www.ukrweekly.com I HL rPublished ЬУ the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association| Ukrainian WeeklУ Vol. LIX No. 15 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 14,1991 50 cents St. George Cathedral in Lviv site of historic Easter liturgy by Marta Kolomayets At this cathedral, which was the site Kiev Press Bureau of thb 1946 Lviv pseudo-synod, which liquidated the Ukrainian Catholic LVIV — For the first time in 46 years, Church and absorbed it into the ranks Ukrainian Catholics were able to cele­ of the Russian Orthodox Church, brate the miracle of Christ's Resurrec­ hundreds of worshippers blessed bright­ tion at the Cathedral of St. George on ly decorated Easter baskets, complete Sunday, April 7, singing joyously, with pasky (Easter bread), krashanky "Khrystos Voskres!" (Christ Has (colored eggs), butter and cheese. Risen). Members of the recently renewed Hundreds of faithful densely packed youth organization Plast assisted this 18th century Baroque church, the priests by carrying buckets which was returned to the Ukrainian of holy water during the blessing cere­ Catholics last August, to witness their monies. Plast members also stood vigil newly arrived primate, Cardinal Myro- at the grave of Jesus Christ, the "plash- slav Ivan Lubachivsky, celebrate the chennytsia," inside the church. Jerusalem Matins and all-night liturgy, The Ukrainian Catholics were not the which began at midnight. He was only ones to celebrate Easter in Lviv assisted by Archbishop Volodymyr throughout the night. All-night liturgies Sterniuk of Lviv and Archbishop were also offered at the Cathedral Maxim Hermaniuk, metropolitan of Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Canada, as well as numerous bishops Church, formerly the Russian Ortho­ and priests from Ukraine and the dox Church. Here, at Holy Protec­ diaspora. tress (Pokrova) Church, which was Kolomayets Preparations for the approaching once a Catholic church, Bishop Andriy Cardinal Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky celebrates Palm Sunday liturgya t St. George Easter holidays began on Saturday for Horak. (he may be remembered as the Cathedral in Lviv (above), as the faithful (below) fill the church to overflowing. most in this city, which is experiencing parish priest at Transfiguration (For more photos see centerfold.) religious freedom and the revival of Church, which was the site of the 1989 traditions squelched by the Communist proclamation by the Rev. Taras regime for decades. The legalization of Chukhniy that he was going to serve the Ukrainian Catholic Church and the liturgy for Greek Catholics) served the return of its leader to Ukraine on March Easter liturgy. 30 also contributed to the jubilant At Ss. Peter and Paul Ukrainian atmosphere in Lviv this year. Autocephalous Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Ioann served the Easter Many Western journalists — from Resurrection services, as hundreds of the BBC, RAI, VOA, TVE-Espanola, people flooded the church, many stand­ France Catholique, Catholic News ing outside due to the lack of room. Service, to name but a few — were on All the churches, of all religious hand to observe the blessing of Easter confessions were filled with faithful, baskets in the courtyard of St. George who rejoiced that Christ had Risen. Cathedral throughout the day on Satur­ When asked why he was attending the day, April 6. Moscow-affiliated Ukrainian Ortho­ They were part of the delegation that dox Church and not the UAOC or the arrived in Lviv with Cardinal Lubachiv­ UCC, „ one man replied, "It makes no sky, sponsored by Bravo International, difference to me as long as it's Ukrai­ a travel agency based in Allentown, Pa. nian. Khrystos Voskres!" Khmara released from prison; trial is set for April 29 TORONTO - Member of the Ukrai­ in front of Lukianivka Prison demand­ nian Parliament Stepan Khmara was ing People's Deputy Khmara's release.. released from Lukianivka Prison in Without prior announcement, Dr. Kiev at 10:30 a.m. on Good Friday, Khmara was released to his legal defen­ April 5, pending his trial, reported the ders, Yuriy Aivazian and Victor Nika- Jurists Group. The release of Dr. zakov, who escorted Dr. Khmara out of Khmara coincides with Easter celebra­ the prison where over 600 striking tions in Ukraine. miners had been camped. Fellow mem­ The Jurists Group, a committee of ber of the Ukrainian Parliament, 01ek- jurists and lawyers whose aim is to sander Hudyma, who was picketing encourage and monitor democratic and outside of the prison along with the human rights developments in Ukraine, miners, was there to greet Dr. Khmara. also reported that for three days prior to People's Deputy Khmara, together the release of Dr. Khmara, miners from with Mr. Hudyma, miners and a grow­ his hometown of Chervonohrad in ing number of citizens of Kiev, walked western Ukraine, picketed continuously (Continued on page 7) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 14,1991 No. 15 CHORNOBYL FIVE YEARS AFTER lished to investigate the causes of the sioned a visit to the Chornobyl area by New information reveals cause accident included officials from the Vitold Fokin, the chairman of the Kurchatov Institute, the scientific Ukrainian Council of Ministers, who leader of the RBMK reactor. More­ was concerned about alleged opposition of 1986 Chornobyl nuclear accident over, these officials were aware of the to the plan. by Dr. David R. Marples clusion after the accident, he was fired design flaw, whereas the hapless Chor­ While the Supreme Soviet's decision from his post. nobyl operators were not. In 1984, the cannot be contravened, there is evident­ In August 1986, a Soviet delegation It is hinted strongly that Legasov Kurchatov scientists professed to be ly considerable dissension at the sta­ led by Academician Valery Legasov committed suicide because he could no studying the problem, but demanded tion and at the town built for plant went to Vienna and related the causes of longer face the deception carried out by that the reactors continue to operate. operatives, Slavutych, to the proposed the Chornobyl disaster to a meeting of the Soviet delegation in Vienna. And a Similarly, Legasov and his delegation permanent shutdown. On economic the International Atomic Energy A- nuclear safety inspector at the Kursk had long been cognizant of the defects grounds, plant director M.P. Umanets gency (IAEA). As is well known, the nuclear power plant — one Yadrykhin- that had caused the explosion, but had has argued that the abandonment Soviet report was praised at the time for sky — noted 32 blatant violations of they acknowledged these facts at makes no sense because it will still be its openness and the credibility of the nuclear safety in the design of the Vienna, then "the whole word" would necessary to maintain the station over a IAEA was greatly enhanced as a result RBMK, one of which was the usage of have demanded the immediate shut­ number of years. of this meeting. control rods of "shortened construc­ down of all Soviet RBMKs, a loss of 15 The main arguments center around An account was provided of "incre­ tion," i.e., the control rods manufac­ million kilowatt hours of capacity. In Ukrainian economic sovereignty. The dible" mistakes made by the plant tured were not of the designated length turn, the IAEA, an organization that most familiar argument raised is that operators, while subsequent reports and did not extend fully into the seven- exists through member contributions Ukraine faces an energy crisis that will elucidated their fundamental lack of meter active zone of the reactor. "permitted itself to be deceived." only be exacerbated by the closure of training. Only as a sort of afterword was Evidently, a shortcut was taken with the The conclusion that one reaches from Chornobyl. It is acknowledged that 10 it noted that there is an inherent struc­ design in the interests of economy. this report is not that the accident could percent of Ukraine's energy production tural defect in the Soviet RBMK (gra­ is exported to Hungary, Bulgaria, phite) reactor, which causes it to be­ Romania and Czecho-Slovakia, but come unstable at low power. It might ...after more than four years...Soviet nuclear authori­ such exports are to cease in the near even be posited that most reactors are ties have reached the conclusion that reactor design future. unstable at low power, thus absolving If nuclear power stations such as the reactor designers of any real re­ and not operator error caused the Chornobyl catas­ Chornobyl are to be abandoned, then sponsibility for the catastrophe that Ukraine's power stations will be sup­ occurred. trophe. plied by natural gas from the Russian The Soviet report was examined by a Republic, a dependency that many host of scientists worldwide. Those The commission bases its findings have been avoided, but surprise that it critics regard as undesirable. In addi­ countries that used graphite as a mode­ largely on the nuclear plant's "black did not occur earlier. It suggests that the tion, the full closure of all three Chor­ rator in their own nuclear industries, box." Earlier the existence of such a RBMK reactor should not have been nobyl reactors by 1995 will mean the such as Canada, were obliged to con­ box, which is similar to that in the operating with such a flaw, though it is loss of jobs for 4,073 highly qualified duct a full investigation as to whether cockpit of airplanes and used to deter­ not made clear whether the shortened men and women. such an accident could occur there. In mine the cause of plane crashes, was not rods were in place at all operating The future of the "21st century city" 1987, a second meeting was held in publicly revealed. It indicates that the stations. Above all, it indicates that the Slavutych will also be in jeopardy.