6 February 11, 1996

INSIDE:• Embassy of Ukraine cites inaccuracies in economic report — page 2. • How Ukraine’s adoption law affects American families — page 3. • Valeriy Borzov honored with fellow 100-meter champions — page 10. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXIV HE No.KRAINIAN 6 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1996 EEKLY$1.25/$2 in Ukraine Chornobyl Challenge campaign UkrainianT governmentU pledges reform W kicks off 10th anniversary events of coal industry, payment of back wages by Marta Kolomayets were striking, 80 were mining coal but by Roman Woronowycz success,” said Nadia Matkiwsky, execu- Kyiv Press Bureau not shipping to customers, and eight tive director of the Children of Chornobyl mines had workers picketing the work SOUTH BOUND BROOK, N.J. — Foundation. She said the exact amount KYIV – As the coal miners’ strike in area. Meanwhile, leaders of the Donetske The campaign to refocus on and heighten raised is still being calculated and that fig- Ukraine entered its second week, Prime city ad hoc strike committee said 68 awareness of the Chornobyl nuclear dis- ures will be published at a later date. Minister Yevhen Marchuk said on mines throughout Ukraine were idle on aster and its disastrous aftereffects got CCF is one of more than a dozen orga- February 8 that the government would February 7. off to a positive start here on February 6. nizations that have formed Chornobyl begin reforming the coal industry and – Prime Minister Marchuk told reporters Near the eve of the 10th anniversary of Challenge ‘96. Their aim is to shed light within the next 20 days – would pay min- that, before departing for a state visit to the day reactor No. 4 blew up and irradi- on the continuing need for international ers the back wages owed them. Finland on February 8, President Leonid ated large portions of Ukraine and north- medical relief, radiation clean-up and the With about half of Ukraine’s 227 Kuchma had signed a decree on coal indus- ern Europe, more than 350 people gath- decommissioning of RBMK reactors like mines participating in the strikes in one try reforms that promote competition within ered at the Ukrainian Cultural Center and the one that blew skyward at the form or another, Ukrainian government the industry and create state-owned joint- raised thousands of dollars. The money Chornobyl nuclear power plant 105 kilo- officials worried about the impact the stock coal mining companies. will provide medical relief for the victims meters north of Ukraine’s capital. strikes would have on Ukraine’s energy Although Prime Minister Marchuk did of the 1986 nuclear explosion, many of The dinner was the launch for a series sector during one of the coldest winters not say where the money to pay coal whom are only now feeling the effects of of conferences, rallies and commemora- of the decade. miners their back wages would come the radiation their bodies absorbed that tions around the United States, which According to Prime Minister Marchuk, day and in the time since. will culminate in Washington the week- as of February 8, 38 mines in Ukraine (Continued on page 16) “The fund-raising event was a huge end of April 26, 10 years to the day the disaster occurred. At the banquet, Academy Award win- ner Jack Palance, national spokesperson for CCF, succinctly summed up the prob- Bubka takes gold lem of dealing with the aftereffects of Chornobyl. Speaking slowly in a low reso- at Millrose Games, (Continued on page 11) sets new meet record by Roman Woronowycz NEW YORK — Playing high stakes Kuchma, Clinton poker in the pole vault, Sergey Bubka dealt himself the winning hand, but only to confer in D.C. after coming close to losing it all at the NEW YORK – President Leonid 1996 Millrose Games at Madison Square Kuchma of Ukraine will hold a “working Garden in New York on February 2. meeting” with President Bill Clinton in The 32-year-old Ukrainian from Washington on February 21, during a Donetske set a new Millrose Games brief trip to the U.S., according to the record of 19 feet 2 1/4 inches after Ukrainian Embassy. missing on his first two attempts at that He will also meet with representatives height. He had elected to pass at 19 feet from the International Monetary Fund 1/4 inch, taking a chance that the two (IMF) and the World Bank, as well as gov- remaining competitors, 1992 Olympic ernment representatives. The visit is being champion Maksim Tarasov of Russia organized by Freedom House, which works and Frenchman Jean Galfione, would for democratic development worldwide. fail to clear the bar, but they didn’t. In addition to a series of official meet- At 19 feet 2 1/4 they decided to pass, ings, President Kuchma will be guest of counterbetting that Bubka’s lackluster honor at a gala dinner sponsored by ways at Millrose would continue. Mr. Freedom House at the Mayflower Hotel in Bubka bested the mark easily and then Washington, on February 21, at 6:30 p.m passed at 19 feet 4 1/4 inches, winning The organization is honoring the when his two rivals couldn’t handle the Ukrainian president for his work in fos- height. tering inter-ethnic stability in Ukraine Mr. Bubka, holder of numerous and a nuclear-free Ukraine. President records and every conceivable champi- Kuchma is expected to speak on the onship, had but one blemish on his stel- strategic importance of Ukraine in main- lar record — he had failed miserably in taining stability in Europe. all his previous appearances at these A featured speaker at the dinner will games. No more. be former National Security Advisor Dr. Although the 19 feet 2 1/4 inch mark Zbigniew Brzezinski. Top administration is far short of his indoor world record and Republican and Democratic leaders of 20 feet 2 inches, it matched the high- are expected to attend, as well as repre- est jump in the world this year. sentatives of international banking, busi- Ever the showman, Mr. Bubka ness, the media, foundations and Ukrainian organizations. prompted the crowd of 15, 471 to clap Roman Woronowycz him on as he prepared for his third and For more information on ticket reser- Sergey Bubka accepts Fred Schmertz Hall of Fame Trophy as the outstanding vations for the dinner, contact Vicki (Continued on page 10) performer of the 1996 Millrose Games from meet director Howard Schmertz. Thomas, Freedom House Washington Office, (202) 296-5101. 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1996 No. 6 Embassy of Ukraine disagrees NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Prosvita cites lack of Ukrainian programs be solved jointly by Ukraine, Russia and the with Heritage Foundation report IMF. At the Davos conclave, Russian JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Ukraine’s tion of efforts made by Ukraine to bring KYIV — The Taras Shevchenko Duma Deputy and Yabloko leader Grigorii Embassy has expressed disagreement about market reform. Ukrainian Language Society, Prosvita, Yavlinsky came out in favor of a Russian- with a study on Ukraine in the Heritage He said many leading American voiced its deep concern with the dearth of Ukrainian payments and customs union as Foundation’s “The Index of Economic politicians read the study, and cited the Ukrainian-language programming on gov- the best solution to the current economic Freedom,” which concludes that the back flap of the latest edition, where ernment and commercial television chan- dislocations in the two countries. Mr. country has shown little movement quotes by Rep. Newt Gingrich, speaker nels and the preponderance of the Russian Yavlinsky said the formation of a common towards a free economic system. of the House of Representatives, language on the airwaves. “Both govern- market is desirable, perhaps even leading to The biggest criticism is that the 1996 William E. Simon, former secretary of mental and private television broadcasters some form of federation, although, accord- study, which examined 142 countries, is the Treasury, and Rep. Bob Livingston, consistently violate the law on languages,” ing to Mr. Yavlinsky, at present there is no based on data from 1993-1994, and is chairman of the Appropriations Com- said the head of Prosvita, People’s Deputy need for a Russian-Ukrainian political-mili- not representative of the strides towards mittee are used to promote the book. Pavlo Movchan, at a press conference on tary union. (Respublika) a free market economy that were begun Mr. Zorya explained, “We are February 2. “For example, in Kyiv only with President Leonid Kuchma’s reform acutely aware of our standing as the one out of six commercial channels broad- Baltin comments on his dismissal initiatives of 1995, stated the Embassy in third largest recipient of aid from the casts in Ukrainian, while on the other five a January 17 press release. U.S. in 1996. We feel that [the study] SEVASTOPIL — Russian Admiral the Ukrainian language makes only a rare Eduard Baltin, the former commander of Another criticism it leveled is that misleads people into thinking that the appearance,” he added. In letters to the the Heritage Foundation study, which money has not been effectively used in the Black Sea Fleet, told Russian media on chairman of the State Committee on Radio February 5 that he was “deeply grateful to was prepared by Bryan T. Johnson and supporting Ukraine’s economic devel- and Television, Zynoviy Kulyk, and to UT- Thomas P. Sheehy, used “no signifi- opment, and may make it tougher to the Russian president for relieving me of 2 Director Ihor Storozhuk, Prosvita criti- the burden that rested on my shoulders.” cant input from outside authorities and get additional support in the future.” cizes what it calls the dearth of quality Adm.

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