Why People Do Not Trust Opposition Leaders

On the hook: who dictates page Who will benefit page Soviet "liberation" of Ukrainians page decisions that are crucial from shale gas extraction in 1943-44: a reflection of for the nation 12 in Ukraine 22 Nazi occupation in 1941 36

№ 3 (45) February 2013

Why people do not trust opposition leaders

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ONLINE BOOKSHOP WWW.BOOK-YE.COM.UA/SHOP |contents briefing focus The Unfinished Gongadze Case: Acting Leader: Zenon Zavada Sentenced to life, the Arseniy Yatseniuk appears on why he does not murderer says Kuchma and too inconsistent and trust opposition Lytvyn should also be behind unpredictable to inspire leaders bars trust in the majority of 4 Ukrainian voters6 9 Politics A Crack in the United The Sabotage of European Hanne Severinsen: Opposition? Integration: The General Prosecutor’s Centrifugal tendencies in Who dictates decisions Office Runs Amok? the united camp, that are crucial for the and what they signal nation? 10 12 16 Neighbours ECONOMICS Janusz Bugaijski Three in a Boat: PACE’s failure Aspirations to Control on Russia’s soft power to recognize Azerbaijan’s the Gas Market: Who wars as tools to political prisoners signals will benefit from the reintegrate its neighbours problems for their newly-signed shale gas around Moscow’s orbit counterparts in Ukraine exploration agreement with Royal Dutch Shell 17 20 22 SOCIETY Monetary Security: Online Protests: Internet The Ukrainian Week invites movements help Ukrainians to politicians and experts to a overcome fear through laughter, panel discussion to find out what give them reliable information the hryvnia will face in 2013 and inspire them to act 24 28 history The Voice of Moscow: Yuriy Everyting is Connected: Freedom Without Liberation: Makarov on the recent sale Can Internet activism For a large part of the of one of Ukraine’s most turn into a real political Ukrainian population, Stalin’s popular TV channels movement? “liberation from the Germans” was a mirror image of Hitler’s “liberation from the 31 32 36 Bolsheviks” in 1941 culture & arts French philosopher Philippe de Lara A Gallery of Inspiration: Art curator on the bitter legacy of totalitarian Pavlo Hudimov talks about the regimes which, even if dead, still promising future of Ukrainian art and exert a strong influence on many ways to attract people to something countries and cultures they don’t understand 40 42 navigator The Earth’s Star Scars: Top 10 Tourist How impact events have greatly changed Attractions in Kharkiv our planet, including the territory of Oblast worth seeing, contemporary Ukraine regardless of the season or weather 44 48

Natalia Romanec, Shaun Williams, Editors; Anna Korbut, Translator Mailing address: PO Box 2, Kyiv, 03067 The Ukrainian Week № 3 (45) February 2013 Publisher address: vul. Mashynobudivna 37, Kyiv 03067 Ukraine Founder: ECEM Media Ukraine LLC Publisher: The Ukrainian Week LLC E-mail: [email protected], Tel.: (044) 351-1300 First published in January 2010 www.ukrainianweek.com State registration certificate Print: The Novy Druk, LLC, 1 Mahnitohorska Str. Series KB No18352-7152ПР of October 24, 2011 Ordering number: 13-5351. Print run: 15,000 Bohdan Andriytsev, Director, ECEM Media Ukraine LLC Sent to print on 7 Feubruary 2013 Serhiy Lytvynenko, Editor-in-Chief, The Ukrainian Week Free distribution № 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|3 briefing| 16 January 24 January 29 January High AdministrativeC ourt Viktor Yanukovych People in many cities com- recognizes OUN-UPA signs an agreement memorate the 400 Ukrainian members as fighters for on shale gas explora- soldiers, who fought against a Ukraine’s independence tion in Ukraine with 4,000-strong Bolshevik army in Royal Dutch Shell the 1918 Battle of Kruty (read more on p. 22) The UnfinishedG ongadze Case

hypothetically contracted the murder.” Telychenko hopes to appeal the verdict against Pukach and demand the determination by the court that the crime was a contract murder. She added that, together with Myroslava Gongadze, she will demand the renewal of proceed- ings in the case against Yuriy Kravchenko, which was previously separated out into an individual file. “The case against those who ordered the murder of Gongadze is not formally closed and has to be reopened” Telychenko said. Pukach disclosed the names of those who potentially ordered the murder in summer 2011. They included ex-president Leonid Kuchma, and Volodymyr Lytvyn, the then Chief of Staff and ex- Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada. Author: he Pechersk District Court in to threaten him, but accidentally He mentioned their names again Milan Lelich Kyiv announced its verdict broke his neck, leading to his after he heard his verdict: “I will against the last of those di- death. However, the court did not agree (to the verdict – Ed.) when Trectly involved in the murder take this argument into account. Kuchma and Lytvyn are in this of journalist Georgiy Gongadze in The reasons Pukach gave as cage with me.” So far, there has September 2000. The ex-chief of his motive for the crime look been no reaction from the Prosecu- the Criminal Investigation Office, more intriguing. He said that he tor General’s Office. Of all the cases General Oleksiy Pukach, was sen- was executing the order of ex-In- related to the murder of Gongadze, tenced to life in prison. In 2008, terior Minister Yuriy Kravchenko only the one concerning ex-Interior his accomplices, three subordinate in the hope of getting a promo- Minister Yuriy Kravchenko’s com- policemen, were sentenced to 12-13 tion and higher rank. “It surprises plicity remains open. It has been years. me that the court deemed the fact eight years since the mysterious Pukach’s evidence often sur- of the Interior Minister Kravchen- death of the latter, so it looks as if it prised those present in court – but ko’s order to Pukach to be proved, will stay that way. not the press, which was not al- yet did not see that it was a con- Clearly, Kravchenko is the lowed in. Among other things, he tract killing,” said Valentyna Tel- most convenient participant in the claimed that Gongadze was a for- ychenko, the lawyer for Gongadze case. The late minister eign intelligence agent or had been Gongadze’s widow Myroslava im- cannot give anyone away. But the plotting a state overthrow. He mediately after the verdict was question of Kuchma’s and Lytvyn’s pleaded partly guilty in the murder announced. “The verdict does not involvement in the murder re- of Gongadze saying that he wanted mention the names of those who mains unanswered for society

The month 6 February 1893 7 February 1483 9 February 1648 in history Dmytro Hryhorovych, Yuriy Drohobych’s Prognosis Bohdan Khmelnytsky Ukrainian aircraft de- Evaluation of the Current Year is electedH etman of signer and hydroplane 1483 is published as the first Zaporizhia Sich inventor, is born printed book by a Ukrainian author in Rome

4|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 |briefing 5 February 6 February The BOBs, an annual blog Opposition MPs block the The court postpones the ap- contest byD eutsche Welle, work of parliament, demand- peal in the Pavlychenko case includes Ukrainian as one ing the Party of Regions and till March. Rallies in their of its 14 official contest its allies to vote in person, support soon spread all over languages using the new sensor button Ukraine (read more on p. 28)

Gongadze Case Chronicles 16 September 2000 4 March 2005 Journalist Georgiy Gongadze leaves his office at Kravchenko is found dead at his country home in Koncha- The UnfinishedG ongadze Case 10.30p.m. and disappears in an unknown direction Zaspa, Kyiv Oblast. Investigators qualify this as suicide, -al 2 November 2000 though two gunshot wounds are found in his head An unidentified beheaded body is found in a forest near 9 January 2006 even after Pukach’s sentencing. In Tarashcha, a town in Kyiv Oblast, later recognized as the The Kyiv Court of Appeal starts hearings on the involve- fact, keeping them both on the body of the murdered journalist ment of ex-police officers Mykola Protasov, Valeriy Kostenko and Oleksandr Popovych in the murder of hook is convenient for those in 28 November 2000 The leader of the Socialist Party, Oleksandr Moroz, ac- Gongadze. The trial takes place behind closed doors power. Even though he has stayed cuses President Leonid Kuchma of the murder and re- 29 August 2006 out of politics for a while now, veals the existence of Melnychenko’s tapes Lesia Gongadze, the mother of Georgiy Gongadze, Kuchma has influence over Viktor December 2000 makes a public statement, saying that she has no confi- Pinchuk (notably, Pinchuk’s TV A tent city is set up on Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Indepen- dence in the investigation and the court as regards her channels turned a blind eye to the dence Square) in Kyiv and the Ukraine Without Kuchma son’s case fact that Pukach mentioned protest begins 15 March 2008 The Kyiv Court of Appeal sentences Protasov to 13 years Kuchma and Lytvyn in his final January 2001 The Prosecutor General initiates a case against Major in jail, and Kostenko and Popovych to 12 words in court) and politicians Melnychenko, accusing him of slander 31 May 2009 linked to him – and he may be- 27 February 2001 Retired Major-General Eduard Fere, considered to be come yet another prosecution wit- The Prosecutor General initiates a case under charges of close to Oleksiy Pukach, dies after a lengthy coma ness in cases against Yulia Ty- murder 21 July 2009 moshenko, since the relevant 9 March 2001 Pukach is arrested in a village in Zhytomyr Oblast events took place when he was After clashes in front of the Presidential Administration, 28 July 2009 president. Volodymyr Lytvyn, as the Ukraine Without Kuchma protest ends Pukach mentions a village in Kyiv Oblast where investi- April 2001 gators find fragments of a skull considered to be well as a number of people linked Gongadze’s to him, remains part of the major- Mykola Melnychenko and Gongadze’s widow, Myro- slava, are granted political asylum in the USA 10 September 2010 ity in parliament, although his 15 May 2001 The pre-trial investigation on the Gongadze case is com- one-time political influence has Interior Minister Yuriy Smyrnov announces that pleted - Pukach is the only one charged. According to plummeted, and the phantom of Gongadze’s murder was not politically motivated and prosecution’s conclusions, he acted on an order issued the Gongadze case guarantees his was committed by former prisoners who died in Decem- by Kravchenko loyalty when voting. ber 2000 28 April 2011 September 2002 Pukach’s trial begins at the Pechersk District Court in Apparently, it is no coincidence Kyiv that the Prosecutor General The Temporary Investigation Committee of the Verk- hovna Rada demands the initiation by the Prosecutor 23 May 2011 charged Tymoshenko with involve- General of a criminal case against Leonid Kuchma and The Prosecutor General’s Office files charges of abuse of ment in the murder of Donetsk his closest circle, including Volodymyr Lytvyn, Yuriy office leading to the death of Gongadze against Leonid businessman Yevhen Shcherban in Kravchenko and Leonid Derkach, for contracting Kuchma 1996 at the same time as Pukach Gongadze’s kidnapping 30 August 2011 heard his verdict – she could also October-November 2003 Oleksiy Pukach names Kuchma, Lytvyn and Kravchenko end up serving a life term for this. General Oleksiy Pukach is arrested on charges of de- as those who ordered Gongadze’s murder stroying documents that prove the organization of the All this looks like an attempt to 21 October 2011 surveillance of Gongadze, but is soon released under a The Constitutional Court of Ukraine rules that the evi- persuade Ukrainian society, and pledge to stay in town and cleared of all charges dence collected by someone who is not authorized to col- most importantly, Western politi- 14 January 2005 lect it, cannot be used as grounds for prosecution; thus, cians, that the Ukrainian judiciary A criminal case for abuse of office is launched against Melnychenko’s tapes are no longer valid as evidence does not only punish opposition Oleksiy Pukach; he is put on a wanted list on 24 January 14 December 2011 politicians for scandalous contract 1 March 2005 The Pechersk District Court in Kyiv qualifies the case murders. However, since those President Viktor Yushchenko announces the arrest of against Leonid Kuchma as illegitimate. On 20 January Gongadze’s murderers 2012, the decision is confirmed by the Kyiv Court of Ap- who really ordered the murder of 3 March 2005 peal, then by the High Special Court of Ukraine for Civil Gongadze have not yet faced due The Prosecutor General, Sviatoslav Piskun, discloses the and Criminal Cases on 26 June punishment, the Gongadze case re- intent to interrogate ex-Interior Minister Yuriy 29 January 2013 mains a tool of political games – as Kravchenko regarding his involvement in the Gongadze The Pechersk District Court sentences Oleksiy Pukach to

it has been for the past decade. case life in prison unian photo:

10 February 1773 11 February 1963 12 February 1960 Vasyl Karazin, Ukrainian A conference on the Ukrai- The firstU krainian nu- enlightenment figure, me- nian language starts inK yiv clear reactor is launched teorologist and the founder demanding official status for it in Kyiv of the Kharkiv University, is in the Ukrainian SSR born

№ 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|5 focus|Opposition Acting Leader The leader of the biggest opposition faction in parliament appears too inconsistent and unpredictable to inspire trust in the majority of Ukrainian voters

Authors: he leader of the United Oppo- time. He began his career in the en- projects and the “right” people to Sviatoslav sition, Batkivshchyna, has tities of Viktor Pinchuk, the son-in- implement them in return for his Pototsky, lately intensified his battle in law of then President Leonid financial support. Two other spin Andriy Tthe media for the role of the Kuchma, in the late 1990s. Pinchuk doctors, who worked for Yatseniuk Skumin key alternative to Yanukovych. Ap- helped to promote Yatseniuk to the at that time, Semion Uralov and parently, initiatives on the possible position of Minister in the Crimean Vladimir Petrov, are still actively creation of a united opposition Cabinet and subsequently First involved in Ukraine’s backstage party with Yatseniuk as leader – Deputy Chairman of the National politics. They worked in the team actual or acting – are supposed to Bank of Ukraine (NBU). Yatseniuk of the notoriously Ukrainophobic serve this purpose. Is the Ukrai- launched his own political project Ihor Markov who ran in one of the nian majority ready to follow lead- in 2008 with the support of Dmy- first-past-the-post constituencies ers like him? Not at this time, as it tro Firtash. The media controlled in Odesa in the last parliamentary has many questions to the leader of by Firtash provided him with the election. When his opponents arguably the main political force. necessary media promotion to broke into Uralov’s mailbox during Most voters do not see Yatse- boost the young politician’s rating the campaign, they found emails niuk as a potential leader. Socio- in a society that was deeply frus- confirming close contacts between logical surveys confirm this, re- trated with Viktor Yushchenko and Markov, the leader of the Rodina flecting ratings that are much lower old elites as a whole. Later, infor- (Fatherland) party, and Viktor than Batkivshchyna’s – the party mation surfaced that Rinat Akhme- Medvedchuk, a consistent lobbyist he has been trying to become the tov contributed to the financial of Russia’s interests in Ukraine. patron of. Many observers have the support of Yatseniuk through Leo- Yatseniuk’s poor choice of team impression that this is the reason nid Yurushev, his business partner members was also obvious after why the party ended up with three and former owner of the Forum times less seats in parliament after bank. Notably, Yatseniuk never the 2012 parliamentary election mentioned that the close ties of oli- than in the 2007 campaign – and garchs with politics were a major this includes seats won in first- problem for the country. past-the-post constituencies. By allowing people backstage With his lack of specificity, to control him and influence his demagogy, self-adoration, depen- decision-making, Yatseniuk is dence on promotion and constant turning into a puppet. This makes attempts to evade answering tough it impossible for him to become a questions, Yatseniuk has forced true national leader. One part of many think of him as a representa- Yatseniuk’s 2009 presidential cam- tive of the “establishment” that is paign was organized by a team of foreign to the interests of most vot- Russian spin doctors headed by Is- ers and lives a totally different, kander Valitov. Reportedly, they post-soviet life. Of course, he were the ones who had offered the seems to be the lesser evil. And that concept of dividing Ukrainians is enough to encourage people to into three sorts based on a region vote for him or his political party in they live in. Later, Yatseniuk, the election, yet insufficient to who was seen as a pro-Western make the Ukrainian majority be- liberal and intellectual, ended up lieve that he is ready for an open with their “military” concept, as conflict with those in power. Most well as speculation on nostalgic voters have no idea how Yatseniuk USSR-related sentiments of some will act, should he take the helm. voters and declarations of cooperation with post-Soviet countries as a Who’s your friend? priority as part of his campaign. The first reason for this is the his- The media buzzed then, that it was tory of Yatseniuk’s political ascent, Pinchuk who foisted these spin linked to proactive support from doctors on Yatseniuk, demanding the most influential oligarchs at the the right to choose convenient 6|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 Opposition|focus the last election. The first cross- as leader of the opposition, stems merely a fragment of the Soviet overs, father and son Tabalov, from relations with his current Union, developing under the iner- joined the United Opposition un- partners in Batkivshchyna and tia of post-soviet space, as opposed der his patronage. The switching of Svoboda. They show his unpredict- to a project for the development of opposition MPs to the pro-govern- ability in choosing partners and a national European state. ment majority has temporarily opponents: “Tymoshenko - a dem- Another question that remains come to a halt, but Batkivshchyna ocrat?! It must be a new definition open is whether Yatseniuk, born has quite a few suspicious figures: of democracy…”; “The choice be- in Bukovyna which is a predomi- Denys Dzenzersky, former member tween Tymoshenko and Yanu- nantly Ukrainian-speaking region, of the board of Viktor Baloha’s Ye- kovych is a choice between two sees the Ukrainian language as an dynyi Tsentr (United Centre); Vi- evils. I see no difference.” These important basis for consolidation taliy Nemilostivyi who is consid- are Yatseniuk’s quotes prior to Ya- of the national identity – vital in ered to be the creature of profes- nukovych coming to power, but overcoming the Russo-Soviet con- sional crossover Davyd Zhvania, even in the summer of 2010, Yatse- cept once and for all. Vladimir Pu- and so on. niuk said: “I want to dispel the tin views the Russian language not Another aspect that forces vot- myth that the opposition must be merely as a means of communica- ers to doubt Yatseniuk’s sincerity united. Tell me: how can I unite tion in the post-Soviet territory. It with Tymoshenko and Tyahny- is rather an important marker that bok?!” outlines the sphere of influence for him and potential frontiers of a re- Who are you? stored superpower that he craves. The second reason is the lack of He often mentions the large share clear answers from Yatseniuk as to of Russian-speaking population in why he wants power. Does he need Ukraine, which results from a tar- it to replace the current President geted Russification policy and re- or to change the nature of the post- settlements of Russians to Ukrai- Soviet political and socio-economic nian territories in the past, as a model? “My objective is to shape reason for interfering in Ukraine’s Ukrainian ideology, to shape proj- internal affairs and limiting its ect Ukraine. And for this I must use sovereignty in determining its all means and methods,” said then own political vector (read Rus- presidential candidate Arseniy Yat- sia’s Soft Power Wars on p. 17 seniuk about his ideology at the for more details – Ed.). So, the 2009 Yalta European Strategy question to Yatseniuk is whether summit. It has been almost three he does have intent to turn Ukrai- and a half years, but he not man- nian into a full-fledged single offi- aged – or wanted – to outline and cial language used in the key inform the public of his own vision spheres of socio-economic life in of transformations in the country, Ukraine. Or, whether he prefers to should he come to power. Despite support it as a formal and ritual his warlike rhetoric, he sticks to language, accepting the domina- general phrases, such as “democra- tion of the Russian language in a tization”, “return to the European number of key sectors as a per- path of development” and the like. fectly normal trend in Ukraine’s Clearly, this raises doubts as to long-term development? In pub- Yatseniuk’s intent to crush the cur- lic, Yatseniuk presents himself as rent oligarch-monopoly model that a politician who supports Ukrai- stands in the way of the country’s nian as a single official language successful development or real Eu- and takes part in protests against ropean integration. Given his cur- the new law on regional languages rent rhetoric, it appears that if Yat- in summer 2012. However, when- seniuk takes the helm, he will look ever he thinks he is out of the pub- like yet another change of deco- lic or journalist’s eye, his conduct ration. If this assumption is is quite the opposite. For instance, wrong, he would be wise to Yatseniuk and Oleksandr Tur- answer difficult questions chynov spoke Russian to each that are crucial for the other during the abovementioned country more frequently language protests in summer. and clearly, rather than Why is that? Shortly before the avoid doing so. First and New Year, MP Oleksandr foremost, he should un- Bryhynets left the New Year part derstand the necessity, for Batkivshchyna because the ability and political hosts spoke Russian and Ukrai- maturity to overcome nian, surprised by Yatseniuk’s postcolonial inertia, subsequent attempts to somehow whereby Ukraine is not justify the bilingual party for Bat- actually a sovereign state, kivshchyna. № 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|7 focus|Opposition

It is equally important to know Friendly talks with oligarchs, general what Yatseniuk is going to do to phrases about democracy and a few change the current oligarch-con- brief mentions of Tymoshenko hardly trolled and monopolized model of made Yatseniuk look like a European- Ukraine’s economy. Apparently, oriented opposition politician at the this is the task of his entire team, latest Ukrainian lunch hosted by Viktor the members of which should be in Pinchuk at the World Economic Forum charge of specific issues and an- in Davos swer relevant questions on his behalf (which they partly do – sometimes during public discussion panels arranged by Ukrayinsky Tyzhden/The Ukrainian Week). However, their leader stubbornly avoids stating the importance of the struggle against the oligarchy and outlining the key mechanisms to do so. Moreover, his phrase “Don’t worry Viktor, you’re not an oligarch” to Viktor roman malko photo: Pinchuk at the last Yalta European Strategy Summit raises doubts as oriented machine of Putin’s regime new “East European Project” Yat- to whether Yatseniuk is ready to which does not hide its neo-imperi- seniuk wanted to create entailed fight the oligarchy. The same ap- alistic ambitions on post-Soviet close cooperation with Ukraine’s plies to his closer contacts with territory. The impression is that post-Soviet neighbours, including Ukrainian oligarch Petro Porosh- Yatseniuk only views the press as a a common policy for energy, trans- enko. After serving in the Yanu- platform for commercial or politi- port, communication, aviation, kovych-Azarov Cabinet, Porosh- cal advertising and believes that space, military, foodstuff produc- enko must have felt that the mo- the key priority is to get exclusive tion and other sectors. ment was right and is now trying to access to a media resource through If Arseniy Yatseniuk wants to gain the support of the opposition, deals with owners, in order to cre- become something more than just while his son Oleksiy is running for ate the “right image” of himself. an acting leader of an artificial po- a seat in the Vinnytsia Oblast Arseniy Yatseniuk has yet to litical conglomerate, he should de- Council under the Batkivshchyna outline his personal vision of clare actual political goals, rather flag. Ukraine’s geopolitical prospects. than his general democratic blah- Or, is it that Yatseniuk does not The frequent changes of his stance blah. What kind of a country does see that oligarchs are the key ob- in the last presidential campaign he want to build? Which economic, stacle to Ukraine’s development as cannot guarantee that he will not political and social pillars will it a normal European state? Perhaps, support the Kremlin’s concepts of a stand on? Will it offer real free en- this is because of his friendship “great Europe” from Lisbon to trepreneurship and protected own- with so many of them, and because Vladivostok once again, which will ership to everyone or only to the both he and they are mentally So- chosen few? Is he prepared to de- viet, therefore feel as if they are a sovietize all spheres of life? Should natural part of the post-Soviet oli- Yatseniuk’s intent to crush the Ukrainian nation consolidate garchy. They are blocking the the current oligarch- on the basis of the Ukrainian lan- emergence of a civilized market, guage, and what does it take to democratic institutions and civil monopoly model achieve this? Should the post-so- society in Ukraine; prevent the raises doubts viet oligarch-slave model, which is emergence of normal European- integral to “Eurasian space”, be re- type political parties and a civilized put Ukraine’s identity and sover- formed? How can Ukraine’s na- media market that would bring real eignty under serious threat from tional security be guaranteed? Is freedom of speech and make jour- Russia. Currently, Yatseniuk seems the country capable of protecting nalism independent of a group of to be one of the most zealous pro- its territorial integrity in the mod- monopolistic owners, most of ponents of Ukraine’s European in- ern world by itself? whom are part of the oligarchy. Af- tegration and opponents of it join- Unless Batkivshchyna’s “fa- ter all, Yatseniuk seems to be turning the Customs Union or any ther” drops the tactic of feeding off ing a blind eye to problems on the other Eurasian clubs – at least in the protest-oriented electorate local media market, which lacks his speeches. But during the last and offers a constructive alterna- civilized competition, while key as- presidential campaign, his views tive project to the voters, he risks sets are being monopolized by oli- were completely opposite. “The losing any political prospect he garchs and other groups linked need for total modernization is not may have, while the majority of closely to Russia. There is a prob- unique for Ukraine alone. Other Ukrainian voters risk losing a po- lem with information security East European countries, including tential leader, called on to lead it whereby a large part of the popula- Azerbaijan, Belarus, Armenia, in the struggle against Yanu- tion is under the systemic pressure Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova and kovych’s Soviet-style regime with of both the oligarch-controlled Russia, have the same problems” its usurpative ambitions and anti- mass media, and the propaganda- said his campaign platform. The Ukrainian policies. 8|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 Opinion|FOCUS Why I Don’t Trust Opposition Leaders

he language Maidan last year at the Ukrainian disaster? Or even the whole election list of UDAR, Home was launched by about seven MPs of the which was formed with the standard template: For Ukraine! group, who ascended its steps, celebrities in the first five, businessmen tucked in Tunfolded their cots and tied bandanas across deeper. their foreheads, declaring “I’m on a Hunger Strike!” Instead we hear the phrases from opposition Unfortunately, opposition members have given a new politicians: “We can’t do anything until you come out meaning to the concept of a hunger strike, changing it onto the streets!” But have they come out onto the to “not eating for as long the mass media is streets where average people live? Because they’d find interested.” Several deputies disappeared after a few a lot to do there. After the October elections, not a hours after appearing in public and on television single deputy’s office has been opened or advertised screens. Some visited from time to time, as if it were a in Kyiv. buffet, to inquire what’s new. It’s not wanted for Since 2010, the opposition hasn’t organized a national politicians to die from hunger, but it’s also not or local network of small and middle entrepreneurs to acceptable when a serious instrument of civil lobby their interests. Not a single national network to disobedience is turned into a cheap publicity stunt. fight corruption in the tax and fire inspection. Not a The role played by the opposition in the hunger strike single local organization oriented towards reforming of 2012 is an example of how they approach politics in the housing authorities. Only the ineffective general – hackneyed, short-term maneuvers oriented Committee to Oppose the Dictatorship with its towards the possibility of appearing before video general goals. cameras. There are exceptions to the rule that MPs The position of the majority of opposition leaders is aren’t ready to sacrifice themselves. But for the most practically this: you organize into civic part, we have a caste of individuals that is entirely cut organizations with your own paltry funds, risk your off from the realities and problems of Ukrainian health in struggling for elementary needs, and also society. come out onto maidans to struggle for us Since the Orange revolts, when I began going to politicians, because we’re the opposition, and we’re protests led by opposition leaders and listening to going to continue flying to Davos’s, to remote their speeches, I was ready to give them my physical islands, flaunt our tans before cameras, and enjoy presence, but not my trust to the so-called leaders. ourselves on the khokhliatskiy (degrading) 95 Author: Knowing me as a journalist, these politicians rarely Kvartal. And how they cry when they’re not Zenon viewed me as more than a mouthpiece or microphone permitted to come to these circuses, where the role Zavada, – only to throw me some empty phrases, but never of ringmaster is played by Shuster or Kyseliov! American allowing me to come too close to see who they truly They would gain a lot more political dividends if journalist, are. But they don’t have to. they put as much effort former Chief I already understand that Opposition leaders are into developing their Editor of Kyiv many of them are empty party organizations and Post souls who desperately try lost because they don’t civic movements. to appear in the spotlight. Svoboda is the exception so And even the imprisonment have moral values that far. Even after the or abuse against Yulia would give them elections, Svoboda national Tymoshenko hasn’t caused deputies are active them to react with dignity, orientation participants of protests. because they don’t know But contrary to popular how. They don’t respond with dignity because belief, Svoboda’s high results in the October many of them sold it away long ago when they election was not so much a reaction against the became a member of the Komsomol or politics of the Party of Regions as a protest committed their first theft (but not last) from the against the ineffectiveness of Our Ukraine and state budget. They are lost because they don’t have Batkivshchyna. Svoboda would have remained on the moral values that would give them orientation. margins if these political forces did the work that was To earn the trust and support of the people, they think expected of them. that not eating for a few days and participating in After the elections, the opposition tried to organize a brawls is enough to inspire tens of thousands of long-term, large scale protest near the Central Ukrainians, who struggle daily with aggressive law Election Commission, once again without success. enforcement authorities, endure abuse from The maidan of several thousand protestors, which bureaucrats and suffer from selective justice. gathered on the morning of Nov. 5, dwindled to a few But is it worth getting struck against one’s legs, which hundred by nightfall. A Batkivshchyna advisor, Oleh has become standard practice, or tear gas in one’s Medvedev, stared at Lesia Ukrayinka Boulevard in face on behalf of such opposition leaders like Arseniy frustration, “Where are the people?,” he asked. “We Yatseniuk, who change parties and “ideologies” like a can’t do anything without them.” pair of shoes? Or for MP Viktor Pynzenyk, another Yes, you need the people because resistance is switcher who is most remembered as the finance impossible without them. But it’s time that the minister who fled the government in a critical opposition leaders ask themselves, “Do the people moment, when the country was faced with financial need us?” № 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|9 Politics|Conflicts within the opposition A Crack in the United Opposition?

Author: nstead of the creation of a sin- in the Batkivshchyna faction who of Ukraine, headed by Mykola Oleksandr gle party on the basis of politi- are close to Petro Poroshenko, and Katerynchuk, another MP who Kramar cal forces which joined together Vyacheslav Kyrylenko, who had was elected at a first-past-the-post Iinto a united opposition during attempted to establish his own po- district as a candidate from Bat- the last parliamentary election, litical project, For Ukraine!, prior kivshchyna, has nominated its confrontations have lately been to merging with the united opposi- leader for the position of Kyiv ever more noticeable among yes- tion, has become public. Bryhynets Mayor. Clearly, if the local Kyiv terday’s opportunistic allies. The criticized renewed membership in election were to be held this year, battle for mutual destruction that For Ukraine! by Kyrylenko and it would be a bone of contention has threatened the opposition three other Batkivshchyna MPs between opposition forces. since before the election has not begun yet, but the preconditions for it are already in place. The single election list of the Batkivshchyna All-Ukrainian Union was intended to be an attempt by the opposition to stand against the “ruling power”. It became a classic pre-election conglomerate. However, this notion disappeared almost immediately after sociological surveys showed that the united opposition does not stand as a single alternative to the existing regime, and even more so when election results showed that the Batkivshchyna election list gained only half of the total votes given to opposition parties. From then on, centrifugal tendencies in the united camp have only escalated and over- flowed into more or less public dissatisfaction with the activities of their leaders, first and foremost, those of Arseniy Yatseniuk, on the part of the old-guard BYuT members, Anatoliy Hrytsenko as head of the Hromadyanska Pozytsia (Civil Position) and others. But last week, the conflicts tu- multuously spilled over, becoming and threatened to demand his res- According to The Ukrainian the number one headline in the ignation from the position of dep- Week’s sources, a number of MPs media. First of all, the “2000” uty leader of the faction. from Batkivshchyna alone have newspaper published an interview Vyacheslav Kyrylenko also their eye on the mayoral position. with Anatoliy Hrytsenko, in which stated that this conflict is related Another is Petro Poroshenko, who he harshly criticized Arseniy Yat- to the selection of just one candi- has recently been actively contact- seniuk and Oleksandr Turchynov dacy from the opposition for the ing opposition forces. The mani- for their authoritarianism and for position of Kyiv Mayor: in other festation of this was the nomina- ignoring the positions of other words, Bryhynets belongs to the tion by Batkivshchyna of his son, MPs, particularly himself. Sec- group that supports the candidacy Oleksiy for a position in the Vin- ondly, the conflict between Olek- of Petro Poroshenko, while nytsia Oblast Council and discus- sandr Bryhynets, currently bipar- Kyrylenko belongs to those who sions on the possibility of Porosh- tisan, but who is considered to be support Vitali Kitschko’s candi- enko himself being nominated as a representative of a group of MPs dacy. Finally, the European Party the only opposition candidate for 10|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 Conflicts within the opposition |Politics Kyiv Mayor. The Ukrainian made up of MPs elected under a new political force rather than Week’s sources state that trading the Batkivshchyna list was al- struggling (with doubtful results) for seats in the Kyiv City Council is ready raised at the beginning of for control over the conglomerate just as aggressive. the first session of the new par- of the united opposition, with its However, the fact that the con- liament. At that time, both Yat- representatives that are both di- flicts in the Batkivshchyna faction seniuk and Turchynov were able verse and overfilled with ambi- have become public, can also be to secure its formal unity, but tion. Viktor Baloha, who rejected attributed to the reaction of some differences within the faction battling for control over Nasha pretentious players to Arseniy only deepened, particularly after Ukraina (Our Ukraine) in favour Yatseniuk’s active promotion of the allocation of positions in par- of creating his own project, Ye- the idea of the establishment of a liamentary committees. Today, a dyniy Tsentr (United Centre), single party, rather than the fact number of players, who got into acted in the same manner in his that the Kyiv local election is parliament on the “united” list time. However, what differenti- drawing nearer. By the way, in the for just one purpose –to make ates the two is the fact that Yatse- weekly newspaper, 2000, Hryt- the threshold – are striving to re- niuk has a high personal rating. senko stressed that for various gain their status as independent The fact that the government reasons, none of the political players. has inflated the conflict in the forces in the Batkivshchyna fac- At the same time, to a certain ranks of the opposition in the me- tion are ready to merge into a sin- extent, Arseniy Yatseniuk can feel dia is clear, because it is particu- gle party. One of the deputy lead- as if he is a hostage of the situa- larly interested in doing so right ers of the faction, Serhiy Sobolev, tion. When joining the ranks of now. The Segodnya and 2000 said in an interview that it is not Batkivshchyna, he clearly counted publications are playing a particularly active role in fueling the conflict. For example, the latter conducted a scandalous interview with Hrytsenko, while the former circulated information about his expulsion from the Batkivshchyna faction. Political analysts who are close to the government, continue to peddle the theory that Yulia Ty- moshenko “cannot support Yatse- niuk as the single candidate from the opposition, and even if she is supporting him, she is only doing so because she is making a mistake”. This could signal a broader trend that goes beyond Bat- kivshchyna alone. For instance, UDAR’s MP Pavlo Rizanenko has informed the media that his false blog on korrespondent.net was re- The government has inflated the conflict within the ranks of the opposition in the media, because it is particularly interested in

hoto: UNIAN P hoto: this at the moment the time for discussions on the on transforming it into his own launched, publishing materials in- candidacy of Yatseniuk as the only political force. To a large extent, tended to provoke the conflict candidate from the united opposi- this explains his recent promotion with Batkivshchyna. It is also hard tion in the future presidential as “the father of Batkivshchyna”. to miss the fact that the publica- election. He stated that the deci- He is probably concerned about tion in the media of the conflicts sion that such nominee is Yulia the possibility that his allies in the (undoubtedly existing, even if Tymoshenko remains in force and united opposition will select a dif- quite old) coincided with the well- that she is the only one with the ferent candidate for the presiden- coordinated actions of the opposi- right to conduct negotiations on tial chair in the 2015 election. Be- tion regarding the extraordinary the approval of a single candidate ing aware of losing the prospect of session of parliament, the battle with other political forces. becoming the only opposition can- against violations of the voting It’s worth mentioning here didate, could nudge Yatseniuk procedure and particularly the that the issue of the establish- into searching for alternative sce- blocking of the Verkhovna Rada’s ment of one or several factions narios, more specifically, creating work. № 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|11 Politics|Ukraine-EU-Russia The Sabotage of European Integration The actions of Ukrainian enforcement authorities look like efforts to disrupt the signing of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement, but they could eventually prove futile

Authors: Oleksandr Kramar, Oleksandr Mykhelson

12|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 Ukraine-EU-Russia|Politics t the briefing held on 18 Tymoshenko can take part in the ment. Still, this scenario does January, Prosecutor Gen- investigation. On 22 January, not explain why MPs were bru- eral, Viktor Pshonka, an- however, the US and EU ambas- tally evicted from her hospital Anounced the completion sadors to Ukraine filed official ward or why pressure from en- of an investigation under yet an- requests at the Ministry of For- forcers against members of Bat- other case against Yulia Tymosh- eign Affairs, asking for a meeting kivshchyna, including Serhiy enko. In this one, she is accused with Tymoshenko to clarify the Vlasenko and Hryhoriy Nemyria, of being involved in the assassi- situation. and other opposition parties has nation of businessman and MP, Whatever happens, the new mounted – it only underscores Yevhen Shcherban, who together Tymoshenko case is likely to fur- the repressive nature of the Yan- with his wife and three more ther damage Ukraine’s relations ukovych regime. people, was shot at the Donetsk with the West – the only ques- Thus, the scenario of a tar- airport on 3 November 1996. tion is, how much? What pushed geted campaign orchestrated by Even though the investigation the Prosecutor General to start it Russian special services to pro- was begun a while ago, the deci- now, right before the Ukraine- voke yet another wave of con- sion to file charges came as a EU summit, scheduled to take frontation with the West looks surprise. Ever since the an- place in Brussels on 25 Febru- more plausible. Under current nouncement was made, Tymosh- ary? Was it the lack of coordina- circumstances, such a scenario enko’s health and prison condi- tion between different represen- is only of benefit to the Kremlin tions issues have slowly faded in tatives of the government, as because the Association Agree- the media. So has the incident some Ukrainian analysts claim; ment and FTA Agreement with with three female MPs who re- an external provocation the Ukraine will hamper the imple- fused to leave her hospital ward President was unaware of, or a mentation of its plan to draw and were literally kicked out deliberate move by Yanukovych Ukraine into its neo-imperialis- based on a court verdict, as well to disrupt the Association Agree- tic projects. Moreover, there is a as the mounting pressure on opment and hold on to the oppor- curious coincidence: after the position MPs from enforcement tunity to continue walking the failure of Putin’s first attempt to authorities. tightrope between the EU and get Ukraine to join the Customs Russia while reinforcing his au- Union in spring 2011, there was The international thoritarian Family rule in the a high probability that Ukraine context centre of Europe? would sign the Association “Such a surprise move could fur- Agreement with the EU at the ther complicate relations with Who is the decision- preliminary bilateral summit in the European Union and the US maker? autumn 2011. But this was dis- as Ukraine enters a year that an- Some Ukrainian experts, includ- rupted by Tymoshenko’s arrest alysts believe could be decisive ing political analyst Volodymyr in August, just a few months be- in determining whether one of Fesenko, who favour the first Europe’s biggest nations moves scenario, note that the charges closer to the EU or returns to against Tymoshenko were aimed 2011 and 2013 scenarios Russia’s fold. <…> The legal es- at distracting the public from to disrupt the signing calation against Tymoshenko the scandal of the three MPs becomes just as EU diplomats were ing kicked out of her hospital of the Ukraine-EU debating whether to soften their ward by the guard, and hushing Association Agreement stance on the case against the up Tymoshenko’s protest against ex-premier and allow the signing the conditions under which she have much in common of the trade agreement” wrote is being kept, including constant FT in an article published on 18 video surveillance. According to fore the summit. Moscow’s sec- January. this logic, the ex-premier’s pro- ond attempt to force Yanu- Two evenings later, informa- tests and the stirring-up of her kovych into the Customs Union tion surfaced that Pshonka, supporters could signal her at- was in December 2012. How- along with Health Minister, tempts to once again draw atten- ever, after the cancellation of his Raisa Bohatyriova and the Head tion to herself before the upcom- scheduled visit to Russia, alleg- of the State Penitentiary Agency, ing Ukraine-EU summit and the edly because the parties had dis- Oleksandr Lisitskov, met with expected decisions regarding agreed on some integration as- accredited diplomats in Ukraine. visa facilitation and the Associa- pects, chances increased that the According to the Prosecutor tion Agreement. If so, Tymosh- final decision on the signing of General’s Office, the officials enko’s advocates may fear that the Association Agreement in briefed the delegates of 23 diplo- the signing of the Association 2013 would be taken at the Feb- matic missions, including those Agreement with the Yanukovych ruary summit. Moreover, Euro- from Russia, the USA and the regime will deprive them of the pean structures had somewhat EU, that Tymoshenko had been opportunity to push for the ex- relaxed their stance in Decem- notified that she was a suspect in premier’s release. In turn, Party ber, demanding only “progress” the case and insisted that the of Regions representatives have on relevant issues, not the reso- procedure had been conducted already accused the opposition lution of those on political pris- in accordance with the law. Min- of the intent to disrupt the oners. Given these demands, all ister Bohatyriova provided medi- Ukraine-EU summit and the the Ukrainian authorities had to cal reports which determine that signing of the Association Agree- do to disrupt the signing was to № 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|13 Politics|Ukraine-EU-Russia achieve setbacks on these issues. electorate and politicians. On nal influences affect his deci- The developments of the past the other, he should view mem- sions. few weeks appear to be the de- bership in the Customs Union as Obviously, the team in velopment of this scenario. a much greater risk to his pros- power, particularly enforcement Another possible assumption pects of staying in power, than authorities and the President’s is that the mounting political re- the potential signing of the As- personal circle, is full of people pressions result from external sociation Agreement with the who could be linked to Russian pressure on Ukrainian enforce- EU, even though it’s doubtful special services. It appears that ment authorities, of which the that it will be ratified anytime these people have once again President has been unaware. If soon. Actually, for the most part, succeeded in persuading Yanu- this is the case, the public may the latter does not require much kovych by fueling his fears and soon see some serious reshuf- of a commitment from Yanu- insecurities, or, perhaps, by us- fling in government involving kovych, who would be able to ing different “leverages”. Mean- people who set Yanukovych up continue to develop his Family while, Ukrainian special services so badly right before the business. He can traditionally are still made up of the remains Ukraine-EU summit and his explain to “friendly” Europe, of the KGB, and the common be- visit to Davos on 23-24 January. that “everything is in line with lief is that there is no such thing Otherwise, developments will Ukrainian legislation, which is as an ex-KGB agent. Lustrations point to a third scenario – that have not taken place, and quite a the President has personally au- To this day, Ukraine does few people, including the admin- thorized the attack against the istration of the SBU, Ukraine’s opposition. However absurd this not have security services Security Service, still view the may seem in terms of his own in- that are capable of leaders in Moscow as “our lead- terests, this signals Yanu- ers”. This makes it impossible to kovych’s efforts to disrupt the resisting special foreign expect any effective resistance to summit or at least the signing of special foreign operations. the Association Agreement be- operations So far, this influence on Yan- tween Ukraine and the EU. ukovych has prevented any gradually adapting to European moves that could eliminate or The Security standards, even if the process is hamper the prospect of Ukraine’s (dis)Service difficult”, should he have to reintegration with Russia, but it The question is whether Yanu- sweep his competitors out of the has not been persuasive enough kovych is taking these steps vol- way. However, since Yanu- to ultimately drag Ukraine into untarily or under external influ- kovych chose (or was forced to the Customs Union. If un- ence. On the one hand, he is ob- choose) a different scenario, changed, it would allow the Yan- viously forced to feign questions emerge as to how ca- ukovych regime to continue rein- “European-oriented intentions” pable he is of taking decisions on forcing itself while balancing be- given their popularity with the his own and whether any exter- tween Russia and the EU without

The Yevhen Shcherban case Tymoshenko’s “Killer” Case Author: Oleksandr Mykhelson

The Prosecutor General’s Office must have been looking forward to charging – or serving a notice on the suspicion of a crime, as stated in the new Code of Criminal Proceed- ings – Yulia Tymoshenko with contracting a murder. This was not the first attempt but until now, the investigative group did not have the opportunity to acquaint the imprisoned ex-premier with the report on her alleged involvement in the assassination of MP Yevhen Shcherban on 3 November 1996 (see photo). When Ihor Kolpashchykov, Head of the Kachanivka Prison administration, finally read the notification of suspicion on 18 January 2013, journalists were urgently called to the Prosecutor General’s Office in Kyiv. 14|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 Ukraine-EU-Russia|Politics publicly dropping the idea of Eu- Parliament’s Committee on For- Parliament (a representative of ropean integration and blaming eign Affairs unanimously sup- the Party of Regions’ European the lack of progress in this direc- ported amendments to the partners), Georgia’s Prime-Min- tion on the EU or the opposition. Ukraine-EU visa facilitation ister, Bidzina Ivanishvili (who has However, the past month has agreement, signed in Brussels on recently been following Yanu- seen an abrupt shift of Ukrainian 23 July 2012. However, the doc- kovych’s example in persecuting politics regarding the Kremlin. ument still has a long way to go, the opposition) and the CEO of The escalated persecution of including being voted on by the Royal Dutch Shell, which is plan- Tymoshenko and the opposition Civil Liberties, Justice and ning to extract shale gas in as a whole may not stop the EU Home Affairs Committee at the Ukraine. from holding the February sum- European Parliament’s plenary If this is the case, the Associ- mit and signing the Association session, before the European ation Agreement and a slight Agreement and FTA Agreement Council passes its final decision. thaw in negotiations between the in 2013, but it could delay ratifi- The time it’s taking to imple- EU and Ukraine will be a step cation until the Yanukovych re- ment the agreement signed last that benefits Ukraine as a state, gime fulfills all of its require- July signals how long the ratifi- while the visible isolation of Vik- ments or, more likely, is re- cation of the Association Agree- tor Yanukovych and part of his placed. This would allow the EU ment could take after the formal team, which is likely to increase to leave the Ukrainian govern- signing. ment with no room to blame Widespread opinion in the The EU may agree to sign Ukraine’s turn to Moscow on the West is that putting pressure on EU’s “double standards” and the Yanukovych regime is the the Association Agreement prove that European states and task of Ukrainian society and the structures will not ratify the As- opposition, while the role of the but ratify it depending sociation Agreement without sig- outside world is to merely sup- on Ukraine’s execution nificant transformations in port them, not do it for them. The Ukraine. The EU Commissioner EU's strategic choice can be in fa- of its obligations for Enlargement and European vour of integration with Ukraine, Neighbourhood Policy, Štefan accompanied by tactical personal further, will serve as a warning Füle, is planning to visit Kyiv on isolation for Yanukovych and odi- of possible personal sanctions in February 6-7 as part of prepara- ous members of his regime, such the future. Moreover, the signing tions for the summit. as Renat Kuzmin who is already of the agreement and communi- having difficulties entering the cation with Ukrainian diplomats The personification of USA. This theory was illustrated and businesses will not prevent isolation? by Yanukovych’s visit to Davos, European structures from imple- Despite the aggravation of the where meetings where onle menting such personal sanc- situation with the ex-premier, scheduled with Martin Schulz, tions. These can be two different on 22 January, the European the President of the European processes.

The Yevhen Shcherban case

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, Ty- assassination was still unknown when this given to O. Milchenko for the assassination moshenko, who at that time was the CEO article went to print. The payment docu- came from Tymoshenko. However, no evi- of YeESU, United Energy Systems of ments did not specify a designation for the dence has been disclosed to prove that she Ukraine, and the then premier, Pavlo Laza- funds. In theory, prosecutors could have two knew what the money was used for. renko, had a business conflict with Shcher- witnesses in the case. One is Vadim Bo- According to the Prosecutor General ban: Lazarenko demanded that Donetsk lotskikh, a Russian citizen who shot the Pshonka, the murder of Shcherban is consid- enterprises buy gas from YeESU, while Shcherban couple and is serving life in ered to be part of the YeESU case. The trial Shcherban was interested in reinforcing prison, and Petro Kyrychenko, Lazarenko’s on the latter has not started yet as sessions the position of the Industrial Union of Don- right-hand man. The latter had previously are constantly postponed, since ill health bas on the gas market. Investigators insist cooperated with US law enforcement agen- prevents Tymoshenko from being present in that Tymoshenko had personally threat- cies, revealing the scheme Lazarenko used court. ened Shcherban. According to the Prosecu- to receive kickbacks from YeESU in the On 18 January, Pshonka said that the new tor General’s Office, Lazarenko and Ty- money laundering case. For this, Kyrychenko charges may result in a life sentence for Ty- moshenko finally hired a group of killers ended up with US citizenship and was given moshenko, although it is the court that will who had previously assassinated the unof- protection under the Federal Witness Protec- specify the term. The investigation involving ficial king of Donbas, Akhat Bragin, tion Programme. He had property, including Tymoshenko was scheduled to begin on 24 through deceased crime boss, Oleksandr an apartment in Kyiv that was seized. In- January, but didn’t. According to her lawyers Milchenko, known as Matros (Sailor). The formed sources claim that the Ukrainian spe- and family, the critical state of her health day after Shcherban and his wife were fa- cial service blackmailed Kyrychenko to get does not permit it. After a visit to the hospi- tally shot at the Donetsk airport, the killers evidence from him in August 2011: informa- tal where her mother has been since April received USD 500,000 in cash from Laza- tion was circulated that the apartment was 2012, Yevheniya said that the ex-premier had renko’s assistant. A further USD 3.2mn was no longer seized, but when his wife flew to lost weight and currently weights 47 kg, later transferred to their accounts from Kyiv to sell it, she was arrested for attempt- while her body temperature is 35ºC. Yevhe- companies controlled by Tymoshenko. ing to sell seized property. In November nia Tymoshenko made public an open letter, How investigators intended to prove that it 2011, Kyrychenko gave evidence by phone. calling on Ukrainian authorities “not to kill” was indeed Tymoshenko who paid for the Among other things, he said that the money her mother in prison. № 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|15 politics|opinion General Prosecutors Office Run Amuck?

Author: hrow enough mud and some of it will stick. port control) when his passport was withheld and Hanne This seems to be the policy be followed by he was asked to wait. Thirty minutes later, officials Severinsen Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka and First from the Prosecutor’s Office appeared and while TDeputy Prosecutor General Renat Kuzmin in videotaping the incident served Nemyria a sum- 2013 in response to the international criticism of the mons to appear for questioning as a witness. selective judgment and imprisonment of political Vlasenko has been intimidated because of cases prisoners, most significantly, opposition Leader against him stemming from civil disputes with his Yulia Tymoshenko. former wife. On Thursday, 24 January, he was re- There are (no doubt about it) many unsolved fused permission to leave Ukraine, thus depriving murder cases in Donetsk and the surrounding re- him of the ability to attend a session of PACE in gion, - some going back 16 years. So why not accuse Strasbourg. Authorities claimed there was a court her of one of them? And they claim to have evi- decision prohibiting him to leave the country until dence while not telling anyone anything about what he pays awards in a civil dispute concerning the sort of evidence they have. The presumption of in- separation of property after his divorce. But this vi- nocence is not something you hear much about in olates his immunity as an MP. The Law on the Sta- the PGO. tus of MPs is very clear that an MP may only be ar- All of this reminds one of the Stalin era when rested or detained or charged after agreement from murder was followed by accusations in order to parliament is obtained. And Vlasenko claims he eliminate everyone the regime viewed as an enemy. had already paid this "debt". To international observers, things are appear- Yevheniya Tymoshenko, the former prime mining stranger and stranger — while the PGO over- ister's daughter has had her e-mail hacked and looks the kleptocratic enrichment of the Family in tampered with. For instance a false bill from the power, prosecutors continue old (and start new) Berlin Clinic that treated her mother was fabricated vendettas against not only Tymoshenko, but also in order to let it look like Tymoshenko was bribed, those in her circle. while in fact she was “The new cases All of this reminds one of treated on a voluntary against opposition law- basis and only had her makers Serhiy Vlasenko the Stalin era when murder direct travel costs cov- and Hryhoriy Nemyria was followed by ered. are harming relations be- Hacking now seems tween Ukraine and the accusations in order to to be the choice method European Union.” So for undermining critical said the European Par- eliminate everyone the journalists. liament's special repre- regime viewed as an enemy Ukrainska Pravda sentative, Alexander journalists Serhiy Kwasniewski, at the 9th Leshchenko and Mustafa Ukrainian Lunch in Davos, organized by the Nayem have had their e-mail accounts hacked Victor Pinchuk Foundation. "We must remove and fake e-mails have been written to incrimi- these political mistakes, they are not necessary. nate them. Most of these things are very easy to avoid if you And all of this happens despite the fact that want to choose the best strategy — association with Ukraine again committed itself to reform the Pros- the EU," Kwasniewski said. ecutor’s Office at a session in PACE last year. And this is true: The Association Agreement is Some changes in legislation have been passed — only waiting for Ukraine to act according to its own but the behaviour and the implementation seems to promises to behave like a state ruled by law. be the reverse. Nemyria, who earlier received a fine but was The Council of Europe continues the work of Si- not allowed to to pay it, was last week effectively syphus to try, try and try again. But, so far, the Rule detained for about an hour (passing through pass- of Law is still the victim. 16|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 Де&&&&&&&&за|Neighbours Russia’s Soft Power Wars

n Moscow’s calculations, Russia Author: prospect of membership itself has article in Moskovskiye Novosti and the West are embroiled in a Janusz been the primary “soft power” tool (Moscow News) in February 2012. long-term competition over Bugajski, as it entices governments to meet He claimed that this weapon was Izones of dominance in the Senior the necessary legal, economic, and being increasingly used as a means wider Europe and in Central Asia, associate in regulatory standards to qualify for for achieving foreign policy goals despite the fact that the US and its the Europe Union accession. However, EU or without the use of force, but by ex- European allies have refused to Program at NATO membership remain volun- erting informational and other le- acknowledge or legitimize such a the Centre for tary and are not pressured by in- vers of influence. According to Pu- “great game.” Russia’s drive for its Strategic and ducements and threats, as is the tin, Western "soft power" is de- own sphere in a "multipolar" International case with Moscow-centered orga- ployed to “develop and provoke world contributes to retarding the Studies nizations. While the West pro- extremist, separatist, and nation- formation of stable democratic motes the pooling of sovereignty alistic attitudes, to manipulate the states along its borders. Govern- among independent states, Russia public and to conduct direct inter- ments in these countries turn to pushes for the surrender of sover- ference in the domestic policy of authoritarianism to maintain the eignty within assorted “Eurasian” sovereign countries.” Evidently, integrity and stability of the state organizations. for the Kremlin, democratic plu- or simply to cling to power. Such a To advance its strategic goals, ralism is a form of extremism, na- process is invariably supported by the Kremlin needs to demonstrate tional independence is a form of Moscow as it contributes to dis- that it is in competition with the separatism, and state sovereignty qualifying these countries from West and that Washington and is a form of nationalism. the process of Western integra- Brussels are seeking to impose Putin contends that there tion. their political structures and value must be a clear division between Moscow opposes any “en- “normal political activity” and “il- croachment” by outside powers in Moscow must increase legal instruments of soft power." its self-proclaimed “privileged” Hence, he engages in scathing at- zone of interests or the further ex- Russia's educational and tacks on "pseudo-NGOs" inside pansion of NATO, EU, and US in- Russia and among the post-Soviet fluence. Russia views itself as a re- cultural presence neighbors that receive resources gional integrator, expecting neigh- in the world by expanding from Western governments and bors to coalesce around its institutions, viewing this as a form leadership, rather than a country the rights of co-ethnics of subversion. In reality, the to be integrated in multi-national and co-linguists in all Kremlin is envious that Western institutions in which its own sov- values are often more appealing to ereignty is diminished. In this nearby states so they gain educated and ambitious segments context, Russian “soft power” in increasing political of the population than traditional all its manifestations is under- Russian values. stood as a means for supplement- influence The global human rights ing Russia’s foreign policy objec- agenda is berated by Putin as a tives and enhancing regional inte- system on the gullible Eurasian Western plot, because the US and gration under Moscow’s tutelage. countries. This is a classic form of other Western states allegedly po- In marked contrast, the West’s psycho-political projection, with liticize human rights and use them “soft power” approach is intended Russia’s leaders acting as if West- as a means for exerting pressure to generate reform, internal stabil- ern objectives were similar to their on Russia and its neighbors. Hu- ity, external security, democratic own in undermining national in- man rights campaigns are de- development, and open markets to dependence and eliminating picted as a powerful form of “soft make targeted states compatible countervailing foreign influences. power” diplomacy intended to dis- with Western systems and institu- Putin launched a blistering at- credit governments that are more tions. In the case of the EU, the tack on Western “soft power” in an easily influenced by Moscow. Rus- № 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|17 Neighbours|Expanding the Russian Worl sia supposedly offers a legitimate political alternative to these countries - a quasi- authoritarian “sovereign democracy” and a statist- capitalist form of economic development. “Sovereign democracy” is presented as a viable option to the alleged Western export of democratic revolutions. Russia’s support for strong-arm governments is intended to entice these countries under its political and security umbrella and delegitimize the West for its criticisms of auto- cratic politics. Moscow’s Soft Power Instruments In Putin’s version of “soft power," an assortment of tools can be de- ployed to achieve strategic goals. These include culture, education, media, language, minority protection, Christian Orthodoxy, pan- Slavism, and Russo-focused assimilation. All these elements can supplement institutional instruments, economic incentives, energy dependence, military threats, and the political pressures applied by the Kremlin. In a landmark article on 23 January 2012 in Nezavisimaya Gazeta (The Independent News- paper) Putin promoted his plan for uniting Russia’s multi-ethnic society and stressed the central importance of Russian culture for all former Soviet states. In sum, for Eastern Slavs Russia is sup- “great mission of Russians is to compatriots abroad regardless of posed to be the model “older unite and bind civilization” their status and citizenship. This brother,” while for non-Slavs it is through language and culture. Ac- has involved promoting Russian evidently the enlightened “father cording to such ethno-racist as a second state language or a re- figure.” The stress is on uniting thinking, Ukrainians, Belarusians, gional language in all former So- various ethnic communities in the Georgians, and other nationalities viet republics, including Ukraine Russian Federation and former simply do not match the historical and the Baltic countries. USSR under the banner of Rus- importance of the Great Russian Issuing passports to citizens of sian culture and values. Putin crit- nation. neighboring states has been a fa- icizes multiculturalism as a desta- He has called for enhancing vored way of developing pro-Rus- bilizing force and instead supports education, language use, and na- sian sectors of the population, in- integration through assimilation, tional history to buttress Russia’s fluencing local politics, and pro- a veiled term for Russification. tradition of cultural dominance viding a potential pretext for According to Putin, Russian and lists numerous tools for pro- intervention in case of internal people and culture are the binding moting Russian culture, including conflict. Some observers have fabric of this “unique civilization.” television, cinema, the Internet, dubbed the policy as “re-occupa- He extolls the virtues of "cultural social media, and popular culture. tion through passportization.” dominance," where Russia is de- All these outlets must evidently Georgia is believed to have about picted as a “poly-ethnic civiliza- shape public opinion and set be- 179,000 Russian passport holders, tion” held together by a Russian havioral norms. the Transnistria enclave in Mol- “cultural core.” The President An additional important “soft dova about 100,000, Azerbaijan notes with satisfaction that many power” instrument for the Krem- 160,000, Armenia 114,00, and up former citizens of the Soviet lin is the campaign to defend hu- to 100,000 reside in Ukraine’s Union, “who found themselves man and minority rights in neigh- Crimea out of approximately half abroad, are calling themselves boring states - a ploy designed to a million Russian citizens in Russian, regardless of their eth- increase Moscow’s political lever- Ukraine. nicity.” Russian people are evi- age. Russian leaders claim the in- In September 2008, the Fed- dently “nation-forming” as the alienable right to defend their eral Agency for CIS Affairs, at- 18|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 Expanding the Russian Worl|Neighbours Janusz Bugajski is a gain increasing political influence. policy analyst, Third, while the US promotes Hence, we have witnessed persis- writer, lecturer, and cordial relations between its own tent attacks on Latvian and Esto- television host allies and Russia, Moscow re- based in the United nian authorities for supposedly States, and the mains fixated on its own primacy abusing the Russian minority as author of 18 books or exclusivity. For instance, Wash- on Europe, Russia, both countries have linguistic stip- and trans-Atlantic ington supports closer bilateral ulations for citizenship. Mean- relations relations between Poland or other while, a high percentage of post- Central-East European countries World War Two Russian colonists and Russia as it believes this gen- view their language as superior erates regional stability and less- and have not made sufficient ef- ens the need for US security guar- fort to learn Estonian or Latvian. antees. In stark contrast, the Kremlin does not support closer Conflicting Strategic relations between Ukraine or the Objectives CIS states and the U.S., calculat- In assessing the context of “soft ing that this deprives Moscow of power” projection, analysts often its political leverage, undermines overlook some important differ- its privileged interests, and could ences between American and Rus- be the harbinger of a political and sian spheres of influence. In order military alliance. to grasp Moscow’s objectives and Fourth, the Kremlin actually understand how its “soft power” promotes conflicts between its instruments fit into grand strategy allies and the US to weaken it is useful to consider four signifi- America’s influence or seeks to cant contrasts with Washington's capitalize on disputes between approach. Washington and third parties. First, US administrations ac- For example, Moscow has en- cept the right of each state to deavored to buttress the Hugo choose its alliances, while Russian officials endeavor to impose secu- Russia’s drive for its own rity arrangements on neighbors. Countries enter the Western sphere in a "multipolar" sphere and the NATO alliance vol- world contributes untarily as this contributes to their security and is not seen as a threat to retarding the formation to their sovereignty. States invari- of stable democratic states ably join the Russian sphere as a

Sketch by dmytro s kazhenyk by Sketch result of inducement, threat, or along its borders outright pressure. Oftentimes, tached to the Russian foreign min- there are no viable alternatives to Chavez government in Venezuela istry and answerable directly to the Russian-centered alliance be- into a more assertive regional the President, began its opera- cause of energy dependence, trade player in Latin America that can tions. It was designed to project links, and other forms of entrap- create security headaches for the Russia’s soft security tools toward ment. Governments seek to avoid US. By contrast, Washington ac- former satellites and to assist Rus- potential destabilization from tively discourages disputes be- sian citizens in neighboring coun- Moscow by partially acquiescing tween Moscow and its former tries, thereby indicating more sys- to Kremlin demands. Nonetheless, satellites. Moreover, it is not ob- tematic intervention by Moscow. disputes continue to simmer as sessed with alleged Russian en- Other organizations, such as the various capitals from Belarus to circlement when Moscow sends Institute of CIS Countries, have Uzbekistan resist surrendering the military vessels to Cuba or Vene- been created to channel funds to most important elements of their zuela. However, when a U.S ship Moscow-friendly political parties sovereignty to Russia. sails into the Black Sea or Wash- and NGOs in the region. Russian Second, NATO and the EU ington sells military equipment media supportive of the Kremlin is have not created spheres of influ- to Georgia, the Kremlin claims also beamed throughout the CIS ence orbiting around one power that Washington is launching a or has established joint ventures center but voluntary alliances op- new Cold War. with local media. erating on a consensual basis and For Russian officials, alliances In Putin's estimation, Moscow in the case of the EU pooling ele- and partnerships are in them- must expand Russia's educational ments of their sovereignty. By selves zero sum calculations in a and cultural presence in the world, contrast, Russia has developed a constant struggle for influence especially in those countries where post-Soviet version of the Brezh- and advantage with the United a substantial part of the popula- nev doctrine, whereby countries States. “Soft power” is thereby un- tion understands Russian. Sup- within Russian-sponsored institu- derstood by Moscow as an arm of port for compatriots and Russian tions have serious limitations on Russian state influence and a culture abroad involves expanding their sovereignty, particularly in valuable tactical tool employed to the rights of co-ethnics and co-lin- their foreign policy and security achieve specific geostrategic ambi- guists in all nearby states so they orientations. tions. № 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|19 neighbours|PACE & political prisoners Three in a Boat PACE’s failure to recognize Azerbaijani political prisoners creates problems for their counterparts in Ukraine

Author: ountries and people depend gates from other countries. They Alla Lazareva, on each other more than also contacted the Ukrainian dele- Strasbourg anyone would like to admit. gation, at least some of its mem- CHere is a fresh example: a bers. The arguments were of two failed report on political prisoners kinds: first, there were alleged “ter- in Azerbaijan at the most recent rorists and killers” on the proposed PACE session is likely to also hurt list of prisoners, and second, Kyiv Ukraine. More precisely, it hurts needs Azerbaijani oil and gas. those Ukrainian members of the “In fact, the list of potential opposition and their supporters political prisoners was ironclad,” who had hoped that there would Emin, an activist in one of the four at least be a discussion on grant- Azerbaijani NGOs involved in ing the status of political prisoner drawing up the list, counters. to Yulia Tymoshenko and Yuriy “Each one of us came up with a Lutsenko at the April session. list, and then we all met in Berlin: The report on political prison- human rights advocates and the ers in Azerbaijan was pivotal for office of Christoph Strässer. About the Parliamentary Assembly of the 90% of the names were the same. Council of Europe. In October We removed the rest from the list. Affairs and Human Rights. Ac- 2012, PACE was the first interna- We collectively put together an cording to the decision passed last tional organization in the world to ‘ironclad’ dossier on each pris- October, the committee reviews legally define the term political oner. We worked together for sev- the request and, if it finds it valid, prisoner. It took lawyers three eral days, comparing information appoints a special rapporteur on long years to accomplish that. The and making it more precise.” the country in question. Several plan was that a report by German Counting on what they missions and meetings follow, all socialist Christoph Strässer would thought was an invincible demo- leading to the final report which a allow the terminology to be put to cratic majority in the Council of PACE session discusses and ap- practical use. And then, once the Europe, advocates of Azerbaijani proves. precedent was established, similar prisoners, unlike their opponents, The initial plan was to discuss issues would be considered with did not actively contact delegates Ukrainian political prisoners in regard to Ukraine and Russia. prior to the vote. Perhaps, if they April. This possibility was tenta- However, this was not to be. had called, argued and circulated tively mentioned, for example, by “Who could imagine several years documents, the vote would have Secretary-General of the Council ago that the Council of Europe involved at least 50 more in- of Europe Thornbjorn Jagland. would fail to agree on a resolution formed and concerned politicians. Yet it is important to note that this on political prisoners?” one per- But that never happened. meeting took place several hours manent employee of the organiza- What are the effects of this before the “Azerbaijani” vote. Now tion wondered aloud as she spoke failed report for Ukraine? There Jagland’s office is skeptical that to The Ukrainian Week. “We are several. The first, purely pro- the Ukrainian initiatives stand a must admit that lobbying on the cedural, is that if an attempt to chance. part of Baku and, no doubt, Mos- recognize and identify by name The second consequence of cow has proved principles exist the Azerbaijani political prisoners the prisoner vote failure has to do which are more powerful to those failed at the official level, it is hard with scheduling. Apart from pos- who support universal justice than to imagine a kamikaze who would, sible new special reports, the fidelity. The question is not how after the defeat of rapporteur Council of Europe already has sev- authoritarian regimes cooperate. Christoph Strässer, put his reputa- eral multiyear political investiga- The question really is: Out of 224 tion as a successful politician on tions involving official Kyiv. One PACE delegates present in the ses- the line for the sake of Ukrainians. of them is a report being prepared sion hall, why were a mere 79 will- The procedure of recognizing by Dutch Christian Democrat Pi- ing to stop political repression in political prisoners is as follows. eter Omtzigt which concerns the Europe?” Members of the national delega- separation of political and crimi- According to information ob- tion of a country in which people nal responsibility. tained by The Ukrainian Week, are imprisoned for political mo- “The rapporteur has already representatives of the Azerbaijani tives must send an official request been to Iceland where a prime authorities personally called dele- to the PACE Committee on Legal minister was convicted (but not 20|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 PACE & political prisoners|neighbours A failed that means that the country's top attempt. leadership is involved in a number The report of crimes against public justice – by German socialist holding a patently innocent per- Christoph son criminally liable, coercing into Strässer on testimony, passing deliberately political unlawful court decisions, interfer- prisoners in ing with the operation of an auto- Azerbaijan mated document flow system, etc. failed to garner In Ukraine, these offences fall un- the support of der Articles 371-376 of the Crimi- PACE delegates nal Code. It is hard to imagine a scenario under which a prosecutor general or his deputy would allow a case to be opened against himself, or to imagine a judge who ful- filled orders from the top leadership would not complain when he himself is charged. This is when intervention from the outside is needed. This is when the Council of Europe needs to step in.” A mere 79 PACE delegates voted in favour of the decision to recognize political prisoners in Azerbaijan. These included Ukrai- nian delegates – Svoboda member Oleksandr Shevchenko and UDAR member Petro Riabykin. But even if all three delegates from Bat- imprisoned – Ed.) precisely for a Ukraine, France and Russia. The kivshchyna (Fatherland) had also political decision,” a source in the document is being prepared by PACE Committee on Legal Affairs German liberal Marieluise Beck. In and Human Rights has told The the case of Ukraine, the report will The opposition should Ukrainian Week. “But he hasn’t look at the cases of Georgiy forge new effective been able to travel to Ukraine. Gongadze and Yuriy Lutsenko. Mr. Omtzigt has applied multiple Beck faced no obstacles to working partnerships with times, but Kyiv is in no hurry with in Ukraine, but Russia has refused PACE delegates dates.” Without coming to Ukraine, to invite her. It is the same old he will not be able to complete the story: the investigation is not com- to have the status report. As time goes by and people plete, and it is anyone’s guess when of political prisoners are unable to read the final docu- it will reach the session hall. ment, the prospects of a discussion Ukraine, Russia and Azerbai- in Ukraine recognized on Ukraine in the PACE session jan have managed to quietly sabo- hall grow ever more dim. tage the activities of the Council of cast yes votes, it would not have “If the very term political pris- Europe aimed at recognizing po- remedied the situation, as 125 del- oner became operational, Ukraine litical prisoners. And it must be egates were opposed. One of them, would find it psychologically more admitted that the authorities of Pedro Agramunt, a rapporteur on difficult to continue denying Om- each of these three countries have Azerbaijan, recently seems to be tzigt the opportunity to work on been very good at cooperating to- less exacting regarding violations its territory,” the PACE Secretariat gether. Will opposition forces in of democratic standards than he believes. “However, the Azerbai- Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan, Tur- was before. janis have not granted rapporteur key and other countries be able to If we imagine for a minute Christoph Strässer an opportunity cooperate the same way, at least that the issue of Ukrainian polit- to come on a visit, which made it tactically? ical prisoners is put to a vote in possible to claim that he had not “I am convinced that if the sit- Strasbourg, we must realize that been to the country and did not uation fails to improve in Ukraine, the opposition needs to think know what was happening there.” Azerbaijan, the Russian Federa- about forging new effective part- This trick has worked and why tion and some other Council of nerships, seek common strate- would the Ukrainian authorities Europe members, the Council of gies on the level of delegates and reject a method that has been Europe will return to the topic of tackle the most difficult thing: proved and tested? political prisoners,” says Valen- finding a potential Western ter- In addition to the report on tyna Telychenko, a lawyer, attor- minator rapporteur who would, separating political and criminal ney and specialist in the workings despite objective circumstances, responsibility, PACE will hear one of the European Court of Human throw caution to the wind and on fulfilling Council of Europe res- Rights. “If opposition leaders are put his faith in the nearly hope- olutions and recommendations by being imprisoned in a country, less Ukrainian case. № 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|21 economics|Energy security Aspirations to Control the Gas Market The main groups of influence within the conglomerate in power are trying to use the gas confrontation with Russia to achieve their own ends

THANK YOU ALL! Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych, Energy and Coal Industry Minister Eduard Stavytsky, Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte and Royal Dutch Shell CEO Peter Voser after signing the gas deal in Davos photo: ukrinform photo:

Author: ince the recent escalation in strategy to bypass Ukraine in tran- pendence on Russia grow, provid- Oleksandr the gas confrontation be- siting gas to Europe and keep gas ing it offers benefits for the busi- Kramar tween Ukraine and Russia, prices high, Ukraine’s Nadra Yuz- nesses that are close to them. Mean- Sthe Russian media has ivska signed a deal with Shell Ex- while, Gazprom’s future looks more started buzzing about a looming ploration and Production Ukraine bleak. Russia is implementing a gas war, while the EU has ex- Investment BV in Davos on 24 Jan- long-term plan to raise domestic pressed the hope that this would uary regarding the distribution of gas prices annually until they meet not hamper the gas supply to Euro- the shale gas extracted at the Yuz- world levels. According to earlier pean consumers as it did in 2009. ivka field in Kharkiv and Donetsk predictions, this should have hap- After the construction of South Oblasts. Shortly thereafter, Gaz- pened by 2015-2016, yet much will Stream was formally launched in prom billed Naftogaz of Ukraine not change if the plan is completed December 2012, in January Gaz- for the gas it had not used under a few years later. Moreover, gas prom decided to build the subse- previously signed contracts. prices have been changing on both quent branches of Nord Stream. The stance of the Russian side is sides lately, those in the US already On January 14, the GAZELLE pipe- clear: Moscow is playing with Yanu- lower than domestic gas prices in line began to operate, going from kovych, pressuring him into capitu- Russia, while the growing NLG im- Northern to Southern Czech Re- lation - handing over Ukraine’s gas ports push gas prices in Europe public and binding the German transit system or entering the Cus- down as well. The continuation of OPAL (Nord Stream branch) with toms Union. Obviously, Ukrainian the so-called shale revolution could MEGAL, the pipeline used to tran- authorities are not guided by the in- drive the domestic price of Russian sit Russian gas through Ukraine tent to decrease Ukraine’s energy gas to match that on the European and Austria to Southern Germany dependence on Russia. On the con- market much earlier than expected. and France. Its potential capacity is trary, government officials say This could completely wipe out any now up to 30bn cu m of gas annu- openly that they are willing to see discounts for Ukraine within two or ally. In response to Gazprom’s Ukraine’s energy and economic de- three years, even if Ukraine joins 22|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 Energy security|economics Overprotected the Customs Union or sets up a joint in coal extraction and processing, Under the contract own share on the market as a sup- Russian-Ukrainian venture to run while expensive gas makes the busi- between Shell and plier of fuel for industrial consum- the Ukrainian gas transit system. ness ever more profitable and opens Nadra Yuzivska, the ers. It is Firtash’s entities that two companies are new prospects for coal bed gas ex- exempted from most could become key players in vari- Family business traction. DTEK is not only concen- taxes and fees appli- ous schemes to purchase gas from cable in oil and gas Given the latest developments, the trating its coal mining assets in extraction. They will the EU market. interests of the key players in the Ukraine, but is also increasing coal only pay income tax, The media has already reported VAT and taxes for conglomerate in power, particu- extraction in Eastern (Russian) subsoil use. Regard- that a new company called Ostchem larly the Family, are ever more re- Donbas in the Rostov Oblast. In less of changes in Gas Trading AG was registered in lated to expanding their own prof- 2013 alone, DTEK is supposed to Ukrainian legislation, Switzerland in December 2012. It is the income tax rate itable projects, rather than knock- extract 1.8mn t which is 4.6 times for project investors headed by the CEO of RosUkrEn- ing down the price of Russian gas. more than in 2012. After all, the will only be 16% as of ergo AG, which is also one of 2014. The govern- The Family is counting on do- myth about the problems that high ment could be fined Firtash’s companies. A week later, mestic gas extraction, as signaled gas prices cause to Akhmetov’s for late VAT reim- Yevhen Bakulin, the Chairman of by the contract with Shell and the steelworks is also exaggerated. Be- bursement. Project the Board at Naftogaz, who is close investors are not scandal with NaftoGazVydobuvan- fore the 2008-2009 crisis, Ukrai- subject to any Ukrai- to Firtash’s group, said that indus- nia, the Oil and Gas Extraction nian steelworks consumed 9-10bn nian central or local trial consumers should buy gas authority laws if they Company owned by Nestor Shu- cu m of gas annually. In 2011, con- limit the rights of the from alternative traders because it frych and Mykola Rudkovsky, sumption fell to 5.5bn cu m and be- investors. The Shell is cheaper. According to Bakulin, it and Nadra Yuzivska which until recently, controlled low 3.9bn cu m in 2012. The compa- operation is going to makes sense to leave Naftogaz to nearly a third of all gas extraction nies that are part of Akhmetov’s be inspected by only supply gas to individual consumers by private-owned companies in SCM holding consume almost half one authority, no and utility companies. more than once ev- Ukraine. According to information of this amount, while the scheduled ery three years, and In 2013, Ostchem Gas Trading that surfaced in the media thanks – and slowly implemented by Met- each inspection plans to import over 8bn cu m of should take no more to MP Oleksandr Bryhynets, the Invest – technology that uses pul- than 10 days. gas, and sell nearly 25% of it to in- company should have transferred verized coal fuel should ultimately dustrial consumers that are not nearly 30% of its shares to entities decrease gas consumption by his linked to Firtash. In the near fu- linked to the Family as a reward for steelworks to 1bn cu m per year. ture, the oligarch is prepared to in- the extension of its extraction li- This is an amount that he can easily crease gas supplies to Ukraine by at cense. Given its total control over extract in Ukraine. And it is only for least 150%. Eventually, in addition the Ministry of Natural Resources the better, if his competitors have to importing gas from “alternative and the Ministry of Energy, super- troubles with gas supply or are sources”, Firtash may also take vised by the loyal Eduard forced to buy overpriced fuel. part in the privatization of gas ex- Stavytsky, the Family has extensive Meanwhile, Akhmetov’s enti- traction facilities in Ukraine, since opportunities to increase its share ties are showing interest in the ex- he has long shown interest in in other gas extraction-related traction of gas on the Black Sea projects. Rumour has it that the shelf (Vanco Prykerchenska) as Family even has a share in the joint well as of unconventional gas that Expensive gas plays project with Shell. It is supposedly could bring maximum profits in into the hands represented by the little-known view of existing expensive im- SPK GeoService which already ported fuels. Thus, DTEK and Linc of the Family, owns 10% of Nadra Yuzivska but Energy, an Australian company Akhmetov and Firtash and there is no guarantee that its share that has been involved in under- will not increase to a controlling ground coal gasification (UCG) in their energy projects stake at any time. Australia for 12 years, signed a It is therefore not surprising memorandum of understanding UkrGasVydobuvannia, a gas ex- that the joint venture for shale gas and a contract to draft a feasibility traction company that is currently extraction has ended up with a study on syngas production part of Naftogaz. privileged environment in which to through UCG in Ukraine. DTEK’s In this context, expensive Rus- operate (see Overprotected). CEO, Maksym Tymchenko, stated sian gas plays into the hands of the The important aspect of the deal is that the company expects to launch major groups of influence in the that Shell is supposed to make syngas extraction in 2014, its esti- Ukrainian conglomerate in power, large purchases from Ukrainian mated original cost lower than that while the burden of overpriced gas suppliers, so entities close to the of shale gas and close to that of do- remains a useful argument in lobby- government that have previously mestically extracted natural gas. ing various privileges for oligarch- been involved in many public pro- The biggest industrial con- controlled companies, overpricing curement scams, will try to take sumer of natural gas in Ukraine is the original cost of their production, advantage of the opportunities that still Dmytro Firtash’s Ostchem and using various tax optimization open doors to investments which Holding. However, having the op- schemes. Therefore, their real inter- are initially worth hundreds of mil- portunity to import gas directly est is to cut the extra gas imports lions of dollars, and tens of billions from abroad, bypassing Naftogaz provided for by the 2009 deals and if the industrial extraction of shale (and at spot prices) for the third subsequent addenda thereto, rather gas is confirmed and launched. year now, the oligarch can not only than persuade Russia to reduce its to provide his companies with gas gas price, while cheap fuel can only The oligarchs’ strategy at affordable prices, but also take be of interest if it allows them to ar- Both the Family and Rinat Akhme- advantage of Russia’s high gas range schemes to resell it for their tov’s DTEK have expressed interest price for Naftogaz to increase his own benefit. № 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|23 Economics|Monetary security

In December 2012, Ukrayinsky Tyzhden/The Ukrai- nian Week initiated a series of panel discussions fo- “Foreign currency deficit is cusing on priority socio-political and economic issues with opposition MPs and independent experts. a serious threat to Ukraine’s Our goal is to draw public and political attention to the problems that are critical for the nation’s future and find possible solutions. At the first discussion independence” on 19 December, representatives from UDAR, Bat- kivshchyna and Svoboda talked of the extent to Volodymyr Lanovyi, President of to be actively working in this di- which the oligarch-controlled economy is obstruct- the Centre for Market Reforms rection. ing the creation of a successful state project (read more in The Ukrainian Week No 1-2/Jan. 2013). At Moreover, if Ukraine’s gas tran- the latest discussion, politicians and independent his year, Ukraine is experi- sit system ends up in Gazprom’s analysts tried to answer Ukrayinsky Tyzhden/The encing a shortage of foreign hands, Ukraine will have no oppor- Ukrainian Week’s questions concerning Ukraine’s currency to meet its foreign tunity to negotiate discounts for gas monetary security and forecasts for 2013. Tcurrency liabilities and repay and fees for transiting Russian gas foreign debt on a timely basis. BoP through Ukraine with Gazprom. deficit in 2013 is not likely to be The NBU’s FX reserves are be- less than that of 2012. The shortage ing depleted at an alarming rate. of foreign currency makes Ukraine At the end of 2012, they amounted vulnerable to pressure from Russia to nearly USD 25bn compared to which is demanding its member- USD 38.5bn in April 2011 – an all- ship in the Customs Union. This is time peak, according to the proud commonly understood as a serious Mykola Azarov, who forgot to threat to Ukraine’s independence, mention, though, that this was and potentially to its sovereign due to new borrowings. Moreover, rights to participate in interna- the structure of FX reserves is un- tional relations. known. When the NBU disclosed Another component of the data for the last time in 2008, Ukraine’s vulnerability is the con- liquid FX reserves were a mere tinued insolvency of Naftogaz of USD 0.5bn, plus USD 15bn more Ukraine. The only way to keep it in other freely convertible curren- afloat is by increasing its autho- cies, while the rest was in bonds. rized capital with newly-issued Since the NBU has mostly been government bonds. Apparently, selling US dollars, not bonds, some lenders are interest in it: since 2008, there are few reasons should Naftogaz go bankrupt – to claim that the structure of and this is getting inexorably Ukraine’s FX reserves has im- closer – its assets may fall into the proved. The assumption is that hands of those who hold the half of all reserves are now in bonds. Russian banks are known freely convertible currencies. hoto: A ndriy L omakin P hoto: “If the government turns to Russia or China for loans, Ukraine is at risk of becoming a source of raw materials for another source of raw materials”

t is my understanding that there Andriy Two oligarchic families control So the key issue for today’s are two basic problems in Pyshnyi, MP, 70% of air transportation in agenda is change in the political re- Ukraine. First of all, monopo- All-Ukrainian Ukraine. Such an economy is very gime. I’m not talking about this as a Ilism, which is convenient for the Union convenient from the point of view politician, but as a citizen, since I regime. Financial and industrial Batkivshchyna of manual administration. well remember the first budget that groups worked for many years on (Fatherland) The strategic purpose of neces- Mykola Azarov prepared in 1994. He its creation. It is this kind of mo- sary transformations is to change himself admitted that he was the di- nopolism that shaped the existing the structure of the economy. And rect or indirect author of 18 Ukrai- political situation within Ukraine. this is right, but it means that those nian budgets (!). Yanukovych has It ensures the control of 10 oligar- who have devised it will be deprived governed Ukraine for one third of its chic clans over 80% of the national of income. At the same time, the in- independence: twice as premier and economy. The monopolism prob- come of the main oligarchic groups now almost three years as president lem in Ukraine has specific names: is currently increasing rapidly, in with extensive powers and total con- Firtash (100% control of fertilizer spite of the problems in the Ukrai- trol over the administrative, eco- production), Akhmetov (100% of nian economy. For example, Dmy- nomic and judicial hierarchy, not to electricity exports, 70% of metal- tro Firtash’s income increased by mention the information policy. lurgy or 60% of coal extraction). 560% last year. What stood in the way of their 24|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 Monetary security|Economics Even so, Ukraine’s total FX re- Chart 2* Ukraine exports anything it can, i.e. raw materials, to maintain its serves amount to just 90% of its for- foreign currency supplies eign debt. The comparison of the Components of raw material exports, % of total exports NBU’s liquid FX reserves, estimated at USD 12-13bn, with payments un- 100% der foreign debt due in 2014, plus nearly USD 10bn bought annually 80% by the population, shows that Ukraine does not have adequate liquid FX reserves to cover even these 60% needs. Three months ago, international rating agencies downgraded 40% Ukraine to a pre-default level. There are a number of key rea- 20% sons behind depleting FX reserves. *Charts The first is the current account defi- compiled by cit that skyrocketed from USD economics 0% 1.75bn in 2009 to USD 14bn in 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 9 mon. expert, 2012 Iron and eel Chemicals 2012, exceeding the level of the Liubomyr Food uﬀs s tic C ommittee of U kraine, IMF Stati Source s : T he State 2008 crisis year. The second is the Shavaliuk repayment of foreign loans by Chart 1* In order to keep going, Ukraine’s economy imports huge amounts of raw materials. Ukrainian banks borrowed in the Devaluation increases its dependence on such imports rather than reduces it turbulent 2005-2007 period. At this time, huge amount of funds entered GDP Principal imports Ukraine. Even large international 30% financial institutions thought that they could operate here on a serious 25% scale and rushed to buy overpriced local banks. They have since real- 20% ized their mistake and begun to return the money they invested into 15% the Ukrainian market to parent banks. USD 2-3bn flows out of the 10% country annually. Since 2008, they have withdrawn USD 13bn, and this 5% signals trouble. The NBU says that Ukraine is growing less dependent 0% 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 9 mon. on the dollar, using the USD 13bn- 2012 reduction of Ukrainian banks’ debt Natural gas Chemicals as an example. However, banks ex- s tic C ommittee of U kraine, IMF Stati Source s : T he State Oil and petroleum produ s changing the economic structure? most UAH 50bn, while in 2012 – it the Pension Fund, government When he came to power in 2010, the was at a level of UAH 8bn, although bonds to draw funds for the autho- share of raw material industries in in actual fact, the year ended with a rized capital of Oschadbank (gov- exports constituted 67%, and grew deficit of UAH 40bn. I feel that the ernment-owned Savings Bank), to 70% in 2012. As a result, Ukraine actual deficit for the 2013 state bud- Agrarian Fund, state guarantees, has grown dependent on external get will be at least UAH 100bn. Add etc. This raises the question: how market trends and vulnerable in the to this subsidies for Naftogaz and will the budget be balanced? At the face of challenges. expense of further borrowing, ap- For me, the issue of sovereignty, parently. together with that of foreign cur- Another question: who do we go rency and debt security are bound to for money? This is an issue of both into a single system. In 2013, monetary, and debt security – the

Ukraine has to repay USD 9bn of ex- A ndriy L omakin P hoto: IMF and the World Bank? It’s cheap ternal and UAH 45bn of internal there and they can give long-term debt. What is the source? Economic loans. But they demand an extensive growth or new debts to repay the old list of substantiated economic de- ones. Economic growth is virtually mands, beginning with increasing non-existent. So, we are incurring gas prices for the population, the re- indebtedness to repay debts (see structuring of Naftogaz and privati- Chart 3 – Ed.). zation. These are all objective de- There is a basic index, which demands. But they also have a political termines monetary and debt secu- demand. I remember how, in the rity, and the stability of state fi- summer of 2012, the Deputy US Sec- nances – the state budget deficit. In retary of State said that in order to 2013, it was planned at a level of al- renew cooperation between the № 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|25 Economics|Monetary security ist to have debts rather than repay Ukrainians will continue to buy up favourable investment climate that them: they have to expand their foreign currencies. will draw foreign business to the loan portfolios, operations and in- The solution is to change norms, country rather than scare it away; vestment rather than to reduce methods and policies in its various encourage foreign companies to them. This shows how negative aspects. The government should not open branches in Ukraine to pro- trends are traditionally presented as ban lending in dollars. Instead, it duce items that are currently im- positive accomplishments in should transfer FX risks to banks ported, thus boosting demand for Ukraine. and introduce insurance for their foreign currency. Moreover, only a Another reason is the lack of the FX transactions, rather than have favourable business climate can fa- trust of Ukrainians in their national the NBU manually craft and sup- cilitate the exports of products other currency. They buy over USD 10bn port currency exchange rate. It is than raw materials (see Chart 2 – of foreign currency annually, thus equally important to reduce the im- Ed.) and items of high added value, signaling mistrust for the banking port of Russian gas (see Chart 1 – which will in turn increase the in- system and the hryvnia. This will Ed.) and improve Naftogaz’s finan- flow of foreign currency. only change when there are no re- cial standing. The government What will happen this year? I strictions for people to freely con- should stop subsidizing gas for in- tend to think that the government vert hryvnias into dollars, and back; dustrial consumers. As long as it will choose the path of default as it or for banks to issue loans in dollars. does, thus boosting excessive gas will not be able to draw resources Any restrictions regarding the dollar imports, it will force taxpayers to from the foreign or domestic mar- in Ukraine fuel the lack of trust in support the current chemical indus- ket. Moreover, it will not be able to the hryvnia. As long as the restric- try, for instance, with its 2-3,000 get these funds by May or June – tions are in place, trust in the na- employees. This only hampers the the peak months for due payments tional currency will plummet and economy. Instead, Ukraine needs a under its foreign debt.

Ukrainian government and interna- try, who have accumulated funds, get deficit or national debt reach tional financial institutions, it is nec- spent them ineffectively and now threshold levels and prohibits the essary to resolve issues of political don’t know how to resolve the prob- exceeding of threshold levels with- persecution and the status of democ- lem. out a parliamentary decision. I am racy in Ukraine. This means that to- Under Yanukovych’s presi- willing to discuss proposals and take day’s government is forced to either dency, Ukraine has actually doubled them into consideration. resolve these issues, or it will not re- its government and guaranteed na- However, I am convinced that ceive funds and will apply to other fi- tional debt. But have we experienced the role of this parliament does not nancial sources. But they are more at least one structural reform, which even lie in what we can do, but in short-term, expensive and have rele- would lead to the changes that what we have to prevent: the loss of vant political motivation. Ukraine so desperately needs? Not sovereignty, using all possible We are talking about the Rus- one. And we won’t see one, since the means (communicating with soci- sian Federation and China. As a re- resources accumulating in the state ety, participating in protests, orga- sult, Ukraine is at risk of becoming budget, are not directed towards the nizing resistance in parliament, the raw material source of another resolution of structural issues. UAH etc.). We must ensure Ukraine’s Eu- raw material source, which is an is- 400-500bn passes through the pub- ropean integration-oriented devel- sue of economic sovereignty. After lic procurement system each year. opment as the only possible course. all, the issue of entry into the Cus- This is more than the state budget Because there is no point in waiting toms Union in exchange for obtain- amount. At the same time, the vol- for a different, more adequate re- ing loans from banks that are con- ume of the corruption component in form plan, than the one determined trolled by Russia, is unequivocally the state procurement system con- in the Association Agreement and waved in Ukraine’s face. And what stitutes almost 50%. Euro-2012 be- all-encompassing Free Trade Zone follows entry into the Customs came the most corrupt shady busi- Agreement with the EU. Union, is vividly illustrated by the ness since independence. experience of Kazakhstan where As far as devaluation is con- Chart 3* Due to the lack of foreign currency sources, Ukraine is forced to borrow production facilities close and in- cerned, I don’t even have cautious funds, which are either eaten away or used to repay previous debts, thus creating vestment activities fold. What effi- optimism. It will happen. The only a debt pyramid ciency can there be in the RF, if, hav- question is the extent and how tan- GDP Foreign borro wings 25% ing 30% of world mineral resources, gible it will be for Ukrainian citizens. it has 2% of the world’s population If we should succeed in getting a and 2% of global GDP. Where is its loan from the IMF, devaluation will 20% efficiency and where is its modern- be more or less controlled, but if not, ization? we could be getting up to UAH 12 15% The structural problems in the per US dollar by the end of the year. economy, monopolism and corrup- How is our political force plan- 10% tion – this is all a consequence of the ning to react? Last week, I submit- fact that Ukraine is actually gov- ted a draft law On Ensuring Debt 5% erned by the same clans throughout Security. It entails the return of par- the entire period of its indepen- liamentary control functions to the 0% dence. It is not the national debt Verkhovna Rada and demands 9 mon. amount that poses a threat, but the quarterly reports from the govern- 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 behavior of the leaders of the coun- ment to parliament should the bud- Real se or Public se or Banking se or Public+private 26|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 Monetary security|Economics “When people begin to be afraid of what is going on, they begin to switch to foreign currency” There is one more aspect: is from the position of power? big capital interested in the deval- Some are afraid, while others try uation of the hryvnia? Of course it to scare them even more. is. After all, each person in Therefore, if we, as the opposi- Ukraine with assets of more than tion, want to change the rules of USD 1mn, earns this money either the game in Ukraine, there is only from exports, or from distributing one way that they can be changed: the budget among themselves, but this government must be replaced definitely not from the domestic by a completely different one. market. I don’t see a single Ukrai- Otherwise, absolute incompe- nian billionaire, who would earn a tence, the aggressive behavior of lot of money on the domestic mar- the government towards the popu-

hoto: A ndriy L omakin P hoto: ket. The only exception is the lation, the reluctance to listen to agrarian sector, but the money society, the inability to communi- here are two problems: ex- Oleksandr there is very specific – the only cate with it and the rejection of the ternal and internal. We re- Myrnyi, MP, people in the agrarian sphere who right ideas, simply because they ally don’t have any foreign All-Ukrainian have become billionaires are are initiated by the opposition, Tinvestments. Foreigners Union those, who have unlimited access will take place over the over again. have no faith in either Ukraine, or Svoboda to budget funds. I have already mentioned the its society. We cannot currently (Freedom) Ukraine has a very poorly de- draft law on the cancellation of ar- convince foreign partners that veloped domestic market. Deval- tificial monopolies that we have they can have any dealings with uation was noted in 2012. What submitted. We have also spon- us. And accordingly, we cannot at- does this mean? That there is a sored a law on the cancellation of tract significant financial re- catastrophic decline in people’s so-called pension reform and that sources from the West. purchasing power; that this year, the minimal and maximum pen- Svoboda has registered a draft people cannot afford to buy more sion cannot differ more than five law in parliament regarding the than last year. Accordingly, even times over. But these are not re- liquidation of artificial monopo- with the meager production vol- forms. It’s an attempt to stop that, lies. But there is also another ume that Ukraine has, it’s be- which has been done, while we problem – corruption. Money in coming clear that there are more have to clearly show society where the form of bribes is not invested goods than the market can con- we are leading it. For example, we in the economy. It is converted sume. Therefore, the price of have to find a way to encourage into foreign currency and efforts goods is falling. What are the the right way to invest in Ukraine. are made to take it out of the consequences of this? A decrease After all, if we have a developed country. The system that produces in jobs and salaries, followed by domestic market, we give people corruption is not interested in a people saving on everything pos- the opportunity to accumulate and working economy or transparent sible. A vicious circle. What hap- use the foreign currency that they rules of the game. pens when people begin to be have saved for a rainy day. But, by afraid of what is going on – they not attracting foreign investments, buy up foreign currency (see we do not receive the foreign cur- Chart 3* Due to the lack of foreign currency sources, Ukraine is forced to borrow Chart 4* The lack of conﬁdence in the hryvnia results in the dollarization of the funds, which are either eaten away or used to repay previous debts, thus creating economy; the US dollar has aually become Ukraine’s second currency Chart 4 – Ed.). Under such rency that we need so urgently. a debt pyramid conditions, it is necessary to do This can be ensured with laws. For The scale of dollarization GDP Foreign borro wings USD bn Total deposits something, so that this money, example, all importers of agricul- 25% 20 100% Cash outﬂow from banks, USD bn that is in people’s hands and ac- tural machinery can be informed Increase in the foreign currency deposits of individuals, USD bn The share of foreign currency deposits of individuals, % (scale on the right) cording to some estimates, is at a that we will close our market in 20% 16 80% level of USD 100–200bn, is re- five years, but will create favour- turned to the banking system able conditions for its production 15% 12 60% and begins to work for the econ- in Ukraine. omy. But when Arbuzov initiates If all we do is criticize, ulti- 10% a 15% tax on the sale of foreign mately there will be no change. 8 40% currency, this is a signal that And society should see the differ- 5% there is a critical situation in the ence between us and those who 4 20% country, and that this is only govern. Otherwise we, as the op- done for people to exchange position, will not have the right to 0% 9 mon. 0 0% their money in banks out of fear. call for changes, we will be no dif- 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 9 mon. In other words, people under- ferent than the existing govern- Real se or Public se or Banking se or Public+private 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 Sources: The State Statistics Committee of Ukraine, IMF stand that they are spoken to ment. № 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|27

Society|Internet Movements Online Protests Internet movements are helping Ukrainians to overcome intimidation, disseminate accurate information and coordinate activism, yet they should not be viewed as an alternative to street protests

Author: Valeria Burlakova is humour.” Several popular site’s “patients”—including Vik- Ukrainian websites have appar- tor Yanukovych, Mykola Azarov ently heeded this call; their sub- “Humour and Vladimir Putin. hile the government scribers and contributors main- is eternal. It’s a universal controls the tradi- tain a long-standing resistance tool of A place of freedom tional mass media, it against the government with a struggle,” says The website’s founder Roman W is failing bitterly in pinch of humour. One such web- Sviatoslav, the Shrayk believes that public opin- the battle with online activists. site is durdom.in.ua, translating man behind ion will soon be shaped mostly “Heroism is for difficult times, roughly as “madhouse.in.ua”. the Church of online, encouraged primarily by my boy,” Erich Maria Remarque Its objective is to “treat” politi- Improvement the freedoms that the Internet wrote in The Three Comrades, cians and those addicted to poli- Witnesses page offers. “The benefit of it is that “but we live in times of despair. tics. Here Ukrainians can read nobody really regulates it,” Ro- Here, the only decent response the latest news about the web- man says. “Ever since the emer- 28|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 Internet Movements|Society gence of social networks, the the Church updates visitors and disseminate,” he explains. most interesting and creative about attacks on press freedom, “All it takes is for a popular user things have been spreading like car accidents involving officials to come up with a slogan and viruses, and you can’t stop them. and many more serious develop- post it online, and you have a The government may persecute ments. Still, the project started meme. It hits the web and peo- one activist but it cannot shut out as a joke, and it maintains its ple begin to connect a politician down a thousand of them. All of popularity through humour. to that online brand instead of these jokes and memes reflect a “Humour is eternal. It’s a the perfect image on TV. Just highly concentrated opinion - universal tool of struggle,” says look at how the word ‘improve- they are more than just funny Sviatoslav, the man behind the ment’ has become a symbol of pictures.” Church of Improvement Wit- what’s going on in Ukraine - of Public opinion of the Party of nesses page. “Surely it shapes all the bad things happening in Regions’ campaign slogan, “An public opinion because people the country.” improved life today” was the who are mocked so often receive The community’s contribu- driving force behind the creation little respect unless they’re will- tors realize that not everything is of the “Church of Improvement ing to laugh at themselves. Then fit to be presented as a joke. Witnesses” (Церква свідків humour can act as an element of Thus, the Church offers analyti- покращення), a Facebook com- self-promotion.” cal coverage of the latest epi- munity. “In the beginning was The Witnesses are often ad- sodes of “improvement”, includ- the hat, and the hat was on a vised to create a public platform man, and the hat was of mink or a political force, called to deci- While the government fur. Viktor saw that the hat was sive action or criticized for inac- good and stole it,” the witnesses tivity. Yet, Sviatoslav believes controls the traditional enlighten the uninitiated. “Then that the Church is already fulfill- mass media, it is failing the forces of good sent Viktor to ing its mission: “I always say that Earth to improve life immedi- humour helps people to not be bitterly in the battle ately. He passed through fire and afraid of those they mock. Today, with online activists water, jail and car fleet to be- every official in Ukraine acts as if come famous…” he were a lord or a nobleman, ing corruption, police miscon- In addition to primitive jokes not an employee. This intimi- duct and impunity, and more. and memes about stolen hats, dates people, and that’s what The Church movement is we’re struggling against.” gaining ground: “By January 14, Sviatoslav insists that one the community’s potential audi- meme that takes five minutes ence was 1.3 million. This in- and costs nothing to create can cludes subscribers and their steal more votes from a politi- friends. The actual audience over cian than 100 minutes of expen- the past week hit 141,000 Face- sive advertising on TV can win. book users alone, and that “The simpler the idea or joke, doesn’t count other social net- the easier it is to comprehend works and websites that repost

№ 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|29 Society|Internet Movements our news,” Sviatoslav says. On- line activists believe that the social impact of websites and social network communities will soon equal that of television in Ukraine. Where the government failed… Though smaller than that of the conventional media, the audience for online communities and blogs finds Internet sources more reliable thanks to the human factor and the fact that popular media outlets are often involved in scandals. Unlike the opposition in the parliament, protest-oriented bloggers not only declare ideas, but take efforts to back them with real action. For instance, Olena Bilozerska is a freelance journalist and activist. Thousands of users read her Livejournal blog every day. Per- haps this is why the police keep an eye on her. Last January, the police searched her apartment in Kyiv and confiscated all of her equipment as part of an investigation into the arson of a down- Akhmetov, the Internet community and play is properly selected. “Of course, town Party of Regions office. The we’re waiting by its rules.” this depends on the communities only official reason for the arrest for you!–Keep On the other hand, the frus- and the way they were estab- waiting! was a link to the arson video On Jan. 10, tration often does not go beyond lished,” says Olha, an activist for posted by unknown YouTube us- 2013, the virtual reality, and opinions on the campaign to release Dmytro ers that Olena had reposted on Independent the impact of social network-fu- Pavlychenko and his son, who her personal blog. Miners Trade eled campaigns vary greatly: they were convicted of murdering Dmytro Riznychenko, an- Union occupied facilitate the development of civil judge Serhiy Zubkov1. “Over the other popular blogger and activ- the office of the society on the one hand, yet ham- past month, I’ve involved people ist involved in the July 2012 pro- Red Partisan per it on the other, acting as sort from the “Free the Pavlychen- test against the Kolesnichenko- coal mine in of a vent that releases public dis- kos!” community to help us out Kivalov bill on regional Sverdlovsk, content and diminishes initiative with various initiatives, from Luhansk Oblast, to take action. Riznychenko dis- languages has also received po- that is part of posting stickers to monitoring lice attention. His attack on a a company agrees with the latter: “The Inter- the media. That’s how we got Berkut special-purpose police controlled by net is an electronic noosphere cameras and a power generator unit during the protest resulted oligarch Rinat where words and ideas live. There for our rallies,” Olha explains. in a two-year prison sentence, Akhmetov. The is always a huge gap between Unlike Western European but he was later released on one miners demand ideas and actions, whether in an countries, Ukraine cannot yet year of probation. In Dmytro’s that the individual mind or throughout boast a noticeable political plat- opinion, the Ukrainian govern- administration the country. Still, whenever form born from the web – and it ment has hopelessly lost the web. cancel its call someone dares to leave the couch hardly needs its own political pi- “Its entire apparatus is useless for massive and take to the streets with others rates right now. What it does layoffs, on the Internet,” he says. “As stop forcing to make the world a little better, need is a chance to overcome in- soon as the authorities shut employees his inspiration surely comes from timidation through laughter, ac- down some file sharing site with to sign layoff the Internet, not TV.” cess to reliable information and pirated movies, the user commu- warnings, an opportunity to coordinate ac- nity kills the official sites of the increase A virtual amplifier tivist efforts. To a greater or president, the government and salaries and The web helps mobilize people lesser extent, the Internet pro- the Interior Ministry. And no recognize the provided that the target audience vides all of these. special services can prevent this, Union’s rights. nor can the authorities put some- 1On Oct. 2, 2012, Holosiyevo District Court in Kyiv sentenced Dmytro Pavlychenko to life one in jail for it. Opposition poli- imprisonment and his son Serhiy to 13 years in prison for the March 21, 2011 murder of judge Zubkov. ticians are the winners of all the Citing discrepancies in evidence, many claim that the men were wrongly convicted. Witnesses claim that they saw two men at the scene of the crime. A few days later, the police announced the arrest of online political surveys, and Dmytro and Serhiy as suspects. The motivation announced by the police was revenge for the judge’s those in power will have to eat decision to evict the Pavlychenko family from their apartment in downtown Kyiv and demolish an spoonfuls of public frustration addition to the apartment. Football fans (Serhiy is a member of the Dynamo FC fan club) have been rallying in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv and other cities all over Ukraine to have them released. and discontent if they dare join 30|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 Opinion|Society The Voice of Moscow

have sinned. I confess. For a brief moment, I So, why make the deal public? It is common knowl- thought Ukrainian television was heading to- edge that Inter, just like any other TV channel in wards democracy. While the owners are busy with Ukraine, survives on subsidies: it earns nearly USD Idisputes, journalists have the chance to expand 100mn a year, and spends USD 170mn. If it’s not the freedom platform, I thought. They stick to the business, what is it? Tertium non datur: it’s either concept of adjustment inherited from Soviet times: business, or propaganda (I do not use this as a nega- you take advantage of us, and we’ll try to take advan- tive word but there should be clear criteria for defin- tage of you. It works sometimes, albeit briefly. But I ing this phenomenon). Thus, a high-quality propa- was wrong. ganda resource with a controlled and predictable Rumours that Inter, one of Ukraine’s top TV target audience is attractive from the propaganda channels in terms of coverage, is preparing to rather than the commercial perspective. So, it makes change its editorial policy have been circulating sense that the figures that prefer silence are trum- since fall, fueled by predictions that the owner peted on the first page. Apparently, this is a mes- might switch to the provisional opposition. The sage. For whom? Perhaps, for those who should re- rebranding of the TV channel under button 1 on alize the scale of the new owner’s sacrifice for the the remote control began after the widely-adver- sake of the Family’s peace, and his own growing sig- tised appointment of a public board, made up of nificance? respected people, followed by a change in the The value of Inter is in its symbolic role rather than tone of the news and the replacement of a host on in its automatically-counted rating. Button 1 on the a prime-time political talk show. This look like remote control is always first, no matter where. The progress, doesn’t it? audience has this phantom muscle memory, al- Shortly after the media community and the public though today, hardly anyone – including marketing processed the novelty, the news about Valeriy experts – remembers that many years ago, Inter’s Khoroshkovsky selling Inter to Dmytro Firtash came frequency was used by Channel 1 of the USSR’s like a thunderbolt from the clear blue sky. Reason- Central Television, and later – the First Ostankino Author: able explanations for what was happening were few. Channel. This was once the territory of the ever- Yuriy Experts mostly discussed the enormous price of the lasting newscast Vremia (Time), a television ver- Makarov deal: USD 2.5bn! Wait, are we talking about the sion of the Pravda (Truth) newspaper; followed by same things here? the daring shows that exceeded what was permissi- The price is so huge that it silences all other ques- ble, such as The View, Press-Club, Before and After tions. Okay, let’s start with the price. Khorosh- Midnight… All the same, they all come from Mos- kovsky sold only the controlling stake of 61%. So, cow. Add to this the ostentatious hosting of Inter’s the whole channel must trademark shows in Rus- be worth around USD Inter’s official slogan sian. All this smells of 4bn? There are no such stale “doctor’s” sausage, prices in Ukraine – nor “The country’s main Buratino lemonade and can there be. Of course, channel” requires the fragrance of a grand- Inter Media Group owns mother’s perfume. In additional assets, such as clarification: this context, Inter’s offi- NTN, K1, Piksel, MTV which country? cial slogan that says “The and others, with a total country’s main channel” share of viewers of about requires an explanation 10%. However, all these numbers would make as to which country. sense if Ukrainian television was a business. There is no sense in pretending that someone But it’s not – and will not be for the foreseeable fu- knows more about the details of the deal than the ture. people directly involved in it. Still, the background Next: the connection between Firtash and Khorosh- is pretty clear. A charming metrosexual thought kovsky, overall and particularly in terms of Inter, is that he would no longer run errands for primitive well-known. Dmytro Firtash has had an option to guys from the provinces with poor taste and made purchase 50% of Inter Media Group Ltd. since it clear that he was ready to continue to play his around 2007 – and this has been said many times in game for the long-term (at least three more years). public. In 2010, Ihor Kolomoyskyi acquired 1+1, an- He was soon put in his place. Perhaps, he was al- other leading TV channel with an audience and cov- lowed to save face as a reward for his role in the erage almost equal to that of Inter, and a package previous purging of the Ukrainian media environ- that went with it, for all of USD 300mn. So, why ment. This reminds me of an old-old Soviet joke: would anyone pay so much more for Inter? But, the foreman of a lumber brigade, Petrov, calls in to who’s going to check these fantastic billions, since the radio, asking for Hindemith’s concerto for viola one group of foreign companies bought another and orchestra to be played. “Stop f..ing showing off, group of foreign companies? If you want to – clarify comrade Petrov. Listen to the Amur Waves waltz,” it in Vienna, Nicosia or Road Town. the host replies. № 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|31 society|The new politics of the internet Everything is Connected Can Internet activism turn into a real political movement?

hen dozens of coun- movement—this one built around movement that went on to wield tries refused to sign a the potential for new information real power. new global treaty on technology to foster free speech The Internet is nothing if not WInternet governance in and innovation, and the threats an exercise in interconnection. Its late 2012, a wide range of activists that governments and companies politics thus seems to call out for rejoiced. They saw the treaty, pose to it? a similar convergence, and con- crafted under the auspices of the nections between the disparate International Telecommunication The new green interest groups that make up the Union (ITU), as giving govern- Debate and dissent over the is- net movement are indeed getting ments pernicious powers to med- sues raised by the spread of infor- stronger. Beyond specific links, dle with and censor the Internet. mation technology are not new. they also share what Manuel Cas- For months groups with names In the 1990s civil-liberties tells, a Spanish sociologist, calls like Access Now and Fight for the groups, including the pioneering the “culture of the Internet”, a Future had campaigned against Electronic Frontier Foundation contemporary equivalent of the the treaty. Their lobbying was (EFF), campaigned against the 1960s counter-culture (in which sometimes hyperbolic. But it was Communications Decency Act, much of the environmental move- also part of the reason the treaty part of which was eventually ment grew up). Its members be- was rejected by many countries, overturned by America’s Su- lieve in technological progress, including America, and thus in ef- preme Court. Today every corner the free flow of information, vir- fect rendered void. of the digital universe has its own tual communities and entrepre- The success at the ITU confer- interest group: consumer groups neurialism. They meet at “uncon- ence in Dubai capped a big year defend online privacy; hackers ferences” (where delegates make for online activists. In January reject far-reaching software pat- up their own agenda) and “hack- they helped defeat Hollywood- ents; researchers push for open erspaces” (originally opportuni- sponsored anti-piracy legislation, access to scientific journals on- ties to tinker with electronics); best known by the acronym SOPA, line; defenders of transparency their online forum of choice will in America’s Congress. A month typically be something such as a later, in Europe, they took on The Internet-movement wiki that all can contribute to and ACTA, an obscure international help to shape. treaty which, in seeking to enforce is built around In some countries the nascent intellectual-property rights, paid the potential for new net movement has spawned “pi- little heed to free speech and pri- rate parties” that focus on net- vacy. In Brazil they got closer than information technology policy issues; the first, in Sweden, many would have believed possi- to foster free speech was descended from the Pirate ble to securing a ground-breaking Bay, a site created to aid file shar- Internet bill of rights, the “Marco and innovation ing after Napster, a successful Civil da Internet”. In Pakistan music-sharing scofflaw, was shut they helped to delay, perhaps per- call on governments to open their down. Pirate Party International, manently, plans for a national data vaults—or take the opening an umbrella group, already counts firewall, and in the Philippines into their own hands. 28 national organisations as they campaigned against a cyber- As Mr. Boyle’s analogy sug- members. Most are small, but crime law the Supreme Court later gests, there was a similar diver- Germany’s Piratenpartei, founded put on hold. sity in early 1960s environmen- in 2006, has captured seats in “It feels like when ‘Silent talism. Some sought to clean the four regional parliaments. Spring’ was published,” says Hudson river, some to stop log- The green movement had in- James Boyle, an intellectual- ging in Tasmania, some to ban tellectual leadership from within property expert at Duke Univer- nuclear tests. But as the late academia, such as that of Com- sity, North Carolina. The publica- American environmentalist moner and his sometime sparring tion of Rachel Carson’s jeremiad Barry Commoner put it: “The partner, Paul Ehrlich. So does the on the effects of pesticides in 1962 first law of ecology is that every- net movement. One leading light is widely seen as marking the ap- thing is connected to everything is Lawrence Lessig, whose most pearance of modern environmen- else.” As it was with the environ- influential book, “Code and Other tal awareness, and of the politics ment, so it became with environ- Laws of Cyberspace”, argues that that goes along with it. Fifty years mentalism. Over the course of computer code is just as impor- on, might the world really be wit- the 1960s and 1970s disparate tant in regulating behaviour as le- nessing another such moment, concerns were tied together into gal code. Another is Yochai Ben- and the creation of another such a single, if far from seamless, kler, whose “The Wealth of Net- 32|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 The new politics of the internet|society фото: ap фото:

works” extols the virtues of But it is plausible that people Elections tation would be appropriated by rule! “commons-based peer produc- who spend much of their lives on- After it was the people doing the exploiting, tion” like that seen in open-source line may come to feel strongly elected into whereas the costs fall on all software communities, where vol- about the technological and ideo- four regional equally. unteers write and debug code as a logical infrastructure that they parliaments gift to the community at large. depend on. “If they see it threat- in Germany in Common causes And as the environmental ened, they will fight back,” insists 2011, the Pirate In part because of this economic movement had a radical wing in Tiffiniy Cheng of Fight for the Fu- Party is going logic, the principle of making pol- organisations such as Earth First! ture, one of the advocacy groups to run in the luters pay—of internalising the ex- and the Earth Liberation Army, that organised the anti-SOPA federal election ternalities, as the economists put its digital successor has also de- campaign. According to a study in September it—is fundamental to the carbon veloped a direct-action arm. In by the Boston Consulting Group, taxes and cap-and-trade regimes early October Anonymous, a which surveyed consumers in 13 for pollutants pushed by prag- “hacktivist” collective, took down countries, on average 75% would matic environmentalists (for all a bunch websites in Sweden as a give up alcohol, 27% sex and 22% that their more radical brethren protest against efforts to extradite daily showers to secure Internet seethe at reducing everything to Julian Assange, the founder of access for a year if forced to calculable financial costs and ben- WikiLeaks, from Britain. choose (see chart). efits). It is hard to imagine people Like environmental issues, Network politics are also of- getting as worked up about a leak the issues that this new move- ten concerned with the issues of personal data or a tightening of ment cares about can be cast as raised by commons. The Inter- copyright laws as they would over economic ones; and when put that net—means and motive for much a nuclear disaster or global warm- way they look somewhat similar. activism—is a clear example of ing. The ITU does not seem to Since Garrett Hardin’s 1968 essay such a digital resource: anyone matter in the same way as the “The Tragedy of the Commons”, can access it under the same con- health of the planet. “Most [Inter- environmental issues have in- ditions and all traffic can, at least net issues] have the electoral sex creasingly come to be seen in theoretically, be treated equally appeal of a transport-infrastruc- terms of “negative externalities”. (a state which is known as “net- ture plan,” jokes Stephan Klecha, Hardin argued that common work neutrality”, and a great ral- who studies pirate parties at Göt- properties would be overexploited lying cry). But here the externali- tingen University. because the benefits of the exploi- ties not captured by the market № 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|33 society|The new politics of the internet are more positive than negative. shared and ownership need not A key part of life Often, the more people share and matter at all. Percentage of respondents willing to give up a life yle use such a commons, the more Such thinking explains what habit for a year in ead of the Internet they all benefit. drives many net activists: they When externalities do harm, prize an ideal of net neutrality United States China Germany Brazil internalising them makes a lot of because they fear turning the In- 0 20 40 60 80 100 sense. When they do good, things ternet into a toll road that limits Fa food are a bit more complex. Some both expression and experimen- level of internalising may be tation; they fear overbroad pat- Satellite navigation needed: this is, indeed, the basic ents will hamper research; they argument for intellectual-prop- think making government data Chocolate erty rights. Without them, inno- freely available stimulates new vators may not benefit enough uses. This insight helps explain Coffee from sharing their creations, re- the seeming grab-bag of issues ducing the incentive to create. But that passes for a political pro- a system set to maximise private gramme in Germany’s Pirate Alcohol returns will not necessarily maxi- Party—including demands for mise total returns. free public transport, the right to Exercise Brett Frischmann, a professor vote for foreigners living in Ger- at the Cardozo School of Law in many and a state-funded basic Sex New York, provides a thorough income for all. These proposals look at the issues in his book “In- apply the idea of an information Car frastructure: The Social Value of commons to what the Pirates see Shared Resources”. Infrastruc- as “platforms” of all sorts: public Shower ture—both digital and other- transport, elections and society wise—is used by many for all as a whole. Source: Bo on Consulting Group kinds of activities, and is often to The degree to which the Inter- some extent “non-rival”, meaning net is new and different is also re- net-activists are less likely than one person’s use does not forestall flected in the net movement’s Greens to shun corporate inter- another’s. Limiting their use, for practicalities. “The Internet fun- ests that coincide with their own. instance by pricing them depend- damentally lowers the barriers to After fierce debate among its ing on who uses them and for organisation,” says Kevin Wer- peer-producers, Wikipedia joined what, can limit their value and bach, who teaches at the Univer- the campaign, greatly increasing slow innovation. sity of Pennsylvania’s Wharton its impact. To get the most benefit, School. Like-minded souls no lon- Germany’s Pirate Party Mr. Frischmann argues, “We ger need painstakingly to build an flashed into existence with similar should share infrastructure re- organisational structure; a mail- speed. A few weeks before the sources in an open, non-dis- ing-list is often enough to band 2011 elections in Berlin pollsters criminatory manner when it is together online. gave it only a few percentage feasible to do so.” This does not points. But with a minimum of re- necessarily rule out property Dissolving democracy rights; but it does mean avoiding The anti-SOPA protest started the temptation to treat every- with discussions on blogs and In some countries the thing as if it were a physical bau- elsewhere, according to Harvard’s nascent net movement has ble in which only a single owner Mr. Benkler, whose research had an interest. History shows team has analysed the content of spawned “pirate parties” that custom and practice, social online publications and links be- that focus on net-policy norms and other non-market tween activist websites. Techdirt, mechanisms can keep commons a blog, and other specialised on- issues from becoming tragic under a line publications wrote about the wide range of circumstances. new legislation. As people got in- sources, it managed to mount an Mr. Boyle makes similar terested, the more established ad- efficient campaign using social points when he writes, in his vocacy groups such as the EFF media to mobilise voters and book “The Public Domain” that and Public Knowledge came to crowdsourcing to come up with societies need to strike “a bal- serve as clearing-houses for infor- slogans. With 8.9% of the vote, it ance between open and closed, mation. Groups such as Avaaz, won 15 seats on the regional as- owned and free.” It is his conten- Fight For The Future and De- sembly. tion, and that of the rest of the mand Progress, whose aim is to Getting it together quickly, net movement, that governments mobilise netizens, started offer- though, is no proof of long-term are systematically getting this ing tools to help people signal commitment. Some have criti- balance wrong. They are stuck in their displeasure, including by cised the anti-SOPA and other on- the physical world where most writing to members of Congress: line campaigns as mere “clicktiv- goods are rival and cannot be millions ended up using them. In- ism”, requiring no more commit- easily shared, he argues. Their ternet firms such as Reddit and ment than the twitch of a gamer’s critics contend that the activists Tumblr provided organisational finger. The anti-SOPA coalition is make the same mistake in re- support, and larger companies trying to show its staying power verse, thinking everything can be were part of the lobbying effort: by becoming the Internet Defense 34|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 The new politics of the internet|society Political progress Net politics is about freeing peo- Worldwide Internet users: as % of total population 2011 ple to experiment rather than number German Pirate Party controlling their effluents. Al- wins 8.9% of the votes in regional though the state can guarantee 1992 1997 2001 eleions in Berlin and 15 seats freedoms, policy by policy it Tim Berners-Lee proposes The US Supreme Court Nap er, in the city’s parliament 50 a way of linking documents finds part of the a file-sharing tends to do better, these days, on over networks, which later Communications service, forced 2006 the shackling front. becomes the world wide Decency A to desi 40 Fir Pirate Party 2.4 bn web uncon itutional Moreover net activists, many founded of whom are libertarian, are un- 2001 in Sweden 30 1995 2001 The Pirate Bay, likely to call for the creation of bn Netscape, a browser-maker, Jimmy Wales a file-sharing 2 “net ministries”. Many want to 20 goes public. Beginning founds service, created 2010 hack politics—to find a way to get of Internet boom Wikipedia WikiLeaks the system to an outcome they de- 1bn releases American 10 diplomatic cables sire through cleverness and force 100mn 3mn users 10mn majeure applied from outside— 0 much more than they want to play 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2012 politics. Source: World Bank; International Telecommunications Union; internetworld ats.com It is possible that the lasting influence of the net movement League, essentially an online Germany’s political system will be in providing new tools and phone tree. People sign up by giv- makes creating a new party rela- tactics for people with other polit- ing their e-mail address; websites tively easy, one reason why the ical aims. All political protest and can add a logo that signals their Greens succeeded there in the novelty now has a social-media membership. If the league’s lead- 1980s. Yet the Pirates lack the face, whether it be that of the tea ers see a threat to their concep- political nous and broad appeal party, the Occupy movement or tion of the internet, they send out of the Greens. Almost two-thirds the Muslim Brotherhood in an alert. of Pirate supporters are men. Al- Egypt; all seek the fast-multiply- More intriguingly, technology though the ideals of the net ing effect that the internet can may come to have a role in for- movement are often egalitarian add to activism and uprisings. Ex- mulating policy, as well as dis- its practice can be macho and periments in “delegative democ- seminating calls for action. Ger- elitist. The thousands of new racy” like Liquid Feedback may many’s Pirate Party runs a per- members attracted by the Pi- rewire the way politics works petual party conference on an rates’ Berlin success included a from the inside, as well as speed online platform, called “Liquid fair share of blowhards, trouble- things up. In Germany other par- Feedback”, designed to dissolve makers and worse ties are experimenting with such the distinction between direct On the party’s e-mail lists, systems; something similar pow- and representative democracy. discussions of whether users of ers Italy’s populist Five Star Rather than voting on an issue Liquid Feedback should be al- Movement. directly or electing representa- lowed to remain anonymous or When asked about why her or- tives, party members can dele- how much Pirates in parliaments gate their votes on given issues to should be allowed to earn rou- All political protest and another member whose opinion tinely blow up into bad-tempered they trust—and take them back if “shitstorms”. Some of its leaders novelty now has a social- they do not agree with the dele- have resigned in disgust and ex- media face gate’s decisions. Delegates can in haustion. In national polls the turn pass the votes they collect to party has dropped from over 13% another member, thus putting to- of the vote in May 2012 to around ganisation does not have a fully gether long and fluid “delegation 3% now, below the threshold fledged political platform, Marina chains”. needed to enter state or national Weisband, one of the leaders of The system does not create a parliaments in this year’s elec- Germany’s Pirate Party, once re- democratic paradise: most of the tions. plied: “We don’t offer a ready- Pirates don’t use it. But it allows made programme, but an entire for very transparent decision A hack or an operating system.” The true po- making, argues Martin Haase, operating system? tential of internet politics, in perhaps the most influential New parties are not the only way other words, is to reshape what member of Germany’s Pirate to political success. In most of people can do, rather than to cam- Party, judging by the fact that the world the green movement’s paign for particular benefits. 237 of the nearly 5000 registered victories came from applying It is not obvious that the sort users active on Liquid Feedback pressure to established parties, of people who think of the world have delegated their votes to him. and spurring the creation of new in terms of operating systems will “There’s no dealing in smoky institutions—ministries of the prove to be the best at using that back rooms,” he explains, “you environment, environmental new potential, or find in it the can always tell who has sup- protection agencies, interna- © 2013 The power to protect the freedom and ported what.” tional treaty organisations and Economist openness of all the infrastructure Interesting internal infra- the like. It is still early days, but Newspaper that they care about. But many of structure, though, is no guaran- such institution building is hard Limited. All them are increasingly serious tee of further political gains. to imagine for the net movement. rights reserved about trying. № 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|35 history|Soviet liberation in Ukraine Freedom Without Liberation For a large part of the Ukrainian population, Stalin’s “liberation from the Germans” was a mirror image of Hitler’s “liberation of Ukraine from the Bolsheviks” in 1941

Author: here are two distinct ways Therefore, for a large part of Vladyslav to create myths: suppress- the Ukrainian population, Stalin’s Hrynevych ing an inconvenient truth “liberation from the Germans” Tand imposing a patent un- was a mirror image of Hitler’s truth or half-truth on society by “liberation of Ukraine from the dictating how something should Bolsheviks” – providing freedom be remembered. Both methods without liberation. have been employed in creating the myth of the “Great Patriotic The revenge War”. For starters, Stalin’s ideo- of the liberators logues completely excised the pe- The Nazi occupation instilled ter- riod of the Stalin-Hitler pact and ror and hatred in nearly all strata the tragic year of 1941 from the of the Ukrainian population. Still, living memory of society. Soviet despite the overall negative atti- almost been forgotten during the myth-makers later spared no ex- tude towards the Germans, the time of occupation. pense on bronze and glitter in return of Stalinism was perceived On the other hand, a large adding them to the real and pyr- quite ambiguously in Ukraine. To part of the population was appre- rhic victories of the Red Army. residents of eastern Ukrainian hensive of revenge on the part of As far as Ukraine’s “libera- cities, who had suffered more Stalin’s regime. There were a tion” from the German occupa- than others during the occupa- number of Ukrainians who had tion is concerned, there were, tion and whom the Nazi policy es- actively or passively cooperated from the viewpoint of the Soviet sentially doomed to slow extinc- with the Germans. Apart from authorities, weighty reasons to tion, the return of the Soviet au- those who served in the German “revise” this utterly complicated thorities spelled a revived hope police and Wehrmacht, the Soviet and controversial historical epi- for life. Even the role of a “cog” in authorities targeted various local sode. The return of the Red Army Stalin’s totalitarian system was chiefs (primarily, village heads) was accompanied by “purges of much more appealing than the and even street sweepers who had collaborationists” and an overall prospect of forever being a Ger- made lists of communists and mobilization of the local popula- man slave and Untermensch—a Jews for the Germans. At the 1. Glory to the tion, which Soviet generals used member of a “lower race”. The ar- time, hundreds of thousands of liberators of as veritable “cannon fodder”. An- rival of the communist authori- men who had deserted from the Ukraine! Death to German other problem for Stalin’s regime ties extended the hope of stable Red Army in 1941 and women usurpers! was the fight against the national employment and pay, a certain, who had had sexual contact with liberation struggle in Western peculiarly Soviet kind of welfare Germans were awaiting their 2. Let’s give Ukraine, which peaked precisely (rations, aid to the families of war hour of reckoning. Also suspect more bread to during this period and continued veterans, healthcare, etc.) and were Communist Party members the front and the until the late 1940s and early thus the restoration of the ordi- who had remained in the occu- country! 1950s. nary Soviet way of life, which had pied territory but had not joined 36|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 Soviet liberation in Ukraine|history helped the Germans put factories Over NKVD carried out mass arrests in back into operation after the Red 90% the Sloviansk-Barvinkove-Kram- Army retreated in panic in 1941. of Ukraine’s popula- atorsk-Kostiantynivka sector the With their help, the Germans tion remained in the day after the Red Army entered occupied territory were able to restore functionality A quarter of the Com- the area in spring 1943. The re- to the Donbas coalmines, many of munist Party of pressive blow targeted those who which the Bolsheviks had blown Ukraine, had served in the police, worked up during their retreat. The Ger- 142,134 in German administration or eco- mans, of course, made full use of members, remained nomic services, as well as girls Ukraine’s agricultural sector and in the occupied who had been translators or had its abundant output. territory, and some other contacts with German Therefore, it is no surprise 113,890 soldiers. Women who had had that after nearly two years of Ger- of these survived the sexual contact with Germans man occupation, Stalin’s authori- occupation un- (were pregnant or had children harmed ties considered the entire Ukrai- from Germans) were immediately nian population guilty of having killed together with their chil- “connections” with the enemy. dren. A total of some 4,000 peo- On 7 February 1944, at the 9th ple were shot. Plenum of Soviet Writers in Mos- In some places, women were cow, writer Petro Panch put it among the first targets of revenge into words, stating: “The entire by the returning Red Army. Olek- population that is now found in sandr Dovzhenko wrote in his di- the liberated regions cannot, in aries about fairly frequent cases essence, openly look in the eyes of when women were shot for “trea- our liberators, because it has be- son”, a common occurrence in the come entangled in connections period of “liberation”. Whether with the Germans to some extent. … Some plundered flats and of- After “liberation” fices, others helped the Germans in looting and shooting, still oth- a large part of the ers profiteered and engaged in population was fearful commerce, while some girls, having lost a sense of patriotism, co- of retribution by Stalin’s habited with the Germans.” regime 1 Later on, everyone who had remained in the occupied terri- the greatest motivation for this tory was declared suspicious. was sadism on sexual grounds or This was officially manifested in the “noble” patriotic indignation the infamous query on the typical of slighted men remains a matter Soviet questionnaire: “Have you of contention. Otherwise it would or your relatives been in the occu- be hard to understand the moti- pied territory?” According to vation of a Soviet general who partisan units, as well as entire some recently declassified infor- personally shot teenage girls in ethnic groups and even peoples, mation, more than 320,000 So- cold blood, deeming them “trai- such as the Crimean Tatars. In viet citizens were arrested in the tors to the Fatherland”, right af- fact, everyone who had not ac- USSR in 1943-53 on charges of ter interrogating them about their tively fought against the Germans cooperation with the Germans. In intimate affairs. A number of could be viewed as “guilty” by Ukraine, this number was 93,690 women were shot near Melitopol Stalin’s regime. for the period of 1943-57. More At the same time, in order to than half of these people were survive in occupied Ukraine peo- from Western Ukraine and were ple had to contact or cooperate often punished primarily for na- with the enemy in one way or an- tionalist activities (“Ukrainian- other. Everyone did it in his own German bourgeois nationalism”), fashion. The methods of “cooper- which the communist authorities ation” were numerous – from ser- invariably associated with “col- vice in German administrative or laboration”. economic institutions, the police, The residents of Sloboda or Wehrmacht, to employment in Ukraine (Slobozhanshchyna) and factories or agriculture, paying the Donbas were the first to expe- taxes to the Germans, and so on. rience the fury and hatred of the It should be noted that over 90% “liberators” towards those “who of Ukraine’s population remained had served the Germans”. A rein the occupied territory, includ- port by a Müller, representative ing a high proportion of intellec- of the Reich Ministry for the Oc- tuals, primarily in technical cupied Eastern Territories, said, 2 fields, such as engineers who among other things, that the № 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|37 history|Soviet liberation in Ukraine in autumn 1943. These events 3 example, an NKVD report says prompted Dovzhenko to include that a large number of members in his famous film Ukraina v ohni and candidate members of the (Ukraine in Flames) an image of a Communist Party as well as Kom- woman who “slept with an Italian somol members legally resided in officer” and was later killed by the temporarily occupied territory partisans for doing so. of Voroshylovgrad Oblast (pres- Kyiv resident Hanna Dziuben- ent-day Luhansk Oblast). In Vo- kivna testified about searches and roshylovgrad alone, 750 such repressions that swept across Kyiv communists and 350 Komsomol after the Red Army returned. Spe- members were registered as of 15 cial boxes were hung on walls in April 1943. which citizens were supposed to Therefore, just like other seg- deposit their denunciations of ments of the Ukrainian popula- those who had “served the Ger- tion, most communists found mans”. NKVD men came to her themselves in the “suspicious” place to search it. The woman had category and for a long time were washed dishes in a German cafete- scrutinized by the party and other ria, so she was accused of coopera- bodies. The Communist Party of tion with the Fascists. They found Ukraine periodically underwent copies of Adler, a German maga- purges, and its revival took many zine, in her home and arrested years – until freshly initiated her, even though she could not communists returned home from read in German. the army and the flow of party and administrative cadre from A crisis of loyalty Russia resumed. However, the main problem for the returning regime was not so as heads of local city councils. “May this thing pass and much to exact revenge on “trai- “Does the army want to see ‘sin- that thing never return” tors” as to restore the operation cere Russians’ rather than Ukrai- Ukrainian peasants were also of the Soviet administration, be- nians in high administrative posi- concerned about the restoration cause neither local councils nor tions in Ukrainian cities soon af- of Stalin’s regime, primarily be- party bodies were functioning. ter they are liberated, because cause the old collective farm sys- This soon proved to be quite a tem could be reinstated. Such at- challenge, primarily due to the Ukrainian losses during titudes were, to an extent, ex- lack of a loyal and faithful cadre. pressed in a saying that was British military correspondent the “liberation” period popular in rural areas in early Alexander Werth was surprised were disproportionately 1943. It said of the Germans and that upon “liberating” Ukrainian the Bolsheviks: “May this thing cities the Red Army would appoint higher than during pass and that thing never return.” Russians, rather than Ukrainians the Nazi invasion of 1941 The Ukrainian farmer viewed the return of the Red Army with reservation. “It was impossible to 4 ethnic Ukrainians could be more conceal the passive attitude of tolerant towards the local popula- Ukrainians to the war and Soviet tion? Was it an accident that Rus- victories,” Milovan Dilas recalled. sians were to become mayors in “The population made an impres- Uman, as previously in Kharkiv sion of gloomy concealment and and later in Odesa?” paid no attention to us. Even Local communists who had though officers – the only people endured the hardships of partisan we had contact with – were silent and underground struggle against or spoke in exaggeratedly opti- the enemy were supposed to com- mistic tones about the attitudes prise the core of the restored com- of Ukrainians, the Russian driver munist authorities. However, it lambasted them, using obscene turned out that a majority of language, for having fought so Ukrainians had not only failed to poorly that the Russians had to fight the Germans but also collab- liberate them now.” The Yugoslav orated with them in some areas. A communist also mentioned that total of 142,134 communists—over the secretary of the Uman district 25% of the Communist Party of party committee was annoyed by Ukraine—had remained in the oc- the passivity of the locals during cupied part of Ukraine of which the occupation because the parti- 113,890 survived the occupation san unit he had led had so few unharmed. Many communists and people that it could not even han- Komsomol members registered dle the pro-German Ukrainian with the Gestapo for checks. For police. 38|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 Soviet liberation in Ukraine|history That the comeback of the So- as they engaged in battle with the viets, or the “Reds”, did not enemy. Political instructors and arouse much enthusiasm in commanders would tell them: Uman in spring 1944 was also “Through these efforts and noted by Werth: “The locals through your blood you must seemed to be quite indifferent to wash away your sin before the Fa- what was happening.” Major therland and its great chief Sta- Kampov (the real name of writer lin.” Boris Polevoy) tried to explain to Oleksandr Dovzhenko’s dia- the foreigner why the peasants ries also bear witness to the con- were so indifferent towards the cerns Soviet Ukrainian intellectu- Soviet authorities by appealing to als had about mobilization. For the consequences of the German example, in spring 1943, he wrote occupation that had “demoralized down a story told by writer Viktor many people in this part of the Shklovsky that great numbers of country”. “And even though they men mobilized in Ukraine were hate the Germans, they have dying in action. They were called largely lost the sense of socialist chornosvytky for having no mili- consciousness and have become tary uniform and wearing their narrow in their worldview,” he civilian clothes. They had no mili- said. On hearing this, the British tary training and were treated as correspondent ironically said to offenders. One general watched himself: “They will have to work them in action and wept… “Ev- hard to instil the right sense of eryone is tormented by the Soviet consciousness in these thought of the inhuman, un- people.” heard-of sufferings of these peo- Their conversation also touch 5 ple,” Dovzhenko wrote after ed upon collective farms and the meeting several of his acquain- attitude of Ukrainian peasants to tances. “They say that [the Reds] them. “They had a pretty good life Age-related, medical and other start preparing 16-year-olds for here during the occupation be- restrictions were violated in the mobilization, that poorly trained cause the cunning Ukrainian process. The biggest problem was men are being sent into battle as peasant is the world’s best spe- the short duration of military offenders and that no-one feels cialist in concealing foodstuffs,” training. In the long run, it re- sorry for them. How horrible it is Polevoy said, relating an opinion flected negatively on the combat to think that Ukraine may be left that was popular among the So- capacity of Soviet troops. Follow- without any people after this – viet party elite. “They had always ing the Red Army’s return to 19-year-old girls are already be- hidden food from us, and you can Ukraine, it became more a rule ing enlisted, and many more have imagine what a great job they did than an exception to send poorly been destroyed or driven to under the Germans. Now that the armed soldiers with little or no damned Germany by Hitler.” Germans have disappointed them military training into battle. by promising them land and not Thus, while the soviets claimed to Ukrainian peasants were making good on their promise, be giving Ukrainians a chance to they probably hope that we will avenge themselves against the troubled by the return scrap collective farms, but we Germans, this looked more like won’t.” revenge exacted on those who of Stalin’s regime, had been under enemy occupa- fearing the restoration Mobilization tion. In fact, even the Germans as an act of revenge could not understand why the of the collective farm Another important factor that Ukrainian population was treated system made the Ukrainian population this way. After studying captive pessimistic about being liberated Red Army men at the time, the In general, 2.7-3 million peo- from the Germans was the Soviet Germans reached a paradoxical ple were mobilized to the Red military mobilization. The ways conclusion: the Soviet Union had 3. An injured Red Army in Ukraine, i.e., about 10% in which it was administered completely exhausted its human Army soldier will of the population. This points to turned out to be utterly strict, if resources – they found a number find a mother general mobilization. In some not cruel. The reason was that it of local teenagers and elderly and a sister in ev- oblasts of Western Ukraine where involved the active army, which people who had been mobilized ery soviet over 15% of the population were had been given carte blanche to several months before their cap- woman. drafted, it was a matter of total use local human resources to ture. mobilization. meet its needs, with virtually no Ukrainian émigré writer 4. Soldier, All of these circumstances Ukraine is wait- restrictions. Mykhailo Doroshenko described ing for you! were significant factors that led to Indeed, frontline military en- in his memoirs how the Red Army a situation in which Ukrainian listment offices made the drafting had driven people without weap- 5. Forward, Bo- losses during the “liberation” pe- process much faster, but the qual- ons into action in his native Kiro- hdan’s coura- riod were disproportionately ity of selection and the training of vohrad Oblast. They were ordered geous descen- higher than during the Nazi inva- the mobilized were substandard. to obtain weapons for themselves dants! sion of 1941. № 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|39 history|Opinion: totalitarianism Bitter Legacy Philippe de Lara: “Totalitarian regimes are dead, but they continue to exert a strong influence on many countries and their cultures”

Interviewer: n these difficult times of eco- We cannot speak now about ei- triggered by the First World War Hanna nomic crisis, we are witnessing ther a modification or disappear- came to an end between the col- Trehub the return of political slogans ance of totalitarianism as such. In lapse of Nazism and the early Ithat sometimes smack of the my opinion, we are dealing with a 1970s, but some of its elements half-forgotten totalitarian past. We totalitarian legacy. It is quite obvi- persist even today. It would be should remember that in the mid- ous that there was a period in the wrong to think that fascism has 20th century, Europe was the cradle past that we can call a totalitarian disappeared. The time of intensive of three totalitarian systems – Na- era. It started from the Bolshevik totalitarian cruelty and dogma is in zism, Soviet communism and fas- revolution and ended with the Sec- the past. However, the colossal cism. European states such as Italy ond World War. A certain kind of consequences, imprints and signs and the countries of the former So- mobilization and a combination of of this past persist in contemporary viet Union are currently struggling cruelty and ideology were charac- Europe, above all in former com- with problems that are rooted in teristic of this era. Even the Rus- munist countries. their totalitarian past. In the case sian Communist Party was largely of Ukraine, this post-totalitarian transformed 10 years after the war U.W.: The mindset and discourse legacy is deeply engrained in both – there was no more mass terror or today are quite different from fifty socio-political realities and the personality cult of the leader. These years ago; what do totalitarian mentality of most citizens. In the are the key features of totalitarian- practices look like now? two decades of its independence, ism—a vision of the “bright future” French sociologist and anthro- Ukraine has failed to overcome its personified by Hitler, Mussolini pologist Louis Dumont studied to- Soviet totalitarian legacy. Noted and Stalin. Even Brezhnev was al- talitarianism as a crisis of modern- French philosopher Philippe de ready a “soft” or “small” version of ization that spread throughout the Lara spoke with The Ukrainian Stalin. Perhaps something changed world and advanced step by step in Week about totalitarianism, its or even ended. The publication of sync with globalization. When we ideological legacy in Europe and Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag Ar- speak about modernization here, the post-totalitarian syndrome. chipelago was a symbolic finale to we mean not a complete transfor- the totalitarian era. mation but an adjustment of uni- U.W.: The temptation of The moment when the leaders versal values, institutions, prac- totalitarianism has remained of Eastern European communist tices and the free market in a given potent even after the fall of countries began to send their chil- country and its participation in a Nazism and Soviet communism— dren to the US to get MBAs marked certain local culture. It is always a the two most powerful the spiritual death of totalitarian- painful process. In all cases, there totalitarian ideologies of the 20th ism. The same processes took place is simultaneously a sense of acquir- century. Do you think we can now in China but with a different chro- ing something but also losing say that totalitarianism as such nology. There is a paradox, how- something very valuable. In some has disappeared? ever: full-blooded totalitarianism countries, this painful process has 40|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 Opinion: totalitarianism|history followed an apocalyptic path and munism. Bloodlands is a typical will consist of denials or attempts to triggered severe reactions from so- tragic example of the worst things downplay the scale of the tragedy. ciety in the form of aggression that took place in Central and East- Speaking about the differences against modernization. At the same ern European countries not because between the Holodomor and the time, totalitarian revolutions are of the Nazis or Russian communists Holocaust, the former came sud- typically pro-modern, focusing on individually but because of both re- denly to an end, while the Holo- new people and a bright future that gimes simultaneously. These could caust was supposed to continue must be completely different from be concurrent campaigns or actions until the last Jew on earth was the present reality. Paradoxically, that followed, imitated or reacted to killed. It came to an end only be- these revolutions are also directed one another. The best example here cause Nazism was defeated in the BIO against modern advances, because is the occupation of Poland and Philippe de Lara Second World War. When people certain things were considered bet- Ukraine. It is important today to re- graduated from begin to destroy others like them- ter in the past. Totalitarian revolu- veal what the combination of vari- ENS de Fontenay/ selves on a massive scale – think tions are conservative revolutions. ous European totalitarian regimes St Cloud. He is about the Rwanda genocide – they In a number of countries, the produces. now Professor at cannot stop. One crime leads to an- modernization story became mali- the Pantheon-As- other, and it becomes a habit. cious, leading to catastrophes and U.W.: How comparable are the sas University Think about this situation: Ger- unpredictable consequences. But two biggest mass crimes ofS oviet (Paris II) lecturing many lies in ruins; the war is lost, this is, to an extent, the history of communism and Nazism – the in philosophy and but the last remaining SS units modernization in many parts of the 1932-33 Holodomor in Ukraine political studies. continue to transport Jews to con- and the Holocaust during the Prof. de Lara is world, part of the process in which the co-author of centration camps to be killed. traditional societies accept mod- Second World War? Charles Taylor Et ernization trends. Why totalitari- Clearly, there are commonali- L'interpretation U.W.: What are your views on so- anism emerged in Germany, Italy ties between them, and not only De L'identite called Homo Soveticus that is and Russia rather than in other because both were mass killings. Moderne mentally still present in most countries remains an open ques- The famine in Ukraine and the (Charles Taylor post-Soviet countries? tion, especially for anthropology. Holocaust were the first cases of and Interpreta- I believe that Homo Soveticus For example, fascism existed in mass retributions of this kind in tion of Modern does not exist as such. I know that many countries, including France. the history of mankind. Humanity Identity) written it may sound quite provocative Fascist movements were active in had never before experienced any- with Guy Laforest coming from me. I love Aleksandr and published in all European countries from Fin- thing like the 1932-33 Holodomor 1998; Zinovyev’s novels, which best illus- land to Portugal. However, there in Ukraine before it occurred. L’expérience du trate the character of Homo Soveti- were no totalitarian revolutions in Famine had been a means towards language: Witt- cus (he published a novel under either Czechoslovakia or Poland. In political ends in the past—for ex- genstein philos- this title in 1982 – Ed.).His works the case of Germany, Italy and ample, when an army would be- ophe de la sub- are an important source of infor- Russia, it had to do, above all, with siege an enemy city—but there had jectivité(The Ex- mation about Soviet society and the incomplete process of nation never been mass actions against perience of culture. The author offers a de- building and difficulties handling an entire nation. This global char- Language: Witt- tailed sociological portrayal of the the legacy of imperialism. Why did acter was a key aspect of the exter- genstein’s Philos- mechanisms that led to the emer- these nations find themselves cap- mination of Ukrainians and Jews ophy of Subjectiv- ity); and La rite et gence of this phenomenon. How- tive to the imperial model? Russia by totalitarian regimes. Jewish po- la raison: Witt- ever, Zinoviev’s discourse leaves had always been an empire, and it groms had occurred even before genstein enthro- much to be explained because one was only in the early 20th century the Nazis came to power, but the pologue (The Rit- gets the impression that the Soviet- that it began to turn into a modern Holocaust was the first time when ual and Mind: ization of the masses was a perma- nation. It vacillated between its im- all the Jews in Europe – and, ac- Wittgenstein’s nent and irreversible phenomenon. perial tradition and the possibility cording to future plans, in the en- Anthropology) To say that the Soviet regime has of building a modern nation, which tire world – were targeted for de- published in fundamentally transformed people left a significant imprint on this struction. 2005. Prof. de and that everyone in the post-So- country. There is another similarity be- Lara researches viet territory is now Homo Soveti- anthropology of Totalitarian regimes are dead, tween these two tragedies: the fact totalitarianism cus is a dangerous and oversimpli- but they continue to exert a strong that their existence was denied on a and moderniza- fied view of the problem. influence on many countries and large scale by historians, former tion and writes Homo Soveticus is a kind of be- their cultures. communists and Nazis. The Holo- criticism for non- haviour borrowed from the totali- caust was recognized worldwide fiction.fr, a popu- tarian past and continued to this U.W.: Take Soviet communism earlier than the Holodomor. Schol- lar online publi- day, when the totalitarian environ- and Nazism—how would you ars began to study and collect eye- cation in France. ment is no longer there. People no compare these two totalitarian witness testimonies because the longer believe that they have to, for systems of the modern era? Ukrainian tragedy was successfully example, kill all “traitors” of the re- Some may say that these two re- denied and hushed up until regime, etc., but they still conduct gimes cannot be compared because cently. Noone heard about the themselves as Soviet people. I am Nazism is absolute evil, while com- Ukrainian Holodomor in France 20 afraid that the use of this expres- munism, which in fact perpetrated years ago. It is a great achievement sion, which was a daring discovery countless crimes, was in some re- that most people no longer deny by Zinoviev, in the form of a sys- spects a benign undertaking. It is this horrible fact and now see Soviet tematized conception may lead to important now to better understand totalitarianism for what it was. the division of the public into two the interaction and communication However, as with the Holocaust, types of people: liberals and Homo between Nazism and Soviet com- part of the incriminating discourse Soveticus. № 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|41 culture & arts|Contemporary Art A Gallery of Inspiration Pavlo Hudimov talks about popular artists, the change in the cultural vector and why Ukrainians don’t understand contemporary art

Interviewer: n the late 1990s and early 2000s, this does not mean that it’s impossi- obscure past and an even more ob- Bohdan his name was a symbol of avant- ble to close the distance. scure future. Butkevych garde music, even if often used Iwith a “pop” prefix, as one of There are two formulas for Ukrainian artists have Okean Elzy’s cornerstones. Since the cooperation between the gov- learned to create significant art Photos: mid-2000s, his name has been asso- ernment and art. The first is the happenings on their own. This is Oleksandr ciated with avant-garde art as he be- American one, where the govern- the model of how a culture-oriented Chekmeniov came one of the best-known art and ment simply does not interfere. The civil society begins to act. There were gallery curators in Ukraine. Pavlo most it can do is to support art several events last year that confirm Hudimov is a type of a kulturtrager funds, while most museums and this and give hope. For instance, the who keeps working on his initiative galleries are privately-owned. Of Independent project at Art Arsenal, with impressive enthusiasm despite course, there is a certain national dedicated to Independence Day. It’s the lack of any government support, inventory of artwork but it’s not cool that they did it all without em- poorly developed art patronage and overwhelming. The second formula broidered shirts and boasting about the total vulgarization of public is French where almost everything agricultural achievements. Another space. related to culture is funded by the example is GogolFest that took place government. Ukraine is currently in 2012 without the involvement of The distance between art using a pseudo-American model sponsors, let alone the government. and people should gradually where all major art pieces are from And the Louvre exhibited sculptures close. This is my function as a cura- private collections, while the gov- by the Lviv sculptor Johann George tor and the function of every artist. ernment is supposed to be in charge Pinsel. Remember the Ukrainian Ba- Why are we afraid of art? Because of storing these treasures in muse- roque Myth exhibit at the National we don’t understand it. And we ag- ums. In fact, though, it’s time to ad- Museum of Arts? Yes, we are very gressively try to push away that mit that art cannot exist without different from other countries in which we don’t understand. This is government support, despite long- terms of art, but that doesn’t mean actually the homo sovieticus syn- standing stereotypes. The govern- that we are lagging behind, no mat- drome that still runs through our ment has to use the cultural factor ter what the stereotypes are. More- veins. It has pushed, and continues to persuade the world that Ukraine over, the young generation of Ukrai- to push people away from art, but is not a third-world country with an nian artists is very inspiring. They 42|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 Contemporary Art|culture & arts are now 20 to 30 years old, proac- before the 2008 crisis. They wanted tarian form. But art, albeit on the tive, professional, ambitious and to set up sort of trusts to buy up art- level of innuendos, is a true portrait bold – in a good way. work and resell it at prices that are of the essence of a country, rather ten times higher. I told them that art than some abstract notion or a I try to assess Ukrainian art will take vengeance for this. Such a dream of a lonely intellectual. and artists based on interna- system is unreliable and fake. Since tional criteria. I’ve traveled the we’re talking about artists whose fu- It is more likely that the world a lot and talked to profession- ture will only be clear in 20-30 years, grandchildren of an avant- als in order to be able to do so. This results cannot be predicted. This garde artist will get his divi- experience helps me a lot in my means that you have to incorporate dends, rather than the artist work. That’s why the artists who end yourself in this environment. And him-/herself. Somehow, artists up at the Ya Gallery are globally-ori- you will inevitably lose if you buy up who were outsiders in their time, ented, so to speak. artwork to simply sell it. A business- such as Goya, Bosch or van Gogh, oriented mind cannot grasp the pur- have become major players, the The art-oriented part of so- pose of making art. This is why we symbols of their epochs. The fact ciety constitutes only 3-5%, don’t charge an entrance fee at Ya that the artist’s generation does not even in super-developed coun- Gallery. In my opinion, even a mini- understand his/her art does not tries. These are people who regu- mum charge would discourage peo- mean anything. Meanwhile, fash- larly go to art exhibitions and muse- ple who cannot afford to pay. Actu- ionable “art artisans” – of which ums. Of course, there should also be ally, you have to give something be- there are plenty in any epoch – are respected average people who come fore you get something back. quickly forgotten. Those who re- home every day, sit down and eat main in history were largely unsuc- what they are given – both in terms An artist should not be a cessful during their lifetime. of food, and in terms of culture. But promoter. You don’t necessarily they are not the proactive and biting need to graduate from an arts acad- Art has the right to specu- intelligentsia capable of changing emy to become an artist. Artists live late. An artist using the language of society. Ukraine does not even have with their art even if they have no the body, explicitness, provocation, half a percent of such people. Who- food or home at a specific time. Most kitsch and even pornography, can- ever wants to get out of this mass artists I work with are still artists, not be judged as immoral and de- does not have to be a millionaire or meaning creative people who do not leted from art history. The West and an oligarch. It is necessary to stop work to earn an immediate profit or BIO Europe are going through difficult being an inert object of manipula- transform their art into money. They Pavlo Hudimov times in terms of finding a moral is a musician, tion and start all over again, in a dif- want to do something edgy and inde- the curator of standard – the process often turns ferent way, to live consciously, move pendent. They appreciate the cul- Ukrainian and into a trivial witch-hunt. The wide- and communicate. tural rather than the commercial international art spread tendency today is to simply component of art. Modern Ukrai- projects, as well attack the art that people don’t un- Into the future – nian artists do not have a guaranteed as a gallery derstand. In this sense, the situation free of charge income, exhibits, auctions, and so owner. Born on in Ukraine is much better as com- A pool of art promoters and cu- on. This is why Ukrainian modern 12 October 1973 pared to that in Russia, where art rators cannot be created artifi- art will be studied in great detail by in Lviv, Pavlo curators are simply imprisoned. cially. On the one hand, you have to art critics in many years, because the started playing commercial factor did not play a part music in 1991. At the turn of the millen- take people and train them when- His first band ever there is a deficit of professionals in its creation – neither in the past, nium, the vector of cultural de- was called Klan th on the market. But the question is - nor today. In other words, it’s real. Tyshi (the Clan velopment changed. The 20 who should do this? The govern- of Silence). In century seemed to have had it all, ment? On the other hand, why do we It takes 100 years to achieve 1994-2005, he from puritan burnings to sexual rev- need some Arts Academy to produce real art. Okay, time is denser now, was a guitarist in olution and degenerative art. That’s 200 curators annually who will then so let’s say 20 years. Time puts many Okean Elzy. In why everything seems sort of unde- stand in lines to get a job as a PR things in their places. Ukrainian so- 1998, Pavlo fined today. And there is no empire manager in a company that has ciety is not yet educated enough to moved to Kyiv to take over as a cultural leader, such nothing to do with art? I would like accept contemporary art. Look how with the band. as Austria did in the late 19th and After he left th to say that if someone wants to be an pieces from the 1990s are now Okean Elzy in early 20 centuries, and France in art curator, he/she has to begin by reaching the public, which is finally 2005, Pavlo es- the 1920s. The UK is using its art becoming fully integrated in this beginning to partly understand and tablished his legacy extremely effectively to in- sphere. It is impossible to train a cu- accept them. But at the time of their own band called crease public revenues – only they rator – he/she can only be cultivated. creation, no-one understood the art- Hudimov. In know how to sell their artwork, Again, I think the entire focus must work, although it is the same now as April 2007 he books, movies and music so effi- be on the younger generation. They it was then. started the Hudi- ciently. But there is nothing new should not be forced to follow a pre- mov Art Project, about it, and effective development liminary schedule. They should de- THE ART OF INNUENDO a cultural hold- is impossible without this spark of velop their own language that will Art is a spice added to life. With- ing that includes innovation. Much has been expected ArtBook publish- definitely be different from mine, for out art, you can’t really experience ing house, Akt- of China, which is once again devel- instance. existence in full. This is why it cannot sent creative oping its grand empire, but its art- be for everybody, or it will turn into a group, Ya Design work is not good enough to become Art is not a market product. fast food. When art “for everyone” architectural bu- a global leader. Therefore today, the I remember the idea of art banking emerges, it immediately turns into reau, and Ya Gal- contemporary art vector is best rep- that was popular among the wealthy social realism or some other totali- lery art centre. resented as a question mark. № 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|43 navigator|Science The Earth’s “Star Scars” Impact events have greatly changed our planet, including the territory of contemporary Ukraine

Author: or in much wisdom is of these “star scars” were only re- deposits were harvested there by Leonid much grief, and he cently identified. GULAG prisoners under Stalin in Zalizniak that increaseth knowl- The Earth’s most famous as- the postwar years. “Fedge increaseth sor- trobleme is the relatively “young” When Soviet scientists estab- row,” Ecclesiastes says. This bibli- Barringer crater in Arizona (USA) lished that Popigai was a meteor cal truth best captures the woeful which has the form of a bowl 1,200 impact crater and analysed the ef- essence of some of the scientific metres in diameter and 175 metres fects of the impact, it triggered a discoveries of recent decades. deep (Photo 1). It was created search for diamond-rich craters Among these, we have become about 40,000-50,000 years ago across the USSR, including aware of numerous dangers origi- under the impact of a nickel-iron Ukraine. The majority of the eight nating from space that threaten meteorite 50 metres across. Frag- astroblemes identified in Ukraine our planet and its living organ- ments of the meteorite have been were discovered as a result of this isms. Many scientists now believe found in and around the crater. search activity. In particular, the that life on Earth and human civi- The meteorite struck the surface of Illyinets impact crater measuring lization emerged and have per- the Earth at a speed of 12-15 kilo- 7,000 metres in diameter and 700 sisted only due to a miraculous metres per second, releasing en- metres deep was discovered near coincidence of fortunate circum- ergy 1,000 times greater than the Vinnytsia (Photo 2). The crater was Apophis, a large stances. power of the atomic bomb dropped created by an asteroid measuring near-Earth asteroid, on Hiroshima. Researchers study- was projected to strike the Earth in “Invisible scars” ing the crater in 1902 were the first 2036. However, re- Jest decades ago, debates raged to suggest that objects of this kind cent NASA data suggests that it will miss about the origins of hundreds of were caused by meteorite impact. our planet by craters on the surface of the Moon American scientists first that are visible to the naked eye. launched scientific research into 30,000km Today there is no doubt that most astroblemes in the 1960s. Similar and will thus not pose a threat of them were caused by meteor- research began in the USSR in ites, not volcanoes. Scientists call 1969 with the examination of the these craters impact structures or “Popigai” meteorite crater in astroblemes, meaning “star northwestern Yakutia. Formed 36 wounds”. If the many craters on million years ago under the impact the Moon’s surface are “scars” of an asteroid 5-8 kilometres caused by meteorites, asteroids across, it is around 100 kilometres Scientists have calculated that an and comets, the Earth must have in diameter and 2 kilometres deep. average of four experienced even more impact The colossal force from its impact asteroids measuring events due to its larger size. How- transformed graphite in the one kilometre across strike the Earth every ever, erosion and weathering have ground into valuable materials. one million years largely “healed” them, and many Unique industrial black diamond 44|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 Science|navigator The Earth’s “Star Scars” Impact events have greatly changed our planet, including the territory of contemporary Ukraine

around 250 metres across. Small tralia and Africa. In Russia, 15 rials was released into its orbit impact diamonds were discovered “scars” measuring 10-110 kilome- where it stayed for a long time. at the bottom of the crater but not tres in diameter have been discov- Later, gravitation forces formed enough for industrial extraction. ered. Scientists also studied a de- the Moon out of this debris. The Boltysh crater, which is 24 ki- pression 300 kilometres in diame- lometres across and up to 900 me- ter in South Africa and a smaller Uninvited guests tres deep, is located near Oleksan- one, 250 kilometres across, in from space driia (Kirovohrad Oblast) and is Canada. The biggest astrobleme on The catastrophic consequences of believed to be Ukraine’s biggest Earth, around 500 kilometres asteroids crashing into a planet crater. Scientists claim that the im- across, was discovered near Wilkes are due to their high velocity (11- pact was caused by a cosmic object Land in Antarctica under a kilome- 76 kilometres per second), which 1,000 metres in diameter which tre-thick ice sheet. This immense triggers the release of colossal struck the Earth around 65 million crater spans an area greater than amounts of destructive energy. It years ago. the distance from Kyiv to Odesa. There are about 200 known According to one hypothesis, it “star scars” on the surface of the was excavated 250 million years Around 200 meteorite Earth. Large craters have been ago by a gigantic asteroid measur- impact craters of various found in Germany, Finland, Aus- ing 48 kilometres across. Accord- ing to some researchers, this cata- sizes have been discovered clysm was the cause of the greatest annihilation of living organisms in is believed that only cosmic ob- the history of our planet – the jects over 100 metres across pose Permian–Triassic extinction event significant threat to mankind. that killed nearly 80 per cent of all Their sheer size enables them to biological species. A colossal as- penetrate the Earth’s atmosphere trobleme (600 by 400 kilometres) without significant loss of velocity, named Shiva was recently discov- while smaller objects lose speed, ered at the bottom of the Indian Humankind as a disintegrate or explode in the air. Ocean. whole can only be Such an air burst was the likely threatened by space However, the greatest impact objects over cause of the Tunguska event of event occurred in the early days of 1908 when a cosmic body (proba- the Earth when it came in contact 10 bly a comet) measuring 50-100 with a somewhat smaller plant kilometres in diameter. Humanity, which metres in diameter exploded over roughly the mass of Mars. The col- has been around for the Tunguska River in Siberia. The lision released a tremendous about three million impact gave rise to numerous leg- years, has never ex- 2 amount of energy, the Earth perienced a cata- ends. The explosion was so power- melted, and a great mass of mate- clysm of this scale ful that it knocked down trees № 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|45 navigator|Science The Kaali meteorite crater on the Estonian rated earth materials that fell as a island of Saaremaa is 110 metres in diameter. fiery meteorite rain on the surface It was created 4,000 years ago by an impact causing global fires. The velocity event when a fragment of a meteorite disintegrated of fragments was so high that in the atmosphere. Eight smaller craters they exploded like atomic bombs (15-40 metres in diameter) are located nearby. on contact with the atmosphere. Within the first couple of hours after the collision, the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere shot up to 200°C, according to some estimates. All creatures on land that did not hide under the ground or in the water died. The bigger the animal was, the smaller its chances of survival were. According to palaeontolo- gists, all land creatures weighing over 10 kilogrammes died in the event. The release of tremendous amounts of sulphur compounds into the atmosphere caused ubiq- uitous acid rains. The abundance of dust in the stratosphere and atmosphere brought out a planetary night that lasted an entire year. The dust from the explosion eclipsed the Sun for several years, within dozens of kilometres. Sci- northwest of Rome was blue in preventing its rays from reaching entists estimate the power of the colour. It occurred at the bound- the planet’s surface and causing it explosion at 10-50 megatonnes, ary between Mesozoic deposits to cool. A planetary winter set in which is close to that of a hydro- containing the remains of dino- and lasted for several years. Tem- gen bomb. If this meteorite had saurs and Cenozoic-era deposits. peratures plummeted, causing exploded over London or Moscow, The strange colour was explained many living organisms to freeze to it would have destroyed the entire by high levels of the rare-earth el- death. Even worse, much lower megalopolis. ement iridium. It is found on the levels of solar radiation slowed Impact craters on the Earth’s Earth in very small quantities but down photosynthesis. Plants were surface are proof of numerous en- abounds in space objects. In scorched, covered with dust and counters with uninvited guests 1980, a hypothesis was put for- deprived of sunlight. They even- from space. The main source of ward that this geological layer, 65 tually died, resulting in the death these is the asteroid belt between million years old, received its of herbivorous animals, which the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It iridium content due to an aster- decimated the population of pred- contains more than 400,000 as- oid impact event. Melted quartz teroids constituting 98 per cent of and glass (tektites) and even mi- all small bodies orbiting the Sun croscopic diamonds that could (Photo 3). These sometimes leave only be a result of a powerful ex- their orbits when pulled by larger plosion were also found at the bodies (such as Jupiter) or as a re- site. Such iridium-rich deposits sult of collisions and can then with tektites were discovered in cross the trajectory of the Earth various countries, suggesting the with a possibility of contact. planetary scale of the disaster. A The problem of catastrophic tremendously powerful explosion asteroid impacts rose to promi- (equal to 10 million hydrogen nence in the early 1980s when sci- bombs) that occurred 65 million entists established that a gigantic years ago when an asteroid 10 ki- meteorite crashed into the Earth’s lometres in diameter struck the surface 65 million years ago, put- Earth destroyed every living or- ting an end to the predominance of ganism within 1,000 kilometres. reptiles and destroying 60-70 per The impact triggered an unprece- cent of living organisms on our dented earthquake (13.0 magni- planet. tude), which caused volcanoes to erupt in different parts of the The killer of dinosaurs world. A 300-metre-high tsunami In 1977, American geologist Wal- swept across the oceans, killing ter Alvarez noticed that one par- all living creatures many kilome- ticular geological layer of clay 1-2 tres inland. The explosion ejected 3 centimetres thick, located to the a huge mass of melted and evapo- 46|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 ators. Within a short period, nearly that disintegrated in the Earth’s at- 75 per cent of all living organisms mosphere. vanished from the face of the Earth. Close to the end of the dinosaur Ocean creatures suffered less be- era, our planet may have found itself cause of a slower temperature de- under an asteroid rain that once cline. That is the reason why there again killed a large number of living are so many relic species in the creatures. Scientists suggest that ocean. new craters dating back to the same Reptiles, especially the largest time of impact will be discovered in ones—dinosaurs—dominated the the future. Earth prior to this event. The heat shock and subsequent temperature When’s the next one? drop proved to be fatal to cold- Scientists have calculated that an blooded reptiles as they were unable average of four asteroids one kilo- to control their body temperature. metre across strike the Earth every The only reptiles that survived were million years. Their impact poses a the ones that buried themselves in threat to individual countries or the ground (lizards and snakes) or parts of continents. A cosmic object inhabited bodies of water (turtles at least ten times larger would and crocodiles). threaten all of humankind. It is be- The asteroid impact put an end lieved that over the past 570 million to the Mesozoic era of reptiles and years, four or five such monstrous began a new, Cenozoic era ruled by objects struck the Earth, approxi- mammals. The latter had emerged mately one per 100-150 million even in the Mesozoic era but had years. These include the asteroids been nocturnal creatures similar to that excavated the Chicxulub, Shiva rats. Unlike reptiles, mammals can and Land Wilkes craters. Humanity, regulate their body temperature. which has existed for around three This helped them survive the aster- million years, has never experienced oid winter, and they came to rule the a cataclysm of this scale. world after the extinction of dino- Asteroids and comets are not the saurs. The Cenozoic era was charac- only dangers to the Earth that origi- terized by an incredible diversity of nate in outer space. In particular, mammal species and the arrival of scientists believe that the great ex- primates. tinction of the late Ordovician pe- Thus, asteroid impacts and their riod 450 million years ago was consequences were powerful factors caused by the explosion of a super- in the development of life on Earth. nova that exposed the Earth to pow- Although most contemporary schol- erful gamma rays. The ozone layer ars link the great extinction 65 mil- was destroyed, and ultraviolet rays lion years ago precisely to an impact killed nearly 60 per cent of all living event that left behind the Chicxulub creatures. Space has always been a crater in Mexico, there is now an al- source of potential threat to life on ternative conception under which Earth. Humans have yet to reach a the disaster was caused by multiple technological level that would per- impact events. mit us to protect our planet against One such event could be the new impacts by large cosmic objects. cause of the Manson impact crater At the same time, not only did the 35 kilometres in diameter that was bombardment of Earth by space ob- found near Iowa City (USA), 2,500 jects destroy all living things, it was kilometres north of the Yucatán Pen- also a great factor in its formation insula. The crater was created by an and the emergence of life. For exam- asteroid about the same age as the ple, one hypothesis states that water one in Mexico. A joint Ukrainian- was brought to the Earth by numer- British mission that studied the ous asteroids that bombarded its Boltysh crater in Ukraine suggests surface in its earliest days. Other sci- that it was formed around the same entists have suggested that life on time. Earth is also of cosmic origin, alleg- There is some evidence that the edly delivered here by an asteroid. Kara crater (110 kilometres in diam- An asteroid impact 65 million eter) in Siberia also belongs to this years ago killed billions of living group. The Shiva asteroid struck the creatures and put an end to the era Indian Ocean not long afterwards, of reptiles. However, the global ex- triggering mass expulsion of magma tinction of dinosaurs paved the way into the ocean. All this suggests that for new life and the domination of the “star scars” were caused by frag- mammals, eventually laying the ments of one mammoth space object foundation for humanity. NAVIGATOR|KHARKIV OBLAST tourist attractions in Kharkiv Oblast Top 10worth seeing, regardless of the season or the weather

Pokrovsky thanks to its trade-convenient location, and later Cathedral the founding of a university and its industrial progress, eventually grew into a city with a pop- The Pokrovsky or Holy Protection Cathedral, ulation of 1.5-million. one of the oldest churches in Eastern Ukraine, In the 18th century, the Holy Protection Mon- was built in 1689. Its style is a fusion of Ukrai- astery and Kharkiv College were founded on the nian baroque and traditional local wooden ar- basis of the Holy Protection Cathedral. The col- chitecture. The Holy Protection Cathedral is the lege’s staff included Ukrainian philosopher and only remaining part of the original Kharkiv For- writer Hryhoriy Skovoroda and composer Artemy tress. It is on these hills, encircled by the current Vedel. Soviet authorities closed down the cathe- Ploshcha Konstytutsiyi (Constitution Square), dral, and left it balanced between restoration at- Ploshcha Rosy Luxemburg (Rosa Luxemburg tempts and ultimate destruction. At one point, its Square) and Bursatsky Uzviz, that refugees from dungeons and empty rooms on the upper floors Central and Western Ukraine, escaping from The were an attraction for urban explorers. Today, the Ruin, founded the future Kharkiv in the mid-17th cathedral has been restored and handed over to century. Initially a village with a small fort, the Moscow Patriarchate.

The Synagogue untary athletic community. The latter stayed there until 1990 when the synagogue was re- It is often called one of the biggest syna- turned to the Jewish community. It took years gogues in Europe. You may have gathered by to restore the gyms back into a prayer hall. now that the locals really like the “–est” suffix. Reform and Hasidic Jews fought over the Even though the local Jewish community was Kharkiv choral synagogue for several years, never as numerous or powerful as in Central, the former led by Eduard Khodos, a controver- Western and Eastern Ukraine, the local choral sial figure known for burning the US flag and synagogue is a monumental building. It was stigmatizing the “Jewish mafia” in his books. built in 1913, based on Yakov Gevitz’s design in the specific Mauritanian-Gothic style. During the Soviet era, it played host to various institutions, including the Jewish Workers’ Club of the Third International, a children’s movie theatre, and Spartak, a vol-

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keen tourist should not wait for a special season or weather to travel to Kharkiv Oblast. The climate tourist attractions in Kharkiv Oblast hardly makes a difference here, so why not visit it Aduring the winter-spring midseason? It’s possible to get to the largest city of Slobozhanshchyna, a historical re- worth seeing, regardless of the season or the weather gion of Ukraine, from anywhere in the country. The Ukrai- nian Week steps away from stereotypes and looks at this land from a different perspective. Article and photos by Oleh Kotsarev

Art Nouveau in Kharkiv

The architectural image of Kharkiv is often thought of as being composed of soviet box and cube-like apartment blocks, plus factories. But you will see a whole lot of cute pre-revolutionary buildings as you walk along the downtown streets, such as Sumska, Pushkinska and others. Most are in the Mod- ern style, one more commonly known in the West as Art Nouveau or Seces- sion; lavishly decorated with slender floral lines, surprising proportions and mystical elements. The Kharkiv version of Art Nouveau is somewhat different than that found elsewhere in Ukraine. On the one hand, it sports a clear trace of North and West European influence, but on the other, it offers several interesting examples of the style’s local “ethnographic variations”. One is the former College of Arts, which has since been transformed into the Design and Arts Academy, built in 1913 in the classical Ukrainian Art Nouveau style by Kostiantyn Zhukov. Another architect, Oleksandr Ginsburg built more than 20 buildings in Kharkiv, including the magnificent multi-family residential building on the corner of Pushkinska Street and Ploshcha Poezii (Poetry Square). The pre-revolutionary advertisement boards there have also been restored.

The House of State Industry We will not compare the State Industry House with Chicago and New York as Soviet propaganda Soviet heritage is an integral component of did, but the building really is interesting and original, Kharkiv’s modern image. The House of State Indus- massive yet lofty. Rumour has it that the intervals be- try at Ploshcha Svobody (Liberty Square, consid- tween the heights of its different towers reflect the ered to be the largest in Europe) is a perfect model melody of “International”, the Soviet anthem. Apart of 1920s Constructivism. At that time, Kharkiv was from trusts and banks, the State Industry House the capital of Soviet Ukraine and the authorities hosted the then government, known as the Council of had to put trusts, banks and other institutions People’s Commissars. Mykola Skrypnyk, a Ukrainian somewhere. They announced a tender and the Bolshevik leader who supported the Ukrainization winner was The Intruder, a project by Leningrad ar- campaign in Soviet Ukraine, shot himself in one of chitects Sergei Serafimov, Samuil Kravets and Mark the building’s cabinets on 7 July 1933. During WWII, it Felger. When building the foundations, the build- sheltered monkeys from the abandoned local zoo. To ers unexpectedly dug up mammoth bones. this day, some of its authentic elevators, installed in the 1920s, still work. Each one has a female elevator operator. She sits on a small stool in the elevator, talking on the plastic telephone located above her head for hours on end. hoto from web s ite http://rotozeev.net P hoto

№ 3 (45) February 2013|the ukrainian week|49 NAVIGATOR|KHARKIV OBLAST The Shot Renaissance The Assumption Cathedral The abovementioned 1920s were arguably the most fruitful years in terms of Kharkiv’s contribution to Ukrainian The Assumption Cathe- culture. It was then that many artists from all over the dral is the highest building country lived and created their art in Kharkiv. The Berezil in downtown Kharkiv. It was theatre, the crossing of Serhii Vasylkivsky’s realistic school supposedly built in the Ba- with the avant-garde explorations of Anatoliy Petrytsky, roque style in 1771-1778 to Vasyl Yermilov and others, the Shot Renaissance of writers resemble the St. Clement’s – the memory of all Church in Moscow, al- this is preserved in though the result is far from the narrow circles of identical. The iconostasis the intellectual was painted based on elite. The average sketches made by Francesco visitor walking the Rastrelli but it did not sur- city’s streets will vive. The 89-metre high bell hardly notice it. tower was built in 1821-1844 as a dedication to the victory of the Russian Em- Still, some traces of pire over Napoleon. Built entirely in the Classicism style, it is crowned with an this legacy remain. onion dome that does not quite fit into the style. The Lyrics build- After the revolution, the cathedral was shut down. Used as a radio sta- ing on Kultury Street tion, it gradually lost its frescoes and other decorations. After the war, it near the Naukova played host to a sewing and painting workshops. The restoration began in metro station had the 1970s followed by the installation of an organ in 1984. The cathedral is been home to hun- still used as a philharmonic hall for organ concerts but will be designated for dreds of writers purely religious purposes once the local authorities set up an alternative hall. from the Shot Re- naissance generation, including Skovorodynivka Mykola Khvylovy, Mykola Kulish, Mykhailo Semenko and Valeriy Polishchuk. They were all arrested here, and this This village in was where Khvylovy shot himself. Its current dwellers have the Zolochiv County nothing to do with literature. The only reminder is the me- was previously morial plate that lists writer Mykhailo Yalovy twice: under called Pan-Ivanivka. his own name and his pen name, Yulian Shpol. The local landlord, Another controversial site is the monument to Taras Andriy Kovalevsky, Shevchenko built by Matviy Manizer in 1935. Ironically, the had the prominent dynamic sculptural ensemble includes the statue of Kat- Ukrainian philoso- eryna posed for by Berezil actress, Natalia Uzhviy and her pher, Hryhoriy Skov- son, she being the wife of poet Mykhailo Semenko who of- oroda, as his house ten tarnished Shevchenko’s iconic status in his poems. Leg- guest at different times during 1790-1794. According to some sources, it end has it that your secret wish will come true if you hap- was here that Skovoroda wrote his “Snake Deluge” dialogue and “The pen to see a tractor wheel behind one of the monument’s Prayer to God for Kharkiv City”, a poem in Latin in which he described figures. Kharkiv as “God’s seventh eye”. This is also where the philosopher died The local Literature Museum will tell you more about and a museum dedicated to him was established in 1972. the present and the past of the writers’ scene in Kharkiv. In The Hryhoriy Skovoroda National Literature Memorial Museum is addition, you can see the extensive collection of the Art open all week. Although small, the exhibit is interesting and well-com- Museum, modern art at the City Museum and Yermilov Cen- piled, especially the part dedicated to Skovoroda’s biography. The col- tre, a concert at the philharmonic or a play at the Taras lection includes some of his personal things. Make sure that you see the Shevchenko Theatre – the former Berezil (modern theatre landlord’s rooms furnished in the 18th century, the park with ponds and director Andriy Zholdak tried to restore the old name with eye-catching hills, Skovoroda’s oak tree and the well. Nearby is Skovo- no success); the Arabesques theatre, or Theatre 19. The city roda’s grave, which he dug for himself. The inscription on it, requested also has the Bommer, an art-house movie theatre. by the philosopher, says “The world tried to catch me, but never did”.

50|the ukrainian week|№ 3 (45) February 2013 KHARKIV OBLAST|NAVIGATOR Sharivka

A nice mansion is located in the village of Sharivka in the Bohodukhiv County. You can get there by bus from the bus station at Kharkiv Central Market, but ideally, a car would be best. The village was founded by the Cossack Shariy. It later belonged to military commander Petro Olkhovsky. He began to build a palace but lost it in a card game. The mansion’s most glorious time was under Baron Leopold Kenig, who owned distilleries and sugar plants. Un- der the Soviet regime, it was used as a sanatorium for those suffering from tuberculosis. Sharivka palace and park are not in the best shape today, but they still offer glimpses of the pearl of Slobozhanshchyna that they used to be. This is just another incentive for visiting them soon, before everything falls apart or becomes the victim of a poorly-exe- cuted restoration project. The - ro mantic neo-Gothic mansion with its Izium towers, the accounting house built in the German style, the Medieval- Referred to as the “southern capital”, looking entrance building, a hunt- Izium is the second largest city in Kharkiv ers’ lodge, ponds, wooded slopes Oblast, founded in the mid-17th century just and linden alleys… There is also a like virtually all the other settlements in Slo- legendary stone on the territory. bozhanshchyna. Some historians, as well as Rumour has it that it came from local legends, claim that the Cossack fortress Crimea. Apparently, Leopold of Izium emerged on the Kremianets hill, Kenig’s wife cheated on him on this where there used to be Tartar fortifications stone. When he found out about the adultery, he didn’t say a word to his wife but ordered for and a settlement called Uzun-Kermen. Finding the stone to be delivered to Sharivka and placed in the middle of her favourite alley. out more about Izium’s distant past is a challenge, as the local ethnographic museum re- veals little. Currently, the Kremianets hill is Natalivka home to a group of stone figures and a large monument dedicated to WWII battles. It also Next to Sharivka is a village called Volodymyrivka with yet another beautiful mansion offers panoramic views of the Siversky Donets and park. It was built in the late 19th century by sugar mogul Pavlo Kharytonenko. Natalivka valley and the beginning of the Donetsk Ridge. is named after his daughter Natalia. The local climate cured the girl from tuberculosis. To The Cossack Transfiguration Cathedral, celebrate this, her father built the built in the 17th century, is also located in Church of Transfiguration in 1911- Izium. Its style resembles that of the Holy Pro- 1913 using a project by architect tection Cathedral in Kharkiv, yet the one in Alexei Shchusev who designed the Izium looks “lighter” and more compact. In Lenin Mausoleum. Its architectural the 19th century, it was remodeled to suit the style is quite rare in Ukraine as it architectural preferences of that time, but was combines Art Nouveau with an- later restored to its original form. Another at- cient Rus church architecture. The tractive site is the Church of the Exaltation of proportions, decorations and the Holy Cross built in the Classicism style. forms of the church are impressive Other interesting spots include the old lo- and unusual, while the bell tower cal private sector, and a weird-looking monu- looks like a rocket. The church was ment to political instructor Mikhailov, who previously adorned with antique was killed “by a bandit” in 1923. Designed in icons from the mogul’s collection. the typical style of those years, the monu- In addition to the church, the ment is further proof of the difficulties faced village boasts a beautiful entrance gate, an annex, household buildings, and stables. There by Bolshevik experiments, even in Eastern is also a nice, but neglected park. Ukraine. hoto from web s ite http://rotozeev.net P hoto

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