The Ukrainian Weekly 2014, No.42
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www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: l Kerry on talks with Lavrov regarding Ukraine – page 6 l 5th annual Ukrainian Festival at UACCNJ – page 11 l Our community: Toms River, Wildwood, New York – page 14 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXII No. 42 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2014 $2.00 Tributes to Kyiv Mohyla Academy celebrate its 400th anniversary Chicago, D.C. events note university’s leading role in today’s Ukraine by Marta Farion CHICAGO – Tributes to Kyiv Mohyla Academy held in Chicago and Washington during mid-September marked the beginning of yearlong plans to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Kyiv Mohyla Academy, for centuries a catalyst in educating Ukraine’s leaders. These events, presented as a “Salute to Ukraine,” were also an occasion to honor the courage of the people of Ukraine in their ongoing, heroic defense of both personal dignity and their nation’s independence. The “Salute to Ukraine” events were held first at the University Club of Chicago on September 14, and then on September 16 at a reception in Washington in the Caucus Room of the Cannon House Office Building of the U.S. Vadym Gyliuk Congress. Hundreds of guests, including members of the Members of Kyiv Mohyla Foundation committees and board of directors with National University of Kyiv Mohyla Ukrainian community, political leaders and representa- Academy members at the 400th anniversary event in Washington. Fifth from left is Vyacheslav Bryukhovetsky, tives, scholars, diplomats, and members from the NGO and honorary president of NUKMA; sixth from left is NUKMA President Serhiy Kvit. business communities attended both events. In Chicago, the program was co-sponsored with the posers, philosophers, scientists, writers – who attended the ized that political declarations were not enough. Educating Chicago Kyiv Sister Cities Committee. In Washington, the university through the centuries, and focused on the rebirth a confident generation to lead our nation was essential,” Congressional Ukrainian Caucus and the Ukrainian of the Academy in 1991 after years of Soviet closure, re- stated Dr. Bryukhovetsky in his remarks. Embassy were co-hosts. established as a modern university by Vyacheslav “That is why we had to rebuild the Kyiv Mohyla Academy, While the programs of the two events were unique and Bryukhovetsky with the help of educators, civil society lead- Ukraine’s oldest university that educated Ukraine’s leading varied, both included a moving video that depicted the acad- ers and supporters from the diaspora and Ukraine. figures throughout its history – an institution that has been emy’s founding by Petro Mohyla and Halshka Hulevychivna “When Ukraine chose independence in 1991, we under- in 1615, recounted the prominent leaders – hetmans, com- stood that we needed to transform Ukraine, and we real- (Continued on page 4) President vows “tectonic changes” amid growing public doubt by Zenon Zawada past, having interacted with him, yet is beginning to express doubts. KYIV – To address mounting concerns, Ukrainian Indeed, the president is already committing the deadly President Petro Poroshenko led off his first major press sins of Ukrainian politics, prompting at least five political conference on September 25 by assuring the public that he experts contacted by The Weekly to express their doubt genuinely wants changes. that he will be interested in conducting his promised “tec- “We’re burning for reforms,” Mr. Poroshenko said. “I am tonic changes.” certain we need to not simply walk, but run on the path to The Poroshenko entourage complicated, tectonic changes. The Ukrainian government and I, the Ukrainian president, certainly have the political What’s particularly worrying, observers said, is that will. There’s certainly no road back because you know your- numerous scandals either involve Mr. Poroshenko himself, or selves what and who is there. The main thing for us, as in the his closest entourage that he appointed, observers said. biblical parable, is to not look back.” For example, the president’s son, Oleksii, is running for Parliament in the pre-term elections under the Poroshenko In the same speech, Mr. Poroshenko said the “tectonic Bloc in a single-mandate district, which “is a signal that changes” won’t be pursued until after the October 26 par- political reforms in Ukraine are in danger,” Dr. Hrytsak said. liamentary elections. He dismissed arguments pointing out that political Meanwhile, corruption continues to pervade Ukrainian dynasties have existed in the U.S., such as the Kennedy and governance, observers said, without any evidence of seri- Bush families. Unlike the U.S., Ukraine is a poor country ous reforms on the horizon. The public is beginning to “and should be trying harder if it wants something greater,” worry that Mr. Poroshenko will repeat the debacle of his he said. “Otherwise, Poroshenko’s statements about the predecessor and “kum” (parent of a godchild), former genuineness of his intentions to create conditions in President Viktor Yushchenko, who offered sweet promises Ukraine for stable development look like a smokescreen.” but nothing to back them up. Viktor Kovalchuk/UNIAN The practice of recruiting friends and relatives to form “The phantom of 2005 hangs over Ukraine: the pretext one’s political team is known as “kumivstvo,” and Mr. Procurator General Vitalii Yarema appointed several of lost chances, a weak president, political quarrels, a dis- key officials who would be removed under lustration. Poroshenko has shown that he’s not to be outdone by any- appointed society – all of what’s called ‘Ukraine fatigue,’ ” His 26-year-old son, Valerii Yarema, was appointed in one in this sphere. September to a lucrative government post without said Yaroslav Hrytsak, a Ukrainian Catholic University pro- much experience. fessor who has had confidence in Mr. Poroshenko in the (Continued on page 12) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2014 No. 42 ANALYSIS Crimean Tatars complain of campaign Protest erupts outside Rada pledged “to strengthen the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.” (RFE/RL KYIV – Demonstrators clashed with Ukrainian Service, with reporting by UNIAN of harassment and intimidation police outside the Ukrainian Parliament dur- and Interfax) ing a raucous protest that prompted the leg- by Robert Coalson agents. The de facto authorities in Crimea, a islature to go into recess. Some of the pro- No sign of Russian pullback RFE/RL Black Sea region of Ukraine that was annexed by Russia in March, have not responded to testers tried to push past police and enter BRUSSELS – NATO’s top military com- On an autumn evening on a highway repeated inquiries for information. parliament during the demonstration on mander said on October 15 that the alliance between Symferopol and Bilohirsk, a white On March 16, Crimean Tatar Reshat October 14. The approximately 500 protest- had not seen “major movement” so far of van pulled up next to two young Crimean Tatar Ametov was found dead after disappearing ers were demanding the Verkhovna Rada Russian troops from a region bordering men who were walking on the street. Several during a Symferopol protest on March 3, include on its agenda a draft law recognizing the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists eastern Ukraine. U.S. Air Force General unknown men jumped out and pushed according to Human Rights Watch. The Philip Breedlove, the supreme allied com- (OUN) and Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) 18-year-old Islyam Dzheparov and 23-year- body bore “marks of a violent death,” the mander Europe, spoke to the Associated as national heroes. Some of the protesters old Dzhebdet Islyamov into the vehicle. NGO reported, saying a “climate of lawless- Press, days after Russian President were reportedly from the nationalist The van drove off and the two men have ness” is “pervasive in Crimea.” Vladimir Putin ordered about 17,600 not been seen or heard from since. When Russia took over Crimea, Russian Svoboda party, but party leader Oleh Russian troops to return to their bases after The abduction, which took place on President Vladimir Putin pledged to reach Tiahnybok denied Svoboda was involved. what Moscow described as training drills in September 27, is just one in a series of inci- out to Crimean Tatars, who were brutally Another nationalist group, Right Sector, the Rostov region. NATO has refuted previ- dents of harassment and intimidation deported from the peninsula by Joseph Stalin posted a message on Twitter denying its ous Russian claims of troop withdrawals directed against the Crimean Tatar commu- in 1944 and only allowed to begin returning members were involved. Some observers from the regions bordering Ukraine. nity since Russia annexed the peninsula in the final days of the Soviet Union. said they could not rule out that the foreign Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev from Ukraine in March. The campaign has However, in the months since annexa- special services of the Russian Federation said in remarks published on October 15 included both legal and extrajudicial mea- tion, Crimean Tatars have been subjected to were behind the organizers of the protest. that a new “reset” in Russian-U.S. ties was sures and has ranged from petty harass- gradually intensifying pressure from the (RFE/RL Ukrainian Service, with reporting “absolutely impossible” as long as sanctions ment to torture and killings, activists say. authorities in Crimea. Mr. Dzhemilev, their by UNIAN and Interfax) the United States has imposed on Moscow In addition to other abductions, it has leader, has been barred from entering the over its role in the Ukraine crisis remain in New defense minister is confirmed included raids on mosques, criminal cases peninsula. His son has been arrested and place. Mr. Medvedev said Mr. Putin’s recent against Tatar leaders, and the barring of top taken to Russia, accused of murder and KYIV – The Verkhovna Rada confirmed a order to move troops that have been figures like Mustafa Dzhemilev from the weapons possession.