The Ukrainian Weekly, 2018
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INSIDE: l Book notes: The Holodomor and Canada’s response – page 9 l Pianist Serhiy Salov wows Washington – page 14 l Community: Pittsburgh and New York City – page 15 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXVI No. 21 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018 $2.00 Dutch-led investigators name Russian military unit Ukrainian National Association holds 39th Convention in 2014 downing of MH17 by Matthew Dubas KERHONKSON, N.Y. – Dozens of mem- by Mark Raczkiewycz bers of the Ukrainian National Association KYIV – A Dutch-led international from across the United States and Canada probe has concluded that a sophisticated gathered at the Soyuzivka Heritage Center anti-aircraft Buk missile system that was on May 18-20 for the fraternal organiza- used to shoot down Malaysia Airlines tion’s 39th Regular Convention. Flight 17 (MH17) over eastern Ukraine This year, the UNA marks the 124th anni- on July 17, 2014, came from Russia. versary of its founding in Shamokin, Pa., in It allegedly originated at a Russian 1894. Its official publications, Svoboda and military base in Kursk, some 216 kilo- The Ukrainian Weekly, this year celebrate meters from Ukraine’s second largest 125 and 85 years, respectively. city of Kharkiv, and belonged to the The quadrennial convention is the high- 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, est governing body of the organization; Dutch prosecutor Fred Westerbeke during its business sessions, delegates said on May 24 in the Utrecht province review the challenges and necessary city of Bunnik during a briefing. changes for the future and elect a new Dutch authorities led the Joint board of officers, auditors and advisors. Investigative Team (JIT) because the The three full-time executive officers of Michael Gold/The Corporate Image flight nearly four years ago to Kuala the UNA – President/Chief Executive The newly elected General Assembly of the Ukrainian National Association. Lumpur originated in the country’s Officer Stefan Kaczaraj, Chief Operations capital of Amsterdam and 63 percent Officer/National Secretary Yuriy Symczyk, (Florida), Oksana Stanko (New Jersey), with registration and dinner in the Main of the passengers who perished were and Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer Nicholas Fil (New York), Irene Jarosewich House, followed by an orientation session for from Holland. Investigators from Roma Lisovich – were re-elected. The new (New Jersey), Gloria Horbaty (Connecticut), new delegates and a meet-and-greet social. Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and first vice-president is Gerald Tysiak (New Bohdana Puzyk (Florida), Julian Pishko The convention officially opened on Ukraine also comprise the JIT. York), a former auditor, and the new second (Minnesota), Dr. Andrij V.R. Szul (Penn- Friday morning on the Veselka Patio with “The JIT is convinced that the BUK- vice-president is Eugene Serba (Delaware), sylvania), Oksana Koziak (Pennsylvania) an introduction by the current first vice- TELAR that was used to down MH17, also a former auditor. Ewhen Osidacz and Michael Luciw (Pennsylvania). president, Michael Koziupa, and the singing originates from the 53rd Anti-Aircraft (Quebec), a former advisor, was elected as New this year, and as a mark of the UNA’s of the national anthems of the United States, Missile Brigade, … a unit of the Russian director for Canada. move toward incorporating cutting-edge Canada and Ukraine led by Advisor Luba army from Kursk in the Russian A new slate of auditors was elected: Andrij technology for its business operations, dele- Keske of Los Angeles. Ukrainian American Federation. The JIT reached this con- Skyba (Illinois), Luba Walchuk (New Jersey) gates received the convention reports load- Veterans Petro Polny and Hnatenko Zinchuk, clusion after extensive comparative and George Fedorijczuk (Pennsylvania). The ed on an Amazon Kindle Fire 7 tablet. as well as Myron Groch, UNA director for following were elected as advisors: Lubov Convention participants began arriving at (Continued on page 4) Streletsky (Pennsylvania), Olya Czerkas Soyuzivka on Thursday evening, May 17, (Continued on page 8) Direct flights between Toronto and Kyiv to begin in June by Christopher Guly with UIA in Toronto or elsewhere in its rout- stop service between New York City’s John F. omy (in the business-class cabin) on Air Special to The Ukrainian Weekly ing – such as New York or London – and Kennedy International Airport and Boryspil. Canada, also on June 6. But UIA’s price for travel to Ukraine any day of the week. The Ukrainian Embassy and UIA are its direct flight to Kyiv on the same day in OTTAWA – Canadians will soon again be And UIA doesn’t just fly to the Ukrainian jointly hosting an event to celebrate the its similar premium-economy cabin is able to fly direct to Ukraine between the capital. June 6 inaugural flight, which will include $1210 ($945 U.S.). largest Canadian and Ukrainian cities. Last month, the 26-year-old airline added about a dozen representatives from UIA also provides all passengers with Ukraine International Airlines (UIA), the daily non-stop service to Vinnytsia, bringing Ukraine’s hospitality industry who plan to free checked baggage, free in-flight enter- country’s largest airline, will inaugurate its the number of cities the airline flies to in network with their Canadian counterparts tainment and free meals on its long-haul first nonstop flight from Kyiv to Toronto on Ukraine to 10. The other eight are Chernivtsi, on how to best to promote Ukraine as a flights, which will include the first direct June 6. Dnipro, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, tourist destination. Canada-Ukraine link. Fifteen years ago, AeroSvit added Lviv, Odesa and Zaporizhia. (UIA does not fly For those unfamiliar with UIA, Gregg One of the airline’s goals is to make it easi- Toronto to its routes, but ceased flying to to destinations anywhere near the war zone Truman, the U.S.-based general manager of er for the estimated 1.4 million Canadians of the Ontario capital in 2012 when the airline in eastern Ukraine or to Crimea.) the airline’s North American operation, full or partial Ukrainian descent to visit their ran into financial difficulties and ceased The direct link from Toronto’s Pearson describes it as a “value carrier with great ancestral homeland, explained Mr. Truman, operations a year later. to Kyiv’s Boryspil international airports fares.” an airline-industry veteran who worked for UIA will now pick up the slack and run could become a portal to other European Prices seem to be lower than the compe- Air Jamaica, South African Airways and three flights between Kyiv and Toronto cities, said Andriy Shevchenko, Ukraine’s tition. Ethiopian Airlines before joining UIA in 2016. each week – on Mondays, Wednesdays and ambassador to Canada. A direct UIA flight from Toronto to Kyiv “It makes sense for us to fly where Saturdays until October, when the schedule “Boryspil could serve as a hub,” he on June 6 in economy costs $1,005 Ukrainians live, and there is a large diaspora will be reduced to two flights per week, explained. “It’s a 90-minute flight to (Canadian – about $783 U.S.). By compari- in Canada,” he said. “We offer legendary until the following May. Warsaw and two hours to Berlin.” son, a flight from Toronto to Kyiv, departing Ukrainian hospitality. Our passengers are like But an inter-airline agreement between He added that the non-stop flight could on the same day with an 11-hour, 15-minute family, and when you have family, you know UIA and Canada’s two major carriers – Air cast Toronto as a connector to not just layover in Rome, costs $5,222 ($4,073 U.S.). what they want before they even ask for it.” Canada and WestJet – will allow Canadians Canadian cities but those in the U.S., such as A less expensive flight, priced at $2,793 to fly from other cities in Canada to connect Chicago, as well. UIA also runs daily non- ($2,179 U.S.) is available in premium econ- (Continued on page 9) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018 No. 21 ANALYSIS Ukraine to resume privatization Global Sentsov campaign planned Facebook page. “Thanks to them, the com- bat capabilities of the Armed Forces of Activists have announced a global cam- Ukraine have increased significantly.” RFE/ according to new rules paign to demand the release of Ukrainian RL was first to report the delivery of 37 ny Centerenergo and OPZ. Kyiv has been filmmaker Oleh Sentsov, who opposed Javelin launchers, including two spares, and by Oleg Varfolomeyev Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and is Eurasia Daily Monitor postponing their sales since the last decade, 210 missiles to Kyiv in April. The U.S. State and the IMF has been insisting for several now on hunger strike in a Russian prison. Department approved the sale of the Javelin The Ukrainian government will resume years that the two be sold. Centerenergo is The Save Oleg Sentsov group said on Twitter systems to Ukraine at an estimated cost of its privatization campaign in October, the the country’s second-largest regional power late on May 22 that the campaign, dubbed $47 million in March. Mr. Poroshenko on acting head of the local privatization body, generation company. Since 2009, when then #SaveOlegSentsov, is being organized for May 22 personally thanked U.S. President the State Property Fund, Vitaly Trubarov, Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko June 1-2, ahead of this summer’s World Cup Donald Trump, Vice-President Mike Pence, announced on May 10. Speaking after a allowed the privatization of Centerenergo, soccer competition in Russia. Mr. Sentsov, Secretary of Defense James Mattis, meeting of the Cabinet of Prime Minister its sale has been postponed almost every who is a native of Crimea, is currently serv- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the U.S.