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INSIDE:• Obituary: Dr. Mary V. Beck, political activist — page 4. • Yushchenko addresses students, rectors in Lviv — page 5. • Wine bearing image of Stalin taken off shelves — page 10. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXIIITHE UNo.KRAINIAN 8 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARYW 20, 2005 EEKLY$1/$2 in Ukraine New $9by Helen million Smindak Ukrainian Museum in New York is blessed Special to The Ukrainian Weekly NEW YORK – The new $9 million Ukrainian muse- um building that will house and exhibit a rich trove of Ukrainian artifacts received its official blessing on Sunday, February 6. In an exciting prelude to the muse- um’s inaugural opening on April 3, visitors were wel- comed inside the three-story brick and glass structure for the first time since construction was completed last year. There was elation in the air as close to 500 people stood in the street outside the building at 222 E. Sixth St., listening intently as prelates of the Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches performed blessing rituals near the entrance. Police cars at two positions blocked off motor traffic. Bishop Basil Losten of the Stamford Eparchy of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, and Archbishop Antony of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A., concele- brated the blessing with solemn rites and prayers, sprin- kling holy water on the edifice. They were assisted by clergy from local churches: the Revs. Bernard Panczuk and the Mario Dacechen of St. George Ukrainian Catholic Church, the Rev. John Leshyk of St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, the Revs. Mykola Fylyk and Yuriy Bazylevsky of All Saints Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Marta Baczynsky (Continued on page 12) Guests crowd the lobby of the new home of The Ukrainian Museum during the building’s blessing. People of Ukraine watch closely Congressional delegation visits Ukraine by Olga Nuzhinskaya strengthen U.S.-Ukraine relations, spur the development as government takes its first steps Special to The Ukrainian Weekly of democratic values and attract foreign investment. The group also met with Prime Minister Yulia by Tatiana Matviichuk KYIV – A U.S. congressional delegation that includ- Tymoshenko and Verkhovna Rada Chairman Special to The Ukrainian Weekly ed the two prominent U.S. senators who nominated Volodymyr Lytvyn. Ms. Tymoshenko later told the press Ukraine’s president for the Nobel Peace Prize, visited KYIV – The people of Ukraine, together with the that the members of the U.S. Congress had said that the Ukraine on Friday, February 11. application of the Jackson-Vanik amendment to Ukraine country’s news media, are watching with great interest The 11-member delegation of members of the Senate will be canceled as soon as politically possible for such the first working days of their new government, which and House of Representatives, among whom were Sens. a step. “I don’t think we will have to wait for long,” she has pledged to fight corruption and reorganize its struc- Hillary Clinton and Sen. John McCain, met with added. The prime minister said the issue was discussed ture in order to better effect the Yushchenko administra- President Viktor Yushchenko to discuss ways to tion’s vision of a new Ukraine. during a luncheon with the senators and representatives. Some of the new Cabinet ministers started to work in In a joint press conference with Mr. Lytvyn, Sen. an open and transparent manner from the very begin- McCain stated that the U.S. Congress in the near future ning, demonstrating their intent to work toward the intends to discuss cancellation of the Jackson-Vanik implementation of President Viktor Yushchenko’s pro- amendment to the 1974 Trade Act, and he noted that gram and the fulfillment of the people’s hopes. President George W. Bush supports the move to lift the Yurii Lutsenko, a Socialist known as one of the most amendment’s restrictions on trade with Ukraine. active “DJs of the maidan” due to his very visible role Repealing the Jackson-Vanik provisions with regard to on Independence Square during the Orange Revolution, Ukraine would pave the way for the granting of perma- is the new internal affairs minister. Observers say this nent normal trade relations status with the United States. ministry’s militia is perhaps the most corrupt govern- Sen. Clinton, a liberal Democrat from New York and ment entity. That is why, during his first meeting with the wife of former President Bill Clinton, and Sen. employees of the ministry, Mr. Lutsenko promised to McCain, a Republican from Arizona, last month nomi- start the battle against corruption with a general “house- nated President Yushchenko and Georgian President cleaning” of his staff. Mikhail Saakashvili for the Nobel Peace Prize. The He underscored that the Internal Affairs Ministry’s prize is awarded annually in the fall. militia would no longer be involved with bribery and In their nomination letter, the U.S. senators commend- influence peddling, and that criminal cases would no ed both presidents for winning “popular support for the longer be closed on someone’s directive. He added that universal values of democracy, individual liberty and anyone who violates the law would be punished in civil rights.” Both men came to power after mass demon- accordance with the law. strations protesting fraudulent votes in their countries. “For two first months there is one task: to clean up “Both presidents not only deserve that recognition on the leading positions in the Internal Affairs Ministry. behalf of themselves, but they are really being nominat- Without such steps we will not win the trust of society AP/Sergei Supinsky, Pool ed because of what they, together with the people of and we will not be able to defend the law,” Minister Georgia and Ukraine, have done,” Sen. Clinton told Lutsenko stated. President Viktor Yushchenko with Sen. John journalists in Kyiv. McCain, who is wearing a Yushchenko campaign (Continued on page 5) scarf, during their meeting in Kyiv on February 11. (Continued on page 24) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2005 No. 8 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFS Street rebel Yurii Lutsenko NEWSBRIEFS Yushchenko to attend NATO summit the regional level, the Ukrainska Pravda website reported. Mr. Yushchenko told a becomes Ukraine’s top policeman KYIV – Ukrainian President Viktor congress of the Association of Farmers and Yushchenko is due to travel to NATO Private Landowners: “Nobody will be invit- by Jan Maksymiuk Orange Revolution. headquarters in Brussels on February 22 ed to this government [from those] who RFE/RL Belarus and Ukraine Report Beside Mr. Yushchenko and Ms. for a NATO summit meeting that will be worked against us during the elections in Tymoshenko, Mr. Lutsenko was one of attended by leaders of the 26-member November-December 2004. ... We will not The appointment of Yurii Lutsenko as the most popular figures addressing alliance. Among those who are to attend leave in the new government any [previous] Ukraine’s internal affairs minister was orange-clad crowds from the rostrum on is U.S. President George W. Bush, who raion administration head. Not a single head probably the most surprising Cabinet Independence Square, or Maidan will be on his first foreign trip since the of the [oblast and raion] departments of choice made by President Viktor Nezalezhnosty, in Kyiv. Pro-Yushchenko start of his second term in office. internal affairs will remain in his post. The Yushchenko on February 4, shortly after supporters dubbed him a “field com- (Agence France-Presse) same principle will be applied to [regional] the Ukrainian Parliament overwhelming- mander” of the Orange Revolution, for tax administrations.” Mr. Yushchenko ly voted to approve Yulia Tymoshenko as Yushchenko to visit U.S. in April his smooth coordination of revolutionary added that he needs to make some 5,000 to the new prime minister. crowd movements between the presiden- 6,000 appointments in the executive branch Ukraine’s Internal Affairs Ministry KYIV – Ukraine’s President Viktor tial administration headquarters and the Yushchenko will visit the U.S. in early in the near future. (RFE/RL Newsline) (known by its Ukrainian acronym as Parliament building in Kyiv. MVS), a mammoth organization employ- April. During the visit Ukraine hopes to Some also called him the “maidan disc Body of Gongadze to be examined ing some 500,000 people, will now be come closer to its entry in the World Trade jockey,” apparently for his ability to headed not only by its first civilian min- Organization, Vice-Prime Minister for KYIV – The press service of the entertain demonstrators with a good joke European Integration Oleh Rybachuk told ister, but also by a person who has thus Ukrainian Procurator General’s Office said or a story between the waves of rock the press on February 11. “I regard it as my far not had any significant experience in on February 16 that forensic experts from music that rolled from the Independence goal to take advantage of the visit [to settle law enforcement. the Ministry of Health will hold an addi- Square stage when politicians were not the issue of Ukraine’s entry in the WTO] to To make matters even worse for Mr. tional examination of the body of Internet making speeches. the U.S. that will occur early in April,” he Lutsenko, the Internal Affairs Ministry, journalist Heorhii Gongadze, who was Mr. Lutsenko’s inclination to present said. “We must be rid of obstacles as much which is tasked with fighting endemic found dead in November 2000, Interfax his contribution to the Orange as possible by the time,” he said. During corruption in the country, is proverbially and UNIAN reported. Ukrainian experts Revolution in an amusing manner was his visit to the U.S., President Yushchenko corrupt itself.