INSIDE: l Synod of Cyprus recognizes the Orthodox Church of Ukraine – page 3 l Documentary on Ukrainians in the National Hockey League – page 9 l In-depth interview with Ukrainian Scholar Mark Andryczyk – page 12 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXXVIII No. 49 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020 $2.00 Ukraine commemorates victims of Holodomor Deputy head of presidential administration accused of involvement in a $2.8 million corruption scheme by Mark Raczkiewycz interview he gave to the Law and Business weekly newspaper late in November in KYIV – A high-ranking official in which he stated that NABU director Artem Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Sytnyk should resign. During that interview administration has been implicated in a he also criticized the agency’s performance. $2.8 million corruption scheme connected Mr. Zelenskyy’s office subsequently dis- to a real estate development project. tanced itself from the comment by saying the Oleh Tatarov, deputy head of the official had expressed his “personal opinion.” Presidential Office of Ukraine, is allegedly Mr. Tatarov also later said his “personal the third suspect in the graft case according opinion” in no way affects “my support for to the Kyiv-based Anticorruption Action all legislative initiatives by the president to Center – a non-governmental watchdog – strengthen the independence of all anti-cor- and reports by the Kyiv Post, Censor.net, ruption bodies,” according to the Ukrainian Ukrayinska Pravda, Hromadske and other service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Ukraine-based media. The president, a former stage comedian The National Anticorruption Bureau and actor with no previous political experi- (NABU) on December 2 accused the ence, secured a landslide victory last year Serhii Nuzhnenko, RFE/RL Prosecutor General’s Office of blocking the partly on the promise to eradicate corrup- People gathered near the Holodomor Memorial in Kyiv to honor the memory of those arrest of “the probable third suspect” in the tion in the country. Since being sworn into killed in the famine. case without naming the accused. office in May 2019, he has installed two Former member of parliament and real cabinets and tasked them to tackle graft in by Roman Tymotsko were some problems with the financing of estate developer Maksym Mykytas, who the country. Both Cabinets have not had this project. However, such projects must was arrested in the case, said in a Facebook success in their anti-graft reform efforts. KYIV – During a series of events here on be implemented. I gave instructions to the post the same day that Mr. Tatarov was the A $5 billion International Monetary November 28, Ukrainian President Cabinet of Ministers, and this issue will be third suspect. He stated that the presiden- Fund loan program has been frozen for Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena resolved. The project will definitely be tial official had worked in the legal depart- similar reasons. Zelenska paid tribute to the millions of vic- completed,” Mr. Zelenskyy stressed. ment of state-owned developer UkrBud, The latest blow to Ukraine’s efforts to tims who perished as a result of Stalin’s On November 30, the Cabinet of the same company involved in the real combat corruption came in October when Famine-Genocide – the Holodomor of 1932- Ministers prepared an order which is estate case. the Constitutional Court ruled to dismantle 1933. aimed at providing additional opportuni- Mr. Tatarov denied the allegations the a key component of the country’s anti-graft In the morning, the president and first ties to fund the National Museum of the following day. architecture. It ruled that those who pro- lady arrived at the memorial to the victims Holodomor Genocide. “The rumors spread by the NABU head’s vide false information in asset declarations of the Holodomor in St. Michael’s Square, The museum is among other projects in entourage that I was allegedly involved in will no longer face criminal liability. It also where the president and his wife put a com- Ukraine that aim to raise funds from differ- some crimes, as well as that they allegedly removed public access to asset declarations position of wheat ears and viburnum near ent sources without relying only on money wanted to detain me, are not true,” he told of officials and lawmakers and stripped the the memorial and paid tribute to the from the government budget. According to Liga.net. “I connect their dissemination with National Agency for Corruption Prevention Holodomor victims. They then visited the the official museum website, “the my publicly-voiced position on the work of of nearly all of its powers. National Museum of the Holodomor the leadership of the anti-corruption body.” Genocide, where other participants in the (Continued on page 3) His last comment was in reference to an (Continued on page 9) ceremony put woven sheafs of grain near the statue “The Bitter Memory of Childhood.” “We honor our ancestors, remember the black pages of history and the years that Forbes Ukraine names top-40 Ukrainian diaspora business leaders scarred the hearts of our people,” Mr. Zelenskyy said during his address on Forbes Ukraine, in its September issue, from acute pulmonary complications. have released 13 prescription drugs. Holodomor Victims Remembrance Day. published a list of “40 Global Ukrainians” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Citius is unique because Ukrainian “The Holodomor, which was recognized as by Vlada Yasko, which profiled diaspora- has praised the practices of his compa- Americans comprise its management an act of genocide committed against our based Ukrainian business owners and lead- nies, which have accelerated the proce- team, Mr. Mazur said. Among those recog- people by the totalitarian Stalinist regime, ers. Below is a translation of excerpts from dures for registering new medicinal offer- nized from his company in the Forbes resulted in millions of Ukrainians’ deaths. the article. The translation was prepared ings. Ukraine story are Myron Holubiak, chief These are losses comparable to those suf- by Matthew Dubas. His family fled from western Ukraine operations officer, and Myron Chuchman, fered by Ukraine in World War II,” the pres- during World War II, and Mr. Mazur’s par- head physician and acting vice-president. ident said. PARSIPPANY, N.J. – Leonard Mazur, 75, ents met as displaced refugees in In the large-sized business category, “How can one seek to destroy an entire Ukrainian American co-owner of Citius Germany – his father escaped Soviet occu- business leaders included the following nation?” the president asked. “Why and for Pharmaceuticals and Arkimax pying forces, and his mother was taken to individuals: the Pritsker family, Hyatt what? We will never be able to understand Pharmaceuticals, was included in a list of forced-labor camp in Germany. Hotels Corp. (U.S.A.) ($31 billion); Mikhail this. We will never be able to forget this. We the top 40 “Global Ukrainians” that Born in West Germany, Mr. Mazur grew Fridman, LetterOne Holdings, Alpha- will never be able to forgive this,” Mr. appeared in the September issue of up in Philadelphia, graduated from Group (Russia) ($15.2 billion); Viktor Zelenskyy said. Forbes Ukraine magazine. Temple University, and worked for 10 Vekselberg, Renova (Russia) ($11.7 bil- The Ukrainian president added that the Listed among the medium-sized busi- years with the medical firm Cooper lion); Jan Koum, WhatsApp (U.S.A.) ($10 government will provide the funds needed nesses by Forbes Ukraine, Mr. Mazur and Laboratories. In 2007 he founded the billion); German Khan, LetterOne to complete the Holodomor Museum. “The his work have been at the forefront of research company Citius Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Alpha-Group (Russia) ($9.9 bil- project of the National Museum of the combatting the COVID-19 pandemic. This and the manufacturing company Arkimax Holodomor Genocide is very important for work includes helping people who suffer Pharmaceuticals. The two companies (Continued on page 2) Ukraine, for our history and future. There 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020 No. 49 ANALYSIS NATO chief says ministers Ukraine scraps weekend lockdowns forces opened fire on Ukrainian positions on the Luhansk and Donetsk sectors of the Ukraine has lifted weekend lockdown front four times in total. (Ukrainian to discuss Russia’s ‘military buildup’ restrictions in place to fight the spread of Canadian Congress Daily Briefing) the coronavirus pandemic but is still con- more power over personnel and budgets. RFE/RL sidering whether to introduce a tighter Tatarov: Sytnyk should be replaced “NATO needs a strong political dimen- lockdown at a later stage, Prime Minister A report presented to NATO foreign min- sion to match its military adaptation,” Ukraine Business News reported that Denys Shmyhal said on December 2. The isters on December 1 says the alliance must according to the report, whose suggestions the effort of President Volodymyr government last month introduced a lock- adapt to deal with new threats, including are not binding. Zelenskyy’s administration to get back on down on weekends, closing or restricting “persistently aggressive Russia” and “the The document is to be presented to track with the IMF hit an unexpected bump most businesses except essential services rise of China.” NATO leaders at a summit planned for next when Oleg Tatarov, deputy head of the such as grocery stores, pharmacies, hospi- The ministers received the report on the year. They could be included in an update administration, said on November 28 that first day of a two-day conference being held to NATO’s Strategic Concept document, tals and transport. Mr. Shmyhal told a tele- the National Anti-Corruption Bureau does via videolink as a precaution against the which dates from 2010 and sought to con- vised government meeting that the mea- not serve Ukraine’s interests and that its spread of the coronavirus.