The Ukrainian Weekly 1979, No.33
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www.ukrweekly.com ^з СВОБ0ААД,5У0В(Ш УКРАЇНСЬКИЙ ЩОРІЧНИК ^ИР^7 UKRAINIAN DJILV ШroinioENGLISH-LANGUAGEn WEEKLY EDITION VOL. LXXXVI. No. 188 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 1979 25 GENTS Three Ukrainian Helsinki group members arrested NEW YORK, N.Y. - Three mem searches were conducted across the bers of the Ukrainian Public Group to oblast. Promote the Implementation of the The Sichkos have been charged under Helsinki Accords have been arrested in Article 187-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine recent weeks, reported the the Ukrainian SSR — anti-Soviet press service of the Ukrainian Supreme agitation. The investigation is being Liberation. Council (abroad) and the conducted by a KGB investigator from "Smoloskyp" Ukrainian Information Lviv called Ivanov. Service. The older Sichko was born on August Yuriy Lytvyn, the newest member of 18, 1926, in the village of Vytvytsia. the group, was arrested by the KGB in During the second world war he served Kiev on Monday, August 6. In mid-July as a officer in the Ukrainian Insurgent Petro Sichko and his. son Vasyl were Army. arrested during a major KGB crack In 1947 he was arrested for allegedly down in the Ivano-Frankivske oblast in attempting to form on organization of western Ukraine. fighters for an independent Ukraine, Lytvyn, born in 1934, already spent a which was to have drawn its members total of 13 years of imprisonment. In from the universities and institutes in 1955-65 he was incarcerated for his western Ukraine. involvement in the Ukrainian national Sichko was originally sentenced to movement, according to "Smoloskyp." death but the sentence was commuted In March 1975 he was sentenced to to 25 years imprisonment. He was three years for collecting and distri pardoned in 1957 under a general buting poems with a Ukrainian national amnesty. character and the article "Tragic Gal Since his release Sichko had been lery." He was released in 1977. faced with contiuous persecution and Vasyl Sichko Petro Sichko Lytvyn became a member of the Kiev harassment from the KQB. The secret group this year. police has been demanding that he write In 1977 Sichko wrote the following to citizen of the Soviet Union. I have The Sichkos were arrested in the an article for publication in a newspaper the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet: "I accepted that in the belief that my town of Dolyna. The press service of the and that he recant his views. As a result have lived in Ukraine for 20 years since children will be given the opportunity to Ukrainian Supreme Liberation Council of KGB harassment, Sichko was not my release and during that period of take advantage of the rights given to a reported that other persons were also able to maintain employment for any time I only have been able to take full citizen of the Soviet Union as is arrested at the time and that numerous period of time. advantage of rights given to a semi- (Continued on page 2) Annual Barnesville festival John Diefenbaker, noted supporter marks UNA "85th" of Ukrainian causes, dies at 83 Served as Canadian prime minister in 1957-63 OTTAWA, Ont. - John George Diefenbaker, prime minister of Canada from June 21, 1957, to April 8, 1963, and the highest-ranking government official in the West to publicly support the independence of Ukraine, died in his Rockcliffe Park home at 7 a.m. on Thursday, August 16. He was 83 years old. Mr. Diefenbaker died as a result of an apparent heart attack, announced Kieth Martin, who was the late statesman's private secretary and executive assis tant. Mr. Diefenbaker was found dead in his study by Archie McQueen, who was his volunteer worker. The former prime minister got up early as usual that The Marunchak Dancers from Montreal, Que., perform during the annual day and was found dead in his chair. Ukrainian Festival in Barnesville. Mr. Diefenbaker's close association BARNESVILLE, Pa. - The annual ville, 85 years ago. The festival was with the Ukrainian people has won for Ukrainian Festival here at Lakewood sponsored by the Shamokin deanery of him the admiration, devotion and Park, July 27-29, which is one of the the Ukrainian Catholic Church and it respect of the entire Ukrainian com most popular spectacles in the anthra was run by a committee headed by munity for his understanding of its cite region of the Keystone State, was Stephan Postupack. aspirations, as well as for his valuable this year dedicated to the 85th A program dubbed "Evening in counsel and participation in Ukrainian John G. Diefenbaker anniversary of the Ukrainian National Ukraine" marked the official opening of affairs. liberty for the Ukrainian people in Association. the festival Friday evening. The festival Not only was he interested in the Ukraine. Addressing the General As The UNA was founded in Shamokin, goers had the opportunity to enjoy a advancement of Ukrainians in Canada, sembly of the United Nations in I960, Pa., just a few miles away from Barnes but he also championed the cause of (Continued on page 4) THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 1979 No. 188 Renouncement of Soviet citizenship is sign of schizophrenia, according to Soviet psychiatrist NEW YORK, N.Y. - A Soviet citizenship is considered to be a sign of tempted to enlist the services of the his third semester at the university and psychiatrist told Petro Sichko, a former schizophrenia, and when the person older Sichko as a guarantee that the son his path to a higher education would be political prisoner and member of the re-accepts Soviet citizenship, the condi will complete the course. Sichko wrote closed forever, no matter where we Ukrainian Helsinki group who was tion disappears; he recommended that I that the harassment stemmed from the would seek assistance," wrote Sichko. arrested recently, that according to convince my son to accept the citizen fact that both he and his wife were Sichko said that the KGB carried out current Soviet psychiatry, the re ship," wrote Sichko. "Similar advice political prisoners. its threat. On July 20, 1977, his son was nouncement of Soviet citizenship is was given to me by the Ministry of "I categorically refused to cooperate expelled from the university on what he considered to be a sign of schizo Health of the Ukrainian SSR." with the KGB and as a result I was told called "fabricated charges of academic phrenia, reported the press service of Sichko's letter to the United Nations by them that my son would never begin (Continued on page 11) the Ukrainian Supreme Liberation focused on his family's attempts to be Council (abroad). I issued a Soviet exit visa and permission In a letter written in April 1978 to the to imigrate to the United States. He Three Ukrainian Helsinki... United Nations, Sichko said that on said that because his son was not (Continued from page 1) became a member of the Ukrainian January 31, 1978, Dr. Chukhrin, chief allowed to leave the Soviet Union alone guaranteed by the Soviet Constitution." group. psychiatrist of the Ministry of Health, on the grounds that he was suffering Later that year Sichko renounced his The latest arrests bring the number told him that his son Vasyl would be from schizophrenia, he had requested Soviet citizenship. of incarcerated members of the Ukraini- ; considered as suffering from schizo the Soviet government to allow the On April 30i 1978, he joined the an group to 11. phrenia until he withdraws his re entire fiye-member family to emigrate Ukrainian Helsinki group. Those who have served or are serving nouncement of Soviet citizenship. from the USSR, Vasyl Sichko' born on December 22, prison sentences on charges stemming j The younger Sichko had renounced His family consists of his wife Ste- 1956, in Magadan, is the youngest from their involvment with the group , his Soviet citizenship and requested pania Petrash, born on April 1,1925, in member of the Kiev group to be arrest are: Mykola Rudenko, head of the an exist visa to trie United States in the the village of Zalukva, Halych region, ed. group, Oleksa Tykhy, Mykola Matuse- wake of his unfounded expulsion from Ivano-Frankivske oblast; sons Vasyl, He completed the secondary school vych, Myroslav Marynovych, Oles the Kiev State University. He then fell born December 22, 1956, in Magadan, in Dolyna and then worked in a factory. Berdnyk, Lev Lukianenko, Petro Vins, into trouble with the secret police, the Kolyma region, and Volodymyr, born In 1975 he enrolled in the journalism Vasyl Striltsiv, and Vasyl Ovisenko. militia and the military, Sichko was July 26, 1960, in Dolyna, Ivano-Fran- department at the Kiev University. Vins and Gen. Petro Grigorenko, arrested and on January 17, 1978, he kivsk^ region; and daughter Oksana, When the KQB learned of this, it began who previously was incarcerated in a was confined for two weeks in the Ivan- born April 10, 1963, in Dolyna, Ivano- to threaten him to become an informer. psychiatric asylum for his other human Frankivske psychiatric asylum. Frankivske region. The youth refused and he was expelled rights activites are currently residing in His father had protested the con Sichko and his wife are former from the University. the United States. Striltsiv was released finement to various Soviet authorities political prisoners who spent 10 years in As a result Jof his expulsion, the young and is in Ukraine. before talking with Chukhrin. concentration camps during Stalin's Sichko renounced his Soviet citizen The members of the group remaining "On January 31, 1978, the chief rule. ; ship, returned his "Komsomol" mem in freedom are Oksana Meshko, Ivan psychiatrist of the Ministry of Health of He wrote in the letter that as soon as bership card and demanded permission Kandyba, Vitaliy Kalynychenko, V.: the USSR Chukhrin listened to me and his son Vasyl became a student of to emigrate to the United States.