The Ukrainian Weekly, 2018
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INSIDE: How many Ukrainians are there in the U.S.? – page 8 Mark Andryczyk on Ukraine’s literary process – page 11 Community: Hillside, Osprey and New York – page 15 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXVI No. 19 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2018 $2.00 BELLINGCAT REPORT Russian offi cers led 2015 attack Donbas war veterans to go coast to coast on Mariupol, killing 30 civilians in North America to raise awareness by Mark Raczkiewycz placed up to 2 million people – despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. KYIV – Nine Russian officers led a shell- The Donetsk Oblast city of Mariupol, a ing operation of Mariupol on January 24, strategic port city on the Azov Sea, is 30 2015, that killed 30 civilians and injured kilometers west of the frontline. over 100 more, United Kingdom-based Russian-led forces “initially announced Bellingcat investigative group reported on they were advancing on the city, then back- May 7. tracked and blamed Ukrainian forces,” the The open-data sleuths identified one Associated Press reported on May 7. Russian general, two colonels, and three “This investigation was made possible lieutenant colonels who allegedly “instruct- due to access to raw video and audio data ed, directed and supervised” the rocket that is being submitted by the Ukrainian attack. government to the International Court of Moscow has denied direct involvement Justice as part of an ongoing legal case,” in the Donbas war – which has killed over 10,300 people since April 2014 and dis- (Continued on page 4) Proidysvit.org/Kostiantyn Samchuk The Rock of Gibraltar is seen on July 8, 2016, behind Ukrainian cyclists (from left) New York State Senate Vasyl Pihirniy, Kostiantyn Samchuk, Maksym Semak, Maksym Skoryk and Oleksandr Chupryniuk, who raises a bicycle overhead, during their European tour to passes Holodomor resolution raise awareness about Ukraine and the Donbas war. by Mark Raczkiewycz want to connect them and show that there is strength in unity.” KYIV – After World War II, the freedom Once they land in New York they’ll collect fighters of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army their bikes and parts that were shipped free (UPA) carried out a series of “raids” to by the Meest delivery company, one of the break through Soviet-occupied areas and group’s sponsors. Then they’ll head for Los reach Western Allied forces to tell them Angeles in a 2007 e350 Ford van that a they’re fighting for independence. Ukrainian New Yorker bought for them – it’s The operations led to huge losses. But cheaper than renting and Mr. Samchuk the UPA partisans who made it to U.S. or promised to sell the vehicle after the tour British-held territory succeeded in estab- and give the donor the sum. lishing ties and relaying their cause. This The party of 12 is scheduled to arrive in led America and Britain to eventually Los Angeles on May 22, and the following devise a plan and parachute exiled UPA day the cross-continental tour officially fighters and supplies into western Ukraine. starts. Fifteen major cities are on the map: It was foiled, however. San Francisco, Portland, Vancouver, The so-called Cambridge Five spy ring, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Chicago, led by Kim Philby, had alerted the Soviets Detroit, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Boston, who quashed the covert mission. New York and Washington. On May 16, another group of Ukrainians The group plans on celebrating Ukraine’s will reach the West. They’ll touch down in Independence Day in New York and reaching New York to get the message out about the final destination of Washington on Ukraine and speak of the Donbas war. August 29. From there, they’ll fly back to Kyiv. Instead of machine guns, they’ll come “We plan to talk about Ukraine every equipped with Ukrainian-branded Comanche step of the way,” Mr. Samchuk underscored. racing bicycles. They have tents that some will use, oth- ers will sleep in the van, and they’ll slum- A group of nine cyclists – three of whom At the New York State Capitol, State Sen. Kathleen A. Marchione and Dr. Andrij ber in motels whenever they can’t find are Donbas war veterans – and three escort Baran hold the resolution marking the 85th anniversary of the Holodomor, which was accommodations from Ukrainians on vehicle drivers will start a coast-to-coast trek passed in the State Senate on May 1. Witnessing the historic event are members of the whom they’ve relied in the past. to traverse more than 6,200 miles through Capital District’s Ukrainian American community. Two years earlier, Mr. Samchuk had led a 435 North American towns and cities. similar cycling group in the “Ukrainians in ALBANY, N.Y. – The New York State Holodomor, was a man-made famine that Led by Kostiantyn Samchuk, who heads Europe” tour through 16 European coun- Senate on May 1 passed a legislative resolu- caused the deaths of at least 5 million inno- the Proidysvit non-profit group, their odys- tion commemorating the 85th anniversary cent men, women and children in Ukraine, tries that also strove to shed light on sey is called the “Chumak Way – Cycle U.S. Ukraine. After more than 10,000 kilometers, of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide. resulting in the annihilation of an estimat- & Canada for Peace” on Facebook. Sponsored by Kathleen A. Marchione ed 25 percent of the rural population of the group ended up breaking a Ukrainian “Our purpose is to promote Ukraine,” Mr. record for the longest group cycling trip. (43rd Senate District) and co-sponsored by that country, at the time one of the most Samchuk, 40, told The Ukrainian Weekly. The most striking reaction on the part of James Tedisco (49th Senate District), productive agricultural areas of the Soviet “It’s about uniting Ukraine and Ukrainians most people they met – sometimes 100 Resolution J4882 notes: “The Ukrainian around the world. The [millions] of Famine-Genocide of 1932-1933, known as (Continued on page 4) Ukrainians living abroad are growing. I (Continued on page 4) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2018 No. 19 ANALYSIS Schoolchildren caught in the crossfire Prison for pro-Ukraine social-media posts comment he added to the video that said, “Crimea was, is, and will always be A Crimean activist has been sentenced to Ukraine!” Mr. Kadyrov pleaded not guilty, of eastern Ukraine’s four-year conflict two years in prison over pro-Ukrainian arguing that he has the right to express his comments made on social media, a ruling opinion. Rights groups and Western gov- that activists say is unprecedented. Ihor ernments have denounced what they call a Movenko was found guilty of extremism by campaign of repression targeting members the Russia-controlled court in Sevastopol on of the Turkic-speaking Crimean Tatar May 4. The charges stem from comments minority and others who opposed Mr. Movenko posted in the “Crimea is Moscow’s seizure of the Black Sea peninsu- Ukraine” group on the social network VKontakte in 2016. “If I’m not mistaken, this la in March 2014. The majority of Crimean is the first time someone has been impris- Tatars opposed the Russian takeover of oned for comments made on social media,” their historic homeland. In March last year, said Darya Sviridova of the Ukrainian the European Parliament called on Russia Helsinki Human Rights Union. “Obviously, a to free more than 30 Ukrainian citizens it Ukrainian citizen is being persecuted for said were in prison or under restricted taking a pro-Ukrainian position on occupied freedom in Russia, Crimea, and parts of territory,” Ms. Sviridova added. A lawyer for eastern Ukraine that are controlled by Mr. Movenko, Oksana Zheleznyak, said the Russia-backed separatists. (Crimea Desk, ruling would be appealed. Mr. Movenko was RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service) beaten in Sevastopol in September 2016 Ukraine to shun FIFA congress in Moscow while riding a bicycle that displayed a stick- er with the symbol of the far-right Azoz bat- A spokesman for Ukraine’s soccer feder- talion. He suffered serious injuries in the ation has said the organization will skip a attack, but police never investigated the meeting of world soccer’s governing body incident. Following the assault, Mr. Movenko scheduled to be held in Moscow this sum- was detained in December 2016 by Russia- mer. The AFP news agency quoted the © UNICEF/Gilbertson VII installed security authorities in Crimea and Lera Nagormay, 10, sits for a photograph in a classroom at school in Maryinka, spokesman as saying on April 25 that Kyiv Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on Wednesday, November 22, 2017. When conflict broke out charged with extremism on social media. planned to send the charge d’affaires at its in 2013, Maryinka was heavily contested. “One time, when I walked to school,” Lera Since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in Moscow Embassy to the FIFA Congress says, “when I arrived all the kids were already in the shelter. Shelling had started while March 2014, the human rights situation has instead of soccer officials. It was not imme- I was on my way, and I had to rush in there.” reportedly deteriorated on the Ukrainian diately clear whether FIFA would accept a Peninsula. Human Rights Watch has called diplomat representing Ukraine instead of a “The education system in eastern Ukraine UNICEF Crimea a “black hole” for human rights. member of the country’s national federa- has been in the crossfire for more than four (Crimean Desk, RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service) GENEVA – More than four years of con- years. All sides of the conflict must respect tion.