#7 (89) July 2015

How profound are changes How the Anti-Corruption The first impact of the shock in the SBU Bureau sees its prospects therapy in Ukraine's economy

Thou shalt honor diversity

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|contents BRIEFING Rely on Yourself: SystemicS hape-Shifting: Young politicians, activists and What searches and arrests military share their views at the Prosecutor General’s on the Maidan, support of Office signal the West and own efforts 4 28 Edward Lucas on signs of Yuriy Makarov on the generation effective psychological warfare that was born free of Soviet legacy 7 31 POLITICS FOCUS Hostages of the Kremlin: The Many Faces of Tradition: How many Ukrainian How Ukraine turned into a multireligious political prisoners Russia country keeps, and why 32 8 Freedom of Belief. No More: Who Are You, Mr. Hrytsak? How non-Russian Orthodox religious Whose interests will guide groups live in Donbas after occupation the new SBU chief 10 36 Artem Sytnyk: “Our task is to break the Giray's Faith: stereotypes of society accustomed to Why radical Islam is living in a corrupt environment” not popular among Director of the National Anti-Corruption Crimean Tatars Bureau on rivalry in the law enforcement sector and the outlook for his agency 40 HISTORY 12 Leonidas Donskis on why Helsinki ECONOMICS Accords will remain in history while Express Shock Therapy, Hybrid Economic Results: Vladimir Putin’s regime won’t The first impact of austerity on Ukraine’s economy 43 14 Small Steps to Great Freedom: Healthcare and Education Below Poverty Line: The crucial legacy of Magna Carta The risks of underfinancing critical public services 16 Uncle Xi's Bear Market: China learns that stocks are 44 beyond the Communist Party’s The Man Who Never Laid control Down Arms: UPA fighter Semen Soroka on struggle against 20 the Nazis and NKVD, and his escape from a Soviet labor camp SOCIETY We Can Win After All: Seven 46 stories of success CULTURE & ARTS and heroism The summer of migration, from the military cinema and street food: and volunteers The Ukrainian Week offers a selection of cultural venues to attend in July 22 50

E-mail [email protected] www.ukrainianweek.com Tel. (044) 351-13-87 The Ukrainian Week № 7 (89) July 2015 Editors address 37 Mashynobudivna str., Kyiv, 03067, Ukraine Founder ECEM Media GmbH. Publisher ECEM Media GmbH Print run 15 000. Free distribution Address Austria, Am Gestade,1, 1010 Vienna Our partner State registration certificate КВ № 19823-9623ПР 19.03.2013 Chief Editor Dmytro Krapyvenko Editors Anna Korbut, Lidia Wolanskyj, Shaun Williams № 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|3 Briefing|

4|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 |Briefing

Systemic Shape-Shifting Author: Bohdan Butkevych

or possibly the first time in Ukraine’s entire history, top officials in the Prosecutor General’s Office, one of the country’s most corrupt agencies, have been arrested: Main Investigative Bureau Director Volodymyr Shapakin and Kyiv Oblast Deputy FProsecutor Oleksandr Korniyets. What’s more, it was a scene worthy of an action movie, complete with Alfa special forces breaking down doors and lots of loot in the form of hundreds of thousands of dollars cash, UAH 3 million, and even diamonds— caught red-handed taking bribes—, all of it seized from criminals in uniform.1 Of course, later, in the time-honored traditions of Ukrainian “justice,” the court set bail for these two officials at UAH 3 million, which is three times less than the money found in their offices alone during the very first search. In the last week, some more prosecutors were arrested. The thought that this could finally be the real battle with corruption cheered the heart of many a Ukrainian.

1 In Ukraine, prosecutors wear police-style uniforms. photo by Unian by photo

№ 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|5 Briefing| Actually, this all looks very wart, Ivan Kulychenko, who’s been was under Viktor Yanukovych. Be- hopeful. Finally, the Georgian re- able to cut a deal with every admin- cause its underpinnings—the cha­ former David Sakvarelidze has istration and now what? Lustrate in-of-command, the nepotism, the gone into action and—without him? Who will then help you built-in corruption factor—will re- even asking permission from the against the rebellious oligarch? main exactly the same. Because highest boss, Prosecutor General This is how the various combi- these leaders cannot imagine any Viktor Shokin who, for health rea- nation moves begin, like the one other kind of power. And so this is sons, has not been in office lately— that the nation saw on Sunday at why we are seeing this very public caught a fairly big fish in his own the PGO’s. President Poroshenko shape-shifting, in which it’s not agency. For the first time, the clear has a very good sense of the na- the government machine that is position of President Poroshenko, tional mood and understands that being changed, but the faces and giving credit where credit is due, a few pawns must be sacrificed to cogs in it. made it impossible for Volodymyr win the game. And his idea of win- Huzyr, the first deputy PG and an ning the game is to concentrate The medium influential man within the agency, power in his own hands while gen- is the massage to sweep the case under the rug. erally maintaining the current In short, the flashy arrest of pros- Or to open a criminal investiga- top-down system of governing. He ecutors is intended to convey a few tion against this “hyperactive” ex- doesn’t mind a little window- very simple messages from the top pat, as is typical in the enforce- dressing, cosmetic changes. He’s of the heap to all the executors, ment agencies, to “hang” him and even prepared to trust certain ex- placed within a suitably theatrical keep him under constant control. pats. But is this anything more framework for greater clarity. So far, so good. For now. than a cover-up and paying tribute Firstly, there is a lord in this If only it weren’t for the judge’s to pressure from civil society and manor and there is no freedom, decision to set bail and persistent western creditors, all of whom are whatever anyone might have rumors that these two prosecutors demanding at least some kind of imagined after this past year. Any will be released in the usual man- clear and concrete result that can sign of disloyalty will lead to dis- ner and will then flee to better be touched and tasted? missal—such as happened with times. And this one detail overrides The President urgently needs Nalyvaichenko, in case anyone all the positive, because it clearly some high-profile, impressive suc- missed the point. Everybody’s go- raises the question to what degree cess stories. This is what Mikheil ing to continue working as before, the system is being controlled, who Saakashvili is attempting to do in but there will be a touch more vis- is actually in charge and how: is the Odesa Oblast right now and now ible freedom and democracy for president running it or it running Sakvarelidze has been given the public consumption. the president? Or even the ques- green light in the PGO. Moreover, Secondly, steal smart. No- tion of the real reason for this rumor has it that, come fall, the body’s about to prohibit clever flashy arrest, which isn’t the first ways of making money in the civil one: remember the arrest of the service: why else would anyone bosses of the State Emergencies What we see looks like join it in Ukraine? But if you don’t Services, Bochkovskiy and Stoyets- public shape-shifting, know how to use your head and kiy, during a Cabinet meeting. And keep hundreds of thousands of where are they? Free as birds. Has changing, not the state dollars in your office—well, sorry, there been a court ruling? Nope, machine itself, but you will be arrested in a very pub- the court hasn’t even begun to hear lic fashion and your money confis- this case. the faces and cogs in it cated. Thirdly, if you’re caught, no- Shape-shifting Georgian might even replace the ail- body’s going to come to save you, as pseudo-change ing Shokin as Prosecutor General. as there are already enough prob- So what’s really going on? It looks In reality, Petro Poroshenko is lems to choke on. Of course, no like Mr. Poroshenko is turning out now being forced to agree to a cer- one will get in your way if you try to be the smartest of all of Ukraine’s tain amount of rebuilding of the wiggling out of it, but that will de- presidents. For starters, in the Ukrainian system. But it’s impor- pend on your personal connec- sense of being able to establish his tant to understand what principles tions and assets. If you float out, chain-of-command under the most underlie this. If he and PM Ar- great. If not, too bad. unfavorable conditions possible, seniy Yatseniuk wanted to under- The sad thing in this situation conditions that are growing worse take lightning-fast radical re- is that the shape-shifting that the by the day. The economy is on the forms, all the necessary conditions President and PM are working on, ropes, the public is out for blood for this were already in place, war after seemingly burying their and lustration, and the war is get- or no war. Yet they did not do it, hatchets and deciding to be bud- ting more and more expensive. So and they won’t do it, because they dies once more in an ever-thicken- how can lustration be undertaken are simply unable to operate in a ing atmosphere, has no chance of if the only individuals that you can different dimension from the one succeeding. Ukraine has reached count on are those who most need they are currently in. So all they the point of no return, when the old to be lustrated? For instance, you will do is tweak the system a little, system is completely dysfunctional, get into a fight with that Kolomoys- based on the circumstances. It has but the question of launching a kiy guy and ally yourself with the to become a bit more effective, a new one is not lacking political former mayor of Dnipropetrovsk, a bit less corrupt, but everything will—it’s lacking even the aware- Party of Regions and Kuchma stal- simply done for show, just as it ness that this is what’s needed. 6|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 Opinion|Politics When Russia’s Psychological Warfare Succeeds

Author: Edward Lucas

f you have to live in a bad area, it is prudent to stone). Worse, weak-willed allies may start advis- make sure your locks, doors, windows and bur- ing (or arm-twisting) the Baltic States to take such glar alarms are secure. Once that is done, relax: steps. Iit is unwise to shred your nerves by reacting to Either way, the psychological warfare works. Pub- every outside noise. licly threatening the Baltics makes them feel weak The same is true for the Baltic States. Like an ob- and friendless—and thus easier prey for the next noxious teenage hoodlum who enjoys making men- stunt. It costs Russia little: the Kremlin did not back acing gestures through the windows, Russia is wag- the initiative—and publicly deplored it. The prose- ing psychological warfare on Estonia, Latvia and cutor-general’s office said it was merely responding Lithuania—three countries which for historical rea- formally to a request from two parliamentary depu- sons it should be treating with particular courtesy ties. and respect. In fact, rumblings and mumblings by officials in Last week’s stunt was a perfect example. Put simply: Moscow have little to do with real security. The Bal- the prosecutor-general’s office said it would review tic states were not “granted” independence in 1991. the legality of the Soviet Union’s decision to grant They regained it because the Soviet Union had col- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania independence in lapsed—not least thanks to the Russian Federation, 1991. whose leader, Boris Yeltsin, in those days regarded The news aroused uproar in the Baltic States. Presi- the independence-minded Baltics as great friends dent Dalia Grybauskaitė spoke of her nation’s “blood and allies. and sacrifice”, fuming that “no one has the right to What Russia may or may not think about the Bal- threaten” its independence. Estonia’s foreign minis- tics now is irrelevant. As far as the rest of the world ter said the episode was is concerned, their state- an example of the “resur- Publicly threatening hood dates from 1918 and gent imperialistic mood” was interrupted only the in Russia. the Baltics makes them four decades of foreign It is easy to understand feel weak and friendless— occupation that followed the alarm. Russia has de- Stalin’s illegal annexation clared the transfer of and thus easier prey for of 1940. Russian officials Crimea to Soviet Ukraine the next stunt might just as well investi- in 1954 unconstitutional, gate the sale of Alaska to retrospectively justifying its seizure of that ter- the United States. ritory. Similarly, querying the legal basis of the More and more outsiders (even Germans) have Baltic States’ independence could—in theory— come to realise that Russia is a bad neighbour. provide a legal pretext for mischief, or even attack. And as a result NATO is making serious efforts to But once people start drawing that conclusion, Rus- defend its Baltic members: with plans, exercises, sia’s psychological warfare is already achieving its heavy equipment, rapid-reaction forces, increased goal. Confidence shrivels. Why make plans to visit, spending, and intense intelligence cooperation. We do business with or live in a region which is clearly are no longer in the 1990s. Estonia, Latvia and Lith- in such trouble? Other places look safer. Such feel- uania are not a military pushover. The world is About ings stoke emigration and slow the economy. watching. the author: Moreover, highlighting every detail of Russia’s Of course, Russia may still choose to risk World War Edward Lucas is se- bullying behaviour does not necessarily rally sup- Three and attack NATO. If so, what the prosecutor- nior vice-president at port. It can also prompt pacifist-minded outsiders general (who might be better termed the persecu- the Center for Euro- pean Policy Analysis, to start searching for ways to appease Russia and tor-general) thinks about the Soviet Union’s diplo- a think-tank in Wash- avoid the ultimate horror: war. (“There’s no mili- matic history in its dying days will be the least of ington, DC, and War- tary solution” will be written on the West’s tomb- our worries. saw № 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|7 Politics|human right Hostages of the Kremlin President Poroshenko says there are 30 Ukrainian citizens currently being illegally held in Russia. Human rights advocates that they know about the situation with 11, most of whom the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to provide with lawyers Author: he wave of politically-moti- cates during the time of the Russo- Not all those being held can Stanislav vated arrests of Ukrainians Georgian War in 2008, when a boast heroic tales. There are those Kozliuk began almost immediately af- similar campaign against Geor- who agree to collaborate with the Tter the annexation of Crimea gians was rolled out. agencies holding them and to sign in 2014. One of the leaders of UNA- “For a long time after being ar- any statements demanded of them. UNSO, Mykola Karpiuk, was ar- rested, the Ukrainian consul and For instance, there’s the case of Ser- rested in March, film director Oleh lawyers are prevented from visiting hiy Lytvynov. Russian propaganda Sentsov in May, and pilot Nadia the individual being detained,” ex- claimed that he was a member of Savchenko in June, accused vari- plains Maria Tomak, a journalist the Dnipro voluntary battalion, but ously of organizing criminal gangs, with the Center for Civil Freedom. it became known that Lytvynov was terrorism and mass murder. But “In short, the most basic rules that actually from the village of Ko- there have been far less high-profile the justice system should be re- myshne in Stanytsia-Luhanska incidents as well, often involving specting are completely ignored. County and had never joined up be- very ordinary individuals. The ar- For instance, a Ukrainian citizen by cause he was sick. Prior to being ar- rests of Artem Hordienko, Vitaliy the name of Yuriy Soloshenko.1 He rested, which took place last August Kryvosheyev and Kyrylo Pylypenko was arrested in the center of Mos- in Russia he was working as a com-

were gleefully reported in Russian cow when he arrived there on a mercial assistant to a private busi- media in April 2014, which called business trip. Eventually, he found ness owner. He’s now implicated in the four men “spies” and “terror- himself in the infamous Lefortovo what has been called “the Great ists” who were supposedly prepar- prison. From the very start, he was Ukrainian Affair,” a slew of cases in ing to blow up places in Russian cit- accused of industrial espionage, but which the detainees are being ac- ies. Altogether, 25 such individuals the case has since been requalified cused of mass murder and using have been written about. In time, as regular espionage. He’s been im- prohibited methods of warfare, the however, it turned out that these prisoned in Russia for nearly half a most famous of whom is Nadia “dangerous criminals” were ordi- year now and not once has the con- Savchenko. nary migrant workers who were sul been allowed to see him.” Lytvynov has already signed a eventually deported from the Rus- On May 13, Savchenko’s lawyer confession admitting to murder sian Federation, according to Mark Faigin announced that some and rape. In addition, he suppos- Ukrainian press reports. 30 Ukrainian citizens are currently edly told how Ihor Kolomoyskiy In most cases, the people were imprisoned in Russia. Shortly after personally brought money to the originally arrested under the popu- that, President Poroshenko men- Dnipro battalion and issued “crimi- lar soviet heading of “hooliganism.” tioned the same figure. Euro- nal orders.” “We have to point out But then these supposed hooligans maidan SOS, an advocacy group, that Lytvynov is a fairly controver- found themselves being interro- points out that the State Security sial figure,” says Tomak. “Right gated by FSB officials who were Bureau (SBU) promised to provide now, it’s not even clear how he very curious about the Euromaidan a list of names to confirm this infor- ended up in Russia in the first and Praviy Sektor. Stories like this, mation, but two weeks after the place, this ordinary villager without and on a similar scale, can be heard meeting, there is still no list of pris- even a high-school diploma. If you from Russian human rights advo- oners. read the official transcripts of the 8|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 human right|Politics interrogations, you can see that his Klykh, although his situation is The second question, or rather supposedly dozens of rapes are de- worse. Karpiuk’s family kept get- problem is the fact that in a year of scribed in one and the same man- ting letters, albeit weird ones, but war and captivity, Ukraine still has ner. It’s obvious that these ‘confes- nothing at all is known about not managed to allocate money to sions’ were written in certain of- Klykh. We think that he is being its political prisoners for defense fices. held in Vladykavkaz, but we need lawyers. “We can also assume that he to find him. “Lawyers perform a critical agreed to collaborate with the In addition to Ukrainians, the function,” explains Tomak. “They agencies in exchange for some- ensure that there is contact be- thing he was promised. There is in- “After a year of war and tween the person and the rest of formation that his brother was a the world. There are examples displaced person who supposedly arrests, Ukrainians held when the ‘free’ lawyers provided moved to Russia. In short, it’s captive by the aggressor by the RF to captives simply hardly a heroic story. But what’s worked on breaking them down. important is something else. Peo- country cannot get any They would do everything to con- ple are being used by Russia to financial support” vince the captives that the consul serve its own purposes, in order for simply didn’t feel like coming to this criminal case to have some Kremlin’s list of captives includes see them and that their country story.” She adds that there could Russian citizens as well. There have had turned its back on them.” For well be more people incriminated been cases when the Russian Fed- instance, in the case of a recently- in this particular case, although it’s eration has accused its own citizens released student from Lviv, Yuriy hard to name even an approximate of spying on behalf of Ukraine. In Yatsenko, the lawyer was paid for number. fact, they are being accused of trea- by Freedom House and a Czech In addition to this “Great son, which is a far worse crime than humanitarian organization called Ukrainian Affair,” in the Russian something like spying. A classic ex- “People in Trouble.” Federation, there is also a “Caucas- ample of this is the story of Sergei “We held a briefing in the sian Affair.” This involves Karpiuk Rudniev. He is a Russian citizen Verkhovna Rada and called on the and Stanyslav Klykh, who was ar- who had residency in Ukraine and factions to establish contact with rested in August 2014. After 10 had lived in Dnipropetrovsk for 12 families and help captives finan-

months of captivity, it’s still not years. When one of his friends, a cially without any intermediaries,” clear where these men are being Cyborg,2 was taken into captivity by says Tomak angrily. “Savchenko is held. So far, neither consul nor law- the militants, Rudniev went with being cared for by her party, yes, yers have been able to see them. two volunteers to negotiate his re- but others have simply been aban- When it comes to Karpiuk, he has lease. The “insurgents” promptly doned. This is crazy. We still have been turned into a one-man horror arrested all three of them, after a war here yet the people held cap- show of everything imaginable and which Rudniev ended up to the Tik- tive by the aggressor country can- unimaginable that terrifies ordi- horetski Prison in Krasnodarskiy not get any financial support.” nary Russians: he belongs to Praviy Krai in Russia. He was accused of The only excuse the Foreign Sektor and he was involved in the illegally crossing the border, i.e., a Ministry offers is that there simply war in Abkhazia and Transnistria. Russian citizen apparently illegally aren’t any items in the budget that Now he’s being accused of partici- crossed the border into his own allow such expenditures as law- pating in the Chechen war. country, and of possession of weap- yers’ fees, whose services, in the “Yes, UNSO men were fighting ons. Later on, he was released un- case of the Russian Federation, in Chechnya, but Karpiuk was not der an amnesty deal. cost a considerable amount. Law- among them,” says Tomak. “The 1 A pensioner who was Human rights advocates from yers who take up politically-moti- thing is, the Kremlin needs to try the general manager of Euromaidan SOS note that right vated cases are particularly costly. the Znam’ya Factory in people on a territorial basis. It can’t Poltava for 20 years now there are two important ques- To fix the situation, the Rada only really try Karpiuk based on actions 2 “Cyborg” is the name tions regarding Russia’s prisoners needs to make a few amend- taken outside the territory of Rus- given to the men who that need answering. Firstly, there ments—but so far it hasn’t. And so fought to defend sia! So he has to be incriminated Donetsk International are rumors that Ukrainian soldiers Ukraine’s unacknowledged pris- Airport for 242 days be- for setting up criminal gangs. And fore finally being de- are being kept as slaves in Chech- oners of war can only wait and the same thing is being done with feated by Russian proxies nya. pray. № 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|9 Politics|Security Who Are You, Mr. Hrytsak? Author: n July 2, the Verkhovna roshenko after his election in May only department still remaining un- Denys Rada by what looked like a 2014, and was practically not ac- der his control was Counterintelli- Kazanskyi routine vote approved the countable to the head of SBU, who gence. Oappointment of Vasyl Hryt- had been in charge of the body since In essence, Hrytsak and Artiuk- sak as the Head of the State Security after the Maidan. hov are the ones responsible for Bureau otherwise known as SBU. It is hard to find any other real- most of the corruption within the The candidate proposed by Presi- istic reasons for swapping Valentyn Security Service. Historically, it is dent Petro Poroshenko was met Nalyvaychenko with Vasyl Hrytsak. the Anti-Corruption Department with surprisingly unanimous ap- Had the president been unhappy that provided cover for the biggest proval of 340 votes in favor. In con- with the performance of the SBU, it crimes in Ukraine, including illegal trast, the Parliament's vote to dis- would make sense to replace its en- business, money laundering through miss Hrytsak's predecessor Valen- tire leadership. Lustration in the conversion centers, contraband etc. tyn Nalyvaychenko didn't go SBU ranks wouldn't go amiss either, Meanwhile the ATC is de-facto re- anywhere near as smoothly. It took but there seems to be no rush to sponsible for the contraband from the head of state great efforts to conduct it. Moreover the people in the ATO zone (“zone of the Anti- gather enough votes. In fact, this charge of the most corrupt depart- Terrorist Operation”, the official dismissal nearly created a split ments within the SBU remain at term for the zone of armed conflict among the ranks of president's Par- their positions or have even been in the east of Ukraine, including the liamentary faction. promoted. occupied territories – Ed.). All the For many Nalyvaychenko's dis- It is no secret that after Porosh- trains with lumber, fuel tank trucks, missal came as a surprise. The presi- enko had become president Naly- trailers full of goods, images and dent himself struggled to provide a vaychenko was rendered little more videos of which we've seen so many coherent explanation why he sud- than a figurehead. Both his deputies times, they all belong to Vasyl Hryt- Vasyl Hrytsak denly felt the need to change the – the Head of the Anti-Corruption sak's area of responsibility. As does is the head of SBU. In reality the only rea- Department Andriy Artiukhov and the fact that the cases of passes to President’s man. This son behind this move was Porosh- the Head of the Anti-Terrorism Cen- the ATO zone being simply pur- seems to be enko's desire to have an executive tre (ATC) Vasyl Hrytsak – have been chased have become increasingly the key completely loyal to him in charge of appointed by the head of state. Sack- commonplace. At this point the nec- motivation the Security Service. Whereas Naly- ing them was beyond Nalyvaychen- essary passing documents can be behind this vaychenko's First Deputy Vasyl ko's powers, and therefore he had no easily bought on the internet via appointment Hrytsak had been appointed by Po- real sway over his subordinates. The middlemen. Yet this outrageous fact photo: u nian photo:

10|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 Security|Politics did not preclude the head of the ATC getting a promotion. As one MP confessed off the re- cord, if the MPs had any idea what sort of candidate was to be proposed as Nalyvaychenko's replacement, they wouldn't be as eager to vote for ELECTRONIC his dismissal. But the president kept PASSES TO cards close to his chest not naming SECTOR B the successor until much later. GUARANTEED: The new SBU chief is a rather Trade in wealthy man. In his tax declaration passes to the Vasyl Hrytsak, whose entire career ATO zone has was in public service, specified that been largely overlooked he owns a top of the line Toyota by the SBU Land Cruiser costing close to UAH and other 1.5 million, as well as a Harley Da- competent vidson Sportster motorcycle worth authorities UAH 330,000. That is with official annual income of only UAH 2.831 million to the Hrytsak family Korniyets, both of whom were 286,000, if the declaration is to be for frozen meat. caught taking a bribe (see. p. 4 for believed. Vasyl Hrytsak's wife remains the more details). “How can an officer, who has chairman of Olviya-1 to this day. On Having said that, there are con- been in civil service all his life and top of that, her company shares its cerns that such a flurry of activity by yet, according to the official declara- registration address and telephone SBU may turn out little more than tion, owns half a dozen expensive with the company Mostobud ran by theatrics, designed to showcase the vehicles, be appointed the head of a former Party of Regions MP merits of the new SBU chief and SBU? The person, who headed the Volodymyr Prodyvus of Vinnytsia. prove that the president made the ATC throughout the entire year of Vasyl Hrytsak refused to comment right choice. It resembles the way defeats? The person, who conceived on his family's business ties. the current Prosecutor General Vik- and continues advocating the sys- It is peculiar that MPs Serhiy tor Shokin took the office replacing tem of passes through the front line Leshchenko and Mustafa Nayyem Vitaliy Yarema. Almost immediately – the new kind of large scale corrup- (Bloc of Petro Poroshenko – Ed.), after his appointment followed the tion?” – wrote the Samopomich fac- who not so long ago used to excel in arrest of the Oleksandr Yefremov, tion MP Yehor Soboliev on his Face- investigative journalism uncovering one of the men behind the anti- book page. corruption cases, both suddenly de- Ukrainian insurgency in Luhansk. By the way, the son of the new cided to "overlook" all the glaring But with time it became clear that SBU Head Oleh Hrytsak also hap- there was never an intention to get pens to be an interesting individual. A flurry of activity by SBU Yefremov locked up. Other individu- The young man of 26 has been the als involved in scandalous criminal deputy prosecutor of Kyiv's Solomy- may turn out little more affairs were also allowed to escape. anskyi district for a number of years. than theatrics, designed Those responsible for the massacre At such a young age, however, the at the Maidan in Kyiv were never fellow already managed to tarnish to showcase the merits brought to responsibility either. his reputation rather considerably. of the new SBU chief The contraband flows into the Oleh Hrytsak was the state prosecu- ATO zone that came into being dur- tor against Auto-Maidan activists, and prove the president’s ing Vasyl Hrytsak's term in charge who were arrested and beaten by the right choice of the Anti-Terrorism Centre are yet Berkut riot police during the Maidan to dry out. Just recently volunteer in Kyiv in January 2014. Back then signs of corruption surrounding the turned into Defence Ministry offi- the court ruled to send the arrested new SBU chief, but at the same time cial Yuriy Biriukov reported on the protesters to pretrial detention for were all over Nalyvaychenko's case, astonishing scale of illegal traffick- two months. All of them, including a as soon as the latter fell into disfavor ing on Facebook. And just like be- 70 year-old man. with President Poroshenko. fore, the passes into the ATO zone The journalists of the Schemes Interestingly, on his first week are being sold left and right. One weekly on UA:PERSHYI TV channel as the SBU Head Hrytsak got to can find them online or even have been able to establish that Oleh business with noticeable enthusi- through advertising posters in the Hrytsak together with his mother asm. The Security Service immedi- streets. Therefore "drastic changes" Olha Hrytsak back in 2008 regis- ately produced a number of press is not the definition that can be ap- tered a company called Olviya-1 spe- releases reporting about thwarted plied to what transpires within the cializing in meat trade, which prof- terrorist acts and detained terror- Security Service. In general the ited from state procurement. In 2011 ists. Additionally, SBU operatives SBU's activity will, as per usual, de- through 2012, during the Yanu- took part in the odious arrest of pend on the outside pressure ap- kovych regime the firm was very ac- Volodymyr Shapakin, the Deputy plied by the civil society. Without tive in supplying frozen meat to gov- Head of Main Department of Prose- this pressure Ukraine's march to- ernment entities. According to the cutor General's Office, and Deputy wards reforms is way too slow and journalists, the state paid UAH Prosecutor of Kyiv Oblast Oleksandr inefficient. № 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|11 Politics|Reforms unique to Ukraine. In France there are the police administrative and police judiciaire with similar pow- Artem Sytnyk: ers. In the US there are the police and the FBI, among which there is also competition. But this is healthy. “The Anti-Corruption U.W.: Often the results of investigations by theS BU and the General Prosecutor’s Office are Bureau’s task is to break undermined by the judiciary. Do you expectNA B initiatives to face the same fate? Can the fight the stereotypes of society against corruption be thwarted at the level of courts? – According to sociological sur- accustomed to living in veys, the highest level of corruption takes place in the judiciary. When I was vying for the position of NAB di- a corrupt environment” rector, I stressed that overcoming corruption in this area would be a priority for NAB. If you compare n an exclusive interview with NAB become another component Interviewed this with the prosecution, then the The Ukrainian Week, the di- added to this rivalry in the law by lowest-ranked officer whose affairs rector of the National Anti-Cor- enforcement sector?H ow can it be Tetiana might be investigated by the NAB is Iruption Bureau (NAB) spoke rectified? Omelchenko the head of an oblast-level prosecu- about fighting corruption in the ju- – Discussions between law en- tor’s office. County-level prosecutors diciary, the creation of a “corruption forcement agencies is a normal pro- do not fall within our jurisdiction. As registry”, and regional management cess, because they have conflicting for the judges, our bureau is consid- of anti-corruption efforts. points of accountability. I can not ering corruption cases against all of confirm any facts regarding a them in case they commit crimes of U.W.: You are often questioned rivalry between agencies, as corruption. That is why I plan to es- about your many years of they are not known to tablish a separate unit that will deal experience in the prosecutor’s me. I would not rule exclusively with corruption in the office and the potential that out the possibility judiciary. “personal ties” may interfere with that there will be We have announced a com- your impartiality. To what extent times when another petition for the first 100 de- might your past work hinder your agency will challenge tective positions, but in gen- current position? an investigation by the eral we are planning to have – Frankly, it’s difficult to com- NAB. Some discussion 255 detectives in 6 depart- ment on this nonsense about “per- of legal issues between ments. One of these will focus sonal ties”, and I don’t have time for the security forces may exclusively on the judiciary. I it. Regarding these “accusations” I occur. This process is not am sure that if NAB su- would say that, for example, there is a perception in our society that most journalists are corrupt, but you probably disagree with that, right? As for my experience in the prosecu- tor's office, my name has never been involved in any corruption scandals. I worked for 10 years and when I saw that the fight against corruption was being sidelined (with the advent of Yanukovych regime), I decided to retire. U.W.: As a former prosecutor, you are well aware of the long- standing rivalry between the prosecutor’s office, the SBU and the Interior Ministry – and the lack of cooperation between these institutions. Will the creation of the

12|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 Reforms|Politics pervises the case all the way cially detectives) can eliminate the Bio presentation on these programs in through, the risk of judges blocking risk of corruption. Officers will not Artem Sytnyk late June. We will look at their expe- was born in Kiro- the adequate verdict will be signifi- be forced to look for additional vohrad oblast in rience and learn to adapt their cantly reduced. And most impor- sources of income, and higher sala- 1979 and is a methods to fit our needs. Ukraine tantly, if evidence of the defendants’ ries will enhance their personal re- graduate of the has over 40 national databases, so it unequivocal guilt is provided and sponsibility. Yaroslav Mudriy takes analysts who work with detec- duly recorded in the criminal pro- Law Academy. He tives two days to process them. Our ceedings before a court, and the trial U.W.: Some believe that NAB was worked as an as- Georgian colleagues have computer itself is supervised properly, then only established in order to pander sistant prosecutor programs that reduce the whole pro- the risk of the judge reaching an un- to the wishes of Ukraine’s Western in the Leninskiy cess to just 5 minutes. We also plan lawful verdict is also much smaller. partners, and that a de facto district of Kiro- to implement such a system, but we separate anti-corruption body is not vohrad before be- will need significant financial - re We will have results, but these will coming an inves- take certain efforts: to restore order necessary. Do the GPU, SBU, and tigator and later sources to create this IT-infrastruc- to the courts, the prosecution, and Interior Ministry truly lack the senior investiga- ture. the law enforcement system in gen- power to combat bribery? tor. Mr. Sytnyk eral. – Anti-Corruption Bureaus exist later served as U.W.: You mentioned the intent to in Romania, Poland and Latvia, for chief of the inves- set up seven regional offices in the U.W.: If there is a need to detain a example, but not in the United tigation depart- most corrupt cities.H ow is this corrupt law enforcement official, States or Georgia (where the prose- ment of the Kyiv process advancing? What are the which security forces will be cution service was successfully re- Oblast Prosecu- most problematic regions?H ow involved? formed). If the existing law enforce- tor’s Office, but you see these offices operating? resigned in 2011 – The NAB has its own fighting ment authorities were effective in due to “disagree- – Unfortunately, I can’t do ev- unit comprised of 60 officers. It re- fighting corruption, there would be ment with the erything at once, and NAB still has ports to my deputy and will be very no need for the NAB. The task of my policies of the Ya- very limited human resources: just important, at least in the first administration is to launch the anti- nukovych re- four people. If you take a closer look months and years of NAB’s exis- corruption process in order to set gime”. He at the law, you will see that the cen- tence. Staff are recruited through other agencies in motion. After all, opened 300 tral management is established first, open competition. They have a the 700 employees of NAB alone criminal cases, in- then the regional offices (actually, broad range of functions and tasks, will not change the government nor cluding those NAB headquarters). There, the staff including operations to arrest per- overcome corruption. That would be dealing with cor- will work with complainants, wit- sons suspected of committing cor- a utopia. However, one of NAB’s ruption. He has nesses, collect information from the worked as a law- ruption offenses, ensuring the safety most important objectives is to yer beginning in public and the mass media. I’m now of participants in NAB criminal pro- break the stereotypes of society ac- 2011, and on April considering a mobile detective unit ceedings and NAB’s workers them- customed to living in a corrupt envi- 16, 2015 was ap- in Kyiv, since 70% of the officials be- selves, because there will certainly ronment. pointed the first ing investigated by NAB are located be attempts to exert pressure on Director of the in the capital. them. U.W.: NAB has announced the National Anti-Cor- creation of a “corruption registry”. ruption Bureau of U.W.: In terms of corruption, U.W.: NAB officers will probably be Is there already a plan for this Ukraine Ukraine scores 142nd out of 175 paid well. Won’t they be resented project or a model based upon countries. Where will it be within a by the rest of the lower-paid law countries where similar plans have year of your work? enforcement agencies? been implemented? – It is difficult to say. I am a – This is a question for the legis- – The corruption registry exists, pragmatist and I don’t want to en- lators. The new police force recently but it is somewhat crude and offers gage in populism. I could tell you launched in Kyiv is also offering de- no free access. Moreover, it is cur- that we’ll find ourselves in second cent salaries. If you read the new law rently run by a different authority. place, but that would be insincere. on the prosecutor’s office, the prose- NAB will have its own registry. We NAB has specific powers, tasks, and cutor’s salary will be five times will probably build the registry greater than it is today. Now jointly with the Ministry of Justice we’ve generally taken a based on the principles of openness. IT WILL TAKE AT LEAST A YEAR course toward the proper The model is simple: detained – FOR THE NATIONAL BUREAU compensation of law en- proven guilty – put on the list. NAB forcement officials. This website will provide all this informa- TO BE ESTABLISHED IN THE is necessary because, tion. FORM PROVIDED BY LAW for example, the prose- Our international partners have cutor's salary of just initiated many interesting pro- deadlines provided by law. I would USD 200 creates a high grams, including projects for regis- not like to run headlong into this risk of corruption. tering perpetrators of corruption. work without the Bureau first tak- When I resigned from Poland has had positive experience ing form, but the present necessity the prosecutor's office in with communications surveillance. requires rapid results. However, 2011, I had a monthly sal- NAB plans to have a staff of workers there are units that take more than ary of nearly USD 1,000. who personally monitor communi- a year to form. For example, the (At the rate of 8 UAH / USD cations, and the Poles have a com- SBU must provide the equipment

photo: andriy1). lomakin Since then, earnings have puter program that does it. That can for our secret apparatus. But it will not increased to match the save worker hours and get more take at least a year for the National hryvnia’s devaluation. Higher complete and effective information. Bureau to be established in the form salaries for NAB staff (espe- Polish experts will come to give a provided by law. № 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|13 economics|Reforms operating steadily. What’s more, the hryvnia has even grown stronger and Express Shock Therapy, currency reserves are growing (see The good news). What should we make of this good news? Hybrid Economic Results The first four months of 2015 were for Ukraine what the early n the one hand, we see nega- Author: This means that Ukraine has not 1990s were for the Poles: shock ther- tive data and it is quite justi- Vitaliy only fulfilled all the commitments to apy. For Ukrainians, it was very con- fied. GDP, roughly speaking Melnychuk individual citizens and legal entities centrated and swift, although the Obeing the net cash that a that it took on in the budget law, but impact of this shock was enormous country can distribute, consume or has also accumulated additional fi- and complicated. According to the invest, declined 17.6% in Q1 of 2015, nancial resources that can now be al- UN, which just recently completed a which means that Ukraine is now located to other projects within the study on the standard of living of operating with nearly 20% less cash budget. This money now has to be Ukrainians, nearly 80% of the peo- than a year ago. This is the main distributed, which means amending ple are now at the poverty level, that wealth that the government can the current budget, as no one can is, according to UN standards, they manage in real time, so a drop of simply go ahead and spend this cash. are living on less than US $5 or UAH 20% is an enormous loss. Back in 2008, the YeKR also had 105 a day. Business profits have In addition to this, industrial about that amount of money, al- plummeted, manufacturing has output has declined 22%, transport though the exchange rate was still plunged into the red, and sales are in has dropped 23.2%, and construc- UAH 5/USD then, whereas it is now the doldrums—on top of the huge tion has plunged 33%. Meanwhile, UAH 20/USD. But that money was devaluation of the hryvnia and dou- real salaries have shrunk by 22.5%, poorly used. The Government issued ble-digit inflation already men- while prices soared 40% by April one-time pension rises just in the tioned. Still, it looks like shock ther- 2015, compared to December 2014 run-up to the 2010 presidential elec- apy may have also brought some (see The bad news?). And who- tion, taking on colossal commit- good news (see The good news). ever knows these numbers, espe- ments that have continued to de- This was possible, firstly, because of cially those outside Ukraine, looks at stroy the balance in the Pension solid financial and macro-economic them and says, “Good Lord, what a Fund to this day. But today we don’t policy, and secondly because the Fi- mess! How can people survive in a have the option of frittering away nance Ministry and Cabinet acted country like that?” And Vladimir Pu- this surplus. It’s not the time and the correctly to balance macroeconomic tin adds: “Time for the third Maidan, options are simply not there. proportions and the financial situa- my Maidan!” If we take a look at statistics tion in the country. And these proper Let’s start with the bad news. Ac- from the National Bank of Ukraine, actions put enormous pressure on cording to official financial numbers, at the trade balance and balance of purchasing power, sharply cutting at the macroeconomic level, where payments, then we can also see a lot back consumption among the popu- all the financial and economic of good news there. Yes, exports and lation and working capital among streams run together in a society, we imports fell, but exports remain US businesses. Cutbacks in salaries and will notice that both in the first quar- $1.193bn higher than imports, some- pensions and an effective halt to ter and over April–May, the govern- thing the country has not seen for a lending were the sacrifices that ordi- ment covered all its budgetary com- very long time. This means that nary Ukrainians and Ukrainian busi- mitments in full, paying out wages Ukraine brought in more hard cur- ness brought to the altar in return for and supporting institutions involv- rency through trading goods and ser- the current macrofinancial stability ing defense, national security, educa- vices than it paid out, which provides and the uninterrupted functioning of tion and other branches and pro- the basis for a more stable hryvnia. the country’s financial system. grams. Local administrations also The deficit in the balance of pay- But such sacrifices should not be covered all their budget commit- ments has shrunk severalfold com- in vain. Not only because they ments. There have been no hold-ups pared to last year and continues to brought Ukrainians considerable in paying pensions or other social slow down. Since the huge devalua- pain in the midst of a war against benefits. tion, currency markets have been Russia and its proxies, but more im- What’s more, the Unified Trea- portantly because they provide a ba- sury Account (YeKR) where all con- THE BAD NEWS? sis for carrying out real economic re- forms at last. Macroeconomic stabil- tributions to the State Budget go Macroeconomic indicators for Ukraine from commercial entities, individu- ity must be in place before any real als, physical and legal persons, con- January-April 2015 as % of January-April 2014 reforms can be undertaken in indi- tains nearly UAH 28 billion today, Indicator % change vidual sectors and areas. although at the beginning of the Real GDP (Q1) -17,6 Driving from Zhytomyr to Kyiv recently, trucks carrying brand-new year, the country had only UAH 3 Manufacturing -21,5 billion. This is the money that is cars, all of them imports, could be taken in as revenues and distributed Construction -32,6 seen on the highway for the first time further. Part of it is already allocated Transport -23 -23,2 in a long, long while. This signals not and is supposed to cover the coun- Capital investment -14,8 only about demand, as there are al- try’s budget commitments, but part Real wages -22,5 ways some people who have money. of it is surplus, reserve cash, and is Consumer price index (CPI) +40,1 The point is that the “elastic im- supposed to be distributed anew. Apr. 2015 vs Dec. 2014 porter” waited until the economy This is about nearly UAH 18.5bn. Source: Derzhkomstat was once again in balance, when the 14|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 Reforms|economics hryvnia was stable again, because a THE GOOD NEWS they are “without the counties of fluctuating hryvnia means that this Macroeconomic indicators for Ukraine Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts where kind of importer will do nothing. A the ATO is taking place.” But the ATO January-April 2015 as % of January-April 2014 rise in direct investment in Ukraine is also on territories controlled by since the beginning of the year is an- or at end April 2015 Ukraine, and there are also areas that other signal that there have been are temporarily occupied by Russia. changes at the macro level and real Indicator change Are they also part of this excluded ter- reforms can be undertaken. This Budget revenues, % +30,5 ritory? How precisely is all this calcu- means that, war or no war, investors Budget surplus, UAH bn 18,5 lated? It is impossible right now for are starting to move again. any boundary to be precisely estab- Balance on YeKR, UAH bn 27,7 lished, because some companies were Wanted: Rational Balance of trade, $ bn 1193 registered on Ukrainian territory economic policy Fulfillment of budget commitments, % 99,8 while others remained in the occu- So the first condition for serious re- pied areas. There are also doubts form, macroeconomic stability, is in Fulfillment of Pension Fund about the accuracy of the baseline commitments, % 100 place. The next step is specific ac- from 2014 that is being used for com- tions in specific sectors in both the Increase in gold and currency reserves parison purposes. We are talking, for March-May 2015 (as of June 1), 4318 economy and the social sphere. USD bn more or less, about the economic po- At this stage, it’s extremely im- tential, up to 20% of Ukraine’s GDP, Source: Derzhkomstat, NBU, Ministry of Finance portant to begin easing pressure on that Donetsk and Luhansk Oblast demand because a dramatic decline mercial activity. That is the key. This produced prior to the war with Rus- in demand not only means less in- economic policy should mean spe- sia. In this situation, to completely come for consumers and hardship in cific projects and specific actions in rely on basic macroeconomic indica- their daily lives—both those who are specific areas. There are not enough tors makes little sense. They are at working and those living on pen- of such thoughtful and contemporary best simply orientation points. On sions—, but it also makes it impossi- actions today. What is worse, it is not the other hand, the figures for real ble for businesses to grow. A com- clear who personally will actually un- money that has been received by the pany can’t sell its products when dertake them. Ukraine’s current Gov- Finance Ministry’s institutions are there is no purchasing power. ernment does not even have a deputy precise data and can be relied on. Of Right now, what Ukraine needs premier in charge of economic policy. course, there has been devaluation of is for consumption to increase as In fact there has never been such a the hryvnia and inflation. But the soon as there are some resources post. This, as much as anything, money is there: Ukrainians have and the shoots of macroeconomic demonstrates just how unprepared shifted into a new system of coordi- stability become visible. That means state institutions are to working posi- nates and this is cash that is “in removing the most draconian caps tively. But we have to give ordinary pocket” and really exists. Yet many on pensions and wages, introducing Ukrainians their due: they have sur- do not want to believe these figures. indexing, dropping the most burden- vived this colossal pressure and the Yes, in her recent meeting with the some taxes, and withdrawing the shock, making many sacrifices in or- IMF head of mission, NBU Governor strictest restrictions on the currency der to gain the necessary results, so Valeria Hontareva announced that market. A new version of the pension no one has the right to waste them. Ukraine has positive indicators for law needs to be passed immediately. its banking system and hryvnia ex- Discount rate needs to be reduced Why don’t change rate. She stated that Ukraine and business loans given a jump- the numbers match? needs to start slowly easing pressure start. The economy has to be slowly Statistics make sense when they are on consumers and businesses, in- liberalized as its current severity no comparative. If a given company cluding the restrictions that were in- longer corresponds to the current re- worked last year and is still working stituted. But they answered her that ality. And, of course, that UAH now, it is easy enough to compare its it was still “too soon” because of the 18.5bn “surplus” needs to be very results. The same goes for a territory, poor macroeconomic indicators. wisely distributed. Some part of it be it oblast or country. But how can It is hard to dispute with the IMF should go to a critical national proj- you compare if a territory has chan­ representatives, as they use the same ect, preferably energy conservation, ged, when part of it is now occupied statistical data that we provided here and another part to stimulate greater and the border keeps shifting? (see The bad news) and he only consumption using either budgetary Clear­ly, that territory that cannot be sees bad results. After seeing these, or other mechanisms. Preparations accounted for has to be excluded. At they won’t even bother looking at the should slowly be made for the up- one point, Ukraine’s statistics failed to second page (see The good news) coming fall (local elections are reflect this but then the adjustments and they won’t be bothered trying to scheduled for October 2015 – Ed.), began to be made. A few months after understand our very mixed results. increasing consumption among or- Crimea was taken, statistics came out Yet this is what needs to be talked dinary Ukrainians so that the coun- that no longer included it. Crimea it- about because right now, Ukraine’s try can meet it in a normal fashion. self once had a republic-level statistics economy and other spheres are very Then there won’t be any talk about a office, but it now works for a different much in a “bad news, good news” sit- “third Maidan.” In short, Ukraine country, so data about the peninsula uation. This is a hybrid reality against needs thoughtful economic policies. is no longer forthcoming. With the the background of a hybrid war and This economic policy should not occupied counties of the Donbas, we need to learn to live with it—and just be about decentralization and things are a bit more complicated. take advantage of the situation. We deregulation, but about infrastruc- When economic statistics are pub- cannot waste this opportunity as it ture and the very conditions for com- lished, there is a footnote stating that has cost Ukrainians far too much! № 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|15 economics|Impact of austerity Healthcare and Education Below Poverty Line Ukraine will face a complete degradation of public services unless painful but necessary changes take place

hile the cost of living Author: 80-98%, while the gross mini- to UAH 18,000; in finance and in- in Ukraine is skyrock- Oleksandr mum wage rate has remained surance sectors, from UAH 6,500 eting, the financial Kramar unchanged, at UAH 1,218 or USD to UAH 9,700; in information Wsupport for the public 55. However, this increased sub- and telecommunications, from and government sectors is de- sistence level is in fact that of UAH 4,500 to UAH 7,100. In creasing drastically. Most citi- December 2013, merely adjusted other sectors, where private busi- zens who get their wages from for inflation of the past 18 ness prevails, such as hospitality, state budgets of all levels have months. Back then experts al- retail trade, construction and already found themselves below ready lamented about the obso- transportation, the increase of of- the subsistence level. The budget lescence and divorcement from ficial salaries was much lower; deficit and the pre-default posi- reality of the methodology used however, typical for them is a sig- tion of Ukraine don't provide to define the official subsistence nificant gap between reported pay grounds for the increase of pay- level, stressing the need to adapt and total reward that includes roll budgets in the near future. it to the dictates of the time. “enveloped” cash. Without solving this stalemate, The increased cost of living Another long-standing prob- that is, the situation when the affected all employees working lem with the salaries of public salaries of government and pub- in the Ukrainian economy. While sector employees is as follows: lic sector employees are not suf- the minimum wage rate is only their salaries are regulated by ficient to cover their most basic indicative in the private sector, the Unified Tariff Scale (UTS), needs, the quality of the services since salary levels there are de- where the basic salary of a first they provide is bound to deterio- termined by the market rather category employee remains at rate. the level of UAH 852 (around USD 38). This is below not only Within the confines It is impossible the actual subsistence minimum of poverty to increase spending for the able-bodied (UAH 2,561), The Ministry of Social Policy reg- but also the minimum wage rate ularly publishes data on the "ac- on payrolls (UAH 1,218) set in the state bud- tual cost of living." This is a tech- of public sector employees get back in December 2013. nical indicator used to "monitor As a result, even if dependent the dynamics of the living stan- from state and local children are not taken into ac- dards in Ukraine." Whether to budgets count, the overwhelming major- give this indicator an official sta- ity of state employees are already tus or not is decided by the Par- than legislation and considerable below the subsistence minimum. liament, whose responsibility is amounts are paid unreported in In April 2015, with the official to determine a figure of official envelopes as "bonuses," for state subsistence minimum for able- subsistence level in the annual employees this indicator actually bodied employees established at state budget, a process that is of- reflects official salaries. Accord- UAH 2,561, accrued average ten arbitrary and politically-mo- ing to official statistics, while wages in healthcare sector were tivated. In terms of April 2015 minimum wage rates remained just UAH 2,536, in education prices, this subsistence level frozen since the end of 2013, av- UAH 2,795, and the employees amounted to UAH 2,561 or erage wages continued to grow in of libraries and other cultural in- around USD 115 at the current other sectors. stitutions received UAH 2,694. exchange rate (UAH 2,317 net of Across the nation, accrued av- Moreover, most employed in individual income tax) for able- erage wages increased from UAH these sectors are paid signifi- bodied persons, UAH 1,882 or 3,167 (USD 140) to UAH 3,998 cantly less than the average sal- USD 85 for pensioners, and UAH (USD 180) between January 2014 ary. For instance, in the educa- 2,593 or USD 117 for children and April 2015. In sectors with tion sector, salaries differ by under the age of six. less shadow income, salaries in- types of institutions, bonuses for The subsistence level has in- creased by a factor of 1.5-2: in air academic degrees, extra hours creased since December 2013 by transportation, from UAH 9,600 worked, etc. Gross salary of an 16|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 Impact of austerity|economics or more to the dollar. So, a simi- lar increase in tax revenues from imported items in the second half of the year will only be pos- sible if the government turns to such extreme economic scenar- ios. Besides, almost half of the consolidated budget surplus in January-April 2015 was gener- ated by the fees for the issuance and extension of licenses (mainly permits for 3G networks issued to three mobile operators), which amounted to UAH 8.87 bn compared with UAH 0.16 bn in the same period of the last year. These revenues were one-off and transitory. There are no reasons to expect similar new revenues in the remaining months of this year. Meanwhile, spending on edu- cation and healthcare, only dur- ing the first four months of 2015 and even at the current ex- tremely low salary rates in these sectors, amounted to UAH 52.6 bn. In annual terms, the budget would need several hundred bil- average high school teacher or a revenues were higher in those lion hryvnia to ensure the neces- medical doctor is usually around sectors where prices for im- sary tripling of salaries in these UAH 2,000-2,500. Even in cate- ported goods increased in hryv- sectors, which the budget just gories such as "public adminis- nia due to devaluation. Thus, a doesn't have. And, as evidenced tration and defense, compulsory 30.5% increase in the nominal from our further analysis, it will social insurance," that covers a consolidated budget revenues in not have the necessary funds in wide range of staff categories, January-April 2015 compared the future either as the tax base average gross salary in April with the same period of 2014 was is narrowing and a large number 2015 amounted to just UAH due to the increase of revenues 3,892. from VAT on imported goods by 54.2%, from excise tax on im- The problem Insolvent budget ported goods by 79.8%, and from of inadequate tax base for It is impossible to increase import duties by 177.9%. In total, spending on payrolls of public these three budget revenue items the financing of education, sector employees from state and brought UAH 58 bn to the state healthcare and other local budgets. Despite the recent treasury, compared with just populist speculations of some UAH 34.4 in the same period of public services only politicians about the unprece- 2014. deepens dented "budget overperfor- However, a further increase mance" in the first months of the of these revenues will be much of employable citizens of Ukraine year, allegedly allowing for sala- lower. In the first quarter of evade taxes and full-fledged par- ries and pensions adjustment for 2015, the worst devaluation of ticipation in the financing of inflation, this situation is in fact the hryvnia took place, with its Ukraine’s social infrastructure. only temporary and fragile. official exchange rate (used for Indeed, the consolidated customs clearance of imported One-way traffic budget surplus in the first four goods) for a long time remaining Currently, there are 40-43 mil- months of 2015 reached UAH at UAH 25-30 to the dollar, lion residents in Ukraine (figures 18.5 bn (which, by the way, which is at least 2-2.5 times vary depending on whether the equals to only 10% of budget ex- higher than in the same period of occupied districts of Donetsk penditures over this period, and 2014. In the fall of 2014, im- and Luhansk Oblasts are taken therefore is not the reason for a ported goods were cleared at the into account). However, less substantial increase in salaries). rate of 13-16 UAH to the dollar; than a third of them pay taxes, But even this surplus was due to therefore, to ensure a revenue even though all of them without temporary factors, which will not growth at the Q1’2015 rate, a new exception claim "free social ser- exist in the remaining months. round of deep hryvnia devalua- vices guaranteed by the Consti- According to the Ministry of tion is needed in the fall, at least tution" to be provided at the cost Finance, consolidated budget to the official rate of UAH 30-35 of the state budget. In addition № 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|17 economics|Impact of austerity to 12.15 mln retirees, who are in the number of people employed their own right, there are a few by businesses employing over 10 million "economically inactive people decreased from 9.5 to 8.1 people of the working age." Some million. Almost half of them are of these citizens are university now employed by state enter- and college students, a small prises and institutions, including share includes those who can’t more than 2.2 million working in work for health reasons, while state-funded education and the rest are actually quasi-unem- healthcare. ployed: 2.4 million are "em- This sharp decrease in the ployed in the household" and an- number of full-time employees other 0.5 million fall into other by almost two-thirds was due to categories, such as "desperate," the loss of jobs in the territory "not knowing how to look for a controlled by the terrorists in job," etc. Another 1.85 million Donbas, where the number of Ukrainians are officially recog- such employees decreased from nized as unemployed according 1.5 to 0.6 million from April to the definition of the Interna- 2014 to April 2015. However, tional Labour Organisation even without account for the (ILO). area of the counterterrorist op- Out of the 17.2 million able- eration, the decline in the num- bodied citizens who are formally ber of full-time employees dur- employed, in 2014 only 8.9 mil- ing this period was significant, lion were employed full-time by amounting to 0.49 million, or enterprises with more than 10 5.5%. The data available for the employees, 1.4 million worked recent years show that the trend for microbusinesses and private is not new, but is gaining mo- entrepreneurs, and another 1.5 officially considered to be unem- mentum with every coming year. million were microbusiness own- ployed in 2014 amounted to 8.3 There were 10.6 million full-time ers and individual entrepre- million (2.4 + 0.5 + 5.4), and an- employees in March 2012 in neurs. These 11.8 million taxpay- other 1.85 million were unem- Ukraine, inclusive of Crimea and ers are the ones who carry the ployed by the ILO definition. In Sevastopol, while in March 2014 burden of the entire social and total, more than 10.1 million there were 9.97 million of them. public infrastructure (education, people who are not pensioners, This means that at that time the healthcare, and public services) disabled or students, pay no decrease rate barely exceeded 5% in the country of 40 million resi- taxes to the budget and no social in two years, whereas now a sim- dents (exclusive of the occupied security contributions, but claim ilar decline happened within a territories of Donbas). free services in the public sector year. The remaining 5.4 million of and access to public services on a the officially "employed" citizens par with those who make such Looking for a way out are farmers working on individ- The problem of inadequate tax ual household plots and some base for the financing of educa- other categories of citizens the main reason for the tion, healthcare and other public whom the state refuses the status current budget sector services only deepens, and of the unemployed (having part- within the current model, this time, temporary, seasonal jobs, financing gap is trend will continue. As a result, etc.). The State Statistics Service the fact that the funding employees of these sectors will in its surveys defines as "em- lose any motivation to do their ployed" anyone who "worked is still provided along work well and to grow profes- during the surveyed week for at the patterns of sionally in line with the need of least one hour," and not only on the time. Ukraine will thus face a a paid basis, but also "for free for the centrally planned quiet humanitarian disaster as a an enterprise, for family busi- Soviet economy result of the complete degrada- ness or on a household plot," as tion of education and healthcare well as those who "formally have contributions from their income services provided to the vast ma- a job or a business, but did not on a regular basis. This category jority of the population. work during the surveyed period almost equals the total number The processes that are taking for any reason." The vast major- of pensioners (12.15 million) and place today seem to reflect a ity of these citizens only pay in- salaried employees (10.3 mil- dangerous self-deception. Me- direct taxes included in the price lion). chanically cutting spending on of goods and services they con- Meanwhile, the number of education or healthcare will re- sume (VAT, excise tax, etc.). At full-time employees who are the sult in the destruction of these the same time, they pay practi- main payers of personal income important sectors and their rapid cally no income tax or social tax. tax and, most importantly, of the degradation, whereupon they In this way, the total number contributions to various social will no longer be able to func- of citizens of the working age funds is steadily declining. Only tion, but will simply imitate the who don't pay taxes, but are not from April 2014 to April 2015, process. What Ukraine actually 18|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 Impact of austerity|economics needs is to start calling things by education being fee-based and times. Therefore, solving the their proper names and bring so- voluntary, and limiting the problem of financing social al- cial standards, minimum wage amount of services provided by lowances, pensions, healthcare and the Unified Tariff Scale in public hospitals free of charge. or education will only be possi- line with the actual cost of living. Of course, a radical wage in- ble with a new model that would The shortage of funds in the state crease for public and govern- either ensure that anyone using treasury should not be an obsta- ment sector employees by at public services pays for them, or cle to their long overdue triple least three times will result in make them unavailable to those increase, as a minimum. How- the necessary layoffs of those not willing to pay taxes. ever, this increase should not whose wages cannot currently There is no other alternative happen at the expense of the be covered by the deficit-ridden in the current market situation state budget, which simply has budget and will not be provided for overcoming the outrageous no resources for it. The problem by the consumers of their ser- poverty of the public and govern- should be resolved by a radical vices. According to different es- ment sector employees. The ex- staff reduction (by two to four timates, from 0.5 to 1 million perience that we already have in times) where possible (bureau- currently employed civil ser- other sectors of the economy cratic apparatus, regulatory au- vants, teachers and medical tells us that bringing prices and thorities, law enforcement au- doctors will join the official tariffs for goods and services to thorities). Where it is not possi- ranks of the unemployed. After their actual level would cause a ble (education, healthcare), a all, the main reason for the cur- substantial reduction in their more differentiated approach is rent budget sector financing gap production and in the number of needed. Another solution would is the fact that the funding is related jobs. Eventually, those be establishing, on a mandatory still provided along the patterns who were laid off will find jobs in basis, additional employee re- of the centrally planned Soviet their fields of expertise in the muneration funds partially fi- economy, while most residents private sector or retrain to do nanced from payments for ser- of Ukraine using those patterns other work. Besides, raising the vices by direct customers, or, in are living by the rules of the incomes of those employed in case most customers refuse to market economy, trying at the education, healthcare and the pay, gradually reducing the num- same time to avoid paying taxes public sector in general to nor- ber of employees, simultane- and duties by any means and mal standards will enhance their ously reducing the length of still claiming the free services purchasing power and create ad- compulsory education (to nine or guaranteed by the Constitution ditional demand in the market even five grades), with further that they had in the Soviet for new jobs.

№ 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|19 economics|China's stockmarket crash Uncle Xi's Bear Market China learns that stocks are beyond the Communist Party’s control

efore it met a violent end Buying stocks “is buying the Chi- into a bear trap. A flourishing of last month, China’s stock- nese dream”, proclaimed a top gallows humour in mobile-phone market rally was more brokerage. chat groups captures the senti- B than just your run-of-the- The plunge of nearly a third ment. “Friends, don’t run, we’re mill mania. It was political. over the past four weeks has left here to save you,” cry the valiant Many investors called it a “state the dream in tatters. Although soldiers in one joke, representing bull market”, believing the gov- the market is still up by 75% the state coming to the aid of the ernment was firmly in control, over the past year, many mom- beleaguered market. Their re- guaranteeing that shares would and-pop investors were late to frain soon turns to, “Friends, only go up. Others said it was an the party. Less than a fifth of re- don’t run, or we’ll shoot you.” “Uncle Xi bull market”, as if it spondents to a large online sur- The warning signs had been were a gift from China’s top vey by Sina, a web portal, re- flashing for some time. ChiNext, leader, Xi Jinping. State media ported making any money from a venue for high-growth compa- lent their official imprimatur to stocks this year. nies, reached a price-to-earnings the frenzy: a People’s Dailyedi- For the government, the fall multiple of 147 at its height in torial in May, shortly before the is damaging. Officials are seen to early June, in the same region as bubble popped, predicted the have promised the population a American tech stocks during the good times were just beginning. bull market, only to lure them dotcom bubble of the late 1990s. 20|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 China's stockmarket crash|economics When share prices started fall- consumption. The systemic con- ing, many assumed that regula- sequences of the margin debt are tors would stay on the sidelines also limited. The funding has and let the correction unfold. come from brokers, not banks, But policymakers lost their and equates to less than 1.5% of nerve after the market fell by total bank assets. nearly 20% and negative head- There will undoubtedly be lines started to pile up, even in some spillover from the panic. the domestic press. Futures contracts for raw mate- Attempts to steady the mar- rials from lead to eggs fell by ket have been frantic and largely their daily limit on July 8th as in- futile. Interest rates have been vestors sold to realise some cut; short-selling capped; IPOs cash. On international markets, halted; share-buying schemes, the price of iron ore, which backed by central-bank cash, China consumes the bulk of, hatched. “We have the condi- slid. Yet risks of a systemic na- tions, the ability and the confi- ture remain remote. dence to preserve stockmarket The long-term consequences stability,” blared the People’s could be severe, however. Like Daily, as the rout continued. any big, sophisticated economy, The CSI 300, an index of China needs a healthy equity China’s biggest listed compa- market. For investors from nies, fell by 16% in the eight also offering cash to investors, households to pension funds, trading days after the rate cut. the actual amount of leverage in stocks should, in theory, provide Some USD3.5 trillion was erased the market is likely to have been a better return over time than from China’s stockmarkets, even higher. That helped propel low-yielding bank deposits. For more than the entire value of all the original rally. It is now com- companies, equity financing is listed firms in India. By the end pounding the downturn as in- an important alternative to bank of July 7th trading in over 90% of vestors scramble to sell their loans, helping to reduce their re- Chinese stocks had been sus- holdings to cover their debts. liance on debt. The scrutiny and pended, either at the request of The sharpness of the slide rules that come with a share list- the firms concerned or because has raised worries that Chinese ing should also help improve they had tumbled by the daily growth itself is about to fall off a corporate governance. limit of 10%. “The government cliff. Mercifully, the stockmarket Before the crash, China was won’t let us take our money out appears to be as disconnected inching towards reforms that of the market, and we don’t have from economic fundamentals on would fix some of the distortions the confidence to put any more the way down as it was on the in its market. A programme into it,” says Wei Xinguo, a chef way up. At the same time as launched last year connected at a noodle restaurant in Shang- shares nearly tripled from the markets in Hong Kong and the hai and one of the country’s middle of 2014 until early June, mainland markets. Though sub- 90m stockmarket investors. China slouched to its slowest ject to strict quotas, it promised The preponderance of punt- year of growth in more than two to introduce more of an institu- ers like Mr. Wei makes Chinese tional presence on China’s ex- stockmarkets volatile. Retail in- changes. Regulators had stepped vestors account for as much as Like any big, sophisticated up supervision of insider trading 90% of daily turnover—the in- economy, China needs a and had also planned to change verse of developed markets, the way initial public offerings where institutions dominate. healthy equity market work, giving firms more control But the government’s inability to over the timing and size of their calm things down despite such decades. In the past couple of listings. But as the government’s heavy-handed intervention is months the economy has actu- all-out, if inept, response to the unprecedented. It stems from ally started to improve. A burst crash shows, it is reluctant to the degree to which the rally was of government spending on in- cede control. predicated on debt (see Rout frastructure looks to have stabi- Meanwhile, the crash has with Chinese characteris- lised the industrial sector; prop- scarred a generation of inves- tics). erty prices, long in the dol- tors. Xu Pengfei, a 25-year-old At its peak, margin financing drums, have started to tick up fitness coach, put 100,000 yuan reached 2.2 trillion yuan again. in the market in April, two (USD355 billion), or about 12% The stockmarket is still just a months before the crash. He of the value of all freely traded small part of the Chinese econ- managed to get out before losing shares on the market and 3.5% omy. The value of freely floating any money but has no plans to of China’s GDP. Both propor- shares is about a third of GDP, reinvest. “I don’t have much tions are “easily the highest in compared with more than 100% faith now.” the history of global equity mar- in most rich countries. Stocks kets”, according to Goldman account for just 15% of house- Sachs. With Chinese shadow hold assets, so their slump © 2015 The Economist Newspaper banks and peer-to-peer lenders should have limited impact on Limited. All rights reserved № 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|21 Society|Victories We Can Win After All War dynamics Authors: Change in borders of terrori -occupied Roman Malko, territories in the Donbas from the end Valeria Burlakova of May 2014 through the end of June 2015 Territory controlled by terrori s and their reconnaissance and diversion groups as of June 30, 2014 Territory controlled by terrori s as of Augu 20, 2014 Svatove Starobilsk Territory controlled by terrori s as of June 30, 2015 LUHANSK OBLAST Novoaydar KHARKIV OBLAST Severodonetsk Lysychansk Krasnyi Lyman Shcha ia Stanytsia Luhanska krainian history is Sloviansk Vesela Hora Popasna mostly known for its Luhansk Kramatorsk Artemivsk tragic parts. The glori- DONETSK Uous pages are often Lutuhine neglected. Today, we are wit- OBLAST Krasnodon nessing the nation that is Dobropillia Dzerzhynsk Debaltseve once again undergoing pain- Horlivka Krasnyi Rovenky DNIPROPETROVSK Luch ful yet fascinating transfor- OBLAST mations. While a large of part Pisky of Ukrianian territory is still Snizhne being tormented by the en- Donetsk Ilovaysk emy, bringing peace will take Amvrosiyivka Maryinka huge efforts and hard work, and hypocricy, problems and confusion from the hybrid na- Lutuhine ture of the conflict seem frus- Volnovakha trating, stories of heroism, Hranitne RUSSIA sacrifice and devotion, ZAPORIZHZHIA abound. The Ukrainian Ro ov on Don Week spoke to participants OBLAST Shyrokyne of the war in the East to show Novoazovsk episodes of victory – just a Mariupol Sea of Azov few of the many feats that must not be forgotten. Krasnyi Lyman On June 3, 2014, the counterterrorist operation A( TO) forces launched the operation to liberate Krasnyi Lyman, a town of a little over 20,000 residents, in Donetsk Oblast. By June 5, the Ukrainian flag was once again raised on the town council building and local police administration. Dmytro Mokletsov took part in that operation as member of the 25th airborne brigade. He shared the story of how it began, and of the battles on the town’s fringes. “This was our first fight, a baptism by fire. We were ordered to liquidate the sniper point in Krasnyi Lyman outskirts, then to move further into town. We left our position at 3 a.m. A National Guard unit with combat vehicles was to accompany us. It was the first fight for all of us so everyone was afraid. We were moving in a column; it was raining heavily. Our eyes were big and round with fear. As we got closer to the road leading to Lyman, we saw the 95th or the 80th brigade – not sure which one exactly – shelling the woods to make

22|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 Victories|Society Mariupol: flags on the balconies

Ukrainian forces pushed the Russia- backed separatists from Mariupol, a city of 500,000, on June 13, 2014. The major part of the operation was carried out by Azov, a battalion then reporting to the Interior Ministry and later formally go- ing under the umbrella of the National Guard (it is soon to be reorganized into a special-task brigade). “On that day, we were together with the National Guard and Dnipro-1 batallion,” recalls one Azov fighter, Bayda. “Our part of the operation was the storming while the National Guard and Dnipro-1 units made a cordon around the city. They were supposed to do the mopping- up following the storming. Eventually, however, the command had the National Guard withdrawn. I don’t know about or- ders for Dnipro-1. All I know is that Azov, too, participated in the mopping-up of Mariupol. According to Bayda, the terrorists had set up their fortified sector at the crossroads of Hretska and Georgiivska streets. “… I remember the first explosion – a VOG fragmentation grenade shot from an un- der barrel grenade launcher. It exploded our training field, building the copy of surprised us with its pro-Ukrainian posi- right by the feet of one of our fighters. He the separatist barricades on the cross- tion. A few months later, in September, was seriously injured. We were just get- roads, according to our reconnaissance it surprised us even more. At that point, ting off our KamAZ trucks,” Bayda says. reports. We rehearsed moving around only few of our and National Guard ser- Despite the difficult beginning, the Ukrai- the place, throwing grenades and taking vicemen were in town – that’s peanuts nian forces took Mariupol with virtually it under control to make all of it more of in terms of actual effective defense. But no losses. Noone was killed, Bayda says, a reflex… But we were pretty much ama- the locals began to rally for Ukraine, vol- and several fighters were injured, one teurs when we moved to the actual ac- unteered to join the battalion en masse gravely. tion.” and helped fortify the city defense line. A “We had a sense of a triumph because After the storming of the fortified barri- huge number of people responded to we pretty much didn’t cound on anyone cades and the adjacent districts, the our calls for help. The locals pretty much but ourselves,” Bayda recalls. “The plan group headed back to the trucks to move built the city defence line with their own to liberate Mariupol was developed by to the city airport. “That was when we hands.” six of our commanders, including battal- noticed the first blue-and-yellow flags …The liberation of Mariupol was declared ion commander Andriy Bilteskiy. We had appearing on balconies,” Bayda recalls in June. Donetsk Oblast State Administra- previously rehearsed the operation at with a smile. “It was then that Mariupol tion was then relocated there.

sure we are not ambushed from there, mak- dows on the second floor covered up with one point, we caught two of them – both with ing a corridor for us. We stopped and fired a sacks of sand. From a tiny window amidst Russian passports and military IDs, one carry- few shots too. That place was close to the wa- those sacks was a machine gunner shooting ing just a Makarov gun with him, and another ter tower where the separatist snipers were at the group. I loaded the BMD cannon, al- one – a knife and a binocular. They told us operating. Still, we soon found ourselves though I’d never done that before, and fired. I they were picking mushrooms in the woods, caught in an ambush. knew the trajectory of the warhead only in but we didn’t believe them, so we put them in As the separatists started shelling us from the theory. As it flew I heard everyone in the BMD jail and notified the Secutiry Service. We didn’t woods, the National Guard turned around praying: as if in a slow motion episode, the torture them, they got very humane treat- and left. They claimed later that they had no warhead hit exactly that tiny window. Every- ment from us. They were fed exactly what we order to shoot and accompanied us more for thing there collapsed, and I lost control for a ate ourselves. We just had them help us dig a crowd effect. We took the fight. I was -dep moment. We took over the checkpoint with trenches. uty commander, mechanic and machine gun no losses on our side and moved on. For the next two weeks, there were no big operator of our BMD. We were ordered to Our artillery was stationed near Krasnyi Ly- shellings at our checkpoint. In general, there shell the closest separatist checkpoint. I fired man, and we ended up on the outskirts, were no huge battles in Krasnyi Lyman, unlike nine shots and the checkpoint was gone. Sud- across the road from the local plant. That’s some other places. But it was just the begin- denly, I realized that our infantry group was where we made our fortified constructions. ning of the big war. Hardly any heavy equip- hiding behind the BMD, using it as a shield We had reports that there were separatists in- ment or tanks involved. The most powerful from something. For some reason, they could side the plant. Their scouts tried to get to our equipment we had for shooting was mortars. not leave that shield – there was constant positions at night but we spotted them thanks Eventually, we squeezed the separatists on shooting coming from one flank. Behind the to the thermal scopes volunteers had bought both flanks and they moved towards checkpoint was a two-storied building, its win- for us. The separatists then tried to shell us. At Donetsk.”

№ 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|23 Society|Victories Attack on Luhansk: observe, don’t shoot…

started shelling their own groups, even blew up its own APC. When the march on Luhansk began, our in- tention was to get around it (it was possible), strike from the frontiers and divide it into two parts. We could have fought back this oblast center city. However, there was no order to do that even as we were approaching the airport. In Verhunka we faced a heavy storming at- tack: we guarded the road and the railroad because it was not a simple checkpoint, but a fortified sector. There is no other way to get to Luhansk, but through it. We were standing there until the very last -mo ment, until separatist tanks moved on us. We saw the first “humanitarian convoy” crystal clear from our position. It was unloaded, and The move of the Ukrainian military towards the separatists hadn’t know how to operate at 2 a.m. that night the separatists launched the occupied Luhansk launched in mid-July them properly at that point. At Vesela Hora their tank attack. We tried to reach out to our 2014 had every chance of a brilliant and we were first shelled as a close target. That’s artillery groups that were supposed to cover rapid victory. Missing in that operation was why we had many injured and our first “200” us up but the support wasn’t there. Then we apparently the wisdom and will of the top – the GRADs were covering everything around tried to contact the police between Verhunka army commanders and the state leaders, us. Every single day. We had a great Indepen- and Krasnyi Yar – they were gone too. It was but definitely not the heroism and sacrifice dence Day on August 24: the GRADs were then that we realized that we were facing of Ukrainian soldiers who reclaimed a big shelling us from early morning till 7 p.m. non- tanks with nothing more than machine guns, chunk of Luhansk Oblast territory at the cost stop. so we were forced to relocate. We had no ade- of enormous efforts and their lives.Y uriy, a At Vesela Hora with us were the National quate equipment, only the passenger mini member of the Kyiv-12 batallion, took part in Guard and artillery groups. We built a minia- buses mobilized for war – and even those the fighting and shared his story withThe ture underground town there. Today, the Rus- were all covered in scotch tape seal the broken Ukrainian Week. sia-backed militants are there. It is a very con- windows. We were leaving the position under “The march on Luhansk started from Shastia venient location: you can see Shchastia and heavy shelling, taking all we could with us and for us, followed by Krasnyi Yar, Berhunka, Sta- Luhansk (it’s around 15km from the city cen- leaving the rest. I remember driving past the nytsia Luhanska, and expanding further to the ter) from atop the hill. By the way, the sepa- field and sunflowers exploding all around. south, towards Donetsk, but I wasn’t there. ratists had tons of Russian weapons. I’ve per- And I remember that I didn’t even care be- The fighting was ongoing. We got ourselves sonally seen NSV heavy machine guns. We cause there was no way and nowhere to es- firm positions in Shchastia and moved over to had none of those. cape from that mini bus. We could have liber- Vesela Hora which is 5 kilometers from the We took many prisoners in Krasnyi Yar. Those ated Luhansk. But the order was to stay and town. That was the first spot where we were days were very difficult: the first time our- bat observe. I’ve hated that “observe” thing ever shelled with GRADs. Previously, they had been talion was shelled so heavily. When the en- since. That first “humanitarian convoy” played targeting some distant objects: apparently, emy realized that Krasnyi Yar was lost to it, it the desicive role. Liberating Dzerzhynsk

On July 21, 2014, a Ukrainian flag was once again flown over the freed Dzerzynsk, a town of around 34,000 people. The successful liberation campaign was carried out by the storming group of the military special-task force supported by the National Guard. Lieutenant colo- nel and war reporter Petro Hasay took part in the oper- ation and told the story. “We drove to the town at around 6 a.m. Our serviece- men dispersed and began to approach the town adminis- tration where, according to our reconnaissance report separatist headquarters was located, district by district. We met the locals and very few cars on our way. Two cars did not respond to our order to stop, so we fired at their wheels. It proved to be a good guess: the cars were with armed separatists. A few hundred meters from the ad- ministration building our group was detected and sepa-

24|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 Victories|Society Popasna: without a single shot

Counterterrorist forces took Popasna, a strategic railroad junction of about 22,000 residents in Luhansk Oblast, on July 22, 2014. On that same day, Severo- donetsk, an industrial cluster in Luhansk Oblast, was liberated as well. According to Anton Gerashchenko, Counsel to the Interior Minister, Popasna was liberated by groups of the Ukrainian military and National Guard, but “Donbas, the 3rd battalion reporting to the National Guard, was the main striking force”. “We had three attempts to take Popasna. On the third time, we entered with no fighting,” shares Dmytro Riznychenko, a member of the Donbas-Ukraine volunteer battalion (now part of the Ukrainian mili- tary) who then fought in the ranks of Don- bas, a volunteer battalion operating under the umbrella of the National Guard. “I ar- rived at the base in Artemivsk when our battalion was returning from yet another fight for Popasna. Some of our fighters were killed. Back then, I was at a training unit and hadn’t received weapons yet. I begged my friend to give me his machine gun, hopped on the bus and volunteered to go with the storming group.” Dmytro never found out which military group helped the volunteers then, but he says that it did provide support. “There was a tank – not ours, for sure. Most likely, one but no bodies of our people. Then, we spot- could shoot me before recognizing me. The from the military. The rest of the convoy was ted a separatist checkpoint demolished by town was empty – no dogs, no cats, no ours. We stopped near Popasna, stayed in our artillery earlier, but it was empty. Once people… Suddenly, I saw an SUV with bat- the field for a while, got closer, stopped in the town our storming groups began to talion commander Semen Semenchenko, again. It was very hot, we were all thirsty, mop up buildings, and I headed to the town he waved at me, I got in and we rushed to but we had to wait. The tank then moved center. I couldn’t understand whether there the center. There we saw people with Ukrai- ahead but did not shoot. We moved to the were really no separatists in the town or nian flags… That was our third attempt to spot where the previous fight had taken they just set up an ambush. Then I realized take the town – and we finally did, no shots place and found many shells on the ground that even if I returned, my own battalion fired.”

ratists fired from the adjacent buildings. We moued APC 70, an amphibia BMD and two they blocked the road, set up ambushes started shooting in response, mopped tanks helping them. They surrounded us and closed the railway crossing. It took time them up quickly, took several prisoners, and and started shelling: all we could hear was to unblock with those, while we had been occupied the administration building rap- only noise coming from the corridor be- waiting for eight hours already, 30 of us idly. It was no more than 20 minutes from tween the cabinets. We had no idea which against their group of over 150 people with the moment we entered the town until the side they were going to storm the building armoured combat vehicles. In all that time, administration was ours. That was the from. The tanks shot over 20 times at us. just three of us were slightly injured and storming group of the special task force in It’s ok when the tank shoots at the exterior none killed. We fulfilled the headquarters’ action. They are true masters, perfect team- wall. It’s much worse when it reaches the order to take over the administration build- players. window or an interior wall. One tank shot ing, keep it under our control and free the Within the town administration were about at our floor, about three meters from us, hostages with no losses. As we were fend- 10 hostages – women, older people and the blast sending me and the commander ing off the separatists, Girkin (Igor Strelkov, young boys. We took shooting positions, flying. a Russian-native leader of the separatists set up the covering outpost and began to Our military showed no sign of doubt or who is now in Russia – Ed.) wrote on his so- search the building for separatists and ex- fear and gave proper response. We lasted cial media page: “Thirty brazen Ukrops plosives. Floor by floor, room by room. The around six hours. When the separatists real- wanted to take over the town administra- minute we got on the roof and started rais- ized they would not manage to kick us out, tion in Dzerzhynsk and burned alive in the ing the Ukrainian flag – our gunner went to they put the second floor on fire. Then, our basement.” Only we didn’t. the flagpole to remove the “Donetsk Peo- most combat-ready members stayed there When our support group approached, the ple’s Republic” flag – a sniper, then a ma- to keep the separatists away, while the rest separatists realized that their rear would be chine gunner fired at him. We took our po- along with the freed hostages went to the blocked and once they were encircled, we sitions on the floors and exits while the sep- basement. would hit as well. They abandoned their aratists began to move their reserves closer We were waiting for support groups to ar- equipment and fled to Horlivka, a nearby to the place and shoot. They had the ar- rive. The separatists were not idling either: town.”

№ 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|25 Society|Victories Maryinka: a jewel in the crown

Maryinka is a strategic town of around 10,000 people, adjacent to the Petro- vsky district of Donetsk and a potential launching pad for the liberation of Donetsk. It was freed by the counterter- rorist forces on August 5, 2014. The vic- tory was difficult, one volunteer killed (member of Azov, a Russian-citizen) and 14 wounded (9 in the explosion of the Ukrainian tank on the anti-tank mine). As Ukrainian forces were mopping-up Maryinka, they were constantly shelled by GRADs and heavy mortars. In fact, as the Ukrainian forces stormed the sepa- ratist checkpoing where an ambush had been arranged, the enemy artillery was shelling both the Ukrainian forces, and their own. “We got to Olenivka (Volnovakha County of Donetsk Oblast – Ed.) where we met the 51st armoued infantry brigade. They had a very cool commander,” shares Bayda, an Azov fighter. “The liberation of Maryinka lasted all day, and continued into the night: we found ourselves in an ambush almost at was bad. Yet, we managed to get to the freed Pavlopil, Kominternova and Shy- night in the suburbs of Donetsk.” Donetsk city line and occupy the check- rokyne, and pushed the frontline closer to “Those battles were huge for us,” Bayda point. The next day, the 51st brigade set Novoazovsk. Then, we concentrated in recalls. “Of course, we already had some up its own checkpoints there. Unfortu- Shyrokine.” experience and training. But it was a re- nately, we had our first “200”. In summer 2015, the 28th brigade of the ally tough operation. In fact, we took Unlike in Mariupol, the Azov battalion did Ukrainian Army managed to keep Mary- Maryinka thanks to our determination not stay long in Maryinka. “Our main re- inka under control in a very challenging and enthusiasm. The operation had been sponsibility is the southern front, sector combat situation. According to a BBC planned and looked very clear on the M,” Bayda says. “In a vast assault journalist, this June battle was the worst map. But in action our radio communica- launched at the end of this winter, we since the signing of Minsk-2. tion turned into a chaos, coordination Pisky: taken over by determination The village of Pisky in the suburbs of Republic Bridge between Pisky and Pervo- Pisky for several months with no rota- Donetsk switched hands many times. It mayske – Ed.). Then, pretty much upon tion.” was only in July 2014 that the Ukrainian our own initiative, we headed to Pisky, The fighter cannot confirm or deny the state- forces finally took it under control. The offi- pushing the separatists to the slah heap ment of Volodymyr Shylov, commander of the cial news of this came from the counterter- where they have their fortified barricades Dnipro-1’s squadron 5, from July 2014 where rorist operation press-center on July 21, al- now. We began to build our own trenches he said that the Ukrainian forces were ordered though they did not specify who stormed there but were ordered to retreat. So, we to leave Pisky after they had taken the village the village. At that point, Pisky was a reli- stayed in the village. As far as I know, our under control. Shylov refused to do that. “I able rear for the “cyborgs” in Donetsk air- battalion had never been ordered to go have made it cear that we are not running port. Yet, it remains a fairly important lo- there officially. We held our positions in back and forth, but staying there to the very cation till this day, providing control over end,” the commander said. By the way, most ways to the Karlivske water reservoir (on squadron 5 members are originally from June 7, 2014, the Russia-backed terrorists Donetsk Oblast. captured the territory around the reservoir Now, Dnipro-1, as well as Sich, another battal- and were demanding the staff to open ion reporting to the Interior Ministry, have flood-gates at gunpoint. That would have been withdrawn from Pisky. The Rights Sector resulted in the flooding of six towns and OUN were forced to retreat as well given around – Ed.). the unresolved situation around legalization A member of Dnipro-1’s squadron 5 told us of volunteers in the ranks of the Ukrainian off-record that his group stormed Pisky having forces. Today, the village that undergoes daily no respective orders. Only later did the Right shelling is under control of the 93rd brigade Sector and 93rd brigade groups join them in with Carpathian Sich, originally a guerilla the village. squadron that has been stationed in Pisky “Luckily, we had taken the bridge line since the fall of 2014 and integrated into the with the support of tanks previously (the 93rd brigade.

26|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015

Society|Young generation Rely on Yourself What is the portrait of the generation that wants to change the country and is doing exactly that, despite all the difficulties, frustrations and pain? Who are the people who won’t be stopped and will volunteer to take the burden of change? Where is the limit of their enthusiasm and how long will their energy last? How do they assess the current situation in Ukraine and where do they see as the recipe of victory? The Ukrainian Week spoke to a number of activists, volunteers, politicians and the military in an attempt to draw a collective image of the Revolution of Dignity generation. We asked them to answer three questions: 1. What were your expectations of the Maidan, have they materialized? 2. To what extent is the young generation of politicians West-oriented? 3. What and how long are you willing to do for Ukraine’s future?

Interviewed Misters, and for society, journalists Ihor Lutsenko, by Yehor Firsove, and activists. MP with Batkivshchyna faction Roman MP with the Bloc Should Ukraine join the European Malko, of Petro Poroshenko 2.Union, the Eurasian one or create I had exceeded Maria a new one? This question was rhetoric 1. expectations Beliayeva A revolution just a year or two ago, while now the with regard to the 1.can change answer is obvious for all political forces Maidan. Some of those in power and generations. Ukraine’s way leads them had been sat- overnight, but it to Europe. Young generation is learn- isfied, others - not. can’t do the same ing and will be ready to assume re- I had hoped for Ya- with the system sponsibility for laying a European path nukovych to resign. This is what really that has been built soon. happened. I had expectations of us for decades. That sort of change hap- Currently, we are witnessing the changing the system, but that has pens through evolution: I realize that 3.fight between the newly formed proven to be a little more challeng- despite of the Maidan and new oppor- democratic, almost European political ing. Generally, Maidan is still on, tunities it has presented for us, the system, and the old one. I have expe- though in a different form. Thus, it is system has not fully changed. Itre- rience working in the Verkhovna Rada too early to estimate its results. mains Soviet, corrupt and sometimes of the previous convocation, and I can Maidan has given people a real criminal. The key achievement of the see a clear difference. In that one, I chance to influence the authorities, Maidan is the emergence of new civil barely had any allies with the mindset to create a more progressive rule of society that dictates its demands to similar to mine. In the current one, I the people, rather than a verbal one, the state. In the 2004 Orange Revolu- have plenty. They are learning, gain- and to get rid of several odious fig- tion, unlike the 2014 one, people ing experience and sometimes mak- ures, of course. were fascinated with politicians and ing mistakes. I am sure the new gen- The new generation of politicians their slogans. A lot has changed from eration will get rid of the old system. It 2.in power is too West-oriented, is the one in charge of laying Ukraine’s while Ukraine gets too little help from Every person has path to Europe. I think that the aspira- the West. We need more military help. tion for change will last as long as it Ukraine is getting some financial assis- to be responsible for his takes to get that change. But that tance, but the West should require re- or her specific area takes a huge amount of work, and taliatory actions from Ukrainian au- first of all, it takes real changes and thorities that must take those actions and to deliver results in it reforms. We have to take these steps, given the billions of dollars the country no matter how painful they are. is receiving. I hope the West will help then to now. Today, people require us to change. Currently, it is hard to ex- changes including the abolition of MP pect real profound changes given the immunity, boosting for small and me- Andriy Levus, quality of the people in power. They dium-sized business, and reforms in Deputy Chief of Maidan hardly demonstrate strong will to the law enforcement sector. The State Self-Defense and MP change things, but pressure of circum- is obliged to respond to these de- with the People’s Front stances sometimes pushes them to do mands. Our current task is not to look so. for someone to blame for our failed We expected I am willing to do everything in expectations. Instead, we must unite 1.Ukraine to de- 3.my capacity, which means sub- efforts to specify what changes the fend its indepen- mitting bills to the Parliament in my country needs and to implement re- dence and Euro- role as MP. This is what I do. I have a forms together. It is crucial to set out pean choice, and to number of initiatives on reforms in key further post-Maidan tasks both for the have a real revolu- areas. President, Parliament and Cabinet of tion by changing 28|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 Young generation|Society not only those in power, but the system ple stop voting for the lesser evil and I don’t believe in any assistance – in order to make the retreat to Soviet choose candidates that can actually de- 2.from the West. We shouldn’t ex- times impossible. We wanted justice liver results. pect it to provide us with free weapons too. Unfortunately, this aspiration has Western politicians have their in- or an army of peacekeepers in Eastern not been fully accomplished. 2.terests, namely pragmatic busi- Ukraine. They’re already helping by Every country acts based on its ness needs, preservation of jobs in choking Russia with sanctions – we ap- 2. interests in the world. Nobody their countries and voters’ prefer- preciate that. I think that’s the most will help Ukraine unless they see ences. Neither for Ukraine, nor for Europe is prepared to do for Ukraine. some interest in this conflict. It is ab- anyone else will they do anything to I stood on the Maidan until the surd to blame the West, while we contradict these interests. We can 3.very end. Now, I’ve quit every- have not done our homework. count only on ourselves. Sometimes, thing: my studies, an interesting job on Ukraine is to demonstrate its will to it seems like our authorities only care TV and in filmmaking, personal rela- win to get the West active. We de- about not upsetting Western partners, tionship, and went to the east. I plan to mand sanctions, while Ukraine itself and not of national interests. Western stay here until the end of the war. has not introduced any sanctions partners seem to be worried of noth- against Russia yet. ing but the end of the conflict. Just like I think that every person has to be on the Maidan, they are ready to pay Yulia Smirnova, 3.responsible for his or her specific any price for the illusionary peace, volunteer area and to demonstrate results in it. even if it means sacrificing our terri- The Verkhovna Rada has already tory and values. None of my ex- passed several of my draft laws, im- It will be a year in August since I 1.pectations came proving and modernizing the activity of 3.joined the military and the coun- true after the the Foreign Intelligence Service and the terterrorist operation as part of it. I am Maidan. The same Security Service Bureau. I am going to at the right place and at the right time. I people are in the progress in this direction. might continue military service after de- same offices. Patri- mobilization but I’m still contemplating ots are in jails, pro- how I could do that with the current im- testing volunteers are blamed of play- Volodymyr Kukhark, perfect, unclear contracts in the military, ing into the Kremlin’s hands. I expected Senior Lieutenant, deputy and the prospect of a long-lasting “spe- change. In the first place, corruption commander at the 12th squadron cial period” – the war. Before it, I was an should have been demolished. True pa- of the 26th brigade, head of activist for four years, and have been triots should have ascended to power, the Ukrainian Alternative NGO volunteering lately. I am prepared to not those wearing embroidered shirts continue this, and probably spending and shouting “Glory to Ukraine”. Who’s I have not some more time with my family. As one- to blame for that? Us. We never finished 1.thrown Molotov time civil servant, I could work within what we started. The crowd bought po- cocktails. I consid- the state machine. But I don’t see a ered that my mis- leader or a government with which I If we rely on the West sion on the Maidan would be willing to assume responsibil- was to be there at ity as an official person without serious alone, we will go on the time of danger compromises on principles. I would hap- counting the bodies of our and to protect the protests. I also pily write a book about Taras wanted to present information from the Shevchenko and elites. But taking six heroes for a very long time ground, to show that the Maidan is not months for research in our current cir- scary and that victory is possible. Ukrai- cumstances is unaffordable luxury. litical campaigns before elections, while nian Alternative was raising for equip- the handful of people who could actu- ment and publishing Maidan-Info bulle- ally change something focused on help- tin. I never doubted that the Maidan Andriy Shevtsov, ing the army. Some went to fight in the would get rid of Yanukovych. This expec- Maidan activist, injured i east, and others, like me, started to tation was met. I also hoped that the n clashes on Hrushevskoho Street, help them. Maidan would become a world phe- member of the Azov battalion If we rely on the West alone, we nomenon where the most daring ideas since July 2014 2.will go on counting the bodies of are implemented, and that new people our heroes for a very long time. We can and politicians of new quality would Like all Ukraini- have profound change only by uniting emerge. Instead, opposition politicians 1.ans, I expected efforts – and we have proven that many from within the system controlled the full change of those times. But that’s not what those in stage. While Maidan activists were -cat in power, reforms, power want. Because that will show calling Yatsenyuk-Tyahnybok-Klychko demolition of cor- them that we are the power and we are trio, en masse people swallowed propa- ruption and quick the ones who can build the country. gandistic baits. Then, voters elected -Po European integra- People who know me realize that roshenko, the most conservative figure tion. Unfortunately, nothing has 3.I have done and an doing a lot for with regard to revolution. In fact, the changed. We have different people sit- Ukraine. Taking care for orphans – chil- prospect of changes, emotional or ma- ting on the same old golden toilets, plus dren are our future after all – ongoing terial discomfort makes most people the war. That’s why I see and feel how participation in various political rallies distrustful and fearful. So, political cam- much worse it has become. People have for justice, assistance to the army from paigns, television and thick purses are kicked out one group of corrupt officials the very beginning of the war. I would still having a lot of influence on voters. and oligarchs, and another one has also like to change something in the Profound change won’t come until peo- come to replace it. government. № 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|29 Society|Young generation sanctions against Russia. Is Ukraine result, the international community is Olha Reshetylova, acting correctly on the international cautious and rational. To them, we are volunteer at the Return Alive fund arena? I think it is, but it could be far still something like an UFO, and they more active. In the first place, how- suddenly have to adjust to the fact that I expected a to- ever, we should focus on our own we exist. We are their chance for an 1.tal change of force. It is the strong that others exit from the overwhelming crisis. the oligarch and choose to ally with. The weak can be Activists are changing the country corrupt law enforce- abandoned any time. 3.rapidly while politicians and civil ment system after I’ve drafted a few bills, including servants (homo sovieticus and political the Maidan. Unfor- 3.on lustration. I have set up several business) continue to imitate practical tunately, it only online platforms for discussion and actions and results. But they have no- swayed a little, then bounced back to proposing amendments. One is the where to escape from this submarine, normal quickly. The Maidan failed to Declaration of Integrity, a platform and system’s broken clay legs are just a provide a leader who was ready for where criteria and integral processes of matter of near future. I have become presidential work, and we didn’t have lustration in Ukraine are debated. Anti- an activist: for me, this is the founda- any alternatives when the election corruption Checkpoint is for private tion on which my world can survive and took place in May 2014. complaints against officials and the the old system that I find disgusting The last 18 months made even the right of citizens to draw up respective can be overcome. Now, I am building a 2.most West-oriented Ukrainians protocols correctly. Before that, I volun- pan-Ukrainian educational movement skeptical or Europe, even the whole of teered using my own finance. We will to shape an informed, aware and criti- the West. In this, we have to distin- not stop, we will work as long as it cal civil society. Until I feel that society guish between the mercantile and cyni- takes. has grown up and assumed responsi- cal Western politics, and the system of bility for its future, I will be doing just values on which the entire world is that. based. We are interested in the latter. Ostap Stasiv, As to the pivot of young politicians – civil activist, co-founder they vary too. Mykola Levchenko, Oles of the Maidan Open University Pavlo Podobed, Dovhyi, Svitlana Zalishchuk and Yehor manager of Heroika, a charity fund Sobolev are all of practically the same I didn’t have age. But their views are opposite. So, 1.expectations My key expecta- we shouldn’t think that all young on the Maidan. It 1.tion of the Ukrainians aspire to turn the country was more of an in- Maidan was to pre- into a European state with no excep- tention to change vent the ruling re- tions. Voters should be careful with the order that was gime from turning young politicians too. ruining my life and my country into a I quit my job, hardly see my fam- my country. Then, it grew into an un- GULAG. In this, I am 3.ily and sometimes risk my life – derstanding and a vision of the future not disenchanted. The Maidan was a that’s what I’ve been doing for that I want for myself in the context of point of no return in our history. Ukraine this past year. But, of course, I my state, our identity. The Maidan As to reforms and profound want to do other things. I want to was extremely important not only for 2.changes in the country: If you channel my energy into building civil Ukraine, but for the whole world. To- want to develop some useful skills, go society, searching for a dialogue day is no time for frustration, and fail- to the gym, go to bed and get up early, within Ukraine, and promoting the ures I blame on myself, on my inability or simply quit smoking – just recall brand of Ukraine in the world, not into to press hard enough, to communi- how much of a challenge that is. 75% the war. cate my stance well enough, or to be of beginners quit working out after the effective enough. But whatever first month, and the rest – in six doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. months. Only a handful of the most de- Vitaliy Kolomiyets, That’s why our paradigm of thinking termined ones go on for years. A mere Maidan activist, lawyer will topple that of our opponents, and will to sculpt one’s body into perfection that will happen very quickly. It’s pure is not enough – determination is key as My aspiration physics, and nature is not easy to well. Transforming the state takes the 1.to the change overturn. same principles. Our reformers cur- the government, lay rently lack both the will, and determi- a new vector for nation. Ukraine and estab- The aspiration for change No neighbour can help you in the gym lish the system of will last as long as it takes or at a boxing ring. He can give you a real power of the tool or advice, but not more. Nobody people has partly come true. In reality, to get that change will go on the ring for you. we failed to establish the power of the I and a group of likeminded peo- people: we missed the moment and al- Other countries respond to our at- 3.ple are working in Heroika, a char- lowed old bitter corrupt people into the 2.tempts very adequately, but that ity foundation. We are helping those government. response is framed by their under- who are fighting in the front, as well as Compared to our first and sec- standing of the world. That’s why it of- those who return. I am ready to work 2. ond liberation struggles, the ten looks insufficient to us. They are in state institutions and assume - re West is giving us a great hand. It’s not catching up with us, they haven’t sponsibility for specific tasks. For how just that we are too lazy to introduce had such radical conceptual changes in long? Long enough provided that the their mentalities in recent history. As a state quits its current imitations. 30|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 Opinion|Society Born Free

Author: Yuriy Makarov

erhaps it is because of my age, but I find myself Foreign journalists often ask how the Maidan dif- comparing our present daily life in great detail fered from the Orange Revolution. For me, it is obvi- with what I remember from my past every day, ous that the physical composition has changed. Peo- Pevery hour. And most impressive is not the ple who were 10-15 years old in 2004 have pushed to clearly obvious things like the range of products the the forefront. What began the active phase of the Eu- local supermarket offers compared to the stores of my roMaidan? We all know it was the beating of the stu- youth, the ability to read and watch whatever I want dents (by police). Who first mentioned the bottle as without being persecuted, or the absence of the party a weapon of the proletariat? The youth. Who died on committee before which even I (a deeply nonpartisan Instytutska St.? Look at the lists: it was mostly person) was regulated in all matters ranging from my young people. Who are the volunteers fighting on political loyalty to my right to divorce and all kinds of the Donbas front? I remember the faces of the guys “unauthorized” connections... Instead, I react to tiny in the Azov Battalion: they look like focused and ma- details. The day before yesterday, I watched a girl ture, like adults, but they can’t hide their young age. walk by - pretty, in orange jeans, with a goofy hat and It’s obvious that a new generation has formed that a backpack, and... she was smiling to herself! I don’t does not remember the USSR nor understand what even mention the fact that forty years ago, jeans and it meant to be a slave to it. backpacks were mainly only accessible to black mar- There is no sense in idealizing: among the remnants keteers and the children of the Party elite. But that a and prejudices of the past that have been rejected by person would just walk along the street smiling to the younger generation, we find not only rejection of oneself? In the USSR that I remember, if someone mental dependence on the authorities, the “collec- was smiling - not in her home, not in a parade, not at tive”, and the special services. Along with this de- the movies or the circus, but for no apparent reason, pendence the youth has left behind some patriarchal you’d think she was crazy. ideas about decency and propriety, which were Another observation: while largely naïve and hypocrit- living in the usual hustle A NEW GENERATION ical (or at least compro- and bustle of Kyiv, I mising), but they were shamelessly eavesdrop on HAS FORMED THAT DOES there. After all, not every- peoples’ conversations on NOT REMEMBER THE USSR one is able to indepen- the street, at the cashier dently perform the neces- queue, at the bus stop, or in NOR UNDERSTAND WHAT IT sary internal moral work the park. It's the flaw of a MEANT TO BE A SLAVE TO IT to determine their own in- professional journalist who dividual scale of what is aspires to be a novelist. Of good and what is bad – course, I’m not making careful calculations, but some need an established framework for that. I recently realized that nearly half of the pass- Without that readymade, widely accepted and ers-by are speaking Ukrainian. primitive matrix, temptations to switch from For the most part, these are people under 40 who do good to bad are often insurmountable. Without that not look like visitors. This was a revelation for me matrix, culprits emerge easily.Yet, it is still better because I had become accustomed to living in a Rus- than yesterday’s crowds of psychologically trauma- sian-speaking city. What does this mean? The same tized, obedient robots (the robot with insecurities Kyiv residents 30-40 years ago inevitably switched was a special achievement of Soviet social engineer- into Russian for reasons of security or convenience. ing). Ukrainian is now the official language, but do they The Revolution of Dignity gave us, among other feel like they in an oppressive environment? No, things, hope for a reshuffling of the elite, including people are simply behaving like free citizens. in terms of age—but this hope was barely realized. I recently spoke with several higher-than-average Not least because “generation next” still lacks a government officials. Quite predictably, they were all sense of itself as a separate and individual social in their 30s, had received MBAs or Fulbright sti- force. And without this sense the potential for social pends, had their own projects in Amsterdam or transformation that is inherent in the current Ukrai- multi-million dollar companies. For me, they not nian youth will hardly be used for change. For it to only differed from the usual bureaucrat in terms of be involved, the slogan “Give way to the young!” their dress, vocabulary, and mannerisms, but I even should first be articulated and determined by those had the sense that they came from entirely different currently on top. Otherwise, the power that lies dor- stock. And they were ambitious, but that is no sur- mant within the new generation of Ukrainians will prise. dissolve into skepticism, or worse... emigration. № 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|31 focus|Religion in Ukraine

32|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 Religion in Ukraine|focus The Many Faces of Tradition Ukrainians have developed tolerance for other religions and a democratic attitude to religious institutions thanks to the many religious traditions that historically existed in the land

arious forms of Christianity, Author: were declared to be the two divine equal and equivalent, meant in paganism, Judaism, and Is- Hanna Trehub gifts to humanity that should exist practice the predominance of only lam coexisted in the terri- in perfect harmony with each other. one of them over the political and Vtory of the modern Ukraine While the Church takes care of the social life. This gave rise to the since ancient times. In later peri- works of God, the State is responsi- "Papa-Caesarism" phenomenon, ods and in modern times, a num- ble for the worldly matters and, at when the church clergy assumed ber of other beliefs were added to the same time, for the protection of the power of political governance, the list. This created a unique envi- the Church dogma and the priest- or to "Caesaropapism," when the ronment where different religions hood that ensures the compliance of church was subordinated to secular coexisted peacefully in the same public life with religious prescrip- rulers and served their interests. area, while tolerance became an in- tions. In the times of Yaroslav the Depending on the prevailing trend, herent feature of the Ukrainian na- Wise, the institutions and struc- the Church had the status of either tional character. Besides, Ukraine tures necessary for the activities of the ruling or a subordinate institu- never had religious wars. Another the local church were formed, and a tion. In the Ukrainian territory that national Ukrainian tradition is hor- Metropolitan arch-see was estab- was part of the Polish-Lithuanian izontal interaction between society lished at the St. Sofia Cathedral in Commonwealth, the above prac- and the church: it ensured twoway Kyiv. In 1051, Metropolitan Hilar- tices coexisted at the turn of the influence of the church on the laity ion, a local, was elected to head the Middle Ages and the early modern and vice versa. This distinguishes Kyiv archdiocese, becoming the first period (though their forms differed Ukraine from the vertical tradi- church leader of the Kyivan Rus. At from those of Western Europe and tions that existed in Rome, Con- first, bishops were elected by the Muscovy). A distinctive feature was stantinople, and later in Moscow. Bishops' Council, but later a tradi- the "right of patronage," when pos- The Symphony of Church and session of churches and monaster- State, adapted from the Byzantine ies was granted to the clergy by the Empire and still viable in Russia THE COEXISTENCE OF MANY king, magnates or noblemen who that likes to boast of its "Third RELIGIONS IN UKRAINE IS A concentrated in their hands the Rome" status, the secularism and ownership of the Church property atheism of the Soviet period, and HISTORICAL PHENOMENON, and its lands. This allowed them to the European trends of post-secu- NOT SOMETHING OF THE LAST impose their will or denomina- larism when religion gradually tional preferences, and even to sell stepped down from the public and 25 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE the highest clerical posts. At the political arena, becoming a private Vilnius Church Council of 1509, matter – all these models of inter- tion was established whereby local convened at the initiative of the action between the society and re- princes and other local authorities Kyiv Metropolitan Joseph Soltan, a ligious organizations either ex- determined the nominees for ordi- rule was adopted that condemned isted traditionally or are present nation. The tradition of moving ep- the Symphony and the use of the in today's Ukraine in one form or arches from one see to another did right of patronage for the appoint- another, accounting for that spe- not exist in the medieval Kyivan ment and ordination of clergy, and cific Ukrainian attitude toward re- Metropolia. At the same time, every those ordained for money were ex- ligion and the Church as an insti- town had its own bishop or metro- communicated. tution that is markedly noticeable politan, which made the status of At about the same time, the tra- to this day. the head of a diocese higher than dition of the Kyivan Orthodox that in Byzantium. Bishops were as- Metropolia returned to election of SYMPHONY AND sisted by the clergy acting on the ba- the clergy for offices within the THE RULE OF ELECTION sis of customary law. These were the church. Eparches were elected by The system of church-state rela- priests with the highest available councils, where laymen also had tions of Kyivan Rus developed upon levels of education and the monks voting rights. Priests and deacons the final introduction of Christianity headed by an Archpriest. They as- were elected at the meetings of pa- was brought from the Byzantine sisted the bishop during various re- rishioners. Special agreements were Empire, along with its religious tra- ligious ceremonies, sat in judgment, made, often in writing, stipulating dition. It was the practice of the and managed the property of the the terms of holding specific clerical "Symphony of Church and State" diocese. posts. In the 18th century, a parish prescribed in the sixth paragraph of The Symphony of Church and "choice" was used, which was a spe- the Code of Emperor Justinian, State, while proclaiming the two cial deed confirming the communi- whereby the State and the Church parties to this relationship to be ty's agreement to accept a person as № 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|33 focus|Religion in Ukraine a member of the clergy. The electiv- ST. HYACINTH ity extended to monasteries, where A Catholic archimandrites and abbots were presbyter who founded elected. Such practice was charac- a Dominican teristic, in particular, of Kyiv mon- monastery in asteries, where both secular clergy Kyiv in 1228. and laypeople took part in the elec- Only the Tatar tions of their heads. The participa- invasion made tion of laypeople in the elections of him leave the church clergy goes back to the apos- capital of Rus tolic times, when the Apostles along with the lay people elected two can- didates and cast lots between them. The electivity of the clergy at all lev- els was carefully preserved by the Kyiv Metropolia and distinguished it from the Moscow and even the Constantinople Churches, where bishops and priests are appointed to this day. In the 6th century Byzan- tium, the Justinian Code was en- acted, whereby 2 or 3 bishop nomi- nees were elected by higher clergy and influential local officials, but the final choice was left to the Met- ropolitan or the Patriarch. This sys- tem was borrowed in its entirety by Muscovy, but when absolute mon- archy was established there, it lost any signs of electivity. From the mid-15th century, bishops and even the Metropolitan in Muscovy were elected "with the help of the Holy Spirit and at the command of our lord the Grand Duke...." The 17th century Order and Rule code stated that bishops were those "whom the Czar commanded, and His Holiness Patriarch blessed." Priests were ap- pointed by the acting hierarch. In case of elections with free votes, the candidate elected by many was not obliged to anyone in tence of many religions in this Christianity not only among the particular. Over time, this ensured land, their contacts and conflicts tribes living in the Ukrainian the establishment of the principles are a historical phenomenon and steppes, such as the Goths and the of the Ukrainian Orthodox not a new feature of the last 25 remains of the Scythians and Sar- Church's hierarchical structure years of its independence. If we try matians, but also among the Slavs that were radically different from to understand the history of the living in the North, up the Dnipro. the ones used in churches subordi- spread of Christianity in this geo- If we consider the Christianization nated to Constantinople or Mos- graphical area, we will discover of Rus as a separate state, the story cow. Bishops who elected the Met- that it is not just the canonical is similar to the conversion of its ropolitan considered themselves to story of the Conversion of Rus by nearest neighbors, Scandinavians. be equal to him, and the Metropoli- Prince Volodymyr in 988, with Worth remembering here is the hy- tan to be the first among equals. Byzantium as the only source of pothesis of the first official Conver- Therefore, the clergy had both Christianization. Geographically sion of Rus by Askold the Varan- rights and obligations not only to important in spreading Christian- gian, who, most probably, was bap- secular authorities, but also to the ity were the cities of the Black Sea tized by the missionaries of the community. This also influenced coast and Crimea, where Christian- Roman rather than Byzantine rite. the establishment of Orthodox ity was adopted already in the first The new belief lost the functions of Church Fellowships in Ukraine centuries AD, in the times of the a state religion after the coup of that largely influenced the coun- Roman Empire, and the areas 882. During the 10th century, try's spiritual and secular life. along the Dnipro, which had close Christianity struggled with pagan- contacts with the Black Sea coast ism, and outbreaks of anti-Chris- FROM VARIOUS SOURCES and the Steppe. These areas were tian violence were followed by peri- The territory of the modern-day under the influence of the Scyth- ods of religious tolerance. Rus had Ukraine is interesting by the fact ian, Korsun, Gothic, Surozh, Fulla contacts with Christian centers that the existence and the coexis- and Bosporus dioceses that spread both in Constantinople and in 34|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 Religion in Ukraine|focus ICON OF ST. tantism in the forms of Lutheran- BARBARA THE ism, Calvinism and Socinianism GREAT MARTYR. started spreading in Ukraine just a Early 19th century, few decades after its emergence in Transcarpathia. Europe in the mid-16th century. In Likeness to the early 19th century, the second local life is wave of Protestantism arrived in characteristic Ukraine, when various forms of of modern Evangelical Christianity spread Ukrainian along its territory. In the late 16th iconography century, Greek Catholic Church was established, a phenomenon that is no less unique and distinc- tive to Ukraine than Anglicanism is to Great Britain. After the acces- sion of Ukraine to the Polish-Lith- uanian Commonwealth, Roman Catholicism felt quite confident in its territory. Old Believers and Molokans fled here from the re- pressions of the Russian tsarist government. This is just a base map that does not cover all the reli- gious beliefs that in the past and during the modern period chose Ukraine as their motherland on Earth, and the Ukrainians as their flock. Despite all the positive points mentioned above, problems re- lated to religious life in Ukraine re- main. They include both the fact that the numerous churches and religious organizations actively working and feeling fine in Ukraine sometimes fail to perceive them- selves as Ukrainian ones, and the lack of understanding by Ukraini- ans what religions exist in their country and how traditional they are to this land. Any revolution, in- cluding the Ukrainian Revolution Rome, which sent missionaries to the mystical branch of Judaism, of Dignity, affects the entire soci- Kyivan Rus under Popes Benedict Hasidism, emerged as an alterna- VII, John XV, and Sylvester II. tive to the dogmatic, ritual formal- There is a record that the first Latin ism of the rabbinical orthodoxy. KYIV METROPOLIA CAREFULLY diocese in Kyiv was founded in 977 The founder of Hasidism was Is- PRESERVED ELECTIONS by Archbishop Boniface. The tradi- rael ben Eliezer (Baal Shem Tov), tion of the de facto Christian-Pagan known among both Jewish and OF THE CLERGY. dual faith existed for a long time, non-Jewish population of Podillya THIS DIFFERED IT FROM took deep roots in Ukrainian folk- as a holy man and a miracle- lore, and was nowadays comple- worker. By the middle of the 19th THE MOSCOW AND EVEN THE mented by Neopaganism as an at- century, half of the Jewish commu- CONSTANTINOPLE CHURCHES tempt to restore the pre-Christian nities of Ukraine confessed Ha- spiritual tradition. sidism. Islam has been known in The Jewish tradition has also the territory of modern-day ety, including religious organiza- long been known in Ukraine. Its Ukraine since the Kyiv Rus times. tions. It is obvious that given the adepts lived in the cities along the It established itself on the Ukrai- current military aggression of Rus- Black Sea coast and later in differ- nian territory back in the 13th cen- sia, Ukrainians, despite their natu- ent cities of Rus. Besides, Judaism tury, with the arrival of its adepts, ral tolerance, will not tolerate ei- was the dominant religion of the Crimean Tatars and the Nogai, Ye- ther pro-Moscow or pacifist slo- Khazar Khaganate, which, until the disan and Bucak Hordes, with gans adopted by religious centers times of Prince Svyatoslav, col- whom the ancestors of today's and their leaders. For the latter, it lected tribute from the lands that Ukrainians had not only military is now time to finally decide which later became part of Kyivan Rus. In conflicts, but also close trade rela- side to take, and for Ukrainians, to the first half of the 18th century, in tions (read more about Islami­ learn more about themselves and the territory of Western Ukraine, ­sm in Crimea on p. 38). Protes- their fellow citizens. № 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|35 focus|Religion in Ukraine Freedom of Belief No More With the war and occupation by Russia-backed separatists, believers in Eastern Ukraine faced brutal intolerance, repression and murder

eparatists came to Donbas Автор: gious communities, were regis- number, including charismatic armed with the ideology of Nikolay tered in Donetsk Oblast (including churches accounting for more “Russkiy Mir”, the Russian Karpitskiy the occupied territories). Ortho- than 12%, and Baptists having SWorld, in its most aggressive dox religious organizations ac- more than 10%. The rest were 38 version that was enshrined in the counted for about 49% of those Muslim, 19 Jewish, 14 Buddhist "Constitution of the Donetsk Peo- (42.9% of them being religious or- and 8 Vaishnav religious organiza- ple’s Republic" adopted on May 14, ganizations of the Moscow Patri- tions registered in the oblast. In 2014. Its preamble states that the archate). Protestants of all de- addition to that, the locals prac- "Supreme Council" adopts the nominations had over 700 organi- ticed domestic churches and com- "Constitution" "confessing the Or- zations, or 40.9% of the total munities with no official registra- thodox faith (the Holy Greek Or- thodox Christian faith of the East- When the militants took control of Donetsk, ern Rite) of the Russian Orthodox Protestant prayers for peace stopped, as evidenced Church (of the Moscow Patriarch- by this “Pray for peace in Ukraine” thrown into the ate) and acknowledging it to be the river by a militant. The Russian Orthodox Church keystone of the "Russian World." of the Moscow Patriatrchate is the only religious By doing so, the separatists, under organization entitled to unharassed servicing in the the guise of Orthodoxy, introduced occupied territory a special doctrine providing the foundation for the Russian World and opposed not only to the Chris- tian religion as such, but also to all other Orthodox Churches. The ninth chapter of the "DPR Consti- tution" declares this creed to have a commanding status: "In Donetsk People's Republic, the leading and dominant faith is the Orthodox faith (the Holy Greek Orthodox Christian faith of the Eastern Rite) as professed by the Russian Ortho- dox Church (Moscow Patriarch- ate). The historical importance and the role of Orthodoxy and the Rus- sian Orthodox Church (of the Mos- cow Patriarchate) are acknowl- edged and respected, primarily, as BIO systemically important pillars of Nikolay Karpits- the Russian World." kiy is a Russian reli- This provision also puts the gious studies separatists into the opposition to scholar, former most believers of Donbas, where Professor at the diversity has always been a typical Philosophy De- feature. The number of local Prot- partment of Si- estant communities registered berian State there before the outbreak of the Medical Institute Russian-Ukrainian war was just a (Tomsk). Perse- little below the number of parishes cution from Rus- of the Moscow Patriarchate. In sian law enforce- ment authorities these circumstances, a religious for human rights conflict was inevitable. advocacy forced The Donetsk Regional State Dr. Karpitskiy to Administration reported that as of move to Ukraine the end of 2014, 1,795 religious or- more than a year ganizations, including 1,723 reli- ago 36|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 Religion in Ukraine|focus tion, as the Ukranian law permits Makyivka), Path to Heart (ECB, combat zone in need of assistance, this. Some churches in the occu- Khartsyzsk), Ark (CEF, Slovy- as well as the Ukrainian military. pied territories had to close down ansk), Opportunity (CEF, Mariu- In different cities of Donbas, because of the violence on the part pol), God's Assembly in Ukraine after the outbreak of the war, the of the separatists. The Donetsk (CEF, Donetsk), Share thy Bread events followed one and the same Oblast State Administration (cur- with the Hungry (Full Gospel scenario. First, rumors that the rently based in the Ukraine-con- Right Sector is coming; later, sei- trolled Mariupol) also reported zure of administrative buildings, that 26 religious missions were of- In the separatists' with police being absolutely inert; ficially registered in Donetsk worldview, Protestants, then, mobilization of lumpenprols Oblast. All of them represented who considered themselves to be Protestant denominations (Bap- Catholics and Orthodox the masters of the streets; then, the tists, Evangelical Christians, Full other than the Moscow arrival of mercenaries with military Gospel Church, Church of Christ, skills who forced out the lumpen; Church of God Pentecostal, Asso- Patriarchate are enemies and finally, the emergence of heavy ciation of Independent ECB of the Russian World weapons and unidentified military Churches and Association of Mis- professionals. In these circum- sionary Churches of Evangelical Church, Makyivka), City of Refuge stances, even those pastors who Christians of Ukraine). The fol- (CEF, Donetsk), and Blue Cross previously had not supported lowing missions were very actively (ECB, Makyivka). Maidan turned into the supporters engaged in evangelization and The war in Eastern Ukraine of Ukraine. Gradually, the mood of charitable activities: Ark (ECB, was preceded by a massive pro- the popu lation began to change, Russian propaganda campaign and today most Donbas residents but people with firm beliefs were in the liberated territories remem- more resistant to it than others. ber the occupation period only as a That is why at the beginning of the nightmare. war, most Protestants of Donbas Oleksiy Palchenko, the Deacon were morally on the side of of a small Love of Jesus Pentecos- Ukraine. With the Orthodox, the tal church located on the outskirts situation is more complicated, of Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast, since many believers consider said that only one Protestant themselves to be Orthodox not on church out of twenty active in the religious, but on ideological city supported separatists. He him- grounds. In fact, all those who had self, during the occupation, would some value navigators, whether drive to Ukrainian checkpoints the Protestants, Orthodox, Vaishnav assistance gathered by the parish- or Muslim, seemed to be immune ioners of his church – elderly pen- to propaganda and, therefore, sioners, who helped the Ukrainian were perceived by the adherents of military from their miserable pen- the "Russian World" as potential sions, cooked, and made sauer- enemies. kraut. Many residents of Donbas met There were no arrests of Chris- the victory of the Maidan with sus- tians in Kramatorsk, but some pas- picion, even though their attitudes tors were warned that they were on varied. Many did not like the cor- the arrest list and therefore had to rupt Yanukovych government, but leave the city. In Slovyansk, how- still prayed for it. Students being ever, the arrests of ministers and beaten up and later people shot active parishioners of Protestant down on Maidan, as well as Viktor churches began very soon. Yanukovych fleeing – all those On May 16, 2014, at the order events raised certain questions: to of the city's military authorities, the what extent the authorities can be Bishop of the Ukrainian Church of considered legitimate, for how long God Evangelical association and it is necessary to pray for them, and the senior pastor of the Good News how the new government should Pentecostal church in Slovyansk be perceived? Some of the bishops Oleksiy Demydovych was arrested had their own standpoint, and oth- by the separatists. Before that, sep- ers did not, but since neither aratists came after his brother, pas- priesthood nor episcopate had a tor Serhiy Demydovych, and clear understanding of the situa- searched his home and garage for tion, it was deemed necessary to something, saying that he "worked refrain from stating any political for Americans." Fortunately, Ser- positions. However, the outbreak hiy Demydovych at that time was of the war urged many to self-de- in Kyiv and escaped the arrest, but termination, expressing their posi- Oleksiy spent seven hours in the tion not only in word, but also in basement, blindfolded. After that, deed and helping residents of the the separatist-appointed mayor of № 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|37 focus|Religion in Ukraine Slovyansk Vyacheslav Ponomarev of seven members of the clergy came and ordered to release Olek- have been established reliably. siy Demydovych. A former drug More than 40 church ministers addict, Ponomarev underwent a have been in captivity, with inter- rehabili­tation course at one of the rogations and beatings. Also in Protest­ant churches and in this 2014, militants seized buildings way beca­­me familiar with Protes- and premises of 12 Christian com- tant activities. Pastors took the first munities, a church orphanage, a arrest for a warning, and quickly Christian university, and the left the occupied city. Members of premises of three rehabilitation the "militia" who sympathized with centers for alcohol and drug abus- them later confessed to parishio­ ers. Besides, shelling damaged five ners: "Had the pastors not left church buildings, three of which then, they would have never been were burnt down." It is safe to say able to do so." that the repressions had a much The separatists made no bones larger scale than these data show. of the "dissenters": all Orthodox In particular, despite the fact that priests not belonging to the Mos- the separatists treated the Baptists cow Patriarchate were expelled rather tolerantly, according to the from the city right away (which All-Union Council of Evangelical probably saved their lives), but the Christians-Baptists, as of Septem- question of what to do with the ber 2014, seven of their churches Protestants did not have a general were seized and three more were solution. Natalya Bradarska, destroyed. The relatively "toler- widow of the Deacon of the Trans- ant" attitude towards the Baptists figuration Pentecostal Evangelical was manifest in the fact that in the church who was gunned down told city of Antratsyt, the separatists how the militants came to them. seized the building of the House of They liked the grand church build- Prayer for all Nations Baptist ing with columns located in the Church twice, later giving it back. town center. "Americans? A pro- Pastor Serhiy Kosyak provided American chu­­rch?" the separatists information on the seizure of asked. They could not believe that church buildings. In May 2014, the the building of the former House separatists seized church buildings Separatists of Culture was fully restored by in Horlivka and Snizhne and the have realized the separatists, while those who re- parishioners with just donations: Evening Light rehabilitation center that charity mained had to go underground. "You get help from Americans, in Donetsk, taking captive 29 peo- and help from The overall picture of the per- Americans are our enemies, and ple, some of whom were beaten. In Protestants secution of Christians in the occu- we are the Russian Orthodox June 2014, they seized churches in decreases social pied territories is not uniform. Ar- Army." First, the militants hesi- Torez, Shakhtarsk and Druzhkiv­­ka, tension rests were carried out systemati- tated whether to seize the building two churches in Horlivka, the Rock cally in the cities where the or not, but then they said: "Keep of Salvation rehabilitation center respective structures were cre- praying for now." And they seized and the entire premises of Donetsk ated: in Slovyansk, Donetsk, and another church, Good News, Christian University in Donetsk. In Horlivka. In other places, such as which was located on a hill and August 2014, they seized church Kramatorsk, such structures were therefore was more valuable from buildings in Donetsk, Olenivka and established, but never started the military point of view. The Horlivka, and in September 2014, working. In some provincial pastor of the Good News church in Donetsk and Rovenky. The sei- towns, separatists did not inter- Petro Dudnyk told that the sepa- zure of churches was very often ac- fere in the life of the citizens, while ratists chased everyone out of the companied by the arrests of pas- elsewhere, autonomous groups of church, saying that the barracks tors. Russian mercenaries and units of would be located there. After the While Protestant churches Russian Cossacks terrorized the separatists fled, Ukrainian mili- were seized selectively, those of the population. tary had to use three trucks to take Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Slovyansk suffered the most of away all the weapons they left in Kyiv Patriarchate and Ukrainian the repressions. On June 8, 2014, the church building. Autocephalous Orthodox Church the Trinity Sunday, the separatists The scale of repressions is dif- were taken consistently and sys- abducted four Christians: Viktor ficult to assess so far, since frag- tematically. Administrator of the Bradarsky (40 y.o., 3 children), two mented information comes from Donetsk Diocese of the Ukrainian sons of pastor Pavenko, Ruvim (29 various sources and still needs to Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patri- y.o., married) and Albert (24 y.o., be summarized. The press center archate, Archbishop Serhiy married), and Volodymyr Velychko of the civic movement Vsi razom! (Horobtsov) in February 2015 said (8 children, 41 y.o.). They were (All Together) in March 2015 pub- that 30 out of the 40 parishes of taken after the service, when peo- lished the results of the monitor- the Kyiv Patriarchate in the occu- ple were leaving the Transfigura- ing of persecution on religious pied territory ceased their activi- tion church. In 16 hours, they were grounds in the occupied territories ties, and most of the clergy had to shot down, but the murder was of Donbas: "The facts of murders emigrate because of the threats of concealed from the relatives. 38|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 Religion in Ukraine|focus among the militants, who knew not affected. Thirdly, the separat- the worshipers personally, and ists gradually became used to this somehow held them off. Nev- Protestants and started develop- ertheless, continued attacks and ing some general principles of ad- arrests of the worshipers, and then ministrating the territories. in August, already under Igor Fourthly, the separatists saw that Strelkov, a series of arrests and the Protestants' assistance to the the direct ban on church assem- needy reduces the level of social blies forced them to go under- tension created by the lack of fi- ground. nancing and ruined social infra- Besides the centralized sepa- structure. ratist structure in Donetsk, there For this very reason, the mili- are also other autonomous groups, tants are unusually tolerant of the in which there are no sympathizers Vaishnavs, who feed the hungry in for the churchgoers. One of such the occupied territories as part of extremist groups, the Russian Or- their Food for Life program. Never- thodox Army, took captive Father theless, the Vaishnavs experienced Tykhon Kulbaka, a Greek Catholic reprisals along with other denomi- priest, on July 4, 2014. Father Tyk- nations: some of the followers of hon, a diabetic, spent 12 days in this faith were arrested, and all pub- captivity without medicines. He lic Vaishnav activities were banned. survived by a miracle. Three times However, they chose not to focus at- they took him out for execution, tention on these facts, believing each time shooting over his head. their main priority today to be the Roman Catholic priests were also charitable distribution of food. arrested. On May 27, 2014, priest The repressions, in any case, Pavlo Vityok was arrested, spend- never ceased, only becoming more ing a day in captivity. On July 15, systematic and pragmatic. Instead Viktor Vonsovych was arrested, of the seizure of church property, spending ten days in captivity. the separatist authorities chose In the first months of the occu- the strategy of forced cooperation, pation, Donetsk pastors tried to the first step being the require- find some kind of a compromise ment to register churches. How- with local militants, many of ever, this process is still at an early While Slovyansk was con- whom they knew personally. In stage, and there have been yet no trolled by just one separatist July 2014, mercenaries started ar- direct reprisals for the refusal to group, in Donetsk there were riving to the city, and the situation register. Nevertheless, moral pres- many of them, which made re- worsened for the Christians. With sure increases. pressions even more unpredict- the arrival of Igor Strelkov (Gir- Within religious communities able. On February 25, 2014, in kin), the arrests of the Christians and even church councils, groups downtown Donetsk, a prayer mar- in Donetsk grew more frequent. In of people emerged who support the athon "for peace, love and unity of August 2014, reprisals reached the separatists and insist on coopera- Ukraine" was launched for repre- peak, and subdued thereafter. tion with the separatist authorities. sentatives of all religious groups. Further decrease of the level of For pastors and parishioners, it is On May 24, 2014, the militants persecution was due to several dangerous to show their pro- raided the prayer tent, threatening factors. Primarily, the separatists Ukrainian stand even inside the to shoot down anyone coming to solved their property issues, hav- church, since they may be reported pray. Marathon participant Serhiy to the "Ministry of State Security" Kosyak, pastor of the Assembly of carrying out political reprisals God Evangelical Church of Instead of the seizure against dissenters. Donetsk, went to the separatists' of church property, All these arrests were made on headquarters to discuss the inci- ideological grounds, since in the dent, where he was arrested. After the separatist authorities separatists' worldview, Protes- eight hours of tortures, a com- are now choosing tants, Catholics and Orthodox mander came and started yelling (other than the Moscow Patriarch- at his subordinates, demanding the strategy of forced ate) are enemies of the "Russian that they ask for forgiveness and cooperation World." Separatist groups were return all belongings. He then numerous, and the reprisals took came up to Pastor Serhiy and said ing seized everything they wanted. the form of chaotic bandit attacks. that he went to the New Genera- There were even several cases With time, the ideological basis tion rehabilitation center, but then when buildings were restituted to was replaced with the pragmatic departed from God and that by church communities. Secondly, one, aimed at retaining power. saving him he hoped to get some pastors and priests who irritated Therefore, the repression of reli- grace in Lord. From this episode, the separatists were forced to gious organizations in Donbas will it is clear that the attitude of the leave the occupied territory. The not stop. It will only change the separatists to the marathon was activities of the Orthodox churches form with a view to strengthening hostile, but there were many locals of the Moscow Patriarchate were the overall control. № 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|39 focus|Religion Giray's Faith The roots of moderate Islam of the Crimean Tatars are buried in the history of this people

Author: he legend has it that Islam and Judaists among others. At the Hanna Trehub proliferated in Crimea owing same time khan's documents con- to two associates of Prophet tain mentions of "Sheiks and Su- TMuhammad Malik al-Ashtar fis" next to officials and ruling and Ghazi Mansour as early as the classes of the khanate. The oldest 7th century A.D. Yet it is more mosque on the peninsula was built likely that the peninsula turned in 1262 in Solkhat by a Bukhara Muslim owing to Turks rather native. But oldest remaining ruins than Arabs. It came as a result of a are of the mosque complex com- conquest in the 13th century. In missioned directly by the Mamluk 1222 Sudak and Solkhat (now Sultan Baibars in 1288. After 1475 Staryi Krym or Old Crimea) were when the Ottoman Turks captured temporarily held by the Seljuks Caffa the Crimean peninsula fell under the leadership of Amir Hu- under the influence of the Turkish sain-ad-din Choban, the military Islam with all of its implications. The Mongol and Ottoman em- chief of the famous Seljuk sultan That is when the Hanafi Sunni Is- pires, as well as the Crimean Khan- Alaeddin Keykubad I. After one lam (one of the four main Islamic ate within them appear to be rather year they were displaced by the schools of jurisprudence) was pro- diverse countries in terms of ethnic- Mongols led by Genghis Khan's el- claimed the official religion of the ity and religion, countries, the rulers dest son Jochi. They ruled Crimea Crimean Khanate, while the Turk- of which were devoid of religious fa- for the two following centuries. ish Padishah became the caliph of naticism. Even proclaiming Sunni The first Golden Horde leader to all Sunnis. This period saw the Islam as the official religion of the Zyndzhyrly medrese, the adopt Islam was Berke Khan, Ba- formation of the unique Turkic- state they did not carry out sweep- best-known tu's brother. This ruler did not Muslim culture, which had a con- ing systemic Islamisation of the fol- Muslim historic carry out forced islamisation of siderable influence on Crimea and lowers of other religions populating university in the population, which at the time the adjacent territories up until the land, they realized that religious Crimea included Tengriists, Christians 1917. conflicts would only weaken the state. It's worth noting that in the case of the Crimean Khanate the process of adopting Islam was not completed until the 18th century. 'In the context of converting the story of the Crimean Greek population, which was deported by Catherine II to what is currently the south of Donetsk region, is very telling. Among them were the Turkic Urums, whose language is in many ways closer to the Crimean Tatar one, rather than other Turkic lan- guages. In order to avoid deporta- tion entire villages converted to Is- lam. Turkic-speaking Muslim equaled Crimean Tatar, and the lat- ter weren't subject to deportation. So entire villages on the South Coast of Crimea, which had been Chris- tian for centuries became Muslim. Many of the current residents in those parts believe they are Crimean Tatars, although in reality they have Greek roots', says the Crimean Ta- tar independent journalist Dilaver Saidakhmetov. Seiran Afirov, who used to be mufti of a Simferopol 40|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 Religion|focus Caffa), Qirimi or Karayimi, Akker- him al-Qirimi was a unique Khal- mani etc. There were also names wati thinker, the author of "Mawa- like al-Deshti (for example Ibrahim hib, ar-rahman fi-bayan maratib al-Meghmed al-Dashti Ta- al-ikhwan" ("Gifts of the Merciful in tarsheikh), so those were the na- Understanding of the Stages of Be- tives from what is currently the ter- ing") dedicated to the Ottoman sul- ritory of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson tan Mourad III, with a range of il- regions. The orientalist under- lustrations. One should also men- scores that the residents of Crimea tion the representatives of the Qadri made a substantial contribution in tariqate, particularly Selima Divane the three main domains of the Qirimli, the 18th century Ottoman Muslim culture. 'The matter of tra- language author from Skopje, who ditional Islamic Hanafi law has wrote the well-known "Burhan-ul- been developed by many authors, Arifin we Nejatu al-Ghafilin" beginning with Sharafaddin al-Qir- ("Guidance for the Knowing and imi in the 15th century, and all the Salvation of the Oblivious"). Who way to Addousadar al-Qirimi, the knows, perhaps it were these Sufis, author of commentary to "Medjele" who gave the present-day Crimean (the code of Ottoman law)”, – the Tatars the tradition of honoring the scholar continues. “The other ele- aziz sites (important burial grounds ment is kalam, the Islamic specula- of scientists, dervishes, military, tive theology. There was a whole who were made into saints by story- cluster of Crimean authors, includ- telling and the passing of time). ing Abu l'Baka al-Caffavi, the son of Crimea had its Islamic univer- Caffa's mufti, who wrote "Kitab al- sities, the madrasas. Zincirli Ma- Kulliyat" ("Book of general no- drasa is the famous one, but there mosque before Crimea's annexation The mosque tions"), an enormous work in Ara- were more. In 1332 with the sup- of Uzbek Khan, adds: 'In the Ottoman Empire one of the bic containing 3,000 definitions. port of Uzbek Khan emerged one of those, who converted from Islam to oldest Golden Their version of Denis Diderot, if the first Muslim higher education other religions were punished only Horde shrines you like. In the 18th century there schools of the peninsula – the In- if they partook in military cam- in Crimea were such authors as Mughammad dji-bek Khatun Madrasa. Its first paigns against Porte. In such a case that has been al-Akkermani and Mughammad al- teachers were scientists from Per- they were accused not of apostasy, preserved to Caffavi. These two belong to Caliz- sia and Central Asia. In the 15-16th but of treason. In all other cases our days. It adeliph, the reformation move- centuries emerged the first genera- there were attempts to persuade dates back to ment in Islamic theology, which tion of native Crimean Tatar scien- the second such persons to turn back to Islam th stood for modernization and the tists. They seek opportunities to in a peaceful manner.' half of the 13 return to Sunna.” move to other Muslim education century The Crimean Tatars' contribu- centers overseas, in particular to Crimea of madrassas tion to Sufism deserves a separate Istanbul. According to Mykhayko and Sufis mention. Up until 1917 there were Yakubovych, this speaks not of The Crimean peninsula had always active spiritual centers representing their parochial nature, but on the been not on the outskirts of the four Sufi schools: Naqshbandi, contrary, of active cultural ex- Muslim world, but rather one of its Khalwati, Qadri and Mevlevi. The change, which deserves deeper re- cultural and education centers, at Naqshbandi and Khalwati repre- search. the crossroads of the pathways sentatives had the biggest presence from countries in the Middle East and made the greatest intellectual The roots of moderation and Central Asia, of Turkey and contribution. “Out of the former it is Many wonder how come the Islam Persia, which allowed acquiring worth mentioning Abd al-Baki Hi- embraced by the Crimean Tatars – and accumulating knowledge, and one of Ukraine's indigenous peo- having own input both in theology ples – did not become radical in and law, as well as in science. Un- The Crimean peninsula the present circumstances. There fortunately, not many in today's had always been not on are a number of reasons. First and Ukraine know about this. Oriental- foremost it is the manifestation of ist Mykhaylo Yakubovych notes: the outskirts of the Muslim the Turkic Islamic tradition de- “The Crimean Khanate is the terri- world, but rather one scribed above. Another reason is tory from the Dnipro's rapids to that for more than two centuries Crimea, Azov and so forth. It has of its cultural and Islam for the Crimean Tatars has cultural likeness to Yedysan – the education centers been a private matter, not a social lands between the Dniester and the or political one. Ever since Crimea Bug, and Budjak – the lands be- jabi, the creator of "Risale Zubdet was annexed by the Russian Em- tween the Danube and the Dnies- ul-Islam", written in Ottoman lan- pire in 1784, Crimean Tatars were ter, which is the Northern Black guage; out of the former – the 15th devoid of statehood and their reli- Sea cultural region'. According to century author Aghmad al-Qirimi, gion no longer served as an instru- Yakubovych, among the world fa- the proponent of ibn-Arabi views on ment of politics. Therefore, as both mous ulamas, judges, scientists, equality of being, who substantiated mufti Seiran Afirov and the orien- philosophers were the natives of a philosophical ontology” – talist Mykhaylo Yakubovych de- this region, known as Caffavi (of Mykhaylo Yakubovych states. Ibra- scribe it, all Islamic processes took № 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|41 focus|Religion to return home and a chance to re- store Islamic faith on the peninsula. The religious crisis, which span over 50 years had to be overcome some- how, to study religion all over again using different sources, of which there were several, particularly Tur- kic and Arabic. Already in the early 1990s the Muslims of Turkey estab- lished contact with Crimea's first mufti Seitdjelil Ibrahimov and the Crimean muftiate. They opened a number of madrasas, sent literature and welcomed the graduates of Crimean madrasas for advanced studies (Crimean madrasas used to provide only a 1-2 year primary course). Owing to the Turks the Crimean Tatars received access to ilahiyat (Muslim faculties) in vari- ous Turkish universities. The Turk- ish influence included those who brought a variety of minute details of Turkish Islamic tradition to Crimea. As far as ideology is con- place in non-Islamic context. “The the practices followed by the regular Mausoleums cerned, those belong to moderate (dyurbe) Volga and the Crimean Tatars are people,” states the imam. and graves Islam. There were, however, rather ethnicities who underwent mod- The latter is something that ev- of important rigid Sufis, who were adamant that ernization in non-Islamic environ- ery Crimean Tatar person can tell Crimean Tatar only their views were true. The fol- ment. That is why the ideologies of you all about recalling the customs figures, including lowers of Fethullah Gülen, a branch political Islam that are characteris- of his family. Sunnet (circumci- rulers, scholars of the Risale-I Nur Movement, pre- tic of some Arabic states, aren't sion), nikah (marriage), talaq (di- and clerics, sented another separate line. viewed as adequate by the Crimean vorce) janazah (funeral), the ban on turned with time The other source was Arabic. In Tatars. The Hanafi tradition got consuming pork… And that's about into pilgrimage 1990s students from Arabic coun- isolated within non-Islamic envi- it. Nikah had been followed during destinations tries began coming to Crimea in ronment,” – the scholar says. That the Soviet era rather as a tribute to (aziz in Crimean order to work with the locals. They Tatar). One is is why the Crimean Islam is a Eu- tradition, as the anti-religion state the Mausoleum toured the villages, conducted one- ropean one, to a great extent a cul- policy has a significant impact. Ex- of Dzhanike- or two-week long courses, as well tural one. The ideas of the ISIS and tremely significant were the repre- Khanym, the as Sunday classes to get the locals caliphate for this very reason are sentatives of the clergy, who still re- daughter of acquainted with Islam. While they seen by them as something far-out. membered at least the basics of the Tokhtamysh- were not Muslim scholars, each of According to Seiran Afirov, the Islamic teaching passing it them Khan from them possessed religious knowl- formation of moderate Islam took from one to another or from older Genghis-Khan edge far deeper than the majority place not without interference by relatives, who were also imams. Sei- dynasty, at of the Crimean Tatar mullahs could the Soviet regime, as the represen- ran Afirov recalls that in Central Qirq-Yer (Chufut- boast. In terms of interpretation of tatives of this ethnic group got forc- Asia the Crimean Tatars made an Cale), a Golden Islam, the Arabic world is not ho- Horde-epoch ibly relocated to Central Asia. “In effort to stand out of the local com- fortress mogenous either. Some belong to 1917 during the national liberation munity, which was also Turkic, in moderate movements, some to struggle, which was suppressed by order to avoid assimilation. 'Most of Salafist, "Hizb ut-Tahrir", Al-Ah- the Bolsheviks, the Crimean Tatars the religious rites were conducted bash etc. As a result, Islam on the lost the majority of their cultural by Crimean mullahs. Only in times Crimean peninsula is in a way a elite, in which ulamas, imams and of large holidays like Sawm or Kur- qadis (Muslim judges) played a sig- ban Bayram (Eid al-Adha) the Crimean Islam is a nificant role. Religious literature Crimean Tatars would join the local was destroyed, madrasas and Muslims, where Uzbek or Kazakh European one, to a great mosques were closed. The number imams headed the proceedings.' extent a cultural one. of people able to read religious liter- Generally Afirov describes the reli- ature written in old Crimean Tatar gious situation of the Crimean Ta- For this reason, the ideas language using Arabic script was tars up until 1989 as something re- of the ISIS and caliphate declining. As a consequence in a few sembling complete vacuum im- decades Muslims in Crimea lost posed by the Soviet authorities, an are seen there as their respective knowledge and information vacuum, which could something far-out skills, while new religious books be filled with fables and supersti- were in short supply. Basically, from tion. Someone had to counter this projection of the modern Islamic 1917 to practically the late 1980s we with adequate religious knowledge. world, where different movements had virtually no Islam at all. It was Ukraine's independence gave balance each other out, not allowing only preserved in the memory and the Crimean Tatars the opportunity any one of them to dominate. 42|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 Opinion|History Highlights and Margins of History

lmost 40 years ago, on August 1, 1975, the Hel- Petro Hryhorenko and Semen Gluzman in Ukraine, sinki Accords “Declaration on Principles Guid- or Aleksandras Shtromas and Tomas Venclova in ing Relations between Participating States” Lithuania – they were all the offspring of the Helsinki Awere signed by 35 nations, a pivotal event that Accords. They came to signify the arrival of the total was to become the turning point in international rela- and complete discredit of the regime, which pledged tions, and a crucial political settlement in the Cold its alleged allegiances to human rights, civil liberties, War era. and fundamental freedoms of its citizens. That was The Helsinki Final Act, or the Helsinki Declaration, the exam, which turned impossible to pass for the So- included the following: Sovereign equality, respect for viet regime. the rights inherent in sovereignty; Refraining from What do we have now in Vladimir Putin’s Russia af- the threat or use of force; Inviolability of frontiers; ter 40 years? Let us take the so-called Decalogue of Territorial integrity of States; Peaceful settlement of the Helsinki Declaration one more time, word by disputes; Non-intervention in internal affairs; Re- word: Sovereign equality, respect for the rights in- spect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, herent in sovereignty; Refraining from the threat or including the freedom of thought, conscience, reli- use of force; Inviolability of frontiers; Territorial in- gion or belief; Equal rights and self-determination of tegrity of States; Peaceful settlement of disputes; peoples; Co-operation among States; Fulfilment in Non-intervention in internal affairs; Respect for hu- good faith of obligations under international law. man rights and fundamental freedoms, including The former Soviet Union was among those 35 nations freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief; that signed this political settlement. This has immedi- Equal rights and self-determination of peoples; Co- ately paved the way for the human rights movement operation among States; Fulfilment in good faith of in the USSR. Like dissent and Soviet dissident move- obligations under international law. Which of these ment that originated straight after the 20th Congress is observed and respected? None. Even the USSR of the Communist Party dealing a blow to the myth of tried hard to do justice to at least some of these 10 the unity and fanatical faith of the Soviet people in points. Putin’s Russia tore this historic document to Author: Stalin and Party, the human rights movement came pieces. Leonidas to delegitimize the USSR. Yet things are far from cer- Donskis, Inside the empire, nobody Having violated the tain and cheerful for Russia Lithuania or next to nobody believed itself. Having violated the in the right course or the principles of inviolability principles of inviolability of bright future of that state; of frontiers and frontiers and territorial in- yet the signal had to be sent tegrity of states, Russia be- about its zero credibility territorial integrity came liable and bound to and moral authority in of states, Russia became experience all these viola- terms of failure to honour tions itself– sooner or later. its international and hu- bound to experience all In addition, it comes from manitarian obligations. of them itself – sooner the war it waged against The Helsinki Accords were Ukraine as aggressor and followed up by the Helsinki or later pariah state with zero cre- Watch, the first global NGO dentials and respect, and in the area of human rights set in 1978 and led by with totally undermined reputation as a global the American human rights activist Aryeh Neier player. Last but not least, it will take more than a (it evolved into Human Rights Watch in 1988). decade or two to restore Europe’s good faith and Even more importantly, a series of the Helsinki trust in Russia which was extremely strong in Boris Groups were established in the USSR. Legendary Yeltsin’s era and which is dead now. Russian, Ukrainian, and Baltic human rights defend- So much for 40 years to the Helsinki Accords. Yet ers and dissidents gained the momentum. The Soviet there is another anniversary that marks the birth of Union failed to react to this with self-restraint and Europe the way we know it. It is 800 years to the dignity; instead, what followed next was numerous Magna Carta – the first major legal document in Eng- arrests, intimidation campaigns, interrogations, con- land and in Europe that indicated and witnessed to finement of dissidents to psychiatric hospitals, ugly emergence of the rule of law. Adopted on 15 June propaganda with toxic lies, defamation and slander 1215, it still stands as a testimony to political wisdom, campaigns, incarceration, and expulsion from the moderation, and the art of compromise. country. Both the Magna Carta and the Helsinki Accords will Andrei Sakharov, Elena Bonner, Sergei Kovalev, An- get down in European history as its highlights. Yet drei Amalrik, Andrei Sinyavsky, Yuli Daniel, Lyud- Vladimir Putin and his regime, on the contrary, will mila Alekseeva, Vladimir Bukovsky in Russia, or be relegated to the margins of history. № 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|43 history|Magna Carta Little Steps to Great Freedom

Author: t is seen as the foundation of ded in the charter that estab- brated in Britain with great pomp Michael human rights, the original lished the United Nations and in and ceremony. That is why the Binyon, guarantee of the rule of law, the subsequent Universal Decla- Queen, the Archbishop of Canter- UK Ithe pillar of democracy that ration of Human Rights. bury and the Prime Minister met prevents a ruler ignoring the will In fact, Magna Carta did none again beside the river at Runny- of the people and places a curb on of these things. It did not grant mede, not far from Windsor, on tyranny. Magna Carta – the Great liberty to the people of England. It June 15 to pay tribute to Magna Charter – was signed in a muddy did not lay down a constitution. It Carta and acknowledge its monu- field beside the River Thames did not say anything about univer- mental contribution to the cause 800 years ago, and since then has sal human rights. Nor did it insist of liberty around the world. And become the basis of not just Eng- that a ruler had to be moral, righ- that is why the Attorney General lish parliamentary democracy but teous or honest in leading a na- of the United States, representing of countless subsequent attempts tion. But over the centuries it has the most powerful democracy in to regulate human society and become a powerful symbol of free- the world, joined them and spoke uphold human rights and dignity. dom, democracy and human of the vital importance this docu- It laid the foundations centuries rights and it is now universally re- ment has played in defining the later for the Enlightenment in the vered as the first and most crucial sort of society that America has English-speaking world. It was a attempt in medieval Europe to es- become. key influence in the founding of tablish the equal rights of all hu- Today it is often noted that the United States and the writing man beings under the rule of law. those countries that did not take of the new nation’s constitution. That is why the anniversary of any similar steps to limit the And its provisions were embed- its signature has just been cele- power of their rulers have never 44|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 Magna Carta|history enjoyed the same freedoms or Carta was itself also reissued in Loretta Lynch, the US attorney commitment to democracy that 1225 in exchange for the King’s general, demonstrated the com- England has known for a very right to levy new taxes. And from mon constitutional commitment long time. No limit was ever then on it was reissued by each to liberty and the rule of law by placed on the autocratic rule of succeeding new king and became both the British and US govern- the Russian tsars – which may part of England’s statute law. ments. And thirdly, for the first explain why the country had Sta- It is this point that is impor- time there is now an official Brit- lin. Over the centuries, no Ger- tant – the rule of law. Justice was ish memorial plaque and statue, man prince was forced to abide still fairly arbitrary in those days. unveiled by the Queen, on the site by the will of the people – and so Life for most ordinary people was where the document was signed. modern Germany saw the rise of nasty, brutish and short. But even Until recently the only memorial Hitler. in those days it became accepted was one donated by the United Most people have forgotten that people could not be thrown States in 1957. the details of why Magna Carta into prison without a trial and The charter was written in was signed. All they know is that that justice must be independent abbreviated Latin by quill pen on in 1215 King John, regarded as of the king. This provision was vellum sheets. Each bears a large being one of the worst of the early supplemented with the law, Ha- royal seal in beeswax. Only four English kings, was forced to sign beas Corpus, which had been original copies of Magna Carta a peace treaty with the powerful passed earlier but was then reaf- survive, one in the British Library barons who had taken up arms firmed later, which challenged a and the other three in two Eng- against his tyrannical rule. They court to produce for trial any per- lish cathedrals. chose the marshy site by the river son held in prison. This, plus Ironically, Britain is now en- Thames because the land was so Magna Carta, have formed the gaged in a great debate about a wet that neither the king nor the underlying principle of English proposal by the present Conser- barons could bring an army there. common law, which is also the vative government to withdraw The barons were angry that King basis for the legal system in from the European Convention of John had thrown many of them America and most other English- Human Rights – largely because into prison without trial and had speaking countries. of anger over the way this post- tried to dominate the affairs of The political myth of Magna war treaty has often made it diffi- the Church. The Archbishop of Carta as the foundation of liberty cult for Britain to deport terror- Canterbury, the head of the in England grew over the centu- ists and has been seen as intru- Church in England, acted as an ries. It was repeatedly held up as sive into Britain’s legal system. intermediary and drew up a peace a key provision of the law when- But the wider relevance of treaty that promised the protec- ever there was a dispute between the document was widely noted – tion of church rights, protection the monarch and parliament – especially in relation to countries for the barons from illegal impris- and was an argument much used onment, access to swift justice, during the English civil war, and limitations on feudal pay- which led to the execution of the Charter of the Forest ments to the Crown. The provi- king and the temporary transfor- was the document that sions were to be implemented mation of English into a republic through a council of 25 barons. in the mid-1600s. Much of its ac- did indeed promise rights But in fact neither side stuck to tual content was in fact removed and protection their promises. And the docu- by parliament from the statute ment itself was soon annulled by books by various new laws in the to ordinary people, Pope Innocent III. 18th and 19th centuries. But the and crucially allowed them But by chance Magna Carta principle remained supreme. The had a second life. King John died most senior English judge in re- access to the forests and a year later, and his son Henry III cent times described it as "the lands where they lived came to the throne as a weak boy greatest constitutional document controlled by a family group of of all times – the foundation of regents. They needed to win the freedom of the individual such as Russia where there is a power and support for the new against the arbitrary authority of growing fear that the government king, and so reissued the docu- the despot". is failing in its provisions to up- ment in 1216. At the same time The ceremonies marking the hold the rule of law and individ- they also issued a second docu- 800th anniversary were remark- ual human rights. The Queen’s ment, called the Charter of the able for several reasons. First, they daughter, Princess Anne, rededi- Forest, which did indeed promise brought together again the same cated the US memorial, saying rights and protection to ordinary three traditional pillars of British Magna Carta “provides us with people, and crucially allowed government – the monarchy, the one of our most basic doctrines - them access to the forests and church and the prime minister – that no person is above the law. lands where they lived. This sec- that existed in the 13th century, al- In recent history and even today ond charter has been more or less though nowadays the prime min- we see in many parts of the world forgotten, but it marked the first ister represents the people instead that power without the rule of law attempt to give some economic of the barons, and the Church can lead to human suffering of and human rights to ordinary vil- does not have the political or reli- terrible proportions. But it takes lagers and labourers, most of gious power that it had 800 years all of us to stand up for these whom were still serfs. But Magna ago. Secondly, the attendance by principles.” № 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|45 history|Liberation movement The Man Who Never Laid Down Arms Interviewed by Volodymyr Panchenko

emen Soroka, an 86-year- old Kirovohrad resident, is a man whose biography S is a legend. Already at the age of 15, he was a courier for the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), with Yasen (Ash) as his nom-de-guerre. When he served a term in Stalin's GULAG, he had no name and no alias, with just a camp number instead: B9965. I noticed him back in the late 1980s, when the first "smell" of democracy was felt in Kirovohrad, and the first anti-Soviet rallies be- gan. Semen Soroka, a short elderly man in UPA military uniform, al- ways rallied with a Ukrainian flag, which at that time was still "ille- gal." For the KGB, which always kept a sharp eye on the former UPA fighter, Semen Soroka was someone who has never laid down arms. The one who never surren- dered and never repented. U.W.: A well-known Ukrainian dissident Yevhen Sverstyuk once said in an interview that his mindset was shaped by the Decalogue of a Ukrainian

ANDR S H U L ES HKO Nationalist. What about you? Semen Soroka, My mindset was shaped by my December family. My ancestors have Cossack 2014 roots going back to the 17th cen- OL E K S BY PHOTO tury. My grandma Olena proudly told me that one of her ancestors, Dmytro Hresko, served under FROM SEMEN SOROKA'S MEMOIRS: Ivan Bohun. I often think of her. "In the morning of May 6, a reconnaissance detachment of NKVD troops counting 32 men She was the one who taught me came out of the wood near the village of Horodets and went along the edge of the meadow from early childhood that the near the village of Svaryni in the direction of the villages of Borky and Rykhta near Krychylsk. most important things in life were When the enemy was level with Kucher's defense base, it suddenly came under machine-gun fire. Only the lucky few managed to escape from the embrace of eternal rest. [...] UPA fight- God, Ukraine, and family. She was ers did not shoot at unarmed soldiers... In a while, planes started circling around in the air, literate, and read many books dropping bombs on us. NKVD units that followed opened intense fire from guns and mortars. from the Prosvita library in our Losses on both sides were great. For a whole week, Red Army soldiers were carrying the dead village of Krychylsk in Rivne and the wounded from Horodets wood to Antonivka station and then to the city of Sarny... Oblast. That library had about After that, NKVD changed its tactics: units appeared dressed in insurgents' uniform. They to- 30,000 books! In 1952, the Soviets tally annihilated the Ukrainian population. They raped, threw people in wells, burned them burned it down. alive, or buried them alive in the woods... All Western Ukraine burned in fires and was turned My father's life story is also into a battle front..." amazing. In 1916, he was mobi- lized into the Tsarist army to fight 46|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 Liberation movement |history in the World War I. But already in On the radio. There were peo- March 1917 he returned home. He FROM SEMEN SOROKA'S MEMOIRS: ple who cried, "What will become was a member of the Communist "In the barrack No. 8, under my bunk were the of us now?" I jumped on the table, Party of Western Ukraine. In bunks of Mykhaylo Polyansky, Volodymyr Slutsky shouting, "Thank God he 1934, under Jozef Pilsudski's gov- and Viktor Soldatov. Polyansky was a former spy of croaked!" the Soviet intelligence service (GRU). In 1948, he ernment, he was sent to a Polish was withdrawn from Italy to Moscow and convicted prison camp Bereza Kartuska. by the "troika" of "high treason." He was sen- U.W.: Tell us how you managed When Hitler's troops came, they tenced to 25 years in prison. He perfectly knew ev- to escape. arrested him also. So, my father erything about UPA and had a great respect for It was thanks to Mykhaylo went to join insurgents in the UPA fighters. He often said that UPA soldiers Polyansky. I have never met an- woods. should be not in the Kremlin's concentration other man like Polyansky. He camps, but at large in Ukraine, fighting for the spoke English, French, and Italian U.W.: When did you start Freedom of their people." fluently. And also Ukrainian. We fighting? became friends. He once said to In June 1943, when UPA an- me, "You are not afraid of any- nounced a campaign to destroy UPA "bandit" organization and thing." I told him, "What is there railroads to get in the way of Ger- creating a youth OUN unit. I got to be afraid of? All that matters to mans taking the pillage and the 25 years in jail. me is Ukraine." "To me too," Poly- youth out of Ukraine and to pre- On October 24, 1952, we were ansky answered. He helped me get vent SS and SD death squads from taken to the North, to Inta station. a job at the mine. This is where we moving around. So my brother There I ended up in the 6th camp began preparing our escape. There Panteleimon and I joined the UPA servicing the construction of the were six of us, a whole organiza- fighters, and I became Yasen the 11th and 12th mines. I lived in bar- tion. Polyansky wanted to flee to courier. In April 1944, NKVD spe- rack No. 8 on the upper bunk. Be- the West, to Europe. But I was cial task units came to our land to ing physically exhausted after long against it. I believed that I had to root out the UPA underground in interrogations, I was assigned to be at home and build Ukraine Rivne Oblast. One of the fights here, and not "over the hill." Fi- with the NKVD took place on May IT TOOK SEVEN MONTHS nally, when it came to escaping, he 6. I rarely took part in combat op- didn't go with us, because I re- erations, but this one I remember TO DIG THE TUNNEL TO ESCAPE. fused to go to the West. very well. IT TOOK FIVE AND A HALF U.W.: How did you flee from the U.W.: Did your parents know MONTHS TO GET HOME mine? Was it through a tunnel? about your life in the woods? Yes, we made a tunnel at the What did they say? In 1943 you the Black Hundred charged with depth of 70 meters, 130 meters were still a teenager... cleaning the mine's territory. Our long. There are things that parents "allowance" was simple: a plate of should not know... When UPA's soup with rotten sprats, 200 U.W.: What did you do with the armed resistance was over, I found grams of bread, black as soil, and a waste? myself in the town of Dubno. I de- cup of boiled water without sugar. We threw it with the coal. It cided to study there. At the same took us seven months to dig the time, I established a youth unit of U.W.: How did you learn about tunnel. With coal picks. At first, all OUN in the town. On February 22, Stalin's death? went well, but then the frozen clay 1952, I was arrested and taken to the internal prison of the Ministry BIO of State Security Interior Troops Semen Soroka was born on August 3, 1928 in the village of Krychylsk in Rivne Oblast to a family of farm- of the Carpathian Military District ers. From June 1943 to 1948, he took part in the national liberation struggle of the Ukrainian people in Rivne. I had to go through tor- against the Nazis and the Bolsheviks in the Northern Polissya. He served as a courier of a UPA detach- ture. I remember especially well ment led by Kucher (Danylo Kulish) under the alias of Yasen. He took part in the battle with NKVD Inte- the "bath" that the prisoners had rior Troops in Horodets woods in late May 1944 (Sarny County of Rivne Oblast). In 1948-1952, he studied to take. We were released from at an agricultural college in Dubno. Arrested in 1952 by the Security Service of the USSR. Sentenced on August 26, 1952 by the court martial of the Carpathian Military District under Articles 54-1A, 54-8, 54-11 isolation wards and scalded with and 54-20 of the Criminal Code of the USSR to 25 years of correctional labor. In 1954, he managed to water that was at least 60ºC hot. escape from the concentration camp and return to his home village. He visited Donbas, where former After that, they poured icy water political prisoners worked. He later got a job in Kirovohrad, where on March 7, 1956 he was again ar- on us. Interrogations would start rested by the Soviet security service. He served his second sentence in Inta and Vorkuta. He was released at 6 p.m. and continue through the in December 1958. night, until 6 a.m. We had to "keep Since 1959, Semen Soroka has been living in Kirovohrad. He worked in construction and studied at the vigil," tied with chains to a metal Kirovohrad Pedagogical Institute and at Taras Shevchenko University in Kyiv. Since 1988, member of the stool, with handcuffs on our Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Group. On April 30, 1990, headed the regional branch of the Ukrainian hands. I still remember the names Republican Party. In 1992, along with other former political prisoners (Dmytro Ambrozyak, Ivan Zadoro- of the investigators: Semykoz, zhny, Anastasia Kytsko, and Fedir Ukhan), established a regional branch of the All-Ukrainian Fellowship of UPA Fighters named after General Roman Shukhevych (Taras Chuprynka), which is made up of two Zabroda, and Ermakov. sections: combatants and fellows. The former includes immediate participants of the Resistance move- On August 26, I was sentenced ment within the Ukrainian Insurgent Army that operated in 1941-1945 in the territory of the Kirovohrad by the "troika" of the court martial steppe region, while the latter consists of those who did not have a chance to fight for the indepen- under the Articles 54-1a, 54-11, dence of Ukraine with arms in hand. In 1997, Semen Soroka and repressed rebel fighters founded a soci- and 20-54-8 for spreading nation- ety of political prisoners and repressed in Kirovohrad oblast. alist literature, being a member of Semen Soroka is currently engaged in human rights activities № 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|47 history|Liberation movement

Semen Soroka started. It was terrible. Neverthe- the corner! However, nobody no- (Yasen) is standing in to encourage them, "Don't cry. If less, we dug a hole with an exit to ticed me in that tea room. A sat the center. He is he were dead, the KGB would have the tundra. We crawled into the there for two days drinking beer, surrounded by fellow informed me." fighters, with the tunnel. I was the third. even though I hate it. No one paid detachment The first person I met in the attention to me. Probably, they commander Yavir village was Pavlo Bonatsky. He standing to the left U.W.: What was the plan? took me for a member of the mili- of him. saw me and sat down. "Do you To get home and keep fighting. tary. Then I walked home (I only Sarny County, Rivne know how much your head costs?" When we got out of the hole, each of traveled by train for about 20 kilo- Oblast, 1945 he asked. "Twenty thousand. I us (and we were five) went in a dif- meters, not more). I had a map read it in a newspaper. You're a ferent direction. Unfortunately, four that Polyansky gave me. It took dangerous criminal." got caught. When asked, "Where is me five and a half months to get When it was still light, I went Soroka?" they answered, "We ate home. I walked three thousand ki- to the cemetery, where the bushes him" (I was short and thin). Two lometers in total. All kinds of are. My grandmother is buried were executed. When we were pre- things happened on the way. At there. I lay on the ground next to paring for the flight, Polyansky gave Kotlas station I noticed a "tail." my grandmother, Olena Hresko, me a green vest and a cap, so that I But I escaped. I slept in all kinds and she protected me until the could pass for a military man. He of places. But I only managed to night. At about half past eight, I also gave me a TT pistol, 20 car- sleep indoors for two nights. This returned home. I entered the tridges and a knife. Where did he was at Mikun station (in Komi Re- house. Mom and dad were having get all this?! Probably, being a for- public). I went to a shop there and a dinner. They looked at me, and mer member of the Intelligence Ser- met a woman who was from Ter- mom started crying, "Oh, I vice, he still had connections with nopil Oblast originally. She of- thought I would never see you local investigators. fered me a job there. But I went again." home. I came on April 17, 1955. They hid me in the attic. The U.W.: So, you broke free. Then next day, my father made a hiding what? U.W.: How was the homecoming? place for me between the house I went to the Inta train station No one was waiting for me and the barn. and found some tea room. A field there. The district police officer Several days passed. "Why am office of the KGB was just around would sometimes visit my parents I lying here?" I thought. "I could 48|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 Liberation movement |history be lying in jail just as well." So I On another occasion, a wolf fol- pened to be a scoundrel. Staff di- went to Lviv and Ternopil oblasts lowed me all the way to Kotlas. rector of the Kirovograd Oblast to find old connections. But I For about 30 kilometers. There Board of Education sent me to didn't find anyone. I returned was already snow on the ground. Pavlysh to work for writer Vasyl home, stayed for another week You walk, and something is crack- Sukhomlynsky. He was already fa- and took off! I went to Lviv again. ing behind you. You stop, and mous at that time. He received me On the train, I met captain there's no sound. That wolf fol- very politely and kindly, and we Zabroda, who was an investigator lowed me at a distance of 10 me- started to talk. Sukhomlynsky said in my case. I rushed to the door ters. And so we came to the North that we needed to develop villages, and managed to jump from the Dvina. The river was about 80 me- and that a good teacher was the moving train. Zabroda did not ters wide. I made a raft and left. one who prepared the youth for pursue me, though. All of them, When I pulled out, the wolf started the village life. I believed, how- those KGB guys, are cowards. howling! I waved him goodbye, ever, that students had to prepare After a while, I moved to Kiro- and my hair stood on end. God for universities, to become first- vohrad Oblast, which I was al- sent that wolf to protect me. class specialists. So, eventually I ready familiar with. I went to the In general, I am not afraid of ended up in Ustynivka County in village of Petrivka, Khmelyove death. But I do not want to die. the south of Kirovohrad Oblast. County. Some of our people could There I worked as a teacher of be there: I was sent there back in U.W.: After getting out of jail for a chemistry, in the village of Sed- 1945. second time, you finally acquired nivka. I found a job, building silo a higher education. How did it pits. I managed to get a passport. happen? U.W.: You mentioned your In a few months, I moved to Kiro- In 1962, I entered the Kiro- family... vohrad. I started working at the vohrad Pedagogical Institute to I married a girl from my home Red Star factory as a carpenter. I study Biology. In 1964, I trans- village. She is a true friend to me. lived in a dorm... ferred to the evening department We share the same interests. She of Taras Shevchenko University in rescued me many times. The KGB U.W.: So how did they "get your Kyiv. It had a department of Bio- never left me alone. Several times number"? chemistry, in which I was inter- they came to our place looking for They found out that I came weapons. So my wife would tell from Western Ukraine. They gave I REMEMBER ESPECIALLY them, "Don't come in, he (that is, a shake-up to everyone. I went me) is in such a state that he can home, to Rivne Oblast, to visit my WELL THE PRISONERS' "BATH." do something to you..." She scared parents. And when I came back... I WE WERE RELEASED FROM them away. Now she is ill, unfor- was walking along the Karl Marx tunately. We have two children: street. And I saw six people stand- ISOLATION WARDS son Hryhoriy (he worked at a ing there, waiting. They took me AND SCALDED WITH WATER chemical factory and now lives in and clapped irons on me on the Kyiv) and daughter Lyudmyla. She corner of Marx and Shevchenko THAT WAS AT LEAST 60ºC HOT. teaches at a college in Kirovohrad. streets. They took me to the KGB. AFTER THAT, THEY POURED ICY My son was also under pressure, There, in cell No. 3, I spent some because of me. time. On March 7, 1956, I was sent WATER ON US... to Kyiv. I still remember some of U.W.: How many former UPA the names of "my" KGBists. For ested. I "served" for three years in fighters still remain in the region? example, Chernomorets, whose the library, reading boring books. There are only five combatants real name was Hnyda. He was not There, in a sometimes half-empty left: Volodymyr Karatash, Lyud- such a bad person after all, and hall, I was noticed by professor myla Hryhoraschenko, Anastasia during the investigation, he even Ferdman, the author of the text- Drobot, Oleksandr Koval and I, helped me a little bit... I also re- books that I was reading. We be- Semen Soroka. member Lieutenant Huzyeyev... came friends. He even invited me Anyway, the result is well known: to his home. U.W.: All who know you agree Vorkuta again, only this time not that "Soroka is an incurable for long, because the "thaw" had U.W.: Were you affected by the optimist." Is it so? already started, and GULAG was wave of the Ukrainian national Certainly. I am sure that decreasing in size. So, in Decem- revival in Kyiv in those days Ukraine will have a future. ber 1959 I was already free. (1964-1967)? No. I lived a lonely life. I stud- P.S. Semen Soroka is a man of U.W.: When were you scared? ied at the evening department, integrity. Should it happen (God I can't remember ever being lived in a dorm, and on weekends forbid!) that, say, on the Kruty He- scared. I remember in October I went to Kirovohrad, where I al- roes Memorial Day or on the Unity 1954, when I was walking home ready had a family. I studied, Day only one person shows up to after the flight, there were two making up for the lost time. Later, the city square, this will definitely wolverines following me. We went I worked as a teacher. First, in the be him, Semen Soroka. And this together as far as the Usa River. village of Dobre in Vilshany short man, as always, will wear the The river was shallow, but it was County. I did not stay there for Ukrainian Insurgent Army uni- in flood. I walked across the river, long, though, because I could not form and hold a Ukrainian flag in and the wolverines stayed behind. stand the headmaster, who hap- his hands. № 7 (89) July 2015|the ukrainian week|49 CULTURE & ARTS|calendar of events Starting July 9 July 10-11, 24-25, 31 7 p.m. July 10-18 The Philosophy of Migration Mystery Play Odesa International Museum of Cultural Heritage Nyvky Park Film Festival (40b, vul. Moskovska, Kyiv) (Kyiv, Shevchenkivsky District) Odesa

This exhibition project is a collabora- Ukraine’s capital is about to see, for Film fans have been waiting impa- tion among several arts organizations the first time, an event that has become tiently for this Odesa event. It starts with and young Ukrainian artists intended to extremely popular in Great Britain. Like a a bang this year, screening Orson look at the phenomenon of migration game that immerses viewers in the theat- Welles’s great film classic, Citizen Kane. from the point of view of an individual in rical performance, the audience can move This is the story of a media magnate who the 21st century. Through dialog among freely on the stage or during the film starts out as a ‘public servant of the com- the personages and exhibits in the mu- screening that is preceded by a certain per- munity’ but gradually turns into a power- seum, the artists talk about the changes formance. While playing their roles, the hungry maniac. In addition to the open- that migration brings to a person and the actors from time to time disguise them- ing film, this year’s program includes possible dangerous consequences of this selves as members of the audience and movies from around the world, moat of process on the individual. Events in engage real theatergoers in the process. them premiers. The program focuses on Ukraine today reflect the themes raised The performance in Kyiv will include the high-quality art films that are accessible by these artists. Project participants - in film The Shawshank Redemption, so that to ordinary viewers, what is now called clude Myroslav Vaida, Maria Kulikovska, the “locale” for the play will be a stylized “art streams.” Anna Naduda, Roman Mykhailov, Ruslan version of the Shawshank prison. Tremba, and Serhiy Petliuk.

July 18-19 July 22, 7 p.m. July 30, 8 p.m. Street Food Fest Rock Symphony Days of Inspired Film: Sports Platforma Art Factory Palats Ukraina concert hall Kinopanorama Movie House (1, vul. Bilomorska, Kyiv) (103, vul. Velyka Vasylkivska, Kyiv) (19, vul. Shota Rustaveli, Kyiv)

“Active recreation and healthy eat- This unusually formatted concert This film festival will include the pre- ing” is the slogan for the 12th Street Food brings together some of the most fa- sentation of 10 of the best short motiva- Fest. This year’s festival is intended to mous hits of legendary rock musicians. tional films, drawing on such human popularize healthy lifestyles in every as- The choir and orchestra will perform qualities as strength of character, goal-ori- pect, including through food. “We are songs by Aerosmith, the Beatles, Bon entation, achievement, and the limits of trying to raise this festival to European Jovi, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Muse, human capabilities. This year’s program levels, so we are following European Nirvana, Queen, the Rolling Stones, the includes the films Burning Dream, Heat, trends,” say the festival’s organizers. “Ac- Scorpions, and other rock greats. Virtuo- Do What You Want, and more. Most of tive recreation and healthy eating are the sic performance combines with high- these clips are based on real events. main trend today,” so the menus of par- drive sound to create unforgettable im- Through sports, individuals have an op- ticipants will predominantly focus on sal- pressions and emotions. This is a joint portunity not only to discover their own ads, light snacks and cold beverages. production between Notre Dame de potential, but to also reinforce strength of Paris le Concert and Mozart L'opera Rock spirit. The inspirational atmosphere of this le Concert. event will be filled with music, stimulating conversations and gift drawings.

50|the ukrainian week|№ 7 (89) July 2015 July 10-18

July 30, 8 p.m. B OOKST ORES KYIV vul. Lysenka 3 tel: (044) 235-8854, vul. Spaska 5 tel: (044) 351-1338, Povitroflotskiy prospekt 33/2 tel: (044) 275-6742, vul. Lva Tolstoho 1 tel. (044) 383-61-49 LVIV prospekt Svobody 7 tel: (032) 235-73-68 VINNYTSIA vul. Soborna 89 tel: (0432) 52-9341 TERNOPIL vul. Valova 7-9 tel: (0352) 25-4459 KHARKIV vul. Sumska 3 tel: (057) 731-5949 IVANO-FRANKIVSK vul. Nezalezhnosti 31 tel: (094) 928-3141 VOLODYMYR-VOLYNSKIY vul. Kovelska 6 tel: (03342) 2-1957 RIVNE vul. Korolenka 2 tel: (094) 928-31-44 Lutsk vul. Lesi Ukrayinky 30 tel: (0332) 72-43-76

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