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Inside: • Nonviolent revolution from Eastern Europe to the Mideast – page 2 • Reflections on the Ukrainian language in Ukraine – page 8. • Stefania Dovhan returns to New York City Opera – page 13

ThePublished U by thekrainian Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal Wnon-profit associationeekly Vol. LXXIX No. 9 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 $1/$2 in Ukraine Demjanjuk threatens hunger strike Arrested nationalist activists unless court agrees to seek evidence allege authorities use torture PARSIPPANY, N.J. – John Mr. Demjanjuk’s statement was read Demjanjuk, in a statement read on by his attorney, Ulrich Busch. (The full February 22 to the court hearing his Nazi text of the statement appears on page 17.) war crimes trial in Munich, threatened to The Associated Press reported that the go on a hunger strike within two weeks judges showed little reaction after the unless the judges agree to seek more evi- statement was read in full, only asking dence that he says will exonerate him. Mr. Demjanjuk whether the words were Mr. Demjanjuk charged that Germany his own. He nodded in assent. is holding “a political show trial” and Mr. Demjanjuk, 90, is accused of charged that “Germany’s weapons of tor- 27,900 counts of accessory to murder for ture in this trial include: suppression of allegedly having been a guard at the exculpatory evidence, falsification of his- Sobibor death camp in occupied Poland. tory, introduction of so-called legal prin- He entered the courtroom on February ciples which never existed in Germany 22 holding a sign reading “1627” – the previously, conspiring with fraudulent number of a 1,400-page Soviet investiga- prosecutors of the U.S.A. and Israel, and tive file on his alleged activities during a reckless refusal of each argument, World War II. The defense has asked the motion and exculpatory piece of evidence court to obtain the file from Moscow, my defense has submitted which should which Dr. Busch has argued could con- have already resulted in my acquittal and tain proof that an identity card attributed freedom.” to Mr. Demjanjuk was that of another In particular, Mr. Demjanjuk said the guard. Volodymyr Musyak The AP reported that the court has court has refused: “1. To request from Mykola Kokhanivskyi, famous for chiseling the Lenin statue in Kyiv, protests at rejected the request for the files, saying it Russia and Ukraine, File 1627, the 1,400- the Presidential Administration on February 22 against the incarceration of is simply a defense “hypothesis” that page Soviet MGB/KGB investigative file Tryzub nationalists. He wears a band reading, “I don’t believe it,” referring to there could be details on the identity card on my case. 2. To request from Russia and the February 17 press conference at which prisoners denied being tortured. Ukraine, File 15457, the investigative file there. Meanwhile, the AP obtained copies of of Ignat Danilchenko, specifically to by Zenon Zawada “We’re practically returning to the a 2001 letter from Ukrainian authorities include the report of interview conducted Stalinist era,” said Dr. Oleh Soskin, direc- to the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, which states Kyiv Press Bureau with him about me at the request of the tor of the Institute of Society that the Demjanjuk investigation docu- U.S. authorities in 1983-1984. 3. To request KYIV – Ukrainian nationalists arrested Transformation in Kyiv. “Representatives mented in file 1627 was carried out in a qualified expert to examine the high-qual- in a nationwide crackdown in mid-Janu- of the Kremlin’s hostile fifth column are 1979-1980 and that all materials were ity photos available of the signature on the ary have alleged torture by law enforce- in power to fulfill the Kremlin’s assign- No. 1393 Trawniki document which has ment authorities and inhuman prison con- ments and carrying out torture. The boys (Continued on page 17) been falsely attributed to me. …” ditions. They also alleged egregious legal did the right thing in sawing off violations and pressure to confess to Dzhugashvili’s [Joseph Stalin’s] head. crimes they didn’t commit. Finally someone acted like a hero, to be “We are witnessing complete legal perfectly frank. And now they’re being Authorities stall on granting nihilism,” said Sydir Kizin, a lawyer for tortured, which is practically a mockery the nationalists. “Law enforcement author- against the Ukrainian nation.” ities are acting as though they live in a sep- Several of the nationalists imprisoned in routine exemption to UCU arate country where the norms of the January admit to participating in the by Zenon Zawada said it’s strictly a procedural issue. Constitution of Ukraine don’t apply to December 28, 2010, vandalism of the them. They think they can baselessly arrest Kyiv Press Bureau “When this matter was first introduced Stalin monument in Zaporizhia, established for the Lviv City Council’s review, it was people and not be held accountable.” by the oblast committee of the Communist KYIV – The Lviv City Council has done on the fly,” Svoboda Press Secretary The 14 Ukrainian nationalists currently Party on the front porch of its headquarters. delayed for a month granting to the Yuriy Syrotiuk told The Ukrainian imprisoned belong to the Stepan Bandera That evening, several Tryzub activists Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) a Weekly. Tryzub All-Ukrainian Organization, a sawed the head off the metal Stalin stat- routine exemption from paying rent for a “That happened the second time, with- pseudo-paramilitary group formed to ue. Just three days later, a bomb detonat- 3.7-acre plot being developed for the out review from the appropriate commis- defend Ukrainian interests. A member of ed the same statue – an act in which future Stryiskyi Park campus. sion. There are rules on introducing ini- the Svoboda nationalist party, Yurii Tryzub denies any involvement. State universities receive the exemp- tiatives and holding a public hearing. The Hudymenko, is imprisoned in his native Law enforcement authorities launched tion, and the City Council voted the same appropriate council commission is sup- Zaporizhia. a nationwide sting on January 8 to round day to exempt a local prison, said Orest posed to meet to make the appropriate Ever since taking office a year ago, up the Tryzub nationalists, arresting 20 Drul of the Western Analytical Group in decisions. These issues won’t be President Viktor Yanukovych has led the and eventually releasing six. Some were Lviv. UCU had no difficulties gaining the reviewed until they conform to proce- government in persecuting ethnically charged with hooliganism in the statue’s exemption in years past, yet this time – at dures,” he said. conscious Ukrainians, or those citizens vandalism, while others faced charges for the January 27 and February 17 sessions Deputies of Svoboda and the Party of who embrace their Ukrainian language, crimes committed a year ago or longer. – the City Council voted to remove the Regions voted against reviewing the mea- history and culture. This included dis- The 20 arrests had no common link, bill from the agenda. sure, while it drew support from other missals of state employees for their views except for the fact that almost all the sus- The Lviv City Council is led by the City Council factions, including the and searches of the offices of authors and pects were members of Tryzub (with the Svoboda nationalist party, which typical- Batkivshchyna party led by opposition journalists. exception of Mr. Hudymenko, a local ly supports Ukrainian cultural institu- leader Yulia Tymoshenko. The alleged use of torture conforms to activist) and almost all were pressured to tions. Yet the pro-Russian Party of In recent weeks, deputies of both fac- the Yanukovych administration’s neo- confess to the December 31, 2010, explo- Regions, whose oligarchs are suspected tions voting against the review offered Soviet policies, such as restricting the sion of the Stalin statue. of financing Svoboda, also voted in sup- rights and freedoms of political oppo- port of the delay. A Svoboda spokesman (Continued on page 8) nents, observers said. (Continued on page 15) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 No. 9 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFS

Exporting nonviolent revolution, Ukrainians evacuated from Libya were organized in the city’s schools. We don’t know what is happening to our col- KYIV – Twenty-three citizens of leagues, they cannot be contacted. It is pos- from Eastern Europe to the Mideast Ukraine have been delivered to Moscow sible that they are working with bullets fly- by Courtney Rose Brooks Laughing all the way to jail from Libya via two planes of the Ministry ing over their heads,” he said. Dr. Firtel and Milos Teodorovic of Emergency Situations of the Russian said the gunmen were polite at first, but One of Otpor’s main methods in over- Federation, the press office of the Embassy eventually warned the doctors that anyone RFE/RL throwing President Milosevic was to win of Ukraine to Russia reported on February who attempted to escape would be shot public support through humor by mocking Srdja Popovic has a dream: a world 23. Another aircraft is expected to bring and killed. “We can no longer leave the ter- the regime. They once famously rolled an where political change comes through non- Ukrainian citizens out of the strife-torn ritory of the hospital. There are security oil barrel with Mr. Milosevic’s face on it violent struggle. country. An IL-76 military transport plane guards at the entrance. Some of our col- down a street while people took turns He started out as a pro-democracy activ- of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense suc- leagues have wives and children. They whacking it with a bat. Activists were often ist in his native Serbia by founding the ceeded in landing at Tripoli airport, but its have to sit in basements and wait for help,” arrested and roughed up, but reportedly group Otpor (Resistance), which led the return to Kyiv’s Boryspil airport has been the doctor said. (Interfax-Ukraine) protests that drove authoritarian President rarely held overnight in prison. postponed indefinitely. Some Ukrainian Slobodan Milosevic from power more than But while training dissidents from citizens left Libya aboard the Russian ferry Journalists report from Tripoli a decade ago. regimes such as Egypt, Iran, and Belarus, that on February 22 left the port city of KYIV – Sources at Komsomolskaya Mr. Popovic then exported his nonvio- Canvas has had to recognize that it is Benghazi for Istanbul. Ukraine’s First Vice Pravda in Ukraine said journalists managed lent methods, helping train the activists teaching activists who could spend years in Prime Minister Andriy Kliuyev is heading to telephone the Embassy of Ukraine when who spearheaded Georgia’s Rose jail for their activities. a working group to ensure the safety of the February 22 edition of the paper was Revolution in 2003 and Ukraine’s Orange Nini Gogoberidze, a Georgian citizen Ukrainian citizens on the territory of North already being printed. “We are getting Revolution in 2004. who participated in Georgia’s Rose Africa and the Middle East. He said that, information on casualties among And now, Mr. Popovic is deploying his Revolution in 2003, is a Canvas trainer through diplomatic channels, the Foreign Ukrainians, but we cannot check it as com- new organization, called Canvas, even far- who has worked primarily with Iranian dis- Affairs Ministry of Ukraine had reached a munications are not working and there is ther afield – assisting the pro-democracy sidents. She says that while each struggle is preliminary agreement that the Greek and no Internet connection. The situation is activists who recently brought down des- different, the level of violence the regime is Turkish ferry boats expected this week at very tense. Our officials are not going out- potic regimes in Egypt and Tunisia. likely to use on dissidents is what separates the port of Benghazi will take on board side: there is gunfire and explosions there. “We are simply trying to convince the them the most. Ukrainian citizens, including those who do No one is guarding the Embassy building, world that the only right way to make a “In Georgia and in Ukraine, I doubt the not have valid visas for entry into Greece so we are having to take all precautions. change is to fight strategically and in a non- security forces or even armed forces actual- and Turkey. There are about 3,000 We can’t leave here either: there is no gas- violent way,” Mr. Popovic says. “I think ly initiate bloodshed on the streets. Whereas Ukrainian citizens in Libya, who work oline in the country, and the food situation that those young, secular people that we see I’m pretty sure that’s not going to be true in mainly in the medical sector. (Ukrinform) is also very difficult,” one of the diplomats these days in the demonstrations all around Iran or in any other country where the told Komsomolskaya Pravda in Ukraine. the Middle East are one new face of that regime is violent,” Ms. Gogoberidze says. Doctors work in Libya at gunpoint (Interfax-Ukraine) region. I want to believe that they are “It’s the level of violence that differentiates KYIV – Some 3,000 Ukrainians who strong enough and smart enough to beat the struggles from each other.” are working in the medical sector in Libya Yanukovych on “nation’s new elite” any extremism, including the Islamic one.” She describes the trainings as “brain- have found themselves in the middle of the The work of groups like Canvas, com- storming sessions,” where activists use KYIV – President Viktor Yanukovych turmoil in Libya, the newspaper bined with the proliferation of social-net- their own creativity in developing methods of Ukraine at a meeting of the Committee Komsomolskaya Pravda in Ukraine report- working websites like Facebook and to fight oppression in their countries. on Economic Reforms noted an acute ed on February 11. Ukrainian doctors are Twitter, and the coming of age of a wired – “Nobody knows better than the commu- shortage of personnel capable of imple- saying they are being made to work at gun- and increasingly disaffected – young gen- nity members how to get mobilized, you menting reforms in this country. According point “for the good of the revolution,” the eration have combined to create a perfect know what I mean. That’s the whole idea to February 22 news reports, he said: “In paper has reported. Mykhailo Firtel, a phy- storm threatening authoritarian regimes of the nonviolent struggle,” she says. You the process of preparing and carrying out sician with Benghazi central hospital No. from Europe to North Africa, to the Middle cannot export fights, [sending] 10, I don’t the reforms, we keenly felt the personnel 12, who came to Africa from Zhytomyr, East. now, Serbs, or Georgians, or Ukrainians, problem – not enough educated, creative from their countries and make a revolution said hundreds of wounded and killed peo- people with unconventional thinking.” Teaching nonviolence in another country. It’s a totally home-driv- ple have been taken to the hospital over the Therefore, he said, the “New Elite of the past three days and the morgues are full. Canvas was founded in 2003 and has en and homegrown thing.” Nation” presidential personnel reserve will Dr. Firtel said people in military uniform be formed this year. The president said this trained dissidents in 37 countries, including ‘Struggle must be homegrown’ had told the doctors on Saturday that the Zimbabwe, North Korea, Belarus and Iran, will be a really new elite of the nation, Jack DuVall, president of the city belongs to the opposition. “They said which will create a mechanism for select- Mr. Popovic says. He declines to reveal we would have no replacement due to the whether the organization had trained activ- International Center on Nonviolent ing and attracting the most talented citizens Conflict, also held a weeklong educational huge number of wounded people. They ists in countries that are now protesting were sent to mobile medical points, which (Continued on page 14) against their authoritarian governments, seminar on nonviolent resistance in Egypt such as Algeria and Yemen, unless the in 2007. He emphasizes that foreign orga- activists do so themselves. nizations could not conduct “training” in Mr. Popovic’s philosophy, and that of how to fight repression in specific regimes Canvas, is influenced by the teachings of – but could offer up a template for nonvio- FOUNDED 1933 Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King lent resistance. The Ukrainian Weekly “Outsiders are utterly incapable of Jr., and Gene Sharp, the American author An English-language newspaper published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., of several books on nonviolent struggle advising individuals in a country who want to engage in civil resistance about how to a non-profit association, at 2200 Route 10, P.O. Box 280, Parsippany, NJ 07054. including “From Dictatorship to Yearly subscription rate: $55; for UNA members — $45. Democracy.” do so,” Mr. DuVall says. “The conceptual and generic nature of this form of struggle Periodicals postage paid at Caldwell, NJ 07006 and additional mailing offices. In the late summer of 2009 the group (ISSN — 0273-9348) collaborated with other NGOs to bring can be taught; but then it’s up to people on approximately 20 Egyptian activists – the ground to do that on their own. They’re The Weekly: UNA: including some of those who later founded the ones taking the risks.” Tel: (973) 292-9800; Fax: (973) 644-9510 Tel: (973) 292-9800; Fax: (973) 292-0900 the April 6 movement that spearheaded the Gene Sharp, 83, who has become recent anti-government protests – to known as the Karl Von Clausewitz of non- Postmaster, send address changes to: Belgrade for a week of training on tactics violent resistance strategy, has called the The Ukrainian Weekly Editor-in-chief: Roma Hadzewycz they could use to promote change in Egypt. Egyptian revolutionaries “very brave.” He 2200 Route 10 Editors: Matthew Dubas Petar Milicevic, the founder of says that while he is glad his writing was P.O. Box 280 Zenon Zawada (Kyiv) Alternative to Europe NGO, helped with useful to them, all the credit goes to the Parsippany, NJ 07054 the training. He says he talked to the Egyptian people. Egyptians about organizing campaigns, the “If people are no longer afraid, then that The Ukrainian Weekly Archive: www.ukrweekly.com; e-mail: [email protected] importance of galvanizing youth support, dictatorship is in big trouble. But they also and how to use social media to reach both managed to maintain to a remarkable The Ukrainian Weekly, February 27, 2011, No. 9, Vol. LXXIX of these goals. degree – not perfectly but to a remarkable Copyright © 2011 The Ukrainian Weekly “During the protests, I was also in degree – they managed to maintain their everyday contact with some friends in nonviolent discipline even when they were being attacked,” Mr. Sharp says. [The full Egypt, so the whole thing that they asked ADMINISTRATION OF THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY AND SVOBODA [for] during their own protest was a cry for text of RFE/RL’s interview with Mr. Sharp international attention,” Mr. Milicevic may be read online at www.rferl.org.] Walter Honcharyk, administrator (973) 292-9800, ext. 3041 says. “Everything else that we could offer, “They often were saying, people were e-mail: [email protected] some sort of help, and organizing some interested in maybe using some violence, Maria Oscislawski, advertising manager (973) 292-9800, ext. 3040 relief funds, they said no. [They said] we and people were saying peaceful, peaceful, fax: (973) 644-9510 need just to raise the voice that this is our peaceful. And that was even in demonstra- e-mail: [email protected] citizens’ revolution, not some sort of tions of over a million people. That’s an Mariyka Pendzola, subscriptions (973) 292-9800, ext. 3042 e-mail: [email protected] Islamic or other sort of coup d’etat.” (Continued on page 7) No. 9 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 3

NEWS ANALYSIS: How to turn ‘partly free’ Ukraine into ‘not free’ by Taras Kuzio Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and her Party of Regions voted against the 2006 In the 1990s the MVS was more under RFE/RL former Cabinet members are either under law on the 1932-1933 Holodomor and the democratic control than today, as its inter- arrest or threatened with criminal charges. pages on the Famine-Genocide on the nal troops had been taken away in 1991 Some Western policymakers continue to Under President Kuchma, elections presidential website were removed on and transformed into a national guard. But argue that Ukraine’s political system is were falsified in 1999 and 2004 – on both February 25, 2010 – the day Mr. these were returned to the MVS in 2000 unlikely to evolve into a full authoritarian occasions with the assistance of Mr. Yanukovych was inaugurated as president. and have, like in other post-Communist system along the lines of Russia and Yanukovych at the local and national lev- In 2003, by contrast, President Kuchma systems, become the president’s praetorian Belarus, President Viktor Yanukovych will els. Under President Yanukovych, local launched an international campaign to sup- guard. On November 28, 2004, the MVS slow down his authoritarian blitzkrieg, elections were falsified last year. Free elec- port the designation of the Holodomor as troops were ordered to Kyiv by Prime they argue, and the system will stabilize tions can only be trusted to democratic an act of genocide. Minister Yanukovych, over President into a semi-authoritarian system. forces such as Viktor Yushchenko, under Kuchma’s head, to violently suppress the Collapse of independent institutions In other words, Ukraine will stabilize at whose watch high-quality elections were Orange Revolution. But they were turned “partly free,” the semi-authoritarian status held in 2006, 2007 and 2010. Mr. Parliament became a rubber-stamp back by the army. that Freedom House gave it throughout the Yanukovych is destroying the institution of institution under President Yanukovych for Journalists disappear Leonid Kuchma era and to which it free elections that brought him to power. the first time in its history, because returned in 2010 after Mr. Yanukovych’s In the 2002, 2006-2007 and 2010 par- President Kuchma never had a stable Under President Kuchma the murder of first year in office. liaments, Messrs. Kuchma and majority. Mr. Yanukovych’s Stability and journalist Heorhii Gongadze became an An alternative viewpoint that’s gaining Yanukovych both sought to bribe, coerce Reforms coalition has brought in 50 oppo- international scandal after a tape recording ground is that Ukraine will decline further and blackmail opposition deputies to sition deputies, giving it more than 260 in was released in which the president alleg- to “not free,” the full authoritarian status defect to the ruling coalition. Usually these total in the 450-seat Verkhovna Rada. edly ordered Internal Affairs Minister Yurii that independent Ukraine has never held. If were business leaders in the opposition, The courts are in far worse condition Kravchenko to violently beat Gongadze. this were to take place, Ukraine would join whether members of the Liberal Party in today than under Mr. Kuchma. Supreme What is less well known is that journalist the eight authoritarian CIS countries 2002 led by Volodymyr Shcherban or the Court Chief Justice Vasyl Onopenko told Ihor Aleksandrov was also killed in 2001 (Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan and the five Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs the Kyiv Post that “courts as judicial bod- in Donetsk when Mr. Yanukovych was Central Asian states) that are classified as led by Anatoliy Kinakh in 2007. ies and judges have lost their indepen- governor of the region. “not free” by the U.S.-based rights watch- The Communist Party never entered dence. This is a direct threat to the judicial Last month, The Washington Post asked dog. government under the Kuchma administra- protection of human rights.” President Yanukovych about Kharkiv edi- The Yanukovych administration has tion, but has joined both coalitions estab- After the summer 2010 reform of the tor Vasyl Klymentyev, who disappeared moved farther down the path of authoritar- lished by Mr. Yanukovych: the Anti-Crisis judiciary. “the Supreme Court has been only seven months after Mr. Yanukovych ianism in only one year in office than Mr. Coalition in 2006-2007 and the Stability denied the ability to perform its constitu- was elected. The MVS assumes he has Kuchma did in a decade. Both administra- and Reforms since 2010. The neo-Stalinist tional function,” Mr. Onopenko said. “No been killed. Mr. Yanukovych nonchalantly tions resorted to taking political prisoners. Communist Party is anti-reform and anti- one guarantees the unity of case law and replied, “Many journalists disappear all Under President Kuchma, members of Western, and therefore any coalition that equal application of laws in state courts. over the world.” UNA-UNSO (Ukrainian National includes such a political force cannot hon- The Supreme Court, which previously did Media censorship took place under Assembly-Ukrainian People’s Self- estly be described as “reformist.” it, is now deprived of such powers.” President Kuchma, but the situation is Defense) were imprisoned for their alleged There has also been regression on Mr. Yanukovych has marginalized the worse today. What differentiates the involvement in the March 2001 riots. national identity questions. The Supreme Court as personal revenge for its Kuchma and Yanukovych presidencies was Under President Yanukovych, former Communist Party and Mr. Yanukovych’s December 2004 annulment of his second- that total censorship under the former was round election victory. In a February 11 impossible because of the strength of the interview with the BBC, Mr. Yanukovych opposition, inside and outside Parliament, again repeated that the Supreme Court had and pluralism within the ruling elites. OSCE chair meets with U.S. officials violated the Constitution in 2004 when it Mr. Yanukovych claims that “mercenar- annulled his election and that he had won a ies” in the West have been bought to write OSCE the rule of law throughout the OSCE “free election.” negatively about Ukraine and that the region, as well as the need to address Under both President Kuchma and Czech government was bribed to grant for- WA S H I N G T O N – O S C E emerging transnational threats and the Yanukovych, the unreformed “siloviki,” or mer Economy Minister Bohdan Chairperson-in-Office Audronius results of the recent OSCE summit in security forces – the Security Service of Danylyshyn political asylum. Ažubalis, who is Lithuania’s foreign Astana. Ukraine (SBU), the Internal Affairs Mr. Yanukovych’s worldview exports minister, held meetings on February 16 “The Lithuanian OSCE chairman- Ministry (MVS), and the tax police – have Ukraine’s domestic situation – where with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary ship is determined to work together been used against the political opposition Ukrainian journalists are often paid to Clinton and senior members of the with all participating states to fully and independent media. place articles and politicians and Cabinet U.S. administration. realize the vision of a comprehensive, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov led the ministers are often corrupt – to the outside He underlined Lithuania‘s commit- cooperative and indivisible security tax police throughout its first seven years world. This worldview does not see either ment to promoting the principles of the community throughout our shared of existence (1996-2002). The SBU under the legitimacy of Western criticism or the Organization for Security and Mr. Yanukovych has adopted authoritarian legitimacy of domestic criticism by the Cooperation in Europe, searching for OSCE area,” said Mr. Ažubalis. The Helsinki Commission – formal- tactics against academics, NGO activists, opposition and media. resolution of the protracted conflicts in politicians and journalists for the first time Mr. Yanukovych refuses to acknowl- ly known as the Commission on the OSCE area, supporting freedom of since in the pre-Gorbachev era, when its edge that democratic regression is taking Security and Cooperation in Europe – the media, building and maintaining predecessor, the Soviet Ukrainian KGB place on his watch and, in this, he is simi- is an independent U.S. government trust and confidence, and promoting existed. lar to Mr. Kuchma. But, in five areas – agency responsible for monitoring and energy security. political repression, parliamentary inde- During the meetings, progress in the encouraging compliance with the pendence, media censorship, the use of the resolution of protracted conflicts was Helsinki Final Act and other OSCE Taras Kuzio is an Austrian Marshall “siloviki” and quality of elections – demo- discussed. With regard to the conflict commitments. Plan Foundation visiting fellow at the cratic regression is worse under Mr. in Transdniestria (also known as Mr. Ažubalis emphasized the role of Center for Transatlantic Relations, Yanukovych than it was under Mr. Transnistria), Mr. Ažubalis stressed OSCE Institutions and field operations School of Advanced International Kuchma. that it is time to move from informal in helping the OSCE participating Studies, Johns Hopkins University. The If this continues, it will lead to Ukraine talks to official negotiations in the 5+2 states fulfill their OSCE commitments. views expressed in this commentary are becoming ranked as “not free” by the end format on a comprehensive settlement. “In the OSCE, security has always the author’s own and do not necessarily of President Yanukovych’s first term in The 5+2 format comprises the sides, been measured in terms of the well- reflect those of RFE/RL. (See http://www. office, following Kyrgyzstan, which mediators and observers in the negotia- being of the individual. Our communi- rferl.org/content/commentary_partly_ dropped after its 2005 Tulip Revolution tion process: the Republic of Moldova, ty is safest when human rights, funda- free_ukraine_to_not_free/2310282.html.) from “partly free” to “not free” in 2010. Transdniestria, the Russian Federation, mental freedoms and the rule of law are Ukraine, the OSCE, the United States upheld,” he said, adding that improving and the European Union. respect for freedom of the media was a The OSCE chairmanship will also priority of the Lithuanian chairman- focus on challenges in the South ship. In June the chairmanship is invit- Ukrainian activists alarmed Caucasus. The OSCE will work within ing all 56 participating states to the Geneva framework to develop Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, for a over alleged police brutality measures to improve security and discussion on a political and expert address humanitarian needs in areas level to improve the safety of journal- RFE/RL Kharkiv. His mother says he was severely affected by the August 2008 conflict. ists in the OSCE region. beaten by police and later thrown out of KHARKIV, Ukraine – Human rights Greater engagement by the co-chairs of During his stay in Washington he the window to cover up traces of abuse. activists in Kharkiv have sent an open let- the Minsk Group will also be required also met the chair of the House Foreign The police say the man was a drug ter to President Viktor Yanukovych urging to reduce the growing tensions on the Affairs Committee, Rep. Iliana Ros- dealer who was detained as a suspect in a him to intervene in the investigations of ground in and around Nagorno- Leithenen, and other members of the drug-related crime. They say he was two alleged suicides in police custody in committee. Mr. Ažubalis also met with intoxicated and jumped out of the win- Karabakh. the past 10 days, RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Sen. Benjamin Cardin, co-chairman of dow during an interrogation. At the hearings of the U.S. Helsinki Service reported on February 3. Commission, Mr. Ažubalis also dis- the Helsinki Commission, and partici- Prior to that a woman, who was alleg- A local man died in the hospital after edly involved in the theft of a sack of cussed challenges to human rights, pated in a discussion at the Atlantic falling from the fourth floor window of fundamental freedoms, democracy and Council. the Loziv district police department in (Continued on page 17) 4 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 No. 9 Canadian minister hides his Twitter UNIS joins Facebook

OTTAWA – A Canadian human rights have taken principled positions on civil WASHINGTON – On February 2, The UNIS Facebook page will fea- organization is wondering what Canada’s liberties issues. UCCLA helped craft, the Ukrainian National Information ture updates about what is happening in Heritage Minister James Moore has got then signed, Bill C 331, which resolved Service (UNIS) launched its first efforts Washington that affects the Ukrainian to hide. redress issues arising out of Canada’s in the social networking sector. The community. Photos will be posted from The Conservative member of first national internment operations. And UNIS Facebook page is a work in prog- a variety of events held or attended by Parliament for Port Moody-Westwood- our members and supporters are taxpay- ress and can be viewed at http://www. UNIS. Port Coquitlam is an ace on the ers and voters living in ridings right facebook.com/pages/Ukrainian- Even those who don’t have a person- Twittersphere. With some 5,000 follow- across the country. So we expect to be National-Information-Service- al Facebook can still visit the site and heard when we respectfully raise issues ers and more than 2,600 tweets, @ UNIS/198575390157933. stay informed about UNIS activities. of public concern.” MPJamesMoore has an even greater With so many people participating in However, those who do have a reach than Prime Minister Stephen “Minister Moore’s censorship of Facebook, it is an excellent way to Facebook account will be given the Harper, at least according to Klout.com. UCCLA is rather odd. Not only is he an reach out to the community and let option to “Like” the page, and then Yet sometime after February 11 the elected official but this is a minority gov- them know about the projects UNIS is minister hid himself from the Ukrainian ernment. You’d think Mr. Harper’s working on. It will be a useful medium have the ability to comment on posts Canadian Civil Liberties Association (@ Cabinet would be seeking the opinions of to disseminate information quickly, as and share their thoughts. This feature uccla) by blocking it from viewing his as many Canadians as possible, particu- well as share posts and photos. Even will offer greater communication messages and securing himself against larly over an issue that is increasingly those far away will be able to stay con- among between the Ukrainian commu- receiving any of theirs. controversial and likely to cost them nected with UNIS with the click of a nity members on Facebook. “We’re a 25-year-old national organi- votes in the next federal election,” Mr. mouse. In addition, UNIS will be able For more information readers may con- zation, with a proven track record of Zakaluzny added. to reach a younger demographic and get tact the Ukrainian National Information advocacy, education and lobbying,” said young adults involved in the Ukrainian Service at 202-547-0018 or unis@ucca. R. W. Zakaluzny, UCCLA’s chair. “We (Continued on page 17) community. org.

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INTERVIEW: Tryzub member speaks Ukrainian nationalists under arrest about his interrogation and arrest KYIV – The administration of Arrested: January 8, 2011, impris- President Viktor Yanukovych launched oned in Zaporizhia a national sting operation on January 8 Criminal charge: Hooliganism in to arrest members of the Stepan December 2010 beheading of Stalin Bandera Tryzub All-Ukrainian statue Organization, some of whom admitted Status: Allegedly endured beatings their role in the December 27, 2010, act of vandalism in which they sawed the Vasyl Labaichuk head off the Joseph Stalin statue in Age: 21 Zaporizhia. Birthplace: Village of Tryzub members denied any involve- Roznoshyntsiakh, Ternopil Oblast ment in the December 31, 2010, detona- Arrested: January 9, 2011, impris- tion of the same statue, for which many oned in Zaporizhia of them were questioned and reportedly Criminal charge: Hooliganism in pressured to confess to by the interro- December 2010 beheading of Stalin gating law enforcement authorities. statue Tryzub leaders suspect that the Status: Allegedly endured torture Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation planted that bomb to serve Anatolii Onufriichuk as a pretext for the pro-Russian Age: 25 Ukrainian government to begin a perse- Birthplace: Ovruch, Zhytomyr Oblast cution campaign of Ukrainian national- Arrested: January 19, 2011, impris- ists. The government has yet to charge oned in Zaporizhia Volodymyr Musyak anyone with the December 31 explo- Criminal charge: Hooliganism in Andrii Tarasenko, first deputy chair of the Stepan Bandera Tryzub All-Ukrainian sion. December 2010 beheading of Stalin statue Organization. The following is a list of 14 national- Status: Admitted he capitulated to ists who remain under arrest, including torture by Volodymyr Musyak have any specific charges filed against Yurii Hudymenko, a member of the you? Svoboda political party. Six Tryzub Special to The Ukrainian Weekly Yurii Ponomarenko members were questioned and released. Age: 24 Simply silent. They explained nothing, The authorities have shown no con- KYIV – He was whisked away from said nothing, not reading any rights as in Birthplace: Village of Krasnokutsk, Ivano-Frankivsk to Zaporizhia on a charter sistent legal basis for incarcerating the Kharkiv Oblast American films or identifying themselves, activists, many of whom were arrested plane. Then he was made to sit outside for as our legislation requires. Nothing at all. Arrested: January. 19, 2011, impris- eight hours in freezing weather, on the eve for charges on alleged crimes that were oned in Zaporizhia I was questioned as a suspect in setting prosecuted and closed many years ago. of a daylong, Soviet-style interrogation. ablaze some café in Halych in December Criminal charge: Hooliganism in That night he was released onto the streets That lack of consistency, as well as ille- December 2010 beheading of Stalin 20, 2009. [Editor’s note – Mr. Tarasenko gal detention, has led Ukrainian human without even a jacket. was not directly involved in the December statue Andrii Tarasenko, first deputy chair of rights activists to allege political perse- Status: Allegedly endured beatings 27, 2010, vandalism of the Stalin statue, yet cution. the central command of the Stepan Bandera he was held as part of those investigations.] Tryzub All-Ukrainian Organization, gave a – Compiled by Zenon Zawada and Andrii Stempitskyi Where were you transported immedi- Volodymyr Musyak of the Kyiv Press January 26 press conference in Kyiv to Age: 36 ately after your arrest, and what hap- Bureau. inform the public about the status of 14 of Birthplace: Boryslav, Lviv Oblast pened further? its members who remain illegally incarcer- Stepan Bandera Tryzub Arrested: January 8, 2011, impris- ated, according to human rights activists They took two of us – me and [former All-Ukrainian Organization oned in Ivano-Frankivsk claimed, while they await trial. central command chair] Dmytro Yarosh. Criminal charge: Illegal possession They were arrested as part of a nation- The others were arrested throughout the Vasyl Abramiv of firearms* wide sting operation to find those who oblast. Afterwards there were arrests in Age: 26 Status: Allegedly endured psycholog- sawed the head off the statue of Soviet dic- Kyiv, Kharkiv, Obukhiv, Zaporizhia and Birthplace: Village of ical abuse tator Joseph Stalin in Zaporizhia on even Crimea. We were immediately sepa- Naddnistrianske, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast December 27, 2010. Yet they were ques- rated and transported to different police sta- Arrested: January 20, 2011, impris- Pylyp Taran tioned for another crime – the statue’s deto- tions so that we weren’t all in one place. oned in Zaporizhia Age: 20 nation four days later – in which the Tryzub They took my fingerprints seven times, Criminal charge: Hooliganism in Birthplace: Kharkiv activists deny involvement. and photographed me five times with their December 2010 beheading of Stalin statue Arrested: January 8, 2011, impris- The enormous resources allocated by the cellular phones. Not how they’re supposed Status: Allegedly endured torture oned in Zaporizhia administration of President Viktor to, near that thing that measures height. Criminal charge: Hooliganism in Yanukovych to address a simple act of hoo- They simply snapped photos. From there, I Eduard Andriushchenko December 2010 beheading of Stalin liganism – charter planes and hundreds of was taken to the district hospital, where Age: 22 statue officers – shocked everyone involved. they took blood from my finger. I was Status: Allegedly endured torture In an interview Mr. Tarasenko, a Birthplace: Zaporizhia taken to a traumatologist, and they did Arrested: January 9, 2011, impris- 28-year-old native of Kryvyi Rih, described radiophotography. Perhaps they were cov- Artem Tsyhanok the ordeal both he and his comrades oned in Zaporizhia ering themselves, so there wouldn’t be any Age: 22 endured during the government’s round-up Criminal charge: Hooliganism in outrage over me being beaten. Birthplace: Zaporizhia in mid-January. December 2010 beheading of Stalin Afterwards they transported me to the statue Arrested: January 10, 2011, impris- * * * Ivano-Frankivsk prison, from there I was Status: Allegedly endured beatings oned in Zaporizhia Many believe Tryzub (Trident) is a escorted to the Lviv airfield. I was flown Criminal charge: Arson of Zaporizhia paramilitary organization. Is that the from Lviv to Zaporizhia, where I was taken Stepan Bychek Communist Party headquarters in 2009 to the city administration [of internal case? Age: 59 Status: Allegedly endured beatings affairs]. Birthplace: Village of Svitanok, We teach at youth training camps com- This was a special plane, an AN-24 Ternopil Oblast Vitalii Vyshniuk bat preparedness, obstacle courses, martial Motor Sich, which specially flew from Arrested: January 17, 2011, impris- Age: 24 arts and some elements of shooting from Zaporizhia with Berkut forces and several oned in Ivano-Frankivsk Birthplace: Kalush, Ivano-Frankivsk pneumatic rifles. We do all this for one plainclothes men. We flew to Zaporizhia Criminal charge: Illegal possession Arrested: January 12, 2011, impris- simple reason – 90 percent of our youth without any other passengers. don’t serve in the army, and have no idea of firearms* oned in Zaporizhia What happened when you arrived in what that is. The nation’s fighting spirit is Status: Allegedly endured psycholog- Criminal charge: Hooliganism in Zaporizhia? being castrated. Men aren’t being raised, ical abuse December 2010 beheading of Stalin statue but some type of “half-men.” For seven or eight hours, I sat in the Viktor Davydenko police truck on the street, by the Internal Status: No reported abuse or torture Who led the arrests and how were Age: 57 they done? Or at least in your case. Affairs City Administration. I was freezing Ihor Zahrebelnyi terribly, considering they took all of my Birthplace: Rural Zaporizhia Oblast I have no idea who did it, but I think outer clothes, gave me some rags and Arrested: January 11, 2011, impris- Age: 22 these guys were from the criminal investi- deprived me of a jacket. At night, they took oned in Zaporizhia Birthplace: Village of Bilyky, Poltava gations unit of Ivano-Frankivsk. No one people one by one from the police truck, Criminal charge: Arson of Zaporizhia Oblast identified themselves, they didn’t show and conducted interrogations. Communist Party headquarters in 2009 Arrested: January 21, 2011, impris- documents and didn’t explain anything at I was the last to be led to the investiga- Status: Allegedly endured verbal oned in Zaporizhia all. They said nothing. They simply arrest- tor. He questioned me as a witness in the threats, psychological abuse Criminal charge: Arson of Zaporizhia ed me, placed a hat over my head, hand- beheading of the Stalin statue, and sent me Communist Party headquarters in 2009 Roman Khmara cuffs behind my back, and that’s all. to some office where I sat until the morn- Status: No reported abuse or torture Age: 31 Did they offer any basis for the arrest, ing, fastened to a chair. At dawn I began to Birthplace: Kyiv (Continued on page 7) or did they silently arrest you? Did you (Continued on page 18) 6 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 No. 9

The Ukrainian Weekly The West wakes up In the wake of upheavals in the Middle East, it seems that the Western press – if not Western leaders – has rediscovered Ukraine. Or more pointedly what came after Ukraine’s euphoric Orange Revolution. On February 7, The Wall Street Journal’s editorial noted, “Six years ago, Yurii Hudymenko’s love for Ukraine Ukraine had its Egypt moment. A popular uprising toppled an authoritarian regime in what came to be known as the Orange Revolution.” The editorial went on to The first time I met Yurii Hudymenko, “Our Ukrainian face is being note the grim reality of today’s Ukraine, when “Mr. [Viktor] Yanukovych’s gov- he called a press conference in Kyiv to destroyed before our very eyes. What is ernment is now busily trying to reverse democratic rights, putting pressure on the draw attention to an attack carried out youth interested in now? Everyone wants press, ramming constitutional changes into law to increase his power and extend- against him and 30 patriots who gathered a beautiful life without hard work, and ing the Parliament’s term by a year.” Ukraine, it said, “is under threat from refu- in their native Zaporzhia on October 18, rarely does anyone refrain from using gees of the Soviet era who grew up with the habits of one-party rule and have 2009, to honor the founding of the alcohol and cigarettes,” he commented. never taken to pluralistic politics.” Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Years ago, I might have dismissed On February 23, The Washington Post observed: “While Western attention is In response to his attempts to lead a such claims. I don’t any longer. focused on the exciting upheavals in the Middle East, a strategic European coun- simple march down the city’s central Mr. Hudymenko decided to channel try of 50 million people may be creeping out of the democratic camp.” The edito- boulevard, more than 40 Russian chau- his love for Ukraine by joining the rial noted that “the government has begun to move against the Orange vinist thugs of the Party of Regions of Svoboda All-Ukrainian Union, the Revolution’s leaders. …Journalists say free media are under pressure from the Ukraine attacked them with the support nation’s leading nationalist political force government. Local elections held last year were marked by serious irregularities.” of local police, who urged “beat them that is likely to gain a faction in The Economist of February 24 wrote: “As in Russia in the early Putin years, the quicker because our bosses will be com- Parliament in the October 2012 elections. influence of parliament, prime minister and government has been cut back. Decisions ing soon.” It’s unfortunate that the cream of the belong in the presidential administration. Prosecutors, the constitutional court and the One of the thugs used a pneumatic pis- crop of Ukraine’s post-Orange genera- central bank have lost any semblance of independence. …thuggery and cronyism are tol to shoot at Mr. Hudymenko and the tion is turning to radical forces like in place. … The air of intimidation has thickened. …Mr. Yanukovich [sic] has taken a patriots, in clear view of those supposed Svoboda, rather than finding a nest in the leaf from Mr. [Vladimir] Putin’s book by exploiting a right-wing nationalist party in to maintain law and order. national-democratic forces. We can thank western Ukraine to serve as an easily defeatable opposition that can also be presented None of the attackers were arrested, Mr. Yushchenko for decimating the in the West and in Kiev [sic] as an ugly alternative to his moderate Party of Regions.” yet Mr. Hudymenko and several beaten national-democratic idea with his cor- It is worth recalling the inaugural address two years ago of President Barack colleagues were taken to the local police rupt, ineffective politics. Obama, who said: “To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit station, where they were beaten further. As a result, many of the youths who and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history.” Eventually, several of the victims were used to believe in the values of the Today there are questions about how he has handled the multiple popular revolu- convicted for simple hooliganism by a Orange Revolution have defected to tions in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Iran, Bahrain, Libya, etc. And there should be local court. The assaulters remain free. Svoboda, convinced of the ultimate fail- questions, too, about how he has handled Ukraine. So much for Western-style justice ure of the ideologies of “liberal democra- The aforementioned Washington Post editorial pointed out that the “political under the presidency of the so-called cy” (associated with the Batkivschyna abuses” of the Yanukovych administration were not publicly mentioned during a “nationalist” Viktor Yushchenko, who party) and “national democracy” (associ- meeting of the U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Partnership Commission. It concluded by everyone expected would use the law to ated with the decimated Our Ukraine stating: “The United States should be pressing harder to stop the democratic ero- protect patriotic Ukrainians against party). sion. One way to do so is to explicitly link further progress in economic relations Ukraine’s hostile pro-Russian forces. Mr. Hudymenko was arrested on with Ukraine to improvements in human rights – and to urge the governments of After all, many patriots risked their lives January 10 for allegedly smearing red the European Union to follow suit.” so that he could become president. If he paint in May 2010 on the statue of KGB Yes, it’s time for the West to get over its “Ukraine fatigue” and get beyond its wasn’t going to establish the rule of law founder Felix Dzerzhinsky that still focus on stability above all else. in Ukraine, the least he could have done looms over Zaporizhia along its central is protect his own electorate. boulevard – on Freedom Square, no less. When I traveled to Zaporizhia to cover Never mind that a court cleared Mr. the unveiling of the Joseph Stalin statue Hudymenko of any criminal charges last at the local Communist Party headquar- year. Following the Stalin statue detona- ters, I met Mr. Hudymenko again for an tion, Zaporizhia Oblast Prosecutor March Turning the pages back... interview. We talked about what it was Viacheslav Pavlov ruled to overturn that like being a young, ethnically conscious verdict and to re-try the criminal case Ukrainian growing up and living in a city against Mr. Hudymenko – a move that in 3 Last year, on March 3, 2010, deputies from the Lviv, like Zaporizhia. what Ukrainian lawyers said is an illegal- Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk oblast councils submitted The city hasn’t changed a bit since the ly conjured pretext to incarcerate this 2010 appeals to the European Parliament asking it to review its con- Soviet era, he told me. Everything has young activist, just for his political views demnation of President Viktor Yushchenko posthumously practically remained the same. It’s the and deeds. awarding Stepan Bandera, leader of the Organization of type of place where many young people The prosecutor demanded his impris- Ukrainian Nationalists, the title of National Hero of Ukraine. spend all week working, only to blow all onment out of concern he would flee. Yet The resolution, adopted by the European Parliament on February 25, 2010, stated their money on a weekend of partying. Mr. Hudymenko had been arrested twice that it “deeply deplores the decision by the outgoing president of Ukraine, Viktor Youth and sports organizations collapsed in the last year and hadn’t fled anywhere Yushchenko,” and labeled Bandera a Nazi collaborator and voiced hope that the next with the Soviet Union, and were never before the respective court dates. Ukrainian leadership would “reconsider such decisions and maintain its commitment to replaced. (Continued on page 10) European values.” “It’s a working class city, and the The resolution touched on other subjects related to Ukraine, including the recent youth have nothing to do,” he told me. presidential election and constitutional reform to cooperation with the European “The vast majority drink, and couldn’t Union, visa-free travel and energy efficiency. imagine spending a Friday night without The International Conference in Support of Ukraine submitted a letter of protest to a five-liter bottle of beer. They don’t Jerzy Buzek, president of the European Parliament, on March 2, 2010. remember the weekends, and repeat the Deputies of the oblast councils said the resolution on Bandera was based on slander cycle week after week. It hurts me to of so-called “cooperation” between the OUN and Nazi Germany, and were the echoes watch all this.” of Communist propaganda that defamed the Ukrainian national liberation movement Mr. Hudymenko, 23, struck me as pre- during World War II. The deputies called on the European Parliament to review its cisely the type of upstanding young man position based on historical facts, referring to the Nuremburg process, in which neither that Ukraine doesn’t have enough of. Bandera, nor the OUN led by him, nor the Ukrainian Insurgent Army led by Gen. He’s articulate, thoughtful and intelli- Roman Shukhevych were described as collaborators. gent. He cares deeply for his city, for his Lviv Oblast Council Deputy Oleh Krystyniak told RFE/RL that the European country and for his people. He doesn’t Parliament’s position was “an insult to Ukrainians, because the OUN in March 1939 drink, having seen the damage alcohol was the first to take up arms to oppose Hitler’s plans for the division of Europe. had done to his peers. [Bandera] refused to collaborate with the Nazis.” In March 2010, he even organized a The International Conference in Support of Ukraine (prior to Ukraine’s renewed march in the city – “Genocide Without independence known as the Ukrainian Liberation Front) wrote to Mr. Buzek, arguing Gallows” – to protest against the degen- that “the honoring of Stepan Bandera is not a topic for European Parliament debate” and noting that “our understanding is that this anti-Ukrainian verbiage was introduced erative culture overtaking young people last minute with no supporting documentation or evidence by the Polish delegation.” in his native Zaporizhia. They called for The letter, signed by Askold S. Lozynskyj, chairman, concluded: “We hope that in youths to stop drinking alcohol, smoking good faith, Mr. President, you revisit this issue. Ample evidence from Nazi, Soviet and cigarettes and watching television – all OUN archives can be submitted to refute this specious canard. We are certain that you, addictive behaviors prevalent in Ukraine. Zenon Zawada as the former prime minister of Poland, can inform your colleagues personally simply Mr. Hudymenko told the local media Yurii Hudymenko was arrested on by telling the truth. We pray that you do what is right.” that genocide is being carried out against January 10 on charges of which he was Ukrainians, only “without gallows or cleared – smearing paint on Source: “European Parliament slams Yushchenko for honoring Bandera,” The concentration camps, without open Zaporizhia’s statue of KGB founder Ukrainian Weekly, March 7, 2010. wars.” Felix Dzerzhinsky in May 2010. No. 9 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 7

WINDOW ON EURASIA NEWS AND VIEWS ‘Three Nations’ competing for dominance Whose Foreign Affairs Ministry within Ukraine, according to Lviv activist does Gryshchenko head? by Askold S. Lozynskyj But the concept of a non-governmental by Paul Goble which by its passivity and absence of organization being formed and functioning vision… equates two polar tendencies,” Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a conscience of the community, yet sub- Most analysts view relations between those of Lviv and those of Donetsk. (MFA) under the current leadership of servient to government pressure is vigor- ethnic Ukrainians and ethnic Russians as “The third part,” Mr. Mykhalchyshyn Kostyantyn Gryshchenko has taken a posi- ously opposed by the leaders of the the basic source of conflict in Ukraine says, “is the neo-Soviet nation, that part of tion that is difficult to understand. After all, Ukrainian community in Russia – and today. Some have argued that this conflict the population of Ukraine which possibly despite the overwhelming closeness of rightly so. is among three groups: Ukrainian-speaking is the result of mixed marriages of President Viktor Yanukovych’s regime to During last year’s commemoration of Ukrainians, Russian-speaking Ukrainians Ukrainians, Russians and representatives the Russian Federation, Ukraine remains the Holodomor, Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs and Russian-speaking Russians. of other peoples of the former Soviet an independent country. One of the func- Minister Gryshchenko issued a statement But Yurii Mykhalchyshyn, deputy head Union.” It is a product of Soviet nationali- tions of Ukraine’s MFA and its adjunct dip- that was read by his ambassador in the of the Ukrainian nationalist Svoboda Party ty policy and of efforts to produce a single lomatic missions throughout the world is to United States at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in in the Lviv City Council, told Glavkom on “Soviet people.” look out for the welfare of Ukrainians New York during a commemorative pro- January 27 that the real conflict in Ukraine Such people view “the liquidation of the residing and functioning as communities in gram organized by the Ukrainian American at the present time is about “the right to USSR… as a catastrophe in their lives” other countries. community. Naturally, the term “genocide” exist” for one or another of “three different and continue to “identify with a single all- Most recently Mr. Gryshchenko, was omitted from the statement. national projects” (www.regnum.ru/news/ union center of influence in Moscow.” addressing Ukraine’s Parliament, sided But, perhaps even more significantly, polit/1368975.html). Culturally, spiritually and economically, with the Russian government in Russia’s Mr. Gryshchenko went out of his way to “Today we can quite confidently speak they identify themselves [not with current dispute with the Ukrainian commu- emphasize the suffering of other peoples about the formation” of three distinctive Russians necessarily] but with the Soviet nity there. In fact, Russia is attempting to throughout the Soviet Union. That may groupings: the Svoboda party leader liquidate existing Ukrainian structures, have been a Christian approach, albeit his- argues, “[first,] a contemporary period of history, “seeing it as a model for most notably the Federal National Cultural torically incorrect and insensitive to one’s Ukrainian nation, [second,] a Little the future,” he explains. Autonomy of Ukrainians in Russia own people, were it initiated by leaders of Russian nation, and [third,] a neo-Soviet Such people are extraordinarily hostile (FNCAUR) and the Union of Ukrainians Ukraine’s churches. But this was the state- nation, the representatives of which are to the very idea of the existence of Ukraine of Russia (UUR). Additionally, it has pres- ment of Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs commonly called “sovky.” as “a separate state unit on the geopolitical sured the municipal Library of Ukrainian Ministry. The statement concluded by call- The contemporary Ukrainian nation, he map of the world.” Literature in Moscow. ing upon the participants to pray for all suggests, “is that part of the old Ukrainian According to Mr. Mykhalchyshyn, Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei those who suffered. ethnic base” who members “consider “today’s Ukraine is divided not along an Lavrov has acknowledged that while the The irony was so palpable that, at the themselves Ukrainians” and see “continu- ‘east-west- line,’ ” that is geographically, legal bases for liquidation (FNCAUR) are “but more along one of “a spiritual-biolog- conclusion, a former high-ranking member ity and an uninterrupted pattern of procedural infractions of Russian law, the of Ukraine’s diplomatic corps pointed out Ukrainian statehood from Kyivan Rus’ to ical character.” Each of the three groups, underlying reason is the organization’s he says, has about 30 percent of the popu- to me privately, that this was the first time Ukraine of 1991 and who desire the devel- political activities, including but not limit- in more than 15 annual observances at St. opment of the Ukrainian state in its ethnic lation, and thus no one of them is in a pre- ed to participating in commemorations of dominant position now. Patrick’s Cathedral that there was no com- boundaries.” the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933 memorative statement from the president of The “Little Russia” group is “the politi- Despite its “biological component,” (Holodomor), giving interviews to Radio something that will cause many to dismiss Ukraine and that the only official Ukrainian cally amorphous part of ethnic Ukrainians Liberty and the like, which does not com- government statement attempted to pass who have been subjected to strong de- it, Mr. Mykhalchyshyn’s proposed model port with Russian governmental policy. really focuses on psychology, and it pro- over the Holodomor’s Ukrainian specificity. nationalization: in particular, as a result of At the Verkhovna Rada Mr. I managed to grab a diplomat from mass repressions, collectivization and the vides a more adequate explanation for why Gryshchenko stressed that fault lay with Ukrainian politics is so unstable and why Ukraine’s Embassy and cynically request- consequences of the second world war for the Ukrainian community in Russia, ed that he pass on to both the ambassador central and northern Ukraine.” individuals and groups ally with or oppose among other procedural infractions, for one another than do most ethnic models. and Mr. Gryshchenko, that in the future Members of this group “recognize their “failing to convene annual meetings of Ukraine would be better served if state- blood relationship to those Ukrainians who Meanwhile, it is increasingly clear that members of the UUR.” This assertion Moscow and Kyiv under the presidency of ments on the Holodomor were simply pre- position themselves as a clearly conscious manifested not only sycophancy but igno- pared by the diaspora community. Ukrainian nation but are more indifferent Viktor Yanukovych are working to promote rance since, under the by-laws of the UUR, the third group at the expense of the other While the post-program banter at St. relative to [its] future.” And they form that meetings (conventions) of members are to Patrick’s was personally cathartic, unfortu- part of contemporary Ukrainian society two. One clear example of that involves the be held on a quadrennial basis. fate of Ukrainian organizations in the nately, Ukraine’s position regarding the Mr. Gryshchenko speaks often with lit- Ukrainian community in Russia is damn- Paul Goble is a long-time specialist Russian Federation – organizations that tle regard for the facts, but manages to Russian officials have moved to close. ing. The community there, perhaps naively, on ethnic and religious questions in shroud errors with a loud tone and a self- looked for support from the government of Even as Moscow courts move to close Eurasia who has served in various assured visage. Some call it arrogance. Ukraine. When Minister Gryshchenko and Ukrainian autonomy organizations in capacities in the U.S. State Department, Ukraine’s Parliament did not know any Ambassador Yelchenko sided with the Russia, people close to the process told the Central Intelligence Agency and the better, but word leaked out. The UUR lead- Russians and conspired with the Russians Nezavisimaya Gazeta that the Russian International Broadcasting Bureau, as ership repudiated the minister’s remarks. to mold the Ukrainian community in powers that be are working with Kyiv to well as at the Voice of America and The issue, however, is not Mr. Russia’s and contemporary Ukraine’s set up “new [Ukrainian] structures with a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Gryshchenko’s errors. For some time he desired image, the Ukrainian community in new [and presumably less nationalist] the Carnegie Endowment for and his representative, Ukraine’s ambassa- Russia was doomed with no future as a International Peace. Mr. Goble writes a leadership” (www.ng.ru/poli- dor to Moscow, Volodymyr Yelchenko legitimate non-governmental voice and blog called “Window on Eurasia.” tics/2011-01-28/100_ukraina.html). have been plotting to compel the Ukrainian conscience of Ukrainians in Russia. community in Russia to reorganize by Similarly, if Mr. Gryshchenko remains forming a new structure entirely accommo- on top, there is no future for Ukraine’s cur- dating to both Russian and Ukrainian poli- rent Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It should they’re inspired by their own grievances, cies, which do not differ much these days. Exporting... but the technical considerations are simply rename itself the Ukrainian Desk at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the (Continued from page 2) inspired by what’s going on elsewhere.” Mr. Gogoberidze, the Georgian activist, Askold S. Lozynskyj is an attorney Russian Federation. But then Mr. says that none of the Iranians she trained based in New York City. He is a former Yanukovych would not be a president and amazing achievement, and it was key to president of the Ukrainian World Mr. Gryshchenko would not be a minister. their success,” he notes. were part of any formal activist organiza- tion, such as the Green Movement. She Congress. And so the farce continues. Each unhappy in its own way says she has trained housewives, students and journalists how to engage in nonvio- Canvas’s teachings are now spreading Yurii Hudymenko around North Africa and the Middle East lent struggle. Ukrainian nationalists... Age: 23 through word of mouth and social media. Asked how Canvas connects with these Birthplace: Zaporizhia Zeynep Tufekci, an assistant professor people, she says simply, “They find us.” (Continued from page 5) Arrested: January 8, 2011, imprisoned of sociology at the University of Maryland in Zaporizhia in Baltimore County, says that messages of Slobodan Kostic and Ena Stevanovic of Oleksii Zanuda Criminal charge: Hooliganism in May solidarity as well as practical knowledge – RFE/RL’s Balkan Service contributed to Age: 28 2010 smearing of paint on Dzerzhinsky ranging from how to deal with tear gas to this report, as did RFE/RL’s Georgian Birthplace: Village of Obukhiv, Kyiv statue in Zaporizhia how to circumvent Internet censorship – Service. Oblast Status: No information available have been exchanged between Tunisia, Copyright 2011, RFE/RL Inc. Reprinted Arrested: January 14, 2011, imprisoned Egypt and other countries in political tur- with the permission of Radio Free Europe/ in Zaporizhia * Police have not stated what the criminal moil. Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Criminal charge: Hooliganism in charge of illegal possession of firearms is “It’s really just a very integrated move- Washington DC 20036; www.rferl.org. December 2010 beheading of Stalin statue related to. Bloggers reported speculation that ment, even though the uprisings are very (See http://www.rferl.org/content/export- Status: Allegedly endured beatings the weapons were planted by police in relation national and very organic,” Mr. Tufekci ing_nonviolent_revolution_eastern_ to the December 31, 2010, detonation of the Svoboda All-Ukrainian Union says. “They’re not just inspired by outside; europe_mideast/2316231.html.) Stalin statue in Zaporizhia. 8 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 No. 9

NEWS AND VIEWS: Reflections on the Ukrainian language by Jaroslaw Martyniuk a change taking place among adults, as expressed goodwill toward the Ukrainian peasants – the backbone of the nation – demonstrated by an incident that took language and indicated that it must be pro- also dealt the Ukrainian language a crip- In September 2010, I spent 10 days in place at the offices of one of Ukraine’s tected and nurtured. Considerable majori- pling blow. Kyiv and Odesa observing focus groups leading marketing research institutes. ties of the groups in Kyiv and Odesa also There was a short revival of the for a client. I’ve been doing media research Although, I’m usually greeted in support the idea that Ukrainian should be Ukrainian language and culture in Soviet in Ukraine since the early 1990s and have Ukrainian, over the years I have noticed the only state language and that all citizens Ukraine during the 1920s, and another observed a number of changes in attitudes that most of the personnel are bilingual but of Ukraine should be able to speak it. under Communist Party of Ukraine leader toward the Ukrainian language. This article tend to communicate in Russian with each Some believed Russian should not have Petro Shelest, from 1963 to 1972. He was discusses some of these changes and docu- other. Old habits die hard. On one occa- a privileged status and should be treated removed by the Kremlin for being too ments a few trends. sion, however, I was surprised to hear like any other foreign tongue. A small lenient toward Ukrainian “nationalism.” For about the last 20 years, attitudes everyone, from the director on down to the minority, however, felt that Russian should Shelest’s successor, Volodymyr toward the Ukrainian language have technical staff, speaking Ukrainian. The be permitted as a second official language Shcherbytsky, fiercely suppressed any evolved in its favor, but not without contra- institute was welcoming a group of sociol- in eastern Ukraine, where most inhabitants revival of the language and insisted diction and paradox. The best way to ogists from Moscow and, as if on cue, to are Russophone. Russian be spoken at all official functions. describe this phenomenon is to recount a underscore their Ukrainianness, all began A few were embarrassed they could not His policy of Russification, which lasted situation I observed while walking down speaking in fluent Ukrainian and used express themselves fluently in Ukrainian. until 1985, once again left the Ukrainian Shota Rustaveli Street, one of the tree- Russian only when they communicated They want to speak their language well and language seriously weakened. lined thoroughfares in the center of Kyiv. with their Russian guests. When the not “butcher” it the way the current prime During the tumultuous late 1980s, An elderly lady was escorting her 8-year- Moscow team left, the staff switched back minister, Mykola Azarov, does. Mikhail Gorbachev’s liberal policy of pere- old granddaughter to school. The grand- to their habitual use of Russian. Finally, there are indications that people stroika eventually led to growing support mother was instructing the little girl about have changed the way they communicate for Ukrainian sovereignty and, with it, sup- how it’s important for her to speak *** port for the Ukrainian language. There has definitely been a noticeable on a daily basis. The 2001 census shows Ukrainian. The irony was that she was lec- Consequently, the Russification was stalled shift in attitudes toward the Ukrainian lan- that two-thirds of the population named turing her granddaughter in Russian: and, with the declaration of Ukraine’s inde- guage. When I first came to Kyiv in the Ukrainian as their native language; 30 per- “Verochka, ty dolzhna govorit na ukrayins- pendence in 1991, reversed. Since then, the early 1990s and spoke Ukrainian in a res- cent named Russian. But this does not kom yazike. Ya tebe vsegda govoryu, trends have been encouraging. Ukrainian taurant or in a shop, I would get a per- reflect how Ukrainian is used in everyday rozgovorivai so mnoy po-ukrayinski – eto has taken root as the state language, and plexed look, as if to say “What village did life. nuzhno” (“Verochka [a diminutive of has also been widely promoted in the pub- this man come from?” Any response to my A much better indicator is which lan- Vera], you should speak in Ukrainian. I lic sphere. More importantly, it is used inquiries was almost always in Russian. guage is spoken at home. Current survey always tell you to converse with me in widely in schools at all levels, and the Twenty years on things have changed. findings show the proportion of Ukrainians Ukrainian – it’s necessary”). media landscape has become largely While Russian is still heard on the streets who speak Ukrainian at home (around 45 On another occasion, while traveling to Ukrainophone. The status, acceptance and of Kyiv, I no longer get strange looks when percent) is higher than that of those who Dnipropetrovsk, I shared a cabin with an speak Russian (around 40 percent). In the growth of the Ukrainian language was official working for Ukraine’s stock I speak in Ukrainian. If I speak in Russian, strengthened. chances are that I will get a response in kind, mid-1990s the ratio was roughly inverse. exchange. The man tried speaking to me in The shift, though not dramatic, suggests a However, in January 2010, Viktor Ukrainian but constantly mixed in Russian but if I choose to use Ukrainian, most people Yanukovych, the newly elected president will reply to me in fairly decent Ukrainian. trend. It should be noted that a substantial words and syntax. In the end he apolo- proportion of Ukrainians (15 percent) speak of Ukraine, appointed a largely Russophile Young people are especially likely to have and Russophone Cabinet of Ministers. Its gized, saying that all his life he’d spoken a Ukrainian-Russian patois called “surzhyk.” Russian and only recently began using a good command of that language. members are vigorously trying to undo the Ukrainian. At that moment, his daughter Yet another change is that by now near- *** achievements of the last 20 years. They walked into our cabin, saying in Russian: ly all Ukrainians are bilingual. Although Over the last century, the Ukrainian lan- have launched a systematic attack on “Papa, papa, posmotri chto ya sdelala!” not all are fluent in both Ukrainian and guage has undergone cycles of revival and Ukrainian language, culture, history and (Papa, papa, look at what I’ve done) and Russian, surveys show that nearly all (98 near obliteration. The language question is national churches on all levels, including showing him how she had dressed her doll. percent) understand those languages well closely linked to Ukrainian national identi- administrative, legislative and judicial, as Her father seemed embarrassed that his enough to understand most of a radio ty. That identity has been stronger in west- well as in the realms of education and mass daughter was speaking in Russian, and told broadcast. This high level of bilingualism ern Ukraine because it was not part of the media. her that I speak Ukrainian and that she also suggests that most Ukrainians are able USSR before 1939 and therefore did not Does this mean that the Ukrainian lan- should too. In a split second, the little girl to switch back and forth between the two suffer the terrible population losses caused guage is yet again in jeopardy? Will it be switched to flawless, melodious Ukrainian languages. by the genocidal famine (Holodomor) of able to withstand this latest assault or will and said: “Dobryi den, podyvitsia na moyu Such flexibility was illustrated by the 1932-1933, the Great Terror and other it succumb to Russification policies to lialku” (Good day, take a look at my doll). focus groups I observed in Kyiv. Stalin-era crimes that afflicted the rest of appease Moscow? Russian-speaking parents and grandpar- Participants indicated it does not make Ukraine in the interwar years. One thing is becoming clear: the process ents are increasingly encouraging their off- much difference if news and other infor- The inhabitants of central, southern and will not be without a strong resistance. spring to speak Ukrainian, but there is also mation on the radio are broadcast in eastern Ukraine, on the other hand, were Opposition to President Yanukovych’s edu- Ukrainian or Russian, because they under- repeatedly, repressed starved, collectivized cational and cultural policies is already stand both languages equally. and terrorized. That systematic assault solidifying, particularly among writers, Jaroslaw Martyniuk is a research In Kyiv, the focus groups were conduct- against Ukrainian national identity, society, intellectuals and members of the academic manager for Eurasia at the InterMedia ed in Russian and Ukrainian, but in Odesa culture and education, combined with the elite, and they have recently found allies in Survey Institute in Washington. The opin- most participants preferred speaking in Holodomor’s tragic, hyper-excessive mor- the Verkhovna Rada. Only time will tell ions expressed are his own. Russian. Still, the Odesans usually tality affecting at least 4 million Ukrainian which way the pendulum will swing.

egocentrism when dealing with the Party destroying it along with themselves, he ties can have a private founder, but not Authorities... of Regions, whose members she didn’t wrote. investors who would gain dividends from consider to be people. The Weekly was unsuccessful in con- its activities.” (Continued from page 1) Meanwhile Mr. Mykhalchyshyn tacting Mr. Marynovych for comment. The UCU paid $375,000 in taxes in declared that “our Banderite army will Part of the problem lies within 2010, Dr. Dobko said. various reasons for the delay, among cross the Dnipro River, cross Donetsk Ukraine’s legal code, which doesn’t cre- Mr. Syrotiuk insisted there was no them that the UCU couldn’t be consid- and throw the blue-assed gang that’s cur- ate a separate category for private univer- conflict between his party and the univer- ered a religious institution subject to rently usurping power out of Ukraine.” sities to be exempt from taxation, as is sity and said that the bill would be exemption. They also stated that the UCU “Are you sick of placards? …Are you done in the U.S., said Dr. Taras Dobko, reviewed in accordance with procedures. gains profit from student tuitions, which sick of speaking about compromise, the first pro-rector of UCU. Ukrainian Moreover three Lviv Oblast Council university officials said is not true. about reconciliation, about ‘east and west law views private universities no differ- chairs, all from Svoboda, met with Yet the real motive could have been together’?” the young politician rhetori- ent than private enterprises, he said. Cardinal Lubomyr Husar of the simple revenge on the part of the cally asked those assembled. Svoboda nationalists. “Banderites are people who forced the “Our legislation doesn’t at all recog- Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church to dis- UCU Vice-Rector Myroslav ‘Moskali’ [Muscovites] to respect nize the phenomenon of private universi- cuss that very issue several weeks ago. Marynovych published a blog entry in Ukrainians,” he thundered. “If earlier ties, which isn’t a business but a public “They agreed that it’s necessary to mid-January on the Zaxid.net website they could have asked, ‘Well, khokhly [a service,” Dr. Dobko wrote in a text calmly sit down, without any emotions, criticizing Lviv City Council Deputies derogatory term for Ukrainians], what’s released by the university on February 21 and make all the necessary decisions and Yurii Mykhalchyshyn and nationalist ora- up?’ we responded, ‘Everything’s fine. to explain the situation. “Such universi- resolve all the issues,” Mr. Syrotiuk said. tor Iryna Farion, both of the Svoboda But we’re not khokhly, we’re party, for indulging in hate speech when Banderites!’ At that, the traps on those reacting to a Donetsk court ruling strip- Asian dogs were shut!” Making contact with The Weekly ping Stepan Bandera of the Hero of Mr. Marynovych called the Svoboda Ukraine order. politicians “zealots,” and urged readers to Readers/writers who send information to The Ukrainian Weekly At a January 13 extraplenary session take the Christian approach of love – are kindly asked to include a daytime phone number and a complete of the Lviv Oblast Council held at the instead of hate – in addressing political mailing address. Please note that a daytime phone number is essential Bandera statue, Ms. Farion called upon and social issues. With that approach, Ukrainians to abandon compromise and Christians succeeded in conquering the in order for editors to contact correspondents regarding clarifications. tolerance in favor of aggressiveness and pagan Roman Empire, rather than No. 9 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 9

FOR THE RECORD Joint statement of U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Partnership Commission Below is the text of the joint statement following the third session of the United States-Ukraine Strategic Partnership Commission. It was released by the Office of the Spokesman, U.S. Department of State, on February 15.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Ukrainian Foreign [Affairs] Minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko convened the third session of the U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Partnership Commission on February 15 in Washington, D.C. The commission’s aim is to further strengthen the strategic part- nership between the two countries. The mandate of the Commission is to make concrete progress toward achieving the broad goals of the U.S.-Ukraine Charter on Strategic Partnership in the areas of nuclear security and non-prolifer- ation, political dialogue and rule of law, energy security, trade and investment, security cooperation, and science and technology. Yaro Bihun The Ukrainian party reaffirmed that the Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton with their dele- development of this strategic partnership gations at the third session of the U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Partnership Commission, which was held on February 15 in Washington. remains one of its key foreign policy pri- orities. The U.S. party reiterated its sup- political pluralism, and promoting judicial Both parties expressed their support for The United States welcomed Ukraine- port for Ukraine’s sovereignty, indepen- reform, and combating corruption. a transparent energy market in Ukraine, NATO interaction in strengthening inter- dence and territorial integrity, and reaf- Both parties discussed the process of and noted Ukraine’s passage of the Law national peace and security and continued firmed its readiness to assist with approving a new criminal procedure code on the Principles of Functioning of the Ukrainian participation in NATO-led and Ukraine’s political, economic, defense electoral code, and anti-corruption laws Natural Gas Market and steps to bring other international peacekeeping opera- and security reforms. that meet international standards through gas tariffs into conformity with the mar- tions and in deployments to Afghanistan, Secretary Clinton and Foreign Minister an established democratic, inclusive pro- ket. The United States encouraged Iraq, Kosovo and Liberia. Gryshchenko underlined both parties’ cess. The United States confirmed its Ukraine to restructure the gas sector to The United States appreciated the con- commitment to securing all vulnerable readiness to assist Ukraine in institutional help open possibilities for investment in tribution of Ukraine to strengthening nuclear materials and to increasing coop- and legal reforms. its gas transit system. global peace and security by actively eration in nuclear security and non-prolif- Ukraine stressed that responsibility and The commission noted progress under engaging in peacekeeping operations eration. They welcomed the substantial accountability should be the basis for a the Ukraine-U.S. Energy Security under the auspices of the United Nations. progress made toward implementation of viable and sustainable democracy and Working Group, co-chaired by Minister The United States welcomed the recent the Joint Statement issued by the presi- reconfirmed its strategic goal to imple- for Energy and Coal Industry Yurii decision of Ukraine to deploy additional dents of Ukraine and the United States ment reforms in line with European stan- Boyko and U.S. Special Envoy for military helicopters and personnel to the during the 2010 Nuclear Security Summit. dards. In that spirit, Ukraine and the Energy Issues in Eurasia Ambassador U.N. peacekeeping operation in Cote In December 2010, a substantial amount United States discussed the importance of Richard Morningstar. d‘Ivoire. of Ukraine’s highly enriched uranium was the protection of freedoms and individual They welcomed the agreement for the Ukraine and the United States under- removed, with support from the United rights in a manner in which civil society U.S. Geological Survey to conduct an scored the continuing importance of States. and stakeholders across the political spec- assessment of unconventional resources efforts by the international community to The Ukrainian party reconfirmed its trum will participate. that will give the Government of Ukraine assure the provision of well-trained and commitment to get rid of its remaining Both parties welcomed the establish- and investors public information on deployable military units for multilateral highly enriched uranium by the 2012 ment in July [2010] of the Political potential resources in Ukraine. They wel- peacekeeping missions, including concert- Nuclear Security Summit. The U.S. party Dialogue and Rule of Law Working comed U.S. Agency for International ed efforts to address chronic gaps faced reconfirmed its commitment to provide Group. The working group, which held its Development technical assistance for the by U.N. peacekeepers. Ukraine and the necessary technical and financial assis- inaugural meeting in November in Kyiv, legal, regulatory and environmental United States intend to explore ways to tance valued at approximately $50 million provides a platform to exchange views on framework of unconventional gas devel- enhance their cooperation on peacekeep- by the time of the 2012 Nuclear Security democratic, legal and political reforms opment. ing-related issues. Summit as part of this effort, including and the development of civil society. The Both parties intend to continue cooper- The United States reconfirmed that the financial and other resources necessary two parties welcomed the holding of a ation on energy efficiency and to discuss 1994 Budapest Memorandum security for the construction of a state-of-the-art meeting of Ukraine and U.S. civil society encouraging renewable energy technolo- assurances remain in effect, and agreed to neutron source facility that will enhance representatives in Washington on gies and oil and gas well rehabilitation. hold bilateral consultations with Ukraine civil nuclear cooperation. February 14 and look forward to They noted the importance of attracting on security assurances. The parties noted the significant prog- increased interaction between non-gov- private investment and technology to Ukraine and the United States high- ress toward the elimination of Ukraine’s ernmental organizations of both nations. develop Ukraine’s oil and gas resources lighted their intent to increase joint efforts SS-24 solid missile propellant and the The Charter on Strategic Partnership through open, competitive procurement against trafficking in persons and HIV/ destruction of its SCUD missiles. notes our mutual commitment to support processes. They welcomed the positive AIDS by signing a bilateral Cooperation Ukraine and the United States empha- economic reform and liberalization and to decision of the Ukrainian Interagency Plan on Combating Human Trafficking sized the significance of the April 19-22 develop a business climate supportive of Committee on preparing and implement- and the Partnership Framework on coop- high-level meeting “Kyiv Summit on Safe trade and investment. Today’s meeting ing production sharing agreements con- eration in countering HIV/AIDS in 2011- and Innovative Use of Nuclear Energy,” discussed the need for a fair and transpar- cerning the application by Chevron. 2015. the Chornobyl Pledging Conference with ent investment climate in Ukraine for both Both parties agreed to enhance cooper- The Commission welcomed the cre- partnership of the G-8, and the interna- Ukrainian and foreign firms. ation to resolve regional conflicts, to pro- ation of the Science and Technology tional conference “25 Years of the The parties discussed the global grain mote global stability, deal with cyber Working Group, which held its first ses- Chornobyl Tragedy: The Security of the market and other agricultural matters, and threats, climate change and pandemic dis- sion in November 2010. The working Future,” for promoting cooperation to expressed the hope that Ukraine’s signifi- eases, and collaborate in science and group is striving to increase cooperation enhance global nuclear safety and securi- cant production potential can contribute to technology, food safety, health, biotech- between scientific communities; its next ty. global food security. The United States nology and nuclear medicine. They reit- full meeting will be held in October- Both parties stressed the importance of welcomed Ukraine’s successful imple- erated support for progress in the 5+2 November 2011. a successful pledging conference for the mentation of its stand-by Arrangement process to reach a settlement on The United States and Ukraine agreed Chornobyl Shelter Fund and Nuclear with the International Monetary Fund and Transnistria. to review progress on visa regime liberal- Safety Account to enable the timely com- encouraged continued cooperation with The United States and Ukraine con- ization and enhanced people-to-people pletion of projects that will make the site the IMF. firmed their readiness to continue politi- exchanges; the next consular consulta- safe. Secretary Clinton and Foreign Minister cal dialogue and practical cooperation in tions will be held in Kyiv in March 2011. To further the goals of the Charter on Gryshchenko underlined that energy secu- the context of the Ukraine-NATO part- The United States welcomed Ukraine’s Strategic Partnership, Ukraine and the rity remains a key part of our strategic nership. Secretary Clinton and Foreign action plan to improve intellectual proper- United States reiterated that their coopera- dialogue and expressed support for the Minister Gryshchenko welcomed the ty protection. tion is based on shared values. Both par- development of Ukraine’s energy resourc- NATO Lisbon Summit decisions and the Secretary Clinton and Foreign Minister ties reaffirmed their commitment to es, including unconventional gas. The Alliance’s readiness to develop partner- Gryshchenko agreed to convene the next enhance cooperation aimed at strengthen- U.S. side welcomed Ukraine’s member- ships with Ukraine, as specified in the session of the Strategic Partnership ing democracy, the rule of law, developing ship in the European Energy Community. NATO Strategic Concept. Commission in Kyiv. 10 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 No. 9 UCCA Chicago brings Ukrainian Days closer to home by Ivanka Bryan There was also significant discussion regarding Canadian Prime Minister CHICAGO – Board members of the Stephen Harper’s visit to Ukraine, much Illinois chapter of the Ukrainian Congress of which was without Ukrainian political Committee of America (UCCA) have accompaniment when traveling to its begun work on bringing the “Ukrainian western regions. Rep. Schakowsky Days” advocacy event, hosted annually agreed that those in high political office by the Ukrainian National Information serve as excellent examples when trying Service (UNIS) of the UCCA in to convey a message to sitting hostile Washington, to the local level. governments. The UCCA leaders also U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D – Ill.) cited the necessity of a U.S. presidential met with UCCA-Illinois members in visit to Ukraine to ensure that the “re-set” November last year to discuss the dire political situation in Ukraine. The policy with Russia would not be at “Ukrainian Days” will be held on April Ukraine’s expense. 6-7 in Washington. Furthermore, the UCCA activists said Rep. Schakowsky serves on the con- the situation in Ukraine needs to be gressional Executive Committee of the observed first-hand so that the U.S. gov- Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission ernment can have a better grip on the and has been learning about the most gravity of Russia’s aggressive moves in recent human rights violations and perse- Ukraine. cution of journalists in Ukraine. The pres- Overall, the UCCA delegation’s meet- sure applied by the Security Service of U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (center) with members of the executive board of the ing was a success in that a key player in Ukraine (SBU) on academic leaders, spe- Illinois branch of the Ukrainian Congress Committe of America, (from left) Congress became better acquainted with cifically the Rev. Dr. Borys Gudziak, rec- Paul Bandriwsky, Ivanka Bryan, Julian Kulas and Marta Farion. the volatile and precarious political situa- tor of the Ukrainian Catholic University tion in the homeland of so many of her in Lviv, and the detention of Ruslan subsequent confiscation of his records, the current regime. Rep. Schakowsky constituents. The UCCA Illinois branch is Zabilyi, former director of the National were just two examples of the intimida- was informed about these incidents by reaching out to Congressional Ukrainian Museum “Prison on Lonsky Street” and tion that has become commonplace under the UCCA delegation. Caucus members and other members of Congress in order to maintain productive relationships with key political figures. (Sample letters for prospective members of the CUC are available by contacting UNIS by phone, 202-547-0018 or via e-mail, [email protected].) For more information about organizing a meeting with their congressional repre- sentatives, readers should contact their local UCCA branch. Registration forms and additional information for the Ukrainian Days are available at www. ucca.org.

Yurii Hudymenko’s... (Continued from page 10)

Smearing paint on a statue shouldn’t draw anything more than a fine, lawyers said. Mr. Hudymenko has sat in prison for six weeks now. He’s been illegally denied any access to a lawyer, let alone visitors, and the police have released no information on his condition. If the Party of Regions is truly financ- ing the Svoboda party as its convenient political enemy, then well-meaning patri- ots like Mr. Hudymenko are being duped. They are suffering for a lie. But we don’t know if that’s true. What we do know is that Mr. Hudymenko is one of us – he loves Ukraine, its people, its language and its culture. He chose the Svoboda nationalist party as the vehicle to express his love for Ukraine. I write for The Ukrainian Weekly. Someone else organizes medical airlifts to Ukraine. Someone in New Jersey is leading a dance class, while someone in Boston is researching Ukrainian history. Someone in Kharkiv might be learning Ukrainian for the first time. No matter how we choose to express our love for Ukraine, and no matter what our individual opinions might be of the Svoboda party, the diaspora ought to pressure the Ukrainian government for the release of Mr. Hudymenko because his incarceration violates not only Ukrainian law, but basic international standards of human rights. It’s a violation of human rights to re- try a suspect on the same criminal charg- es, and keep him incarcerated on charges of simple hooliganism, or smearing paint on a statue. Mr. Hudymenko, it appears, is a politi- cal prisoner in today’s Ukraine. No. 9 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 11

COAL PATCH DAYS Family stories of Lemko immigrants around Minersville, Pa.

by Michael Buryk pendent coal-mining operation in Forestville out of their early bootleg PART II activities. The Olenick family of Forestville arrived in the U.S. early in Other families from the Sanok region the 20th century. They came from Lisko (now Lesko) in southeastern Poland. Kramar (Kramer) Pawel was 27 when he came in 1902 There are still some descendants of and his wife Aleksandra, was 34 when other Sanok-region Ukrainian families she arrived in 1905. Their son Harry living in and around Minersville. Wasyl (Havrila, born 1898) arrived sometime Kramar arrived in Schuylkill County later. Harry married Maria Holubowsky from Zboiska, Galicia (now in Poland), (who had come from Zavadka in the in 1896 at the age of 18. He was one of Carpathian Mountains of Galicia) in the founders of the first Greek-Catholic 1919 in Minersville. parish in Minersville – St. George’s. Harry and Maria moved around the St. George’s church existed high up area looking for work. He received his on Kear’s Hill from the 1890s to the official miner’s certificate in 1923 and 1930s. Wasyl became a coal miner and was employed at the Lytle Colliery in worked in the Woodside Tunnel at the Primrose. The couple settled down in Lytle Colliery in Forestville. He died nearby Forestville to raise a family of there in 1923 after injuries sustained in 11 children. During the difficult days of a mining accident. the Depression, like many other Wasyl’s grandson Ron Kramer still Ukrainian, Polish and other immigrant owns an old-time barber shop in miners, Harry began to dig for his own Primrose and has lived in the area for coal in a bootleg mine behind his many years. He is very active along house. He also set up a makeshift with other local old timers in efforts to “breaker” there to process the coal for preserve the memory of our Ukrainian sale in the area. All his young children pioneers there. His barber shop is a trea- pitched in to help with the operation. sure trove of miners’ memorabilia, Most bootleggers sold their coal to including many photos highlighting buyers in a 25-mile radius of their oper- local history. His neighbor growing up ation and typically hauled it by “fliv- in the patch was the family of Nicholas ver” (slang for an old Ford Model T Bervinchak. car) or in a small truck at night to Ron tells many interesting anecdotes escape notice. Since they sold the coal about the life of the Ukrainian miners for a few dollars below the market who lived near the Primrose patch. He price, their product was in high notes that because the major companies demand. It was estimated that in 1933 like Lytle began to curtail their opera- the overall size of the bootleg coal busi- ness was between $30 million and $35 Harry Olenick’s bootleg mine circa 1930s, Forestville, Pa., from tions in the 1920s and went into a tail- a 2010 exhibit at the Orwigsburg, Pa., Historical Society and Museum. spin during the Great Depression fami- million. During the period 1932-1934, about 5 to 10 percent of all coal sold in lies had to turn to “bootleg mines” to County, the Orwigsburg Historical Great Depression. So, two years later, survive. Almost half the miners in the United States came from bootleg mines. Society and Museum currently has an in October 1936, when Sam was in the Schuylkill County were unemployed exhibit showing a memorable scene fourth grade, the entire family left and this activity was their only means of For the Olenicks, this was the hum- ble beginning of an independent coal from the Olenick family bootleg mine Pennsylvania and headed back to income. operation in the coal patch in the 1930s. Wysoczany, Poland. They settled there Individuals using crude equipment business that would last until the 1990s. During the 1950s, the family purchased It was put together by Harry’s grandson on a little 10-acre farm with a new dug the bootleg mines close to the Gary MacCready (son of Olga Olenick, house bought with whatever money ground surface. My Dad’s stepfather, a piece of land near the Lytle Woodside Tunnel in Forestville, and between another of the five daughters) with help they had managed to save in America. Stanley Marchowsky, worked his own from his aunt Anna Olenick. There were about 60 families living bootleg mine down the hill behind the 1959 and 1960 they built their own large-scale coal breaker. Harry and in this small Polish village (after World Primrose patch. One day after lunch Katchmar (Kaczmar, Kachmar) War I Wysoczany and the surrounding when he returned to the coalhole, a slow Maria’s sons, John, Nick, Steve and Mike, and a newly arrived cousin, There were Ukrainian families who villages of Lemkivschyna became part burning charge of dynamite placed dur- of Poland). In the village elementary ing the late morning that failed to ever Stiney Holubowsky, ran the Olenick initially immigrated to the Primrose Brothers Coal Co. there. Anna Olenick, area whose lives were changed forever school Sam and his siblings learned go off nearly blew him up. When the Polish and Ukrainian. When the smoke cleared and Gigi was found shak- one of their five daughters, became the by their fate in the mines. Sam bookkeeper for the business. Katchmar was born in Forestville in Germans arrived in 1939, Polish was en but still alive, Baba forbade any of out and German was taught in the her sons to go work in the mines again. Unfortunately, Harry died suddenly 1928. Although his father Stefan had on Christmas 1962, when he was struck been born in McAdoo, in the early school. Soviet troops arrived in the fall Olenick (Olejnik) by a car. But, his sons and daughter 1900s (about 30 miles northeast of of 1944, and their family situation dete- riorated dramatically. In the Spring of One large Ukrainian family, the continued to run the business success- Minersville), there were still strong 1947, Sam and his family were swept Olenicks, established a significant inde- fully for many years after this tragic family ties to Lemkivschyna and espe- event. cially their native Wysoczany (south of up in Akcja Wisla and were sent to the Olenick’s coal breaker was captured Sanok). Szczecin area of northwest Poland. Since Sam and all of his siblings Mike Buryk is a Ukrainian American for history in a 1968 etching by In 1934, Sam’s father died in a mine were still U.S. citizens, the family peti- writer whose research focuses on Lemko Nicholas Bervinchak, the Ukrainian accident at the Lytle Colliery in American artist whose family was Ron Forestville. His mother became a tioned the U.S. Embassy in Poland to and Ukrainian genealogy and the history return to the U.S. Their wish was final- of Ukrainians in the United States. He is Kramer’s neighbor. widow with six small children and no In the southern part of Schuylkill means of support in the middle of the ly granted in December 1947 and they giving a workshop on Ukrainian/Lemko left Gdynia for Pottsville. Life back in genealogy on February 20 at the Pottsville (located about five miles east Ukrainian Homestead in Lehighton, Pa. of Minersville) was not easy for the You can contact him at: michael.buryk@ Katchmar family, but they managed to verizon.net. His website is: http://www. survive and thrive. His sisters worked buryk.com/our_patch/ . in sewing factories and Sam joined the He extends special thanks to Ron U.S. Air Force in 1948. He eventually Kramer for all his help in making this got his college degree and became an article possible and keeping the memory accountant. The rest of his family did of our Ukrainians and Lemkos alive in well upon their return to America. Coal Country. Also, special thanks go to Pellish (Pelech, Pielech) all those families who shared their pre- Our patch in Primrose had some cious memories and anecdotes for this long-time Ukrainian residents besides article. Baba Julia Czerepaniak-Buryk- This article is dedicated to the memory Marchowsky. The Pellish family were of the late Harry Buryk and his parents, old neighbors there. Bud Pellish tells Mike Gburyk and Julia Czerepaniak. the story of his grandfather Nicholas Copyright 2010 by Michael J. Buryk. All rights reserved. Lytle Colliery, 1915, Primrose, Pa., from the Ron Kramer photo collection. (Continued on page 19) 12 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 No. 9 No. 9 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 13 Stefania Dovhan returns to New York City Opera

by Helen Smindak Mr. Murphy brought the soprano to New York for an audition, and she was signed by NYCO to sing one of NEW YORK – Ukrainian American soprano the leading roles in “Don Giovanni.” Stefania Dovhan returns to the New York City Opera The daughter of Kateryna Dovhan Mychajlyshyn, an (NYCO) in March to portray Adina, a wealthy village art professor at Maryland’s McDaniel College who is girl, in Donizetti’s brilliant bel canto work “The Elixir also a practicing artist and art conservator in the of Love” (L’Elisire d’Amore). Baltimore-Washington area, and sculptor Ivan Chaban The return of the Kyiv-born soprano is being wel- of Boston, Ms. Dovhan sang in the Youth Choir at the comed by fans and critics charmed during Ms. Kyiv State Conservatory. Her formal vocal training Dovhan’s NYCO debut in 2009 in Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” when she sang the role of Donna Anna, the began at age 15 at the Baltimore School for the Arts. She daughter of Commendatore Don Pedro in Seville, is a graduate of the University of Maryland College Park Spain. and holds a degree from the Augsburg Academy of Performed in Italian with English subtitles, “Elixir of Music in Germany. Love” tells the tale of a shy young man’s quest to win Ms. Dovhan credits her mother and her grandparents, the object of his affection. The opera is known for its sculptor Borys Dovhan and journalist Ruta Dovhan, for wealth of recognizable melodies and is also noteworthy “inspiring me and exposing me to music and visual art for the character of Dr. Dulcamara, one of the great from a very early age.” comedy figures of the operatic stage. Though critics underline her vocal capabilities, many In a take on Donizetti’s beloved classic, this produc- have also pointed to Ms. Dovhan’s winning features and tion by Jonathan Miller relocates the action to the slim figure as an asset to the close to 30 roles in her rep- 1950s American Southwest, complete with soda jerks, a ertoire. dusty roadside diner and a vintage Ford convertible. Ms. Dovhan is the recipient of numerous performing Beginning with opening night on March 22, Ms. arts scholarships and awards, among them the 2010 Dovhan will appear with a vibrant cast that includes the Richard F. Gold Career Grant; first prize in the rising Mexican tenor David Tomeli as the shy Nemorino. Emmerich Smola Competition, one of the highest prizes Ms. Dovhan made her professional debut in the role for young singers in Europe. She was the gold medalist of Musetta in “La Boheme” at the Opera Studio in of the 2000 Rosa Ponselle Young Classical Singers Nuremberg, Germany. She has spent a great deal of Competition, and a finalist of the Placido Domingo time on the operatic stage, particularly at Germany’s Operalia Competition in Paris. Theater Hagen, where she has been a “fest” (resident) An avid recitalist, she has given solo recitals in New since 2006. York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, Kyiv, Her association with the New York City Opera came Salzburg and Augsburg. about when Kevin Murphy, NYCO’s director of music “Elixir of Love” will have seven performances, with administration, heard her sing the title role in matinees on Saturday, March 26, and Sunday, April 3. Charpentier’s opera “Louise” at the 2009 Spoleto Evening performances are scheduled for March 22 and Festival U.S.A. in South Carolina. 24, and April 1, 5 and 9. Festival critics were unanimous in their approbation Tickets for “Elixir of Love” can be purchased through of Ms. Dovhan’s vocal and dramatic talents, describing CenterCharge at 212-721-6500, online at nycopera.com, her as “a bewitching Louise,” a “spectacular soprano” or in person at the David H. Koch Theater box office, and “a remarkable discovery.” Soprano Stefania Dovhan Lincoln Center (63rd Street and Columbus Avenue.) 14 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 No. 9

announced that Washington was signifi- al system would be democratic if regional Tymoshenko pre-trial probe ends NEWSBRIEFS cantly increasing funding for their work. constituencies are established and open “I’m very pleased to announce [that] we party tickets are introduced. (Ukrinform) KYIV – The Procurator General’s (Continued from page 2) are more than doubling our financial sup- Office (PGO) has completed a pre-trial Dzhemilev nominated for Nobel Prize investigation into the case that combines to implement reforms. (Ukrinform) port for efforts to respond to threats to civil society – to help human rights workers two criminal cases filed against former KYIV – The leader of the Mejlis Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. She is Decree on Constitutional Assembly who have been arrested, activists who’ve (Parliament) of the Crimean Tatar People, been intimidated, [and] journalists who’ve charged with abuse of power and abuse KYIV – President Viktor Yanukovych Mustafa Dzhemilev, has been nominated been censored,” she said. The secretary of of office that had grave consequences, of Ukraine on February 21 signed a decree for the Nobel Peace Prize, Ukrinform state also announced the launch of an and violated fiscal laws, the PGO’s press establishing a Constitutional Assembly, reported on February 2, citing Radio Free “international fund” to provide quick assis- service said on February 21. On that day, thus supporting the initiative of former Europe/Radio Liberty. The initiative was tance, including legal support and commu- the investigator presented the final charg- President Leonid Kravchuk (1991-1994). put forward by the International nications equipment, to NGOs targeted in es and declared the end of the pretrial The Constitutional Assembly is to prepare Association for the Protection of Repressed government crackdowns. The civil-society investigation. Under the current law, Ms. amendments to the Constitution of Peoples, based in Germany, and the First gathering comes as Washington faces criti- Tymoshenko, together with a lawyer, Ukraine. The experts’ group includes Mr. World Congress of Crimean Tatars. The cism from activists for supporting the now- must review all the materials of the case, Kravchuk, as well as scholars, representa- nomination was sent to the Nobel deposed regimes in Egypt and Tunisia – and then the case will be forwarded to the tives of the National University of Law Committee by 17 professors from Ukraine, and for not doing enough to help those court. The accusations against the former Academy of Ukraine named after Yaroslav Poland, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Turkey countries’ beleaguered civil societies. prime minister concern the purchase and the Wise, Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko and the United States, members of the (RFE/RL) importation into Ukraine of Opel Combo University, Odesa Law Academy, Central Ukrainian and Canadian parliaments, as well as a member of the European cars for rural hospitals, as well as alleged Election Committee and correspondent Freedom House offers assistance Parliament, said the president of the World misuse of 180 million euros and 200 mil- members of the National Academy of lion euros received by Ukraine under the Sciences of Ukraine (NASU). The KYIV – The American NGO Freedom Congress of Crimean Tatars, Refat Kyoto Protocol. Ms. Tymoshenko rejects Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the House offered its expert assistance to Chubarov. Mr. Dzhemilev himself said he all the charges. (Ukrinform) NASU was invited to provide support for Ukraine’s Central Election Commission in regards the nomination for the Nobel Peace the Constitutional Assembly’s experts’ order to improve Ukrainian electoral legis- Prize not as a personal achievement, but as Shukhevych lawsuit suspended group, including analytical support, organi- lation. This was discussed at a meeting of recognition of years of experience on the zation of public events to discuss proposals CEC Chairman Volodymyr Shapoval with part of the Crimean Tatars in solving their KYIV – The Higher Administrative and recommendations, the involvement in a Freedom House delegation headed by problems through non-violent methods. “I Court of Ukraine on February 16 sus- this discussion of scientific experts and the Executive Director David Kramer, the regard this as moral support for the “princi- pended its hearings of a lawsuit lodged general public. (Ukrinform) press office of the CEC reported on ple of non-violence”, which the Crimean by lawyer Volodymyr Olentsevych Tatars adhere to... I hope it will help draw against former President Viktor U.S. launches civil-society dialogue February 23. Mr. Shapoval said that the mixed electoral system in Ukraine, which attention to the situation in the Crimea, Yushchenko to declare illegal and repeal WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of is currently supported by politicians, can namely the allocation of land to returnees, a decree conferring the title of Hero of State Hillary Clinton on February 16 justify itself at a certain stage, particularly and will emphasize the need for non-vio- Ukraine on the commander-in-chief of opened the government’s first-ever strate- under the current circumstances, and lent solutions to all problems in the conflict the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, Roman gic dialogue with civil-society members, become a compromise. At the same time, Black Sea region”, he underscored. Shukhevych. The suit was suspended due pledging U.S. support for champions of he said, the two-decade-old practice of par- (Ukrinform) to the existence of a similar lawsuit filed liamentary elections in the country has human rights. Ahead of discussions with Yanukovych: history won’t be rewritten by citizen Anatoliy Soloviov. New court civil-society representatives from more proven the benefits of the proportional hearings are impossible until Mr. than 20 countries, Secretary Clinton electoral system, but such a mixed elector- LVIV – Speaking to the BBC on Soloviov’s appeal is considered, the court February 10, President Viktor Yanukovych said. A statement from Our Ukraine noted vowed that the Ukrainian history wouldn’t the party’s resolve to continue its be rewritten. “Nothing will be omitted involvement in the case as an interested CLACLASSSSIFIEDIFIEDSS from history. History is made up of past party. National Deputy Andrii Parubii facts. We have to treat history as such. This said, “Our Ukraine will continue to TO PLACE YOUR AD CALL MARIA OSCISLAWSKI (973) 292-9800 x 3040 history belongs to Ukraine and the actively defend its position, to provide or e-mail [email protected] Ukrainian people,” Mr. Yanukovych said, legal assistance and to conduct actions of adding that the facts of history should be civil disobedience.” Mr. Parubii pointed treated with respect. “Therefore, when I out that the court rejected the appeals of SERVICES MERCHANDISE was involved in political discussions on the citizens and political parties, including topics of history, I always stressed that, Our Ukraine, to take part in the trial as despite our differing interpretations of his- third parties. However, the court did tory, we have to respect the fact that this agree that Mr. Yushchenko could partici- history belongs to Ukrainians,” Mr. pate as a third party. Thus, Mr. Parubii Yanukovych said. The president also said added, “our position will be heard in that history textbooks should be written by court and we will take an active part in its historians and commented that when politi- deliberations.” (Kyiv Post, Our Ukraine) cians clash over history, this does not signi- fy a high level of democracy. The country Five parties to be eliminated should be devoid of any confrontations KYIV – The Justice Ministry of related to history, Mr. Yanukovych said. He Ukraine reported on February 9 that five PROFESSIONALS admitted that there can be a discrepancy among Ukrainians in evaluating some his- out of 185 parties would be eliminated torical facts, however, no pressure can be because they failed to participate in the exerted on individuals with differing view- presidential and parliamentary elections. points to live by the beliefs accepted by the Kommersant-Ukraine reported that the majority. (ZIK – Western Information parties to be eliminated are the Moslem Agency) Party of Ukraine (founded in 1997), Party of Radical Breakthrough (1998), Green Journalists decry pressure on media Party of Ukraine (2000), Political Party of Legal Protection (2001) and Pragmatic KYIV – In a statement on February 18, Choice Party (2000). The basis for their the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) liquidation is non-participation in the said Ukraine’s journalists and media out- presidential and parliamentary elections lets are under pressure from the authorities, over a period of 10 years as stipulated by the Telekrytyka media watchdog reported. the law “On Political Parties.” The NUJ has received a growing number (Ukrinform) of complaints about harassment by offi- cials of electronic and press media outlets, Population continues declining the statement said. Regional state-run media complain of illegal personnel poli- KYIV – The population of Ukraine Karpaty Construction Company cies pursued by local authorities by replac- decreased by 17,411 people in December ing the editors of local publications with 2010, to 45.779 million people, the State All work, large or small: complete home Statistics Service reported on February OPPORTUNITIES people without proper qualifications and renovations, bathrooms, basements, experience. “Meddling with editorial poli- 16. The number of people living in towns roofs, masinry work, exterior and cy, censorship, dismissals of journalists are and cities was 31.445 million as of early interior painting. Call Vasili Cholak: Earn extra income! blatant violations of the freedom of speech 2011, while the number of people living 718-392-0138; cell 347-515-5437. in villages totaled 14.334 million. As of The Ukrainian Weekly is looking and Ukraine laws,” the NUJ statement for advertising sales agents. notes. “The personnel policy in mass December 1, 2010, the population of For additional information contact Maria media outlets must be the prerogative of Ukraine was 45.796 million people. The Run your advertisement here, Oscislawski, Advertising Manager, journalists working there, and editors must population of Ukraine shrank by 200,000 in The Ukrainian Weekly’s The Ukrainian Weekly, be elected by a secret or open ballot by last year. Over the past two decades, CLASSIFIEDS section. 973-292-9800, ext 3040. their colleagues,” the statement said. (ZIK Ukraine’s population has declined by – Western Information Agency) almost 6 million people. (Ukrinform) No. 9 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 15

false incriminations it needs to meet these Arrested... quotas.” Mr. Yushchenko did put a stop to the (Continued from page 1) long tradition of persecuting political opponents, Mr. Yavorsky said. “This arrest is specifically being done Unfortunately, pro-Russian extremists to pressure these people to confess to were given a free pass to engage in overtly other crimes,” said Volodymyr Yavorsky, criminal activity – such as the September executive director of the Ukrainian 2007 brutal attack on Ukrainian activists Helsinki Union on Human Rights. in Odesa – and were never arrested. No one was charged with the Stalin Mr. Yanukovych was prime minister at statue’s bombing, but the 14 nationalists the time, having been appointed by Mr. facing other charges have been impris- Yushchenko. oned for six weeks. The evidence demonstrates the recent “There’s simply too much attention incarcerations and prosecutions are politi- being given to representatives of radical cally motivated, observers said. organizations,” said Volodymyr Fesenko, Ukraine’s Criminal Code allows for the the board chairman of the Penta Center incarceration of suspects until trial, Mr. for Applied Political Science in Kyiv. “They’re concerned that they’re capable Yavorsky said. However, such measures of violence or provoking some situations, are considered excessive by international not just protests, but some kinds of force- standards, particularly when the charges ful acts. Accordingly the police and SBU Volodymyr Musyak involve misdemeanors such as hooligan- are reacting with increased attention. But Demonstrators protest at the Presidential Administration on February 22 against ism. Tryzub doesn’t pose any threat to the cur- the incarceration of 14 nationalists in Zaporizhia. “There’s no justification for their incar- rent government, in my view. This is sim- ceration because they’re not dangerous ply a reaction to radical organizations.” regular officers. information from Mr. Andriuschenko, who people,” Mr. Yavorsky, a human rights Tryzub has posted the statements of Other violations were more clear-cut. was among those at the press conference, lawyer, said of the Tryzub nationalists. several imprisoned activists on its web- Authorities broke the law when depriving about alleged torture weeks earlier. Moreover acts of vandalism intended to site, www.banderivets.org.ua. most of the prisoners of access to lawyers, Meanwhile Tryzub prisoner Vasyl make a political statement are protected Anatolii Onufriichuk, 25, said authori- human rights advocates said. Labaichuk, 21, also reportedly told his from “disproportionate government inter- ties threatened to throw him into a prison They are also supposed to gain a court lawyer he was tortured at the Zaporizhia ference” according to European law, said cell with sadists and homosexuals during order to hold suspects beyond three days, SBU headquarters. He said he had his Yevhen Zakharov, co-chair of the Kharkiv the interrogations. They allegedly used yet that law was violated in the case of handcuffed hands held high behind his Human Rights Group. Therefore the torture techniques such as raising his three activists, said Mr. Tarasenko. He was back, a torture method known as “dyba,” Tryzub suspects should be considered handcuffed arms behind his back, and held for five days and given three meals to which forces the head below the knees in a political prisoners, he said. beating his legs as he stood in a split posi- eat during that time. painful pose. “It would have been an adequate reac- tion, forcing them wider. The released suspects didn’t get back Prisoner Roman Khmara, 31, refused to tion for the law enforcement bodies to They allegedly choked him by pulling their passports, belongings or even cloth- offer any comment during the organized have required compensation for the dam- back on the collar of his jacket. He also ing, he said. In Mr. Tarasenko’s case, he press conference, another sign the claims age caused,” he said. reported being punched in the stomach. was released from the police station at of no torture could have been pressured by Besides extreme punishment, These techniques caused excruciating night without a penny, wearing a set of authorities. Meanwhile prisoner Vitalii Ukraine’s law enforcement authorities, pain, Mr. Onufriichuk reported, eventually rags the authorities gave him. Vyshniuk, 24, wore a medical mask including the Internal Affairs Ministry causing him to sign the statements the Moreover he was left to wander in because he contracted tuberculosis after and the SBU, went to extremes just to authorities wanted from him. He didn’t Zaporizhia, though he had been arrested in incarceration. make the arrests, Mr. Tarasenko said, describe what was written in the state- the Ivano-Frankivsk countryside, from It’s also unclear whether the prisoners offering more evidence the sting was ments in his February 11 handwritten note were he had been transported. knew if those present were truly journal- politically motivated. about the alleged tortures. Prisoner Eduard Andriuschenko, 22, ists, or the authorities, in which case they The national manhunt involved 500 Mr. Onufriichuk also signed a state- reported being thrown to the floor and would have little incentive to tell the truth, law enforcement officers, Mr. Tarasenko ment claiming he had no complaints repeatedly kicked by four police officers, Ms. Bilozerska said. Moreover, alleging was told by individual officers, who were against the Security Service of Ukraine while Oleksii Zanuda, 28, reported being torture while returning to incarceration themselves startled. (SBU), after being threatened with more severely beaten on his head, causing much under those very same authorities would An escort of more than a dozen traffic torture, he reported. swelling. have required much courage. officers and Berkut special forces trans- Vasyl Abramiv, 26, wrote that he’s The more controversial claim involves Police torture is nothing new to ported him from Ivano-Frankivsk to Lviv. being held in a dark prison cell with 20-year-old prisoner Pylyp Taran, who Ukraine, observers said. The nation’s A charter plane was sent to transport six roaches and rats, which are known to reportedly told his lawyer, Mariana police force has consistently used torture suspects to Zaporizhia, accompanied by carry disease. There’s not enough light to Leniuk, that he was severely beaten, to force confessions to false criminal Berkut officers carrying automatic weap- read anything for more than a few min- thrown into a holding cell unconscious, charges since Ukraine re-established inde- ons. utes, he said. and endured electroshock torture. pendence in 1991, even under the admin- “I didn’t expect everything to be so Police were also looking for confes- He reported that a prosecutor came to istration of Viktor Yushchenko, the Hollywood,” he told The Weekly. “It sions in the bombing of the very same him in his cell and demanded that he sign nation’s Western-oriented former presi- seemed as though authorities weren’t deal- Stalin statue three days later, the state- a statement confirming he wasn’t beaten dent, said Mr. Yavorsky of the Ukrainian ing with Ukrainian nationalists, but with ments revealed. and doesn’t have complaints. Mr. Taran Helsinki Union on Human Rights. Al Qaeda or Cosa Nostra. This involved Mr. Onufriichuk said he was threatened declined, resulting in three officials beat- “Government structures had more con- car chases and being dragged from cars.” with being charged in the December 31 ing him until he lost consciousness. He trol over the activity of law enforcement * * * explosion of the statue during the interro- reportedly signed nothing. authorities in the Soviet era,” he said. gations. Mr. Abramiv said he was ques- Journalist Olena Bilozerska, who has “Therefore the corrupion factor was sig- For an interview with Mr. Tarasenko tioned in the statue’s explosion, though he close ties to Ukraine’s nationalist commu- nificantly less than currently. Just in the and more information about the arrested was eventually charged in the statue’s nity, broke this news on her blog on last year, the Internal Affairs Ministry activists of Tryzub and Svoboda, see page beheading. February 12, reporting at the time that Mr. introduced new quotas for solved crimes. 5. For more about Mr. Hudymenko, see Tryzub denies any involvement. Andrii Taran suffered a concussion, lost con- The police will increase the amount of the column on page 6. Tarasenko, the first deputy chair of the sciousness periodically and had a swollen organization’s central command, said he bump on his spine. suspects the bombing was organized by Zaporizhia prosecutors organized a The Board of Directors of the the Federal Security Service of the press conference four days later with nine Russian Federation, the successor to the of the prisoners, including Mr. Taran, who Ukrainian Institute of America KGB, as a pretext to allow Ukrainian said he wasn’t tortured in prison. Seven authorities to persecute nationalists. other prisoners supported that statement Regrets to announce that Mr. Tarasenko said police also used on camera, in front of several journalists. our long-term member intense pressure in trying to make him Ms. Bilozerska responded by pointing confess to the December 31 detonation out that the question posed was whether including repeatedly yelling “Admit it!” Mr. Taran was tortured in prison, as and threatening to throw him in a cell opposed to a holding cell at the police sta- where he could catch tuberculosis. tion. The prison’s medical director also Vira O. Savoyka The firsthand accounts of brutal inter- confirmed in the media that Mr. Taran was rogation methods confirmed what human being treated, and received bandages and Passed away on February 12, 2011 rights activists have long known: that painkillers. in New York City Ukrainian law enforcement regularly Prosecutors interrupted Mr. Abramiv break the law when handling crime sus- when he began to speak during the press pects in their custody. conference of torture at the SBU premises. The Board and the entire UIA membership would like to express The Tryzub members said none of the Evidence suggests the remaining pris- authorities identified themselves, as oners were intimidated. A representative their deepest sympathy and required by law. Therefore it’s unclear from the Verkhovna Rada’s Human Rights celebrate the life of one of its most vibrant members. whether the authorized interrogators con- Ombudsman Nina Karpachova, a Party of ducted the interrogations, as opposed to Regions stalwart, confirmed receiving 16 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 No. 9 No. 9 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 17

the KGB. Dr. Busch requested another Demjanjuk... opinion from a specialist in Cyrillic (Continued from page 1) script. FOR THE RECORD: Statement Mr. Demjanjuk’s son, John Jr. released the following statement on February 22: sent to the Soviet Prosecutor General’s “If the Germans are interested in jus- to Munich court by John Demjanjuk office in Moscow. But the Russian tice, they will simply ask the Russians Following is the text of a statement Soviet MGB/KGB investigative file on Prosecutor General’s Office told the AP and the U.S. to turn over all the evidence, made by John Demjanjuk on my case. earlier in February that it does not have including Soviet investigative file 1627 February 22 in Germany. The state- 2. To request from Russia and the files and does not know where they on my father and the missing ment, Mr. Demjanjuk’s third to the Ukraine, File 15457, the investigative are. Danilchenko reports. They have the court in Munich that is trying his file of Ignat Danilchenko, specifically Earlier this month, the court heard access to evidence, and we do not. This case, was released by his son, John to include the report of interview con- statements submitted by the defense case has been fraught with government Demjanjuk Jr. ducted with him about me at the from a former Ukrainian guard at cover-up and prosecutorial misconduct request of the U.S. authorities in 1983- Sobibor, Ignat Danilchenko, who alleg- and fraud over the years. So far, this trial When I was a child, Stalin con- 1984. edly told Soviet officials in 1949 and has been just another chapter of the same demned me to die through the 3. To request a qualified expert to 1979 that he remembered Mr. injustice. Holodomor, the forced famine. As a examine the high-quality photos avail- Demjanjuk from the death camp. In one “Testimonies and official Nazi war Soviet Ukrainian POW of the able of the signature on the No. 1393 summary previously read at the trial, records prove Soviet POWs faced star- Germans, they tried to kill me through Trawniki document which has been Danilchenko, who has since died, said vation by the millions or were coerced to starvation and slave labor. The U.S.A. falsely attributed to me. he served with Mr. Demjanjuk at serve or face execution for desertion. It and Israel fraudulently accused me of 4. To accept as historical fact that Sobibor and that Mr. Demjanjuk “like is abhorrent for Germany to now make being Ivan the Terrible. As a result, I the Nazis tortured Ukrainian POWs all guards in the camp, participated in its former prisoners and victims respon- spent eight and a half years in prison like me with starvation so that 3.5 mil- the mass killing of Jews.” sible for the crimes committed by and five years in the death cell. lion were murdered. But on February 9, according to the Germans who in many cases were Though innocent, on each of those 5. To accept as historical fact, based AP, Dr. Busch read a statement based on acquitted or never tried by Germany. 1,800 days in a death cell, I feared I upon overwhelming evidence from a 1985 interview with Soviet authorities This is not about justice being better late was going to die due to the reckless multiple countries and dozens of wit- in which Danilchenko said none of the than never. Rather, it is Germany’s con- fraud and political motives of corrupt nesses that POW Trawnikis were Ukrainian guards were able to go to the tinued utter failure to accept responsibil- prosecutors and judges who were not coerced under a real threat of death and areas where Jews were stripped of their ity for destroying the millions of people seeking justice. were executed for attempting deser- clothes and remaining possessions, and it captured.” Now, nearing the end of my life, tion. then gassed. “The watchmen had no In other news, Mr. Demjanjuk’s Germany, the nation that murdered 6. To accept as historical fact, based access to the second or third zones,” daughter Irene Nishnic appeared on with merciless cruelty millions of upon the entire record of the U.S. and Danilchenko said, according to the tran- February 9 at his Munich trial, the innocent people, attempts to extinguish Israel proceedings, that I have previ- script. “Exclusively, Germans carried Associated Press reported. Ms. Nishnic my dignity, my soul, my spirit and ously been indicted and tried for the out the guard duty” in those areas. came into court with her son, holding a indeed my life with a political show crimes now alleged here which result- Dr. Busch said he received the 1985 white rose that she later gave to her trial seeking to blame me, a Ukrainian ed in my acquittal and release from testimony from an attorney representing father. peasant, for the crimes committed by Israel. the families of Sobibor victims in the At a break in testimony, Mr. Germans in World War II. They chose I have survived the brutality of case. He told the court it is believed Demjanjuk, 90, motioned for the two to me for prosecution – a foreign POW in Stalin and Nazi Germany and the there is another statement by come over and they embraced him as he the brutal hands of Germany – rather wrongful conviction and death sen- Danilchenko from 1983-1984 and asked lay in a hospital bed. Ms. Nishnic had than any of the truly guilty Germans tence of the Israelis and Americans. I that it be tracked down. lunch with her father behind closed and ethnic Germans [Volksdeutsche]. have lived through unimaginable hor- A week earlier, the Associated Press doors, and refused to answer any ques- Germany’s weapons of torture in this rors from Stalin and death by starva- reported that handwriting expert Beate tions both during the break and after the trial include: suppression of exculpato- tion, to Nazi Germany and death by Wuellbeck told the court that only three day’s proceedings, the AP reported. ry evidence, falsification of history, starvation and cannibalism as a POW, letters in Mr. Demjanjuk’s signature on Reuters reported on February 22 that introduction of so-called legal princi- to Israel and death by hanging. This the identity card allegedly issued to him prosecutors were expected to conclude ples which never existed in Germany trial is now nothing more than the exe- by the Nazis were clearly recognizable. their case shortly and that final arguments previously, conspiring with fraudulent cution of these three unjust and horrific She stated that she could not verify the could also begin unless Mr. Demjanjuk’s prosecutors of the U.S.A. and Israel, death sentences. authenticity of the signature. health deteriorates. The trial has had and a reckless refusal of each argu- There remains no other way for me The Demjanjuk defense argues that many delays due to the defendant’s pre- ment, motion and exculpatory piece of to show the world what a mockery of the Trawniki ID card, which was once carious state of health. A verdict could be evidence my defense has submitted justice this trial represents. Unless the held by the Soviets, is a fake made by reached in March. which should have already resulted in Court accepts the historical facts, uses my acquittal and freedom. it’s authority to obtain the critical Fearing the truth, the German court defense evidence not yet before the ing to ensure their safety while in custody. and prosecutors continue to turn a court and shows the world that it fully Ukrainian activists... The activists say that in the last 13 blind eye to justice by refusing the fol- accepts its duty to seek justice rather (Continued from page 3) months more than 50 Ukrainians died in lowing: than just conduct a political show trial, police custody and that tens of thousands 1. To request from Russia and I will within two weeks begin a hunger potatoes, allegedly jumped from a third- were mistreated by police in 2010. Ukraine, File 1627, the 1,400-page strike. floor window of the same district police The police are becoming a threat to precinct and died later in the hospital. Ukraine’s national security, the open let- The activists say police in Ukraine in ter says, and therefore “we demand swift, the past have physically abused or tor- lawful and fair investigations of the bru- tured detained suspects, but now “the sit- tal actions by police officers. uation is getting worse, as it looks as though the police were given the green Copyright 2011, RFE/RL Inc. light to do whatever they want.” Reprinted with the permission of Radio Arkadiy Bushchenko, one of the Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 authors of the open letter to Mr. Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington DC Yanukovych, told RFE/RL that even if the 20036; www.rferl.org.(See http://www. suspects committed suicide, the police rferl.org/content/ukraine_police_brutali- department chief should be sacked for fail- ty/2296124.html.)

and the other to the Holocaust. Canadian minister... “We’ve been persistent in getting our (Continued from page 4) message out on Twitter.” said Mr. Zakaluzny. “This government spends considerable resources monitoring and Since December 2010 the UCCLA has analyzing Twitter messages and blogs. been at the forefront of calls for a review Yet Minister Moore seems intent on put- of the proposed contents and governance ting a wall up between himself and our of the taxpayer-funded Canadian legitimate concerns along with those of Museum for Human Rights. The UCCLA the many other Canadians likewise pro- has recommended that all 12 of this testing against the proposed contents and national museum’s galleries be thematic, governance of the Canadian Museum for comparative and inclusive rather than Human Rights. We wonder why. giving one or two communities perma- Unfortunately, he isn’t answering when nent, prominent and privileged space, we Twitter him, so we’re asking other elevating the suffering of some above all Canadians to help us. Tweet Minister others. Present plans call for two galler- Moore and ask him why he’s hiding ies: one dedicated to aboriginal issues from the UCCLA.” 18 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 No. 9

Tryzub member... Did you personally endure torture? Hunger, cold and psychological abuse. (Continued from page 5) They told me scary tales of tuberculosis, about my unfortunate children whom I shiver severely. My temperature rose, and I won’t see anytime soon, about life impris- was freezing. At morning they began to tor- onment, that sort of thing. ture me morally and psychologically. One officer, two, five at a time, all day, until the How are they trying to prove that you night. “Admit it, admit it, admit it!” They were involved with the Stalin bombing? let me go at night. Are they offering facts, or are they demanding a confession without offering Was the arrest ever explained? Were any facts? any charges brought against you? They are simply demanding confessions. No, at night I was questioned as a wit- They have no facts and there can’t be, ness. The next day I had the same interroga- because I have nothing to do with this. tion, but this time as a suspect. I signed that They told me that the boys all pointed to interrogation [record], signed the promise me, and everyone is accusing me of orga- not to flee, and that’s it. No one explained nizing everything. They brazenly lied to anything to me, and at night I was simply break me. But they didn’t manage to kicked out of the administration, not getting achieve that. any documents in my hands. What are your further steps if the Not even transporting you home? guys aren’t released and their where- My wife specially traveled from Kyiv abouts remain unknown? not necessarily to meet me, but just to feed Firstly, everyone needs access to law- me something. I hadn’t eaten for two days. yers. Food deliveries need to be organized As it turned out, she was able to meet me. for everyone so that they could eat normal- She fed me and we traveled home. If not ly, and enable them to change their clothes for her, I would have ended up at 10 p.m. in too. That’s the main task. Afterwards we an unknown place, poorly dressed, without need to employ all possible means of influ- a penny, without a telephone, without a ence on the government to release them, passport, without anything. I don’t know including international bodies. We’ll do what I would have done. everything in our power. These are our So you weren’t fed? They didn’t give brothers, and we’ll never abandon them. you anything to eat? What can you say regarding the deto- nation of the Stalin statue? Maybe you No. I was fed at prison because it’s the have some leads or facts that you can standard practice there. But they were con- offer on behalf of the organization stantly transporting me somewhere. I ate regarding these explosions. three times at prison. So for five days under arrest, I ate a total of three times. I know We have two versions: either some nuts that the law limits arrests to three days, did this without any reason, or this is an after which a court’s permission is needed intentional provocation from the security for a longer arrest. I was held for five days, services – and not even our [Ukrainian] without judges. security service – in order to launch a pres- sure campaign against Ukrainian national- Do we know anything about the ists. The sequence of events demonstrates health and psychological condition of the this. others arrested from your organization? We are leaning towards the second ver- Very little is known because not every- sion because the mosaic began to form one was able to gain access to a lawyer. when there was only the explosion [of the They say they barely are able to stand on Stalin statue on December 31, 2010] which their legs because they were intentionally didn’t hurt anyone, followed by the shot-up not transported to holding cells or prisons court window [on January 16]. Then came [where food is served]. They are held in the Makiyivka explosions [on January 20], police stations, where there isn’t any food, then afterwards in Domodyedovo [airport underwear, toilets, nothing at all. No one’s in Moscow on January 24], and discussions feeding the boys, except for slop once that Ukrainian nationalists could be respon- every day or two. Some have been living sible. It becomes obvious that this is a like this since January 8. series of provocations, and we have deep suspicion that it won’t stop at that. Their parents and lawyers aren’t Even during the questionings by the allowed to see them? Only some? police and Security Service of Ukraine Those lawyers who are persistent get (SBU), we told them they can blame the through and work with them. But we can’t explosion on us or not, but rest assured that even find some guys. We know that they’re a single explosion in Zaporizhia won’t fin- in Zaporizhia, we know that they’re some- ish us if they’re doing serious work. As we where in the police stations. But where can see, there were the shots at the court exactly we don’t know because the police which wasn’t worth anything. But it was don’t offer any information. specially done as a pretext to stir all this up. No. 9 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 19

one trip back to Rzepedz between 1905 Family stories... and 1907 since their return to the U.S. (under the name “Barvinczak” was (Continued from page 11) noted in an Ellis Island immigration record dated September 9, 1907). who migrated to the Minersville area Shortly after their return to the U.S., from Wolica in the Lemko region of Iwan was killed in a coalmine accident. Poland in 1899. Bud’s Dad, Alex, was Even at age 4, Nicholas knew he could born in 1909 in Forestville, where his never work in the mines because of the father, Nicholas, and his mother, Maria, loss of his father there. As he grew had settled. Nicholas became a miner, older, he took an interest in drawing pic- and Alex eventually followed in his tures. father’s footsteps. In an interview that appeared in the The Pellish family later moved to the September 12, 1971, Sunday edition of patch where Bud was born. Their house the Allentown Call-Chronicle, he offers was the first one on the right as you a glimpse of his early efforts. “I first entered the patch from the main road. started drawing on paper in which the Across the Forestville Road their neigh- butcher wrapped meat. Then, on a trash bor was the family of Nicholas bank near my home in Black Heath [a Bervinchak. Bud’s Mom, who was a small village next to Primrose], I found Polinsky (Palinski), was related to the a drawing book. I filled this in and from Bervinchak family from the Carpathian then my appetite for art work increased.” village of Rzepedz. Nicholas Bervinchak actually includ- After his stepfather sustained injuries “Olenick’s Breaker,” a 1968 etching by Nicholas Bervinchak, from the catalogue ed Bud’s grandmother in several of his in the mines on several occasions and of the 1987 Philadelphia exhibit “The Ukrainian American Experience, 1787-1987,” etchings of the patch depicting local with their family continuing to grow, archives of The Library of Congress, Washington. work in the fields and pulling up coal Nicholas had to end his formal educa- from one of the bootleg mines (“coal- tion in the fifth grade to go to work holes”). picking slate as a breaker boy in the done in 1968, brings back many memo- American Committee, “We the People Julie Kowalchick-Pellish, the sister of Lytle Colliery in Primrose. He began to ries to me. It was in 1987 that my Uncle 200.” It featured several of Bervinchak’s Alex, was my Baba Julia’s good neigh- draw on the walls there, which wasn’t John Ondisco took my family on a tour better-known etchings, as well as some bor and friend. I can still remember appreciated by the breaker boss. But, his of another coal breaker down the road of the works of the well-known artist them chatting over the white picket working buddies picked up his share of from Olenick’s in Forestville. The Jacques Hnizdovsky, who was born in fence whenever we’d go for a visit. the load, which gave him time to sketch Olenick family played an important role western Ukraine and eventually emigrat- Alex Pellish never wanted his son and draw. in the history of Ukrainians in the ed to New York City. He is probably best Bud to work in the mines, although he In 1922 Bervinchak spent his days Minersville area. The Olenick name is known for his woodcuts of scenes from did help his Dad above ground by watching the church painter Paul written in my own grandfather Mike’s nature. pumping water from the family’s own Daubner of Budapest decorate the inte- diary from the 1920s attesting to their Bervinchak truly made a major contri- bootleg mine near the patch. rior of Ss. Peter and Paul Byzantine importance in the Ukrainian immigrant bution not only to Ukrainian immigrant Often, men who had been laid off Catholic Church in Minersville. He was community. culture, but also to American regional from the “legal” mines, or who were still working the night shift in the mines Bervinchak went on to become a art. In 1975 he and his wife, visited their looking for additional income or fuel, at the time. Daubner asked for a sample world-known artist. Some U.S. presi- beloved Ukraine to find out more about would work the thin coal seams that of his work and was so impressed that dents such as Lyndon B. Johnson and their ancestral roots. They returned from were close to the ground surface. The he offered him an apprenticeship at Dwight D. Eisenhower enjoyed his etch- this trip with several of his paintings and coal companies could not work these $5.62 per day – the same rate that ings and hung them in the White House. etchings of scenes from daily Ukrainian seams profitably, but a few friends or a Nicholas earned in the mines. The National Gallery of Art and the life. Bervinchak died in Pottsville, on large family could dig a “coalhole” with The relationship with Daubner would Smithsonian Institution now own many June 28, 1978. primitive equipment and reap some last 15 years after which he branched of his works. His etchings were also small reward for their efforts. However, out in the church-decorating field alone exhibited at the Whitney Museum of Art Ukrainian community lives on underground water seeping into the in New York, New Jersey, Ohio and and the National Academy in New York It’s been well over 100 years since the mines, both bootleg and legal ones, was Illinois. City, the world’s fairs in Chicago and first Ukrainian Lemkos made their way a constant problem. So the major work Among his better known etchings are New York, and in cities around the globe to the Minersville area from the foothills on the weekends for the bootleg miners those that depict life in and around the such as Milan, Italy, and Stockholm, and the slopes of the Carpathians. The was to bring out as much of it as possi- mines – especially in the area near our Sweden. homeland of these early pioneers is no ble so they could return to the tunnel on patch in Primrose. Bervinchak had a The Ukrainian Museum in New York longer called Galicia in the Austro- natural ability for this artistic technique Monday. City has a collection of 40 of Hungarian Empire, but is now part of and always preferred to use a victrola Bervinchak’s works that were donated Bud still remembers once in the early southeastern Poland. As a result of Akcja needle as his etching tool. by his widow, Anna. They were shown 1950s when he was in the 10th grade Wisla, the forced resettlement of Some of his 180 etchings include: there in the fall of 1984 in conjunction Alex took him underground in a mine Lemkos and Ukrainians by the Polish “Miners Driving a Gangway,” “Bootleg with the exhibit “To Preserve a Heritage: tunnel and shut off the lamp. In the total government in 1947, most of the descen- Coal Miner” and “Buck Run Colliery.” The Story of the Ukrainian Immigration darkness with the sound of creaking tim- dants of those who came to settle in the Many were done during the period 1933 in the United States.” bers and running water, he was scared Coal Country of northeastern to 1941. And his close connection with Another important public showing of out of his mind. Alex cautioned him that Pennsylvania have no connection with this was the one and only time he would our patch in Primrose is reflected in his work took place in November 1987, several of his etchings including four in Philadelphia at The Port of History any of their relatives in Europe who ever set foot inside a mine. were scattered throughout Poland and A year or two later, Alex almost depicting the seasons there and the ones Museum, Penn’s Landing. The exhibit Ukraine. drowned in a major flood in the Dando previously mentioned of Bud Pellish’s titled, “The Ukrainian American My own effort to reconnect with the mine where he worked. He never went grandmother who was a relative of Experience,” had as its guest curator families of my paternal grandparents back to the mine after that near fatal Nick. Christina Czorpita and was co-sponsored took almost 30 years and a lot of good incident and eventually became a watch- His etching, “Olenick’s Breaker,” by the museum with the Ukrainian man in a local manufacturing plant. Bud luck along the way. graduated from the local Cass Township But to their credit, the Ukrainian High School in 1955 and in 1959 left the Lemkos of the Minersville area and east- patch for service in the Navy. ern Pennsylvania have preserved their After military service, he came back cultural and religious identity painstak- to the Minersville area, married and ingly passed down to them from their began raising his own family there. grandparents and parents. The well-attended annual Ukrainian An artist in Coal Country Seminary Day in Primrose is only one Nicholas Bervinchak, a Ukrainian example of this. The Kazka Ukrainian Lemko from Rzepedz, Galicia (now in Folk Ensemble, directed by Dr. Paula Poland), symbolizes the miners’ thirst to Holoviak, with its roots in the Anthracite rise above the difficult conditions of Region of eastern Pennsylvania, is daily life to produce a lasting cultural another. The annual festival at the and artistic contribution to American life Ukrainian Homestead in Lehighton, also in Northeast Pennsylvania in the early provides the children of Coal Country part of the 20th century. pioneers a place to gather and celebrate Nicholas was born in 1903 in their heritage. Mahanoy City, about 23 miles northeast Hopefully these active, richly embroi- of Minersville. His parents were Iwan dered memories of our ancestral past in and Fenna Bervinchak, and he had at Lemkivschyna and eastern Pennsylvania least one younger brother, Michael, who will continue to live on in our children, was also born in Mahanoy City in 1905. grandchildren and great grandchildren Apparently the family was living with over the next 100 years. The enduring Iwan’s brother Wasyl there. They made “Ron Kramer’s barbershop, November 2010, Primrose, Pa. spirit of our patch will never die. 20 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 No. 9

Remembering ‘Sadochok Kazok’ in Chicago

Graduation of the “Sadochok Kazok” preschool in 1971.

by Ruta V. Halibey children and, in the process, improve their knowledge of the Ukrainian language in CHICAGO – A long time ago, little order to prepare for future studies at the children in the Ukrainian community Ukrainian heritage school. impatiently awaited Saturday. On that This pre-school “Sadochok Kazok” day they skipped alongside their mothers was sponsored and supported by to a building on Chicago Avenue that UNWLA Branch 29 for 25 years. Later, looked like all the others. But, inside we passed it on to a branch composed of there was a special magic room where younger women, who to this day continue they could play, listen to stories, sing to develop this worthwhile program. songs and learn poems. In order to improve knowledge of the Back home they would tell everybody Ukrainian language and culture so impor- all about the interesting things that tant to us, the branch also organized for occurred that day, and ask, “When do we the children traditional “embroidered go to ‘sadochok’ again?” clothing dances,” masquerades and pre- Fifty years have passed since the time pared theatrical performances of “Snow that a group of young women organized White” and “Ivasyk Telesyk.” Branch 29 of the Ukrainian National The branch published a collection of Women’s League of America, and started children’s poetry by Kateryna Perelisna, five decades of service to the Ukrainian and a coloring book, “Maluyemo,” which community of Chicago. This new branch became popular. was dedicated to honor the memory of Members of the branch set themselves 500 heroic women who stood facing other tasks as well. One of those was to Soviet tanks in support of political prison- inform Americans about matters pertain- ers in the gulag concentration camp near ing to Ukraine. UNWLA members joined Kingir in Kazakhstan. in activities of the Federation of Women’s Their courageous deed touched us deep- Clubs of Chicago and organized exhibits ly. We felt that we too, could do something about Ukrainian arts, culture and history that at least in some small way would in libraries, museums and during ethnic accomplish actions useful to Ukraine, a festivals. land that we had left as children. With In preparing for these events, members youthful energy we started a project that had to learn more about the Holodomor, was most important at the time: a pre- and facts about the past and present of school named “Sadochok Kazok,” This Ukraine. The trio “Pisnya” was a wonder- project was to help families raise their ful addition to many programs. The children in a familiar environment. branch also organized several exhibits for A teacher, with the help of parents, Ukrainian artists, providing them oppor- designed an interesting curriculum. tunities to show their creativity to the Children learned to love Ukrainian songs, public. poetry and folklore. Each Saturday 25 to For social occasions, UNWLA Branch 30 little ones trotted over with their moth- 29 had gatherings for its members with ers to that magic room to play with other entertaining programs and excellent refreshments. Ruta V. Halibey, is press secretary of UNWLA Branch 29 (Continued on page 21)

The first visit by Sviatyi Mykolai (St. Nicholas) to the preschool in 1961. No. 9 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 21 REFLECTIONS: The story of a Ukrainian philatelic auction by Val Zabijaka modified this program and started selling it to other auction houses. This brief narrative is dedicated to all The UPNS auctions continued in that those wonderful stamp collectors, bid- format for many years, turning over the ders, and consignors without whom the profits to UPNS, which in one auction Zabijaka Mail Auction would not have amounted to over $800. been possible. In 1996 the UPNS asked me to sepa- The auction began as the Ukrainian rate the auction from the society newslet- Philatelic and Numismatic Society ter, to no longer include it as a part of the (UPNS) Auction in September 1972, after newsletter mailing and to change the Lubomyr Hugely suggested to this writer name to indicate it was separate and dis- that we try setting up an auction to sell tinct from the UPNS. This was quite a Ukrainian stamps. During the time that shock to me. I had to scramble to find a Mr. Hugely served as the secretary of the printer, set up timing and procedures, and Society of Ukrainian Philatelists (the take care of mailing. All this in addition name of our organization before it was to the regular efforts of responding to changed to UPNS in 1972), he had one inquiries, organizing and printing the mini-auction of a few Ukrainian stamps auction, entering bids, preparing bills and in the society’s newsletter. processing payments to consignors. I first met Mr. Hugely in 1947 in a dis- So, auction No. 70 was renamed the placed persons’ Camp in the old city of Zabijaka Mail Auction and it continued to Ulm, Germany. We were students in a grow. At times the number of lots exceed- typing school and, due to post-war hous- ed 600, and sales $8,000. With the 103rd ing shortage, we lived in an old castle Auction (2007), I offered a color photo with walls more than three feet thick. page for the first time. Figure I shows a Lubomyr, whom I met again in the color photo page from the 113th Auction, United States more than 30 years later, which closed on January 15. assisted me in setting up and organizing Starting with Auction No. 105 (2008), the initial auction. Regular auction rules Andy Martyniuk began to assist me with were announced and lots were sold at a Some of the offerings of the most recent Zabijaka Mail Auction. the auction. Not only has he set up two slight advance over the prior high bid. photo pages in color, but he also typed The first auction closed on September 15, read, “Ukraine is not Russia...” The ads While the publicity did not result in a the “Regular Issues” section identifying 1972, and offered 76 lots realizing about not only brought new auction bidders, but large growth in bidders, the auction’s tridents in the process. Slowly he is $200 worth of sales. It seemed to be a also helped in the UPNS membership fame, if you will, spread and I received becoming an expert in identifying trident great success then with, if memory serves drive. some requests for auction catalogues and overprints. me right, about seven bidders. My advertising campaign continued as sold some material to Taiwan and various At first, the auction catalogue was sent The original intent was for the auction I placed ads in England, Germany and the other countries. to all society members, but later it was to be an integral part of the Ukrainian Netherlands. I had heard that the late When I began the auction, I did not mailed only to active collectors. Initially, Philatelic and Numismatic Society thus Walter Deck, a small dealer and society have a computer program and so had to the printed auction catalogue was mailed providing an accessible stamp market to member, sold some Ukrainian cinderella set up the auction on accounting paper by to collectors in the U.S. (about 66 per- the membership and acting as a benefit to (privately issued) stamps to collectors in hand. This was very time consuming and cent), in Canada (about 25 percent) and attract collectors to our society. The auc- Japan. I, therefore, tried to get guidance difficult. It became even more tedious as other countries (about 10 percent). The tion was published as part of the Trident- on where I could place an ad in Japan. I the number of lots increased to about 200 most recent 113th auction was sent out to Visnyk, the UPNS newsletter. All realized received some information, but ad prices and bidders to more than 30. The first the U.S. (about 55 percent), Canada profits from sales went to the society. (close to $1,000) there were prohibitive auction had two consignors, Mr. Hugely (about 9 percent) and other countries Initially, we had a semi-annual auction, for my small publicity budget. and myself. The following auctions had amounted to about 35 percent. Through later it was changed to three times a year, I also placed ads in several Ukrainian more, and at one time the auction materi- advertising, I was able to attract a few closing on January 15, May 15 and American publications, but these did not al came from 11 sellers from United bidders from Europe, but was not able to September 15. bring me any new bidders or inquiries. States, Canada and Europe. achieve success in Canada. Advertising in The number of bidders participating in Nonetheless, I continued my efforts by To ease my workload, since the auc- Canadian philatelic publications also did the early auctions was fairly small, recruiting Edwin Mulroz from the tion was a one-man operation and I had a not attract any new collectors to the auc- around 20 or so. In order to publicize Netherlands, who became my European very demanding full-time job, I began to tion. Ukrainian philately, the auction, and the publicity chairman. Mr. Mulroz placed look for an auction program and contact- A few years ago I also had my own UPNS, I placed a number of ads in U.S. ads in various philatelic publications in ed a friend in Chicago, who was both a webpage on the Internet, but it turned out and Canadian philatelic publications. In Europe, but with very limited success at a stamp dealer and a computer specialist. to be a very expensive proposition with Linn’s Stamp News, one of my ads was great cost. Ultimately, I had to discontin- He prepared a custom program for me placed under the “Russia” category, but ue this effort. that I purchased for $100. Later on, he (Continued on page 23)

Remembering... (Continued from page 20)

Social services demanded a lot of plan- ning and hard work. Like other Ukrainian women’s organizations, the branch helps provide aid to orphans, the elderly, the needy and invalids in Ukraine. In past years the branch raised funds for student scholarships, as well as victims of floods, the nuclear accident at Chornobyl and other disasters. Most of the branch’s efforts are direct- ed to helping orphans with clothing and toys, school and sports supplies. Still, the most useful were our long-time efforts in sponsoring and supporting the “Sadochok Kazok” preschool. UNWLA Branch 29’s celebration of 50 years of activity will take place on Sunday March 27, at 1 p.m. at the Ukrainian Cultural Center, 2247 W. Chicago Ave. in Chicago. All the mem- bers of the community are invited, but former pupils of the “Sadochok Kazok” are especially encouraged to come and renew their friendships. (RSVP by March 15 to Maria Hrynevych, 708-452-8397, or to Eva Zelenko, 708-386-8187.). 22 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 No. 9

Kinofest NYC set for March 16-20

NEW YORK – Kinofest NYC has “Adam and Eve,” describing the hard- announced the dates of its 2011 film fes- ships of living as a coal miner in eastern tival, which will take place in New York Ukraine; Maxym Vasyanovych’s “Mom City from Wednesday, March 16 to Died On Saturday in the Kitchen,” a per- Sunday, March 20. sonal story of love and loss; and Tatiana This is the second annual Kinofest Korol’s “Akbulak,” a story of immigra- NYC festival and it has grown this year tion and return, set in Kazakhstan. from one to two locations and expanded For complete program listings by The Directors of the Ukrainian Institute of America the number of screening sessions from venue, readers may log on to are pleased to announce the appointment of six to 11. The screening venues are two KinofestNYC.com. East Village landmarks: The Ukrainian Kinofest NYC is New York’s only film Museum, which is sponsoring the films festival showcasing emerging Ukrainian being screened at its facility on East Sixth and post-Soviet cinema. The inaugural Street, and the Millennium Film Kinofest NYC film festival took place in Workshop on East Fourth Street. early 2010 at The Ukrainian Museum and was a resounding success. Films repre- 2011 program highlights senting Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, • Georg Misch’s “I am From Lithuania, Georgia and the United States Nowhere” is a documentary about the vil- were shown over six screening sessions. lage of Mikova, Slovakia, the ancestral The event attracted sizable audiences and home of the family of Andy Warhol. The brought together a variety of guest pre- film investigates the fuss the media has senters, films and enthusiasts. made of Warhol’s relatives who still live “This year we have expanded the festi- there, media fame, and Warhol’s legend- val to two screening locations – The ary “15 minutes of fame.” Ukrainian Museum and the Millenium • Pavla Fleischer’s “The Pied Piper of Film Workshop – both of which are Hutzovina,” details a road trip made established East Village cultural institu- through Ukraine by the filmmaker and tions and the perfect outlets for our Eugene Hutz, the lead singer of New films,” said festival director Andrew York’s gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello. Kotliar. “With a larger and increasingly The filmmaker’s aim is to rediscover a experienced organizing team, we were forgotten romance; Hutz’s purpose is to able to widen our scope and increase our rediscover his gypsy roots. The result is a offerings.” Solomia Ivakhiv story of two people traveling together on Program director Damian Kolodiy has two very different courses. finalized the festival program and is as the new Artistic Director of • Jaak Kilmi’s “Disco and Atomic excited about the growth in the festival’s War” is a tongue-in-cheek documentary presentations. “We’ve got a good mix of MATI - Music at the Institute about growing up in the Estonian capital films, short documentaries and narratives, of Tallinn during the waning days of the some really innovative and creative work Ukrainian Institute of America Cold War. The filmmaker comically that has never been seen in the United 2 East 79th Street (corner of Fifth Avenue), New York, NY 10021 recounts how Estonians had discovered States before,” said Mr. Kolodiy. (212) 288-8660 www.ukrainianinstitute.org the American series “Dallas” via televi- This year’s festival is being produced sion transmissions from Helsinki, and in part with the cooperation of The how the Communist leadership haplessly Ukrainian Museum in New York under attempted to “protect” citizens from the the auspices of its film program. (The corrupting influence of televised capital- museum’s film program is supported, in ist decadence. part, by public funds from the New York • Klaudia Kovacs’ “Torn From the City Department of Cultural Affairs in Flag,” a historical documentary-thriller partnership with the City Council). Major about the international decline of commu- sponsors of the festival include Self nism and the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, Reliance (New York) Federal Credit is composed of both archival footage and Union and the Veselka restaurant. interviews conducted in the U.S., Founded in 2009, Kinofest NYC is a Hungary, Russia and Italy. festival committed to celebrating the art • Dziga Vertov’s Man “With the Movie of independent cinema. Kinofest NYC Camera,” is the groundbreaking Soviet seeks to educate and entertain its partici- classic, completed in 1929 at VUFKU, pants and to provide opportunities for the the All-Ukrainian Photo-Cinema- public to watch independent film from Directorate. This film will be presented Ukraine and other post-Soviet countries. by Dr. Yuri Shevchuk of Columbia The festival also serves as a forum to University, who will discuss its signifi- introduce new filmmakers from these cance within the context of a Ukrainian countries to American audiences and filmmaking narrative. industry professionals. All films are in • Also to be screened is a series of film English or their original language with shorts, including Murat Mamedov’s English subtitles.

Attention Debutante Ball Organizers!

As in the past, The Ukrainian Weekly will publish a special section devoted to the Ukrainian community’s debutantes. The 2011 debutante ball section will be published on March 27.

The deadline for submission of stories and photos is March 14. No. 9 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 23

OUT AND ABOUT

March 2 Donizetti’s “The Elixir of Love,” featuring soprano March 5-8 53rd national congress, Ukrainian Canadian Students’ through April 8 Stefania Dovhan, New York City Opera, Lincoln Center, Ottawa Union, University of Ottawa, [email protected] New York 212-870-6582 or www.nycopera.com March 6 75th anniversary luncheon, Ukrainian National Women’s March 3 Dinner meeting, Ukrainian Canadian Congress – Ottawa Warren MI League of America – Detroit Regional Council, Ukrainian Ottawa Branch, Ukrainian Community Center, Cultural Center, 248-656-0306 [email protected] March 3-4 Film screenings, “Between a Rock and Hard Place: March 7 Lecture by Olha Luchuk, “Panteleimon Kulish and Toronto Ukrainian Cinema Since Independence,” University of Cambridge, MA Shakespeare: A 19th-Century Project in the Europeanization Toronto, 416-946-8113 or www.utoronto.ca/ceres of Ukrainian Literature,” Harvard University, 617-495-4053 March 4 Film screening, “Folk!” by Roxy Toporowych, University Edmonton, AB of Alberta, 780-479-2813 or [email protected] March 12 Boxing match, Sergiy Dzinziruk versus Sergio Martinez, Mashantucket, CT Foxwoods Hotel and Casino, 860-463-1210 or March 4 Concert with music by Ephyra, The Abbey, [email protected] Chicago www.ticketfly.com/event/26889 March 16 Wine and cheese art exhibit, Ukrainian Students’ Club, March 4 Wild West Ukie Fest bonfire, West Eagle Feather Rd. cul Ottawa University of Ottawa, http://uofoukrainian.webs.com Phoenix, AZ de sac, [email protected] March 16-20 Film festival, “Kinofest NYC,” The Ukrainian Museum March 5 Pre-Lenten dance, featuring music by Chervona Kalyna, New York and Millennium Film Workshop, www.kinofestnyc.org Pittsburgh Ukrainian Community of Western Pennsylvania, Best Western Parkway Center Inn, 412-897-0741 or March 19 Film and literary evening with Irene Zabytko, www.ucowpa.org Cleveland, OH “Remembering Chornobyl in Film and Literature,” March 5 Presentation of debutantes, featuring music by Veseli Ukrainian National Women’s League of America – Branch Westlake, OH Chasy, Plast Sorority Buryverkhy, LaCenter, 440-884-2149 12, Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church, or 440-572-4069 440-526-6863

March 5 Mardi Gras party, featuring music by DJ Captain Mike, March 20 Fashion show, luncheon and gift auction, Plast Lehighton, PA Ukrainian Homestead, 215-235-3709 or 610-377-4621 Whippany, NJ Chortopoloky Sorority, Ukrainian American Cultural Center of New Jersey, 973-471-0515 or [email protected] March 5 “Kaktus Kolomyika” dance, featuring music by Svitanok, Phoenix, AZ Sheraton Four Points Hotel, 480-991-4656 or March 21 Lecture by Bohdan Futey, “The Rule of Law and 602-882-1552 Cambridge, MA Constitutional Guarantees in Ukraine,” Harvard University, March 5 Pierogi and vodka night, Ottawa Ukrainian Student’s Club 617-495-4053 Ottawa and the Ottawa Ukrainian Soccer Club, University of Ottawa, [email protected] Entries in “Out and About” are listed free of charge. Priority is given to events advertised in The Ukrainian Weekly. However, we also welcome submissions March 5 Taras Shevchenko conference, Shevchenko Scientific from all our readers. Items will be published at the discretion of the editors New York Society, 212-254-5130 and as space allows. Please send e-mail to [email protected].

The Board of Trustees of The Ukrainian Museum Another crisis came later, when a new The story... bidder from Philadelphia bought many requests the pleasure of your company to celebrate (Continued from page 21) items from the auction for a total of $1,200 – a record at that time. (Since that only a few new bidders. Recently, how- record, I have had several major individu- THE UKRAINIAN MUSEUM’S 35th ANNIVERSARY al purchases amounting to close to ever, Jerry Kalyn, the UPNS webmaster, Sunday, April 10, 2011, 1-5 p.m. was kind enough to put my auction back $4,000.) I have never sent packages val- online and to link it to the UPNS web- ued more than $500, so I hesitated about page for a minimal cost. Although, it still to what to do with this purchase. Battery Gardens at Battery Park, New York, NY is not very effective at drawing new bid- Finally, I decided on UPS and insured 17 State Street, New York, NY 10004 the package for $1,200. Several weeks ders, it does add to the UPNS site and 212.809.5508 hopefully will attract new members. after receiving the payment and mailing Regularly in the past, I mailed out the package, I had a frantic call from the Cocktails 1 p.m. buyer saying that the package never about 180 catalogues, but now the mail- Luncheon 2:30 p.m. ings have been reduced to about 100 with arrived. But UPS came through and after about 50 catalogs additional catalogues I received the $1,200 settlement, I MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES sent out by e-mail. In the past, catalogues promptly sent it to the concerned buyer. Motria Kuzycz were mailed to as few as five different Unfortunately, he never bid again, countries; the 113th auction was mailed although we became good friends and he SILENT AUCTION MUSICAL PERFORMANCE to 11 different countries. At one time, I visited me. I keep wondering, however, During the cocktail hour Askold Buk Trio where the stamps disappeared to. also had bidders from China and $150 per person Azerbaijan, and inquiries from Pakistan The auction has been a great experi- ence for me and has served as a venue for and India. Proceeds to benefit The Ukrainian Museum making many new friends. Additionally, Early in the past, I received some All contributions, less the cost of the luncheon, valued at $125 per person, much interesting material has passed strongly worded correspondence stating are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. that the auction ought to be in two lan- through my hands. But to me, the most guages (Ukrainian and English) and I important aspect of the auction has been once made a bilingual effort, but it was its positive impact on our society’s mem- SPONSORS difficult and it took up more space. bership and on Ukrainian philately. ARAMARK Dr. Jurij and Tania Kuzycz Another time a call came from a member *** UNWLA Branch 113 Prof. Jaroslaw and Alla Leshko in New York City who felt that the Marta Lewycky With this brief article I would like to Jaroslaw and Katria Czerwoniak stamps should be sold to Ukrainians only. Dr. Wolodymyr and Anna Rak Still another letter urged me to sell only recognize and thank all those individuals Ulana Diachuk who have helped me with this auction, Drs. Andrew and Taisa Nahirny Rak to UPNS members. George and Nadia Fedoriw especially Mr. Hugely, who left philately Oleh and Christine Samilenko There were some other interesting Andrey Hankevych occurrences. Once a European bidder much too soon, Mr. Kalyn, our computer Dr. Ihor and Alexandra Sawczuk sent me a bid of $1,000 for a Western guru, and Mr. Martyniuk, who has proved Myron and Olha Hnateyko Olya Zarycky Ukrainian Moldauer cover (which at that to be a dependable friend and assistant. time was worth about $40 or so). I was If you’d like to learn more about For reservations please call: 212.228.0110 quite concerned since he was a new bid- Ukrainian philately, check out the web- der and I didn’t know what would happen site of the Ukrainian Philatelic and e-mail: [email protected] www.ukrainianmuseum.org Numismatic Society (UPNS) at www. if I had another bidder with some ridicu- RSVP by March 28th Space limited lous bid for this item. But nothing hap- upns.org or write to: Andrew Martyniuk, pened, and our European collector bought 1235 Fairview Drive, Kent, OH 44240, to Valet parking $30 the cover for about $45. receive a free informational pamphlet. 24 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011 No. 9

PREVIEW OF EVENTS

Saturday, March 5 Reception: the Case of ‘Haydamaky.’ ” Closing remarks will be provided by Dr. NEW YORK: The Shevchenko Scientific Anna Procyk (UVAN and NTSh-A). The Society (NTSh-A), the Ukrainian Academy program will take place at the society’s of Arts and Sciences in the U.S. (UVAN), building, 63 Fourth Ave. (between Ninth and the Harvard Ukrainian Research and 10th streets) at 4 p.m. For additional Institute (HURI) invite all to the 31st annu- information call 212-254-5130. Please note al scholarly conference dedicated to Taras the earlier than usual starting time. Shevchenko. The program will open with welcoming remarks by Dr. Orest Popovych, Sunday, April 10 president of NTSh-A, followed by three NEW YORK: The Ukrainian Museum will lectures: Dr. Oles Fedoruk (National be celebrating its 35th anniversary with a Academy of Sciences of Ukraine), luncheon to be held at 1-5 p.m. at the “Shevchenko’s Relations with Kulish: Battery Gardens at Battery Park. Featured Newly Discovered Sources”; Dr. Oleksandr will be a jazz performance by the Askold Boron (National Academy of Sciences of Buk Trio and a silent auction. Tickets are Ukraine), “Echoes of Charles Dickens in $150 per person; space is limited. Valet Shevchenko’s Works: Intertextualities and parking is available. RSVP by March 28 to Typological Similarities”; Dr. George G. The Ukrainian Museum, 212 228-0110 or Grabowicz (HURI and NTSh-A), “Some [email protected]. For more Parameters of Shevchenko’s Early information log on to ukrainianmuseum.org.

PREVIEW OF EVENTS GUIDELINES Preview of Events is a listing of community events open to the public. It is a service provided at minimal cost ($20 per listing) by The Ukrainian Weekly to the Ukrainian community. To have an event listed in Preview of Events please send information, in English, written in Preview format, i.e., in a brief paragraph that includes the date, place, type of event, sponsor, admission, full names of persons and/or organizations involved, and a phone number to be published for readers who may require additional information. Items should be no more than 100 words long; longer submissions are subject to editing. Items not written in Preview format or submitted without all required information will not be published. Preview items must be received no later than one week before the desired date of publication. No information will be taken over the phone. Items will be published only once, unless otherwise indicated. Please include payment for each time the item is to appear and indicate date(s) of issue(s) in which the item is to be published. Also, senders are asked to include the phone number of a person who may be contacted by The Weekly during daytime hours, as well as their complete mailing address. Information should be sent to: [email protected] or Preview of Events, The Ukrainian Weekly, 2200 Route 10, P.O. Box 280, Parsippany, NJ 07054; fax, 973- 644-9510. NB: If e-mailing, please do not send items as attachments; simply type the text into the body of the e-mail message.