The Ukrainian Weekly 1989, No.39
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www.ukrweekly.com йіь^д by the Ukrainian National Association Inc.. a fraternal поП'profit associitiori| ШrainianWeekl V Vol. LVII No. 39 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24,1989 50 cents Shcherbytsky ousted from Politburo 150,000 Catholics march in Lviv; MOSCOW - Volodymyr Shcher the Politburo. "But, Mr. Gorbachev bytsky, first secretary of the Commu apparently chose to act first in Moscow, Lubachivsky looks to legalization nist Party of Ukraine, was ousted from thus encouraging speculation that he ROME - An estimated 150,000 million Ukrainian Catholics in the the USSR Politburo on Wednesday, sought to avoid a possible rebuff from Ukrainian Catholics marched through Soviet Union are loyal to their Church September 20, in what was widely the Ukrainian Central Committee, the streets of Lviv on Sunday, Septem and to the Vatican. characterized as a major purge of the controlled by Mr. Shcherbytsky," the ber 17, to demand that the Kremlin The cardinal, who is the archbishop Communist Party leadership effected Times wrote. restore their Church's legal status, major of Lviv of the Ukrainian Catho- by President Mikhail Gorbachev. Mr. Shcherbytsky was dismissed at reported the Ukrainian Press Bureau lics and metropolitan of the Lviv Mr. Shcherbytsky, whose 'immi the conclusion of a two-day closed based in Rome. (Continued on page 4) nent" removal had been rumored for session of the Communist Party's The crowd of faithful, which some years and had been the subject of Central Committee convened to discuss sources in Ukraine report numbered countless analyses by Sovietologists, the nationalities issue. 200,000 to 250,000, took part in the 11 hunger strikers had been a member of the Politburo of Also dismissed were Viktor Chebri- largest demonstration of Ukrainian the Communist Party of the Soviet kiov, former KGB chief, and Viktor Catholics since World War IL The day arrested in Moscow Union since 1971. He had been the last Nikonov, secretary of agriculture. The also marked the 50th anniversary of the MOSCOW - Eleven Ukrainian holdover from the "stagnant" era of ousters of three of the 12 voting mem Soviet takeover of Lviv in 1939 and was Catholic faithful who have been on a Leonid Brezhnev — with the exception bers of the Politburo were regarded as commemorated with black ribbons hunger strike along Moscow's Arbat of Mr. Gorbachev - remaining in the the most significant party shake-up in draping Ukrainian national flags, since mid-May pressing for recogni Politburo. the four and a half years since Mr. crosses and Church banners held in the tion of their banned Church were The New York Times reported that Gorbachev came to power. daylong demonstration, reported the arrested on Monday, September 18, normally, Mr. Shcherbytsky would Also removed were two of the eight St. Sophia Religious Association of reported the Ukrainian Press Bureau have been ousted as Ukrainian SSR non-voting candidate members of the Ukrainian Catholics in Canada. based in Rome. party chief before being removed from Politburo: Yuri Soloviev, former Le In response to the Sunday demon According to reports from Mos ningrad regional party chief whose slate stration. Cardinal Myroslav Ivan Luba cow, the 11 Catholics were being of Communist Party candidates had chivsky, head of the Ukrainian Catholic deported from Moscow to Ukraine INSIDE: gone down to a crushing defeat during Church based in Rome said: "It sends a only one day after an estimated Ш A special eyewitness report March elections for the Congress of message to the Soviet government: 150,000 Ukrainians marched peace about the founding congress of the People's Deputies; and Nikolai Talyzin, legalize our Church. He added that the fully in Lviv, western Ukraine, de Popular Movement of Ukraine for former chairman of Gosplan, the cen demonstration proved, without a doubt' manding the legalization of the Perebudova, plus photos — center tral planning apparatus. to both the Soviet government and Ukrainian Catholic Church. (Continued on page 4) fold. (Continued on page 4) Western observers that the estimated 5 Lincoln Center concert celebrates UNA and Dumka jubilees by Roma Hadzewycz NEW YORK - As befits its role as a patron of the arts, the Ukrainian Na tional Association, the oldest and lar gest Ukrainian organization outside of Ukraine, celebrated its 95th anniversary with a Jubilee Concert of Ukrainian Music and Dance at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall on Sunday, Septem ber 17. The concert also marked the 40th anniversary of the Dumka Chorus of New York, which headlined the program under the baton ol its music director and conductor, Simon Komirny. Other performers were the Sy/okryli Ukrai nian Dance Ensemble (Roma Pryma- Bohachevsky, dance director and choreographer), the Dumka Vocal En semble (Mychailo Lev, music director), as well as several soloists. Nearly, 2,000 attended this concert featuring "masters of Ukrainian song and dance," as John O. Flis, supreme president of the UNA,noted in his concluding remarks. The concert opened with a welcome dance performed by the Syzokryli resplendent in red velvet "zhupany." The next several vocal selections were dedicated to Ukraine's greatest poet, Taras Shevchenko, on the 175th anni versary of his birth. IVaroslavKuiynychi Thus, Dumka sang "To Shevchenko" The Dumka Chorus performs at Avery Fisher Hail, during a concert dedicated to the 95th anniversary of the Ukrainian (Continued on page 5) National Association and its own 40th jubilee. THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY bUNDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 1989 No. 39 A GLIMPSE OF SOVIET REALITY Party authorities in Ukraine stage anti-Ruf(li demonstrations Dispute in Ukraine over draft law LONDON - In the aftermath of the opinion was not heard at the Rukh jubilant founding conference in Kiev of congress. on elections to the parliament the Popular Movement for Perebudova It quoted V. Ostapenko, chairman of in Ukraine, Communist Party authori the Red Cossack Veterans Group, as by Kathleen Mihalisko to be kolkho/ chairmen, machine ties in Ukraine staged two demonstra saying: "We saw for ourselves during operators and the like, i.e., not quarters tions on September 16 to condemn the the civil war what Ukrainian nationa Thousands of people took part on from which to expect feistiness, how Rukh, as the Popular Movement is lists bring to their people under the September 2 in an officially sanctioned ever worthy these individuals .may be. known. 'yellow-blue' flags - bloodshed, arson, rally in Kiev to register their dissatis The widely held perception that the The Ukrainian Press Agency based in plunder, anti-Jewish pogroms..." faction with the draft laws on elections Ukrainian authorities connived against London reported that demonstrations Gen. B. Gromov, commander of the of people's deputies of the Ukrainian the most radically minded candidates at were held in Kiev and Lviv. Following is Kiev Mihtary District, dwelt on the SSR and on elections to the local every stage of the election and parlia the UPA's account of the events. speech at the Rukh congress by Col. Soviets. mentary process meant that, when the 40,000 in Kiev Vilei Martyrosian. Gen. Gromov assert The event, which was addressed by draft laws on elections to the republican In Kiev, the demonstration took ed that, contrary to what Col. Marty leaders of the Popular Movement of congress and local Soviets (together with place near the republican stadium and rosian said, the army will be together Ukraine for Perebudova (Rukh) and the government's proposed amend attracted crowds of approximately with the party, together with the people, several local authorities, was organized ments to the Ukrainian Constitution) 40,(Ю0. According to reliable reports, and no one will succeed in driving a by USSR people's deputies from U- were published in the press in early the party went to extreme measures to wedge between them. kraine who belong to the Interregional August, they were immediately subject attract people. Those attending the Group, the parliamentary bloc led by to the intense scrutiny of journahsts, meeting were promised one day's holi Rukh leader Volodymyr Yarorivsky Boris Yeltsin, and was intended to call scholars, and the general p.ublic and day or alternatively an extra day's pay. attempted to address the gathering, attention to the alleged defects of the their elected representatives, in order to Among the crowds were many army noting that the crowd "had been brought draft laws. ferret out any built-in advantages the cadets, party members, off-duty mem here," and argued that the Rukh's At the same time, the organizers laws might accord to the party and state bers of the militia and heads of enter theme was unity of all progressive forces sought to bring pressure on the Presi apparatus. prises. fighting for the ideas of perestroika. dium of the republican Supreme Soviet The keen attention being paid to Also addressing the meeting was Kiev to accept for consideration an alterna every twist and turn of the government's The demonstration, besides con writer Borys Oliynyk, deputy chairman tive draft worked out by the Interre draft elections laws is also a measure of demning the Rukh, was intended to of the USSR Supreme Soviet of Na gional Group's Ukrainian members. the importance being attached to the express support of the draft election tionalities, and Yuriy Yelchenko, mem What is ultimately at stake, those forthcoming republican elections, law. ber of the Ukrainian Politburo and members maintain, is a choice between which hold out the prospect of enabling Despite pressure from above at local secretary of the Ukrainian Communist voting into power a republican parlia Ukrainian voters to oppose themselves, enterprises, resolutions were passed Party's Central Committee, reported ment dominated by yes-men of the at last, to the political status quo condemning the demonstration.