www.ukrweekly.com Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association! rainian Weekly 1 'U Vol. LI II No. 26 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY. JUNE 30, 1985 25 cents Analysis of Soviet press 30 New York congressmen score Article by Dziuba compares education officials' treatment of famine WASHINGTON - Thirty of New Frank Horton. Republican from Ro­ national poets Shevchenko, Petofi York State's 34 congressmen 15 chester; Gary Ackerman. Democrat Republicans and 15 Democrats - have from Queens: Joseph Addabbo. Demo­ signed a letter to State Education crat from Ozone Park: Mario Biaggi, by Verena Rakoczy Commissioner Gordon M. Ambach Democrat from Bronx; Sherwood and Gov. Mario Cuomo sharply criti­ Boehlert. Republican from Utica; Bill NEW YORK - The March 1985 cizing the New York State Department Carney. Republican from Hauppauge: issue of Ukrainska Mova і Litera­ of Education for what they say is "an Joe DioGuardi. Republican from ture v Shkoli (Ukrainian Language Scarsdale; Tom Downey. Democrat and Literature in School) carried affront to Ukrainian Americans and a disservice to the students of New York from West Islip; Hamilton Fish. Jr.. an article by Ivan Dziuba titled Republican from Millbrook: Robert "Shevchenko and Petofi." State." The 30 congressmen say they are Garcia. Democrat from the Bronx; Ben What is interesting about the "dismayed" that the Department of Gilman. Republican from Middletown; article is that it is written by Mr. Education has decided to delete from Bill Green. Republican from New York Dziuba and that the topic is national City; Jack Kemp. Republican from consciousness and Ukrainian na­ the final draft of the Teacher's Guide lor the "Teaching About the Holocaust and Hamburg; John LaFalce, Democrat tionalism — the theme of his famous. from Tonawanda; Norm Lent. Republi­ book "Internationalism or Russifica- Genocide" program the previously planned section about the Soviets' 1932- can from East Rockaway; Stan Lun- tion?." the thesis of which Mr. dine. Democrat from Jamestown; Tom 33 forced famine in Ukraine. Dziuba later recanted. Manton, Democrat fr'bm Queens; David ,- They remind Mr. Ambach and Gov. On this occasion, however, Mr. O`B. Martin, Republican from Canton; Cuomo ihai more people 7 million Dziuba broaches this topic through a Ray McGrath, Republican from Valley Ukrainians - died in the Communist comparative analysis of the works of Stream; Matt McHugh, Democrat Ivan Dziuba in a photo from the holocaust in Ukraine then even in the two great national poets - the from Ithaca; Guy Molinari. Republican 1960s. Nazi holocaust, and they ask that what Hungarian Sandor Petofi (1822- from Staten Island; Robert Mrazek. Shevchenko and Petofi, as in that of 1949) and Taras Shevchenko (1814- they call "perhaps the largest mass Democrat from Huntington; Henry few other great poets, themes of 61), who is considered the poet murder in this century" be studied "as Nowak. Democrat from Buffalo; Major social and national liberation are so laureate of Ukraine. an integral part" of "Teaching About Owens. Democrat from Brooklyn; integrally united; that is why the Holocaust and Genocide." Mr. Dziuba`s essay can be read on Charles Rangel, Democrat from New 'freedom' — the central idea in their The letter was initiated by Fred J. two different levels. On the explicit York City; James Scheuer, Democrat poetry, means at once social and level, the article can be read as an Eckert. Republican from Rochester. from Douglaston; Jerry Solomon, national freedom as well as national academic exercise in comparative The other congressmen from New Republican from Glens Falls; and seif-rule." writes Mr. Dziuba. literary criticism and Marxist socio­ York who signed the letter are: Sam (Continued on page 3) The author shows that Petofi and logy of literature. Stratton. Democrat from Scheneclady: Shevchenko became the national Mr. Dziuba points out the simi­ poets, respectively, of Hungary and larities between Petofi and Shev­ Ukraine because they embodied the chenko in terms of personal, socio- social and national aspirations of House members seek support for OSI historical and literary affinities. their people, and that they could WASHINGTON Six members of dent Ronald Reagan, urging him to join Certain character traits and per­ embody these aspirations because the House of Representatives were the co-signers "in expressing your sonal development as well as literary they, in turn, as poets, drew their seeking co-signers in Congress last week personal support for the significant styles, images, motifs and functions inspiration from the creativity of folk on a letter to the president urging work of this important agency." of their poetry, their national, cul­ traditions. The letter also treated the OSI's tural and political activism, their continued support for the Justice De­ By fusing the aesthetic and the pursuit of deportation proceedings for historical significance and the place partment's Office of Special Investiga­ social and political elements of the suspected war criminals living in the they occupied in the national con­ tions (OSI) in lighl of recent objections Romantic populist tradition, United States "under false pretenses." sciousness of their respective nations voiced by East European groups calling they became both national and "Many of these individuals gained — all these elements are brought out for a congressional investigation of revolutionary poets. Mr. Dziuba in Mr. Dziuba's comparative analy­ OSI procedures. access to our country by purposefully quotes Petofi: "Once a people are withholding information from U.S. sis. The letter appears at a time when masters of their poetry, then they will government officials regarding past vafious ethnic American organizations, But the key basis for comparison come nearer to being masters of their involvement in Nazi criminal activi­ including Americans lor Due Process. in the article is the specific socio- politics. And this is the task of our ties." the letter said. "Wc are confident Americans Against Defamation of historical context in which the poets times." that you would agreed that those who' Ukrainians and Americans for Human and their works developed. It is true that Mr. Dziuba's perpetrated crimes against the Jews and Rights in Ukraine, are urging a "The crucial and decisive moment analysis does not go beyond the other victims of Nazism should not be. probe into the Nazi-hunting agency's of this affinity resided in the fact that socio-historical context of the afforded the privilege of residence in methods, including its continued use of in Hungary as well as in Ukraine the Austro-Hungarian and Russian our country. This is why wcsoemphari- Soviet-supplied evidence and video­ question of social liberation was empires, nor does it draw the cally support the work of the Office of organically intermeshed with the taped eyewitness testimony. political implications of Petofi`s and Special Investigations." question of national liberation to Shevchenko`s poetry for the con­ Reps. Silvio Conic (R-Mass.). Gary The congressmen continued: "Our- such an extent that both developed temporary situation. But Mr. I.. Ackerman (D-N.Y.). Hamilton Fish concern, however, regards an effort in into one single great historical task Dziuba's essay can also be read at an Jr. (R-N.Y.). Barney Frank (D-Mass.). some quarters to discredit the achieve­ one which Engels referred to as implicit level as an Aesopian literary John E. Porter (R-lll.) and Jim Moody ments of the Office ol Special Investiga­ 'the inevitable struggle of each people exercise, a technique which since (D-Wis.) circulated a letter dated June for its existence as a nation.' tions. In light of the recent attacks on time immemorial writers have used 19 asking members "to reiterate con­ OSI. we believe it is time to reaffirm our "That is why in the poetry of to evade the wrath of political and gressional support for the mandate of commitment to sustaining the work of ideological censors. this agency" established in 1979 to look this agency. As members of Congress, Verena Rakoczy is a doctoral One may ask: What is the political into cases of U.S. residents suspected of wc will continue to support the Office degree candidate in the field ol com­ significance of comparing Petofi and being Nazi war criminals. of Special Investigations and we respect­ parative literature. (Continued on pager 16) The "Dear Colleague" letter also fully urge you to publicly express your included the text of the letter to Presi­ support as well." 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 30, 1985 ^^ No. 26 A life of suffering Soviet feature film attacks for Christ: Lidia Vins Radio Liberty's Ukrainian Service by Bohdan Nahaylo According to the reviewer, "against The following eulogy is reprinted son grow up and eventually challenge the background of one-dimensional from Kesion News Service. Michael the Soviet state over the legality of its A new Soviet feature film which cardboard caricatures of villains who Bourdeaux is the general director of treatment of believers. Khrushchev's attacks the Ukrainian Service of Radio Hash across the screen, the particularly Kesion College. attack against the Church in the early Liberty has apparently failed to live up noble and positive (character) 1960s saw Georgi come to the fore­ to expectations. Rutkovsky looks so outstanding that by Michael Bourdeaux front as a man of utter integrity and Billed as an incisive political thriller you wonder why the professionals from even greater toughness. After his first and an important work of counter- the CIA do not realize that he isa Soviet 1937. A small wooden house in imprisonment in 1966. Mrs. Vins propaganda, the latest production of agent." Omsk. Siberia. A family issittingand became one of the leading figures in the Kiev Film Studios named after With its shallow portrayal of quietly passing the time in the humble the Baptist Council of Prisoners' Oleksandcr Dov/hcnko.