Vol. LV No. 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 11,1987 25 cents Prairie provinces' bilingual program: Soviets "rehabilitate" Holoborodko, its successes and significance Ukrainian poet of the '60s Following is part I of a three-part grade 7 — are among the estimated by Bond an Nahaylo so far as to say he was confident that the series on the Ukrainian-English bilin­ 3.000 children in Alberta, Saskatche­ young Mr. Holoborodko would soon gual program — an education program wan and Manitoba who are enrolled in After almost two decades, the ban on become one of the "great figures" of unique to Canada that provides chil­ the government-funded program. the gifted Ukrainian poet Vasyl Holo­ Ukrainian poetry. dren with Ukrainian-language instruc­ borodko finally appears to have been But just as Mr. Holoborodko was Fifteen, years after the Alberta go­ lifted. A recent issue of the journal coming into his own, with the an­ tion/or up to 50 percent of the school vernment adopted legislation allowing day. Ukraina published 11 of his poems, but nouncement in 1965 that a collection of for Ukrainian immersion programs in •with no mention of the long hiatus. The his poems was being prepared for The first installment focuses on, the the province's schools, strikingly diffe­ introductory note even suggests that it is Ukrainian bilingual program in the publication, his literary path was sud­ rent approaches are being used across simply the latest of numerous selections denly blocked. In the summer of that wheat-growing province of Saskatche­ the prairies: in some, Ukrainian is the of his poems to appear in Soviet publi­ wan. ; year, his poetry was criticized in Mos­ only language spoken in the classroom cations. Mr. Holoborodko, it states, cow, and thereafter, without any ex­ • .'- by Michael Bodurklw throughout the morning; in others, the "has been publishing his poems, in the planation, no more of his work was instruction is partly in English and republic's newspapers and journals for a accepted for publication apart from a SASKATOON — In a ground-floor partly in Ukrainian in varying degrees. long time." few poems that appeared at the be­ classroom at St, Goretti School in While many factions dispute which In fact, Mr. Holoborodko has been ginning of 1968 in Poezia. Although Saskatoon, 20 students, all Canadian- approach is best, the non-Ukrainian published very little in Ukraine and-, as Mr. Holoborodko was not active in the born, were learning the Ukrainian enrollment of students grows larger and far as can be ascertained, the last Ukrainian dissident movement and was names of the days of the week. Though more diverse each year. It is not uncom­ occasion was in 1968. Nevertheless, on never publicly denounced, in the eyes of most of the students come from families mon, for instance, to see among the the basis of his appearances at poetry the authorities he has remained until where only one parent is of Ukrainian pupils children from families where readings and of unpublished works that now a "non-poet" origin, and some from families! where. t both pace.Qjs arc,, of East Jovian or jonie circulated in ^amvydav,. he was hailed ; It appears that the real reason for the neither parent is Ukrainian, no lan­ other Sisible minority" group as they by leading representatives of the Ukrai­ ban on Mr. Holoborodko was not so guage other than Ukrainian was spoken are called in Canada. nian literary elite as one of the most much his poetry as what he represented, at anytime. promising young poets to emerge and this makes his "rehabilitation" all The program at St. Goretti in Saska­ the rrtore significant. The 1960s were a toon is modelled on the approach during the exciting first half of the 1960s. Ukrainian literary critic Ivan period of resurgent Ukrainian national utilized by Manitoba schools: after 100 awareness that was spearheaded by the percent immersion in Ukrainian in Dzyuba, who played a leading role in the revival of public and cultural life in young generation of poets, writers and kindergarten, the children are taught in (Continued on page 2) Ukrainian for up to 50 percent of the Ukraine during that decade, even went school day. • - The enrollment for kindergarten has Knesset member tells Ukrainians been so heavy this year that the class had to be split in two to accommodate alt of the pupils. to ask forgiveness for crimes JERSEY CITY, N.J. — A deputy tion of hundreds of thousands of Jews. Language of communication speaker of the Knesset. Israel's parlia­ He also stated: ment, has stated that Ukrainians as a "During more than four decades, not In almost every Ukrainian bilingual nation are collectively responsible for a single word was heard from your classroom across the prairies, teachers the crimes of individuals against Jews. organization in favor of the human report that the majority of their pupils Deputy Speaker Dov B. Ben-Meir rights of Ukrainians of the Jewish faith now come from homes in which English wrote, in a letter to Americans for who were shot, burned, gassed by your is the principal language of communica­ Human Rights in Ukraine,"... since the fellow countrymen. And it js only the tion. days of Bogdan Chelmenitzky [sic; the 'worry' whether the Israeli press will by reference is to Bohdan Khmelnytsky. Indeed, a study commissioned by the its publicity prejudice the objectivity of Pupils at St. Goretti School. hetman of Ukraine, 1648-1657], the Israeli justice that keeps you awake at Ukrainian Canadian Committee shows Jewish people has a long score to settle Outside the classroom, the environ­ that only 15 percent of Ukrainians in nights!" ment evokes memories of Saturday with the Ukrainian people." Saskatchewan use the Ukrainian lan­ Mr. Ben-Meir then concluded his morning Ukrainian school: the walls are guage in the home. The letter, dated October 1986, was adorned with photographs of small written in response to a letter AHRU letter with the following: children in Ukrainian costumes per­ The Ukrainian Community Develop­ sent to all 120 Knesset members regard­ "To you and your friends, 1 suggest forming at the school's Ukrainian ment Committee — a subcommittee of ing the case of John Demjanjuk, the 66- that you go to church not only on Christmas concert; the haunting strains the Ukrainian Canadian Committee year-old former Cleveland autoworker Sunday, but also every day of the week. of Ukrainian folk songs drift out of the looking into ways to increase the accused of being "Ivan the Terrible." and that you kneel there until bleeding music room; and groups of children community involvement of Canadian- AHRU had expressed its concern at the knees in asking forgiveness for chat among themselves in seemingly born Ukrainians — says the survival of about whether Mr. Demjanjuk, who is what your people has done to ours." flawless Ukrainian as they remove the the Ukrainian community in western on trial in Israel for Nazi war crimes, In an effort to verify that the letter layers of clothing that protects them Canada depends on cultivating a large will receive a fair trial despite extensive had indeed been written by Mr. Ben- from the frigid blasts of a prairie winter. group of children fluent in Ukrainian. pre-trial publicity about the case. Meir, The Ukrainian Weekly tried for Schools among western Canada's French and English. AHRU received several responses two and a half weeks to contact the public and Catholic schools, like St. "Our main objective in educating our from members of the Knesset, but none Knesset member by phone. Finally, on Goretti. use the Ukrainian language in children is functional trilingualism - like that of Mr. Ben-Meir. Tuesday. January 6, (at 6 a.m. Eastern the classroom for up to 50 percent of the fluency in English. French and Ukrai­ The deputy speaker, who is a member time). The Weekly did reach Mr. Ben- school day. The students are from nian," says a report recently released by of the Labor Party, noted that anti- Meir in Israel. After the caller, editor diverse ethnic backgrounds. the UCDC group. "The Ukrainian Semitism in the USSR is concentrated Roma Hadzewycz, identified herself as The children in the Ukrainian bilin­ bilingual program {that includes French in Ukraine and that uncounted numbers phoning from The Ukrainian Weekly in gual program — which is offered at St. as a suhject) is the only viable method of of Ukrainians collaborated with the the United States, Mr. Ben-Meirstated, Goretti this year from kindergarten to {Continued on page 8) Nazi regime, especially in the annihila- (Continued on page 3) January 12 — DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS THEUKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 11.1987 No. 2 Soviets... contemporary Ukrainian poets." Ac­ Kiev appeals court orders (Continued from page 1) cording to Mr. Stus, Mr. Holoborodko Hterary critics known as the "Shesty- had been "persecuted," expelled from desiatnyky," or "Sixtiers." They not Donetske University, and packed off probe of Protsenko case only brought a refreshing new spirit to for military service. In 1969, another by Bohdan Faryma works: a manuscript titled "The State of Ukrainian cultural life but also set an Ukrainian poet, Ivan Drach, confirmed the Russian Orthodox Church," dis- example of civic courage and commit­ that Mr. Holoborodko was serving in NEW YORK —The case of a Ukrai­ cribing the persecution of believers in ment to the national cause. One of their the army in the Soviet Far East. nian Christian activist is being recon­ the Soviet Union, and a 106-page rough - leading representatives was Mr. Although Mr. Holoborodko was no sidered after an appeals court recently draft titled "The Strength of Holiness Dzyuba, who, in the first half of 1965, longer published in his homeland, his repealed his three-year sentence, the and the Weakness of Evil," devoted to shortly before the crackdown on the works .circulated in samvydav.