Ukraine to Unveil Holodomor Memorial
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
INSIDE: • A Holodomor survivor’s account – page 8. • Boston remembers the Famine-Genocide – page 9. • Photo report: Holodomor service at St. Patrick’s – page 13. THEPublished U byKRAINIAN the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW associationEEKLY Vol. LXXVI No. 47 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2008 $1/$2 in Ukraine Service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC Ukraine to unveil Holodomor memorial is culmination of Holodomor observances Monument is fi rst phase of memorial complex by Matthew Dubas on which to build, and this experience was educational for us as well, finding out NEW YORK – A year’s worth of com- what methods work and those that do not. memorative events came to a close on We look forward to more projects with Saturday, November 15, as New York-area great enthusiasm.” Ukrainians observed the 75th anniversary Early morning rain hampered the attrac- of the Holodomor, or Famine-Genocide of tion of crowds to the exhibit, but people 1932-1933, which killed millions of passing by stopped and took note, in typi- Ukrainians. cal New York fashion. Curious onlookers Events began with a food drive and were attracted by the graphic images of the photo exhibit, organized by the New York Holodomor, and throughout the exhibit the Branch of the Ukrainian Congress UCCA distributed informational bro- Committee of America, at Dag chures. Hammarskjöld Plaza, located at 47th Street The New York-area commemorations and Second Avenue. coincided with other events that marked The food drive, which benefited New the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor. York’s City Harvest, and the exhibit began Because of this, the poor weather and an at 9 a.m. Featured were 48 images on 16 aging community, the draw was consider- panels that told the story, from the human ably less than expected. aspect, of the attempted ruination of Speaking with The Ukrainian Weekly, Ukraine by the Soviets. The photos, rarely Peter Steciuk, 27, said, “We came here before seen, were from recently released today to commemorate the millions of KGB and state archives, and the Roman Ukrainians systematically exterminated by Catholic Church in Austria. According to the Soviet regime, a chapter of history that Illya M. Labunka City Harvest, over 175 pounds of food was our grandparents lived through and to Nighttime construction at the Holodomor memorial site in Kyiv. collected by the drive. make sure it is not forgotten by the world.” Oleh Shamshur, ambassador of Ukraine “We want to show our support of the by Illya M. Labunka consists of concrete, granite, glass and to the United States, said: “This open-air Ukrainian community and help raise metal. exhibit is a great way for non-Ukrainians Special to The Ukrainian Weekly awareness of this human tragedy that hard- To be known as the “Candle of passing by to take a moment and learn ly anyone in the Western world knows KYIV – The long-awaited Holodomor Memory,” the monument is the result of about the Holodomor. In light of the 75th anything about,” said Andrew memorial that will be one of the main a creative process that began at least anniversary, last year’s march, the Demidowich, 27. components of the future Holodomor three years ago. The design was the result International Remembrance Flame, con- A throng of approximately 400 people of numerous competitions, and the proj- ferences, lectures, and this year’s exhibit Memorial Historical Complex in Kyiv is organized into a column and marched west ect experienced major political and on the Holodomor were effective in bring- scheduled to be officially unveiled on across town to Fifth Avenue and 51st bureaucratic hurdles before being award- ing greater awareness of the genocidal Saturday, November 22. Street, where a memorial service was held ed its current site. nature of these events.” Situated on the slopes of the Dnipro at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Designed by Anatolii Haidamaka, the “More work still needs to be done,” Dr. River adjacent to the Kyiv Pecherska Cardinal Edward Egan of St. Patrick’s Holodomor memorial reaches a height of Shamshur continued, “but we have made Lavra (Monastery of the Caves), the welcomed the approximately 1,500 attend- 33 meters, symbolizing the year the great progress in educating the public. The monument – which was still taking shape ees from the Ukrainian community to the Famine reached its peak. Its exterior shell work does not end today, but will continue as of this writing as construction crews is graced by numerous carved crosses of into the future. We have a great foundation (Continued on page 11) feverishly worked around the clock – three sizes, each cross and size symboliz- ing the millions of souls – young, adoles- cent and elderly – who perished and are ascended toward heaven. Former defense minister criticizes Ukraine’s leaders A native of the village of Voloskivtsi by Peter T. Woloschuk Harvard’s Kennedy School of in the Chernihiv Oblast, Mr. Haidamaka Government, Davis Center for Russian said he found and fought for the final site CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Former and Eurasian Studies, Weatherhead of the “Candle of Memory” monument for a number of reasons. Ukrainian Defense Minister Anatoliy Center for International Affairs and “Firstly, the memorial site can be seen Stepanovych Grytsenko, currently a Ukrainian Research Institute. There were from Kyiv’s Left Bank of the Dnipro member of Parliament of the Our Ukraine also numbers of graduate students, some – People’s Self-Defense bloc and chair of River. Secondly, the general location is undergraduates, and members of greater already an area of various monuments, the Parliamentary Committee on National Boston’s Ukrainian community. [Mr. Defense and Security, gave a wide-rang- such as Askold’s Tomb, the Tomb of the Grytstenko, whose name has been spelled Unknown Soldier [an obelisk commemo- ing, frank and somewhat concerned pre- “Hrytsenko,” has advised that the official sentation on “Ukraine’s National Security rating soldiers who died in World War II] spelling of his last name is “Grytsenko.” and, of course, the Kyiv Pecherska Lavra, and Its International Ramifications: The – ed.] Domestic and External Factors” at this which has been designated a world heri- “By their intransigence and their tage site by UNESCO,” said Mr. year’s Zenovia Sochor Parry Memorial unwillingness to compromise [Viktor] Lecture at Harvard’s Ukrainian Research Haidamaka. Yushchenko, [Yulia] Tymoshenko and Once construction is complete, the Institute (HURI) on November 13. [Viktor] Yanukovych are ruining Ukraine Mr. Grytsenko, a rising star among base of the “Candle of Memory” will be and its future,” Mr. Grytsenko insisted. surrounded by 24 hand-mills, symboliz- Ukraine’s democratic and pro-Western “Their political infighting and jockeying ing the 24 hours in a day and the 24,000 forces, spoke for an hour and a half to for position have brought the government victims who perished daily at the height some 100 people who listened attentively to a standstill and have made it impossi- of the Holodomor. Tymish Holowinsky as the former defense minister made his ble for Ukraine to deal with its imploding Behind the monument, the names of Anatoliy Grytsenko speaks at the presentation. They included many of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. leading professors and policy-makers of (Continued on page 16) (Continued on page 10) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2008 No. 47 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFS Lithuania refuses to acquiesce National Book of Memory presented Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on November 17 that “this letter is among in EU negotiations with Russia KYIV – President Viktor Yushchenko the best evidence of the Russian stance, on November 18 took part in the presen- which creates various obstacles for con- by Vladimir Socor this line publicly when meeting with tation of the National Book of Memory to sideration by the international community open the week of mourning in observance Eurasia Daily Monitor Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei of the Holodomor in Ukraine 1932-1933.” of the 75th anniversary of the 1932-1933 Lavrov in St. Petersburg. From that point He said the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Famine-Genocide in Ukraine. He empha- The European Union announced the start on, Russia understood that its behavior in Affairs was aware of the letter. On sized that the National Book of Memory of negotiations on a new, expanded partner- Georgia would have no repercussions on November 14 a number of Ukrainian was created to restore the historic truth ship agreement with Russia at a summit in EU-Russia relations (see EDM, October news media published a copy of Mr. about the Holodomor, adding that an Nice on November 14. Following Russia’s 31). Lavrov’s letter in which he asks foreign objective assessment of those events must invasion of Georgia and within days of Resisting such a travesty in the EU were ministers of U.N. member-states “to take be part of the national dialogue. Speaking threatening to target missiles at EU member- Britain, Sweden, the Czech Republic, a compelling stand and prevent the about the Holodomor, Mr. Yushchenko countries allied with the United States, Poland and the three Baltic states; but the described as untrue allegations to the Ukrainian initiative at the U.N. General Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was British position changed suddenly as Prime effect that the Famine was caused by Assembly” to gain recognition of the being welcomed as a “strategic partner-in- Minister Gordon Brown overruled Foreign unfavorable weather. “The Famine of Holodomor. (Ukrinform) waiting” of the EU. Secretary David Miliband, siding with Mr. 1932-1933 was a crime against the Lithuania tried to redeem the integrity of Sarkozy as part of building a Franco-British Prayers sought from religious leaders nation,” Mr.