4 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2012 No. 3

NEWS AND VIEWS Symposium on the diverse landscapes of held at Penn State University

by Yurij Bihun and Mariya Mysak “Tears in his eyes” STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Over 65 partici- pants gathered at the University Park cam- Was the Holy See aware of the pus of The Pennsylvania State University in 1933? Simple answer: Yes. Knowing what it did, why did the Holy on September 30-October 1, 2011, for a See remain silent? Answer: It didn’t remain two-day symposium titled “Diverse silent. Landscapes of Ukraine: Celebrating 20 Did the Vatican launch a relief effort to Years of Ukrainian Independence,” which assist the starving in Ukraine? Complicated commemorated two pivotal events: the answer: The Vatican tried but couldn’t. 20th anniversary of Ukrainian indepen- How do we know all this? The answers dence and the 25th anniversary of the are found in a recently published mono- Chornobyl nuclear disaster. graph titled “The Holy See and the The symposium was jointly sponsored Holodomor: Documents from the Vatican by the Penn State College of Liberal Arts Secret Archives on the Great Famine of and the College of Agricultural Sciences 1932-1933 in Soviet Ukraine,” edited by with support from the Woskob New Athanasius D. McVay and Lubomyr Y. Luciuk. Century Fund and the Woskob Family Deanna Behring The publication is short, a mere 99 pages, Endowment in Ukrainian Studies. William Keeton but it offers proof once again of a terror-fam- The first day’s events featured discus- ine in Ukraine orchestrated by . “Only time will tell what will follow.” sions on natural resources, agriculture and Most of the pages relate to documents The opening day of the Penn State sym- the environmental impact of Chornobyl. found in the Vatican files. The Holy See was The second day was dedicated to language, posium was the first academic setting out- kept informed of the Holodomor through its culture and the arts in 21st century side of Ukraine to discuss Ukrainian envi- nuncios in various countries bordering on Ukraine, focusing on the ways they shape ronmental issues, agriculture and natural Ukraine, by Ukrainian Catholic bishops in and reflect the physical landscape of the resources. Yurij Bihun, program advisor of Halychyna (), and by other credible Another document, No. 22, dated July 7, country, as well as Ukrainian identity. the Woskob New Century Fund, set the sources. 1933, was from N. Hrabovych, a member of After welcoming remarks by Dr. Bruce stage for Friday’s program with a presenta- Rumors of the horrendous effects of de- the General Secretariat of the European McPheron, dean, College of Agricultural tion defining the landscape diversity using kulakization and collectivization in Soviet Federation of Abroad. Sciences, Helen Woskob commented to the cartography, archival maps and GIS (geo- Ukraine began reaching the Holy See in Addressing the horrors experienced by audience that “The conference represents a graphic information system) to identify 1929-1930. There was little reference to Ukrainians, Harbovych wrote: “The dream come true for me,” she continued, physiographic regions of Ukraine. Ukraine per se. Much of the correspondence Muscovites trampled on their rights, dese- “because it marks a celebration of 20 years Natural resources was about “”; Ukraine was usually crated their religion, and sought to imprison of Ukrainian independence, an event for referred to as “southern Russia.” their spirit... The Ukraine has offered them a which I had longed all my life . …” Dr. Lloyd Irland, a forest economist, for- In 1917, Pope Benedict XV had created vigorous and armed resistance. In order to Mrs. Woskob further noted, “I’m thankful mer Yale University faculty member and the Sacred Congregation for the Eastern break it... they organized a famine in the for our family’s opportunity to live the principal of the Maine-based Irland Church, and in 1925 The Pontifical country. At this moment the Ukraine [sic] is American dream, it has been most impor- Associates, gave the first presentation, titled Commission Pro-Russia was added to the suffering terribly from hunger, from typhus, congregation by Pope Pius XI. Its mission tant for us to support causes that we firmly “Governance, Market Reform and Private and from terror.” was to tend “to all pastoral affairs inside the believe in,” and concluded, “we have made Forest Landownership in Developing a In Document No. 38, dated August 29, as well as to Russian and anti- our donation to the university to increase Sustainable Forest Policy in Ukraine.” As a 1933, we learn that “a special emissary of Soviet émigrés.” the pope returned to from Russia” and the visibility of Ukraine in the world com- 2008 Fulbright Senior Specialist in Ukraine, Bishop Michel d’Herbigny, a Jesuit, was “presented to the Holy Father a detailed munity.” he spoke from first-hand experience of the appointed president of Pro-Russia and it was report on his time in Russia where, as it is George Woskob has maintained his par- challenges of land reform and the privatiza- under his leadership that Pro-Russia was already known from other sources, a terrible ents’ keen interest in Ukraine and has con- tion of Ukraine’s state-owned forestland. Dr. William Keeton, associate professor able to do its most meaningful, if ultimately famine is raging. The pope’s emissary tinued the next generation’s commitment futile work. D’Herbigny had spent time in reported... that the death of close to 12 mil- to philanthropic works. “On its 20th anni- of forest ecology, University of Vermont, spoke on the role forests play in carbon 1925 and 1926 in the USSR where he lion people can be expected during the com- versary, Ukraine, as a nation, is, once again, secrectly consecrated a number of bishops. ing winter. Listening to this, the Holy Father at a pivotal crossroads,” he noted. “These sequestration and mitigation of change in the Carpathian ecological region. Document No. 24 is a letter, dated July 24, had tears in his eyes. He said: ‘We must find, next several years will determine whether 1933, from the Ecclesiastical Province of at all costs, any sort of way to stop this.’ ” Ukraine becomes a truly European country Dr. Marc Abrams, professor of forest ecol- ogy at Penn State, described dendrochrono- to “all men of good will in the matter One problem for the Holy See in its efforts in character and spirit, or whether it takes of the events in Great Ukraine.” logical techniques used to look at climate to help the people of Ukraine was the Polish a step back from democracy.” He added, “Ukraine is struggling with death,” the let- change and the impacts of catastrophic for- government, which was fearful of antagoniz- ter read. “The people are dying of hunger. est fires on land-use history in . ing its Nazi German and Bolshevik Russian The deadly system of state capitalism, based neighbors. Also in play was the suppressive Agriculture on injustice, deception and infidelity, has Polish policy of pacifying its Ukrainian popu- brought the countryside, once so rich, to lation. As we know, most Ukrainians had There is no institution of higher learning complete ruin. Three years ago, the supreme never accepted Poland’s incorporation of in North America that has done more to head of the Catholic Church, Pope Pius XI, western Ukraine following . promote Ukrainian agricultural sciences launched a solemn protest against every- The pope was also concerned that an than Penn State thanks, in large part, to the thing that in Bolshevism is contrary to God, open condemnation of the USSR would be a generous support of the Woskob family to Christianity, and to human nature... To all propaganda victory for the Nazis. Launching and Dr. Louis Moore and Dr. James Dunn, Christians of the world... we address this a direct famine relief effort as d’Herbigny professors in the Department of Agricultural request, that all adhere to this protest...We suggested, therefore, was out of the ques- Economics. Dr. Dunn, moderator for the invite radio stations to send it... through the tion. Besides, there was little hope that the agriculture session, has spent the last 20 blue skies so that it reach the hovels of assistance would reach those who needed it years working with institutions in the for- our dying brothers. So that they may know, most. Indirect assistance through other mer Soviet Union to bring hundreds of in their horrendous hunger and faced with a channels, however, was a possibility. agricultural specialists – nearly half from terrible death, that their brothers, knowing Earlier attempts to send relief through Ukraine – to Penn State as part of the U.S. their fate, suffered with them, cried for them Department of Agriculture Faculty Exchange and prayed to God for them. This will give (Continued on page 15) Program (FEP). them strength and comfort in their sorrow.” George Woskob Dr. James Worstell, executive director, The letter was signed by Archbishop Andrey Myron Kuropas’s e-mail address is Delta Enterprise Network, Almyra, Ark., Sheptytsky and the other Ukrainian bishops. [email protected]. Yurij Bihun, program advisor of the has worked on agricultural projects Woskob New Century Fund, is a Vermont- throughout Ukraine. According to his talk based forest resources analyst and director “Villages, Vertical Integration, Abandonment: A must see of Shelterwood Systems. Sustainability in Evolving Ukrainian Mariya Mysak has a degree in journalism Landscapes,” Ukraine’s characteristic land- To hear Lubomyr Luciuk speaking about the Holodomor, log on to this clip from National University and is cur- scapes of small villages set amid fertile on YouTube from the program “The Arena with Coren,” which airs on rently preparing for graduate study in the Sun News TV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmk-EO0oSSI. United States. (Continued on page 17) No. 3 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2012 17

Symposium on the diverse... (Continued from page 4) fields have mainly seen abandonment or fragmentation since 1990. He noted that although worldwide markets favor large grain farms in the rich, black-earth (chorno- zem) zone, the management of mega-farms by outsiders appears to be failing due to lack of social sustainability. He concluded that, “Villages and towns are more likely to prosper when economic life is not dominated by one or a few conglomerates. Catering to outside capital without local management is unsustainable in Ukraine as it is near- ly all rural landscapes.” Dr. Konovalchuk and Dr. Lina Dotsentko of the Bridges Business Program in Kyiv spoke about “Regional Trends in Ukrainian Agriculture” and training for the Ukrainian agribusiness sector. Roman Fedorowycz, founder and ex-CEO of Ukrainian Agrarian Investments, LTD in Kyiv, discussed the impact of leasing and consolidation of small individual parcels to larger land users and the potential impact of pending legis- lation for the sale of agricultural land. Aftermath of Chornobyl The final section of the scientific portion of the sympo- sium focused on the Chornobyl disaster. Dr. Christine Durbak, Chair and CEO, World Information Transfer Inc., a affiliate organization in New York, spoke on “The Legacy of Chornobyl: Consequences for Human Health and Policies of Ukraine.” She pointed out that the severe social and economic depression of the affected Yurij Bihun areas prompted serious psychological problems, which An iconic Carpathian village landscape: the valley adjacent to the Gorganskyi Zapovidnyk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine. affected the population even more than the radiation. “The country’s ongoing political crisis, which profound- Visiting Fulbright scholar Dr. Oksana Kis presented an friendship. ly influenced economic reforms led to foundering health analysis of domestic violence against The nonverbal language landscape of children’s book policies. Individuals suffering from the psychological fall- and portrayed a picture of changes with a certain amount illustrations was discussed by children’s writer Oksana out from Chornobyl must be a priority for any foreseeable of optimism. For instance, she noted that family violence Lushchevska of Penn State. She noted that Ivan progress,” she noted. slightly decreased after a hotline was established to aid Malkovych’s A-BA-BA-HA-LA-MA-HA Publishers has pub- Dr. Sergiy Zibtsev, associate professor of the Institute of victims. In 2010, the hotline number was used by 6,244 lished books with a great deal of creative interplay Forestry and Landscape-Park Management in Kyiv, dis- women. However, 81 percent of people in Ukraine believe between texts and illustrations, largely thanks to the mas- cussed his research on the potential for catastrophic forest that violence against women happens in the country in terful illustrator Vladyslav Yerko. general, whereas only 8 percent believe that violence fires in the Chornobyl exclusion zone and its implications Cultural landscapes for human health and the environment. occurs in the family. The final presentation, by Dr. Timothy Mousseau, pro- To break the stereotype of the Ukrainian tradition of the Mariya Tytarenko, Lviv National University, discussed fessor of biological sciences, University of South Carolina, maternal family, Dr. Iryna Koshulap, Central European the journalistic landscape of Ukraine, which in her opinion, examined biodiversity in the Chornobyl exclusion zone. He University, , Hungary, described developments reflects tendencies found in world journalism. There is refuted current mythology propagated by Ukrainian scien- that make a new fatherhood-based tradition possible in widespread social media, which helps to circumvent any tists and the Western press that the Chornobyl zone has Ukraine. kind of censorship in Internet publications. There is also undergone a radical recovery and is now a wilderness According to the speakers on the panel, pure feminism the phenomenon of print newspapers published with an teeming with wildlife. does not exist in Ukraine since it has merged with nation- analogous Internet version (often bilingual). From the “The affect of radiation across the spectrum of tropic alism. In her presentation “Woman’s Community Activism large number of publications, there are few trusted by the levels is significant and our research is the first to com- in ’s Rural Places,” Dr. Marta Kebalo, City public and independent of political influence. Some intel- pile empirical data to support the thesis of long-term University of New York, demonstrated several valuable lectual newspapers (Den – The Day, Dzerkalo Tyzhnia – genetic alteration of biotic systems in the Chornobyl examples of domestic wives, who have broken stereotypes The Mirror Weekly) continue their influence through their zone,” he stated. by starting their own careers, and becoming leaders in publication of books, written and edited by journalists, col- Dr. Kate Brown, associate professor of history, their 30s and 40s, despite the fact that only 5 percent of umnists and publicists. University of Maryland-Baltimore County, best known for Ukrainian women are in top administrative positions. Dr. Myroslava Mudrak, Ohio State University, moved to her 2004 book, “A Biography of No Place,” delivered the To conclude the panel on gender research, Dr. Marian the topic of artistic aspects of Ukrainian landscapes, discuss- evening keynote lecture. She presented a unique vision of Rubchak, senior research professor at Valpariso University, ing the genre among Ukrainian artists. She included the the landscapes of the Prypiat region and discussed how presented a new book of essays etitled, “Mapping chornozem as an important symbol in the textured painting the combination of geography, landforms, historical ante- Difference: The Many Faces of Women in Contemporary of futurist painter , the prolific painter Serhii cedents and Soviet policy led to the Chornobyl disaster. Ukraine,” which contains articles on the changing role of Vasylkivsky and Petro Levchenko. She interpreted abstract The second day of the symposium challenged the invit- women in Ukrainian society. painter Kasimir Malevich’s famous geometric symbol “Black Square” as grounded in the fertile black earth. ed speakers to address the cultural landscape of Ukraine in Language issues the perception of North American and Ukrainian scholars. The literary landscape of the Ukrainian land in Each speaker dealt with the continuity in Ukrainian cultur- The topic of language issues in Ukraine has always been Ukrainian poetry was presented by Woskob Family al history along with the new reality that emerged after a painful question because of the Russification of the lan- Professor of Ukrainian Studies Dr. Michael Naydan, who 1991. The panels of the symposium followed the central guage and the constant debate about bilingualism. showed the reverence for emblems of the Ukrainian land organizing principle of landscape: from issues of gender to Language issues were linked by the speakers to the land- (particularly the River and the steppe) in the natural, linguistic and cultural landscapes. scapes of music, television advertising, poetry and chil- Ukrainian literary tradition. dren’s books. Kang Tchou, Cambridge University, presented the final Shifting urban landscapes Dr. Laada Bilaniuk, University of Washington, discussed conference paper on historical and contemporary Chinese The first panel of the day focused on landscapes of the formation of the famous rock band Braty Hadiukiny in perceptions of Ukraine. Ukraine from anthropological and historical perspectives, the late 1980s. The language of their songs not only served The innovative symposium would not have been a suc- and how the landscape, both natural and constructed, as entertainment, but also established a new means of cess without the hard, behind-the-scenes work of Deanna influences regional cultures and identities in Ukraine. ironic protest against the Soviet government. Behring, director, International Programs, College of Dr. Sarah Phillips, Indiana University, began with a pre- A new literary landscape has also been created in post- Agricultural Sciences, Adelina Hristova, Daria Megotz, sentation on current perceptions of the Chornobyl zone soviet Ukraine. Dr. Mark Andryczyk, Columbia University, Michelle Haagen and other support staff, including the and on various proposals to rejuvenate the region. Dr. observed that the Bu-Ba-Bu literary performance group Ukrainian Student Club at Penn State. Tanya Richardson, University of Wilfrid Laurier, examined pioneered a new Ukrainian literature. According to him, The groundbreaking event went beyond standard aca- how the Danube River has shaped the daily life for people the language of post-modernist literature demonstrates demic rhetoric by integrating the environmental and natu- who live in the delta river basin. Dr. Catherine Wanner of the otherness of Ukraine in the context of European liter- ral resource concerns within contemporary cultural values Penn State explored how aspects of urban architecture, ary discourse and the absence of continuity in the of post-Soviet Ukraine. Participants of the symposium tried including monuments and street names, have changed Ukrainian literary tradition. to look at a holistic picture of Ukraine as a physical region over the course of the 20th century in , the capi- According to the analysis of Ph.D. candidate Larysa that has existed for millennia and was formed not only by tal of Bukovyna. Bobrova from Penn State, the language and imagery of anthropogenic elements but also by the forces of nature. advertising in the media is very metaphorical. In returning As Ukraine sputters towards the next milestone – a The contours of gender to the debate on gender, she noted that Ukrainian TV com- quarter-century of independence – keeping a watchful eye A controversial topic in contemporary Ukraine – gender mercials mostly present male characters who regard alco- on the changing nature of its culture and its landscapes – drew a new map of changes in post-Soviet Ukraine. hol as a means for creativity and a guarantor of true male will help interpret its past and define its future.