Continued on page 5) Andriy Z. Mycio THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 7,1979 No. 5 Moscow... Snehiriov, Ukrainian dissident, dies (Continued from page 1) the Russian language and literature and MOSCOW, USSR. - A 51-year-old would raise the prestige of the Russian Ukrainian writer, held by KGB security was reported that the government is police for over a year, has died in planning to intensify and improve the language at the cost of diminishing the need for Ukrainian-language a hospital, dissident sources told teaching of Russian in all Ukrainian Reuters on January 3. schools. Under this plan, the Russian instruction which would lead to its further liquidation and a total They said Heli Snehiriov, who had langauge would assume the status of a been arrested in September 19,77, died foreign language. Russification of Ukrainian schools," said the council's press service. on December 28, 1978,'in KGB custody The press service said that while on at a hospital where he had been taken the surface such a move seems to be a The Education Ministry's last March. liberal one, in fact it places the Russian instructions say that the intensified language in a privileged position. program of Russian-language learning KGB officers gave the news to the The service further said that this will begin this year and should be writer's wife several .hours ,after his latest directive is simitar to the 1958-59 completed by 1985. During the 1980-81 death and said he died of cancer, the Soviet law which gave the parents the semester, Russian-language instruction sources added. right to decide whether their children is to begin in the first grade. Last April, the official Soviet press will attend Ukrainian or Russian– Other interesting instructions of the had published an open letter said to language schools. This also seemed to ministry are that this year a special have been signed by Snehiriov recanting be a democratic law, said the service, contest will be held for trie best article in his dissident views and disowning his but on closer inspection it became tribute to the 110th anniversary of works published in the Westj evident that it was a subtle trick by the Lenin, and next year a Russian Shortly after the letter was published, Heli Snehiriov government to force parents to send language and literature Olympics will be Ukrainian dissidents had said Snehiriov their children to Russian elementary held in all city, regional, oblast and had become paralyzed from the waist told his wife during a visit that he had and secondary schools because at that republican schools. down after forced feeding while in signed a letter asking to be transferred time the best universites and technical The council's press service said that detention. They said he had denied to a hospital, but not the rest of the institutes in Ukraine were Russified. this latest attack on the Ukrainian signing the recantation. statement that appeared in the news- Under the new plan, Russian- language is as dangerous to the in September 1978, the"Smoloskyp" papers. Meshko told Western language classes of 25 or more students Ukrainian nation as are the arrests of Ukrainian information Service had journalists in Moscow at the time that would be divided into two groups, each Ukrainian human and national rights reported that Snehiriov had withdrawn Snehiriov, who was in danger of death of which would receive a better quality activists, it said that an immediate his recantation. because-of his sickness, was'under KGB of education, not only in Russian campaign to combat this plan is According to information received at pressure to recant. history, literature and language, but in imperative to the survival of Ukrainian that time from Ukraine, Snehiriov, She had also claimed that he was told all courses. culture and the council urged Ukrainian while en route to the October Hospital to sign a recantation but he had refused. "This would not only guarantee a community organizations in the West, in Kiev during the second half of May in the West, Gen. Grigorenko had better supervision of Russian-language beginning with the World Congress of 1978, had managed to tell one of the warned about reading the recantation instruction, but would automatically Free Ukrainians, to initiate such doctors: "Tell others that 1 withdraw my literally. He said on April 12, 1978: increase the number of instructors of defense actions. statement." "Citizens of the free world. Carefully A month passed before the doctor read the 'recantation'. Did you was able to convey the message to understand what Snehiriov is members of the Ukrainian opposition recanting? Did you understand who movement, who then reported it to the pardoned him and on what basis? Did UNA..