ubiished by the Ukrainian National Association Inc.. a fraternal non-profit associttiori rainian Weekly Vol. LVII No. 40 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1989 50 cents New first secretary for Ukraine: Horbals welcomed in New York Shcherbytsky's out, Ivashko's in Voice of Rukh, UHU arrives with wife for family visit KIEV - Volodymyr Antonovych graduate of the Kharkiv Mining Insti­ Ivashko was named first secretary of the tute and holds a degree of candidate of Communist Party of Ukraine on Thurs­ economics. While at the mining insti­ day, September 28, replacing the 71- tute, he was elected its party secretary year-old Brezhnev holdover Volodymyr and this appointment marked the be­ Shcherbytsky, who last week was ginning of his rise through the party ousted from the USSR Politburo, ranks. reported Reuters. For five years he headed the science Although details as to the proceed­ section of this same institute and for ings of the Ukrainian Politburo session eight years he was a secretary of the were unavailable at press time, it is Kharkiv oblast committee of the party. known that Soviet President Mikhail In 1986, he was appointed a secretary of Gorbachev took part in the session, the Central Committee and a candidate flying in from Moscow on Thursday member of the Politburo of the Com­ morning, September 28. At this session, munist Party of Ukraine. which the press had reported as sche­ In 1987, Mr. Ivashko was named the duled for Saturday, September 30, Mr. first secretary of the Dnipropetrovske Shcherbytsky requested to be retired Oblast party committee, one of the most due to health reasons, and his number important positions in Ukraine, and two man, Mr. Ivashko was named the one that his former boss, Mr. Shcher­ new Ukrainian Communist Party bytsky held before him. leader. In January 1988, he was promoted to Mr. Ivashko, 57, was named second a full member of the Ukrainian Polit­ party secretary in Ukraine on Decem­ buro. In March of 1986, he became a ber 12, 1988, replacing Oleksander candidate member of the Central Com­ Tytarenko, a move that was at the time mittee of the Communist Party of the considered the most significant change Soviet Union and is currently a deputy in the Ukrainian party hierarchy to have of the Supreme Soviet. OIha Stokotelna and Mykola Horbal, upon their arrival from the Soviet Union at occurred during the Gorbachev era. Mr. Ivashko has also served as the New Yorlc's JFK Airport. Mr. Ivashko, who is of Ukrainian chairman of the Commission for Ques­ parentage, has been a member of the tions of Organizational Party and Cadre by Chrystyna N, Lapychak After a five-hour delay due to wea­ Communist Party since 1960. He is a (Continued on page 4) ther conditions, PanAm flight 31 from NEW YORK - Ukrainian national Moscow landed at JFK International rights advocate Mykola Horbal and his Airport at 7:28 p.m., as family mem­ Soviet Parliament to consider wife Olha Stokotelna of Kiev were bers, friends and well-wishers, bearing reunited with family members after a flowers and several blue-and-yellow legalizing Ukrainian Church 10-year separation when they arrived in Ukrainian flags, waited impatiently for New York on September 23 for a two- the couple to clear Customs. MOSCOW - The Soviet Parliament social and politicaP'grounds,as one of month visit. (Continued on page 4) will consider legalizing the Ukrainian its representatives made clear when he Catholic Church in a bill on freedom of addressed Wednesday's subcommittee conscience and religion, Soviet deputy meeting. Over the past year, the Ukrai­ Senate adopts Lautenberg amendment Fyodor Burlatsky told a press briefing nian Catholic hierarchy in western here on Wednesday, September 27. Ukraine has appealed to the Soviet reversing stance on Ukrainian refugees The issue of the Ukrainian Catholic government and scheduled meetings WASHINGTON - In a striking The amendment does state that the Church, the largest banned Church with with top Soviet officials. In May 1989 reversal of the action taken by the 5 million believers, was discussed at a Yuriy Khristoradnov, then newly attorney general "may designate other Senate and the House in July, the groups or refugee applicants" as eligible meeting of the Supreme Soviet's Inter­ appointed chairman of the Council for Senate adopted the Lautenberg Amend­ for refugee status if he considers them as national Subcommittee on Humanita­ Religious Affairs, and presented him ment which fails to list Ukrainian having histories of persecution. The rian Matters, reported Agence France with a petition of 35,000 signatures for Catholics and Orthodox as persecuted amendment suggests that "Soviet na­ Presse. the legalization of the Ukrainian Catho­ and, therefore, eligible for refugee tionals who are Ukrainian Catholic and Mr. Burlatsky, a lawyer, who is also lic Church. status. Ukrainian Orthodox" may be con­ the subcommittee chairman, reported Mr. Khristoradnov then told theH The change in policy took place after sidered. that the legalization would come about delegation from western Ukraine that j 11:30 p.m. the night of September 20, The original July 20 amendment was through ratification of a freedom of the problem of active persecution would I exactly two months to the da^fter the added to the State Department Autho­ conscience and religion bill, in the have to be resolved with authorities in I Senate adopted a previous Lautenberg rization Bill, which has since been tied process of being drafted, and which Ukraine and that the Russian Orthodox ^ amendment which stated that Soviet up in a dispute between the House and would not be discussed by the Parlia­ Church was a roadblock in the legaliza­ Jews, Evangelical Christians, Ukrai­ the Senate on other matters. The recent tion of the Ukrainian Catholic Church. ment before next year. nian Catholics and Ukrainian Ortho­ amendment, Senate Amendment No. Religious leaders of the Ukrainian However, Soviet insiders who follow dox, as well as certain Vietnamese, are 803, was added to the Foreign Aid Catholic Church have acknowledged Kremlin policy on religion, which has persecuted. Appropriations Bill, H.R. 2939. It was that the ROC is indeed a pricklier thorn been rapidly liberalized under President While the September 20 amendment adopted by voice vote. Mikhail Gorbachev say they expect in their side than the Soviet state. states that Soviet Jews and Evangelical H.R. 2939 was subsequently passed some move towards the recognition of Among the UCC's most vocal oppo­ Christians as well as certain Vietnamese by the Senate on September 26; it now the Ukrainian Catholic Church after the nents is Metropolitan Filaret of Kiev have "well established histories of goes to a House-Senate conference and Halych, the Russian Orthodox Soviet leader meets the Pope John Paul persecution" and, therefore, shall be committee. Church's top-ranking hierarch in U- II in early November. admitted to the U.S. as refugees, it Sen. Lautenberg's press spokesman, kraine. The Russian Orthodox Church still omits members of the Ukrainian Catho­ Steven Schlein, told The Weekly that the opposes the legalization of the Ukrai­ He has oiien criticized liie Ukrainian lic and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches senator "took the bill to the floor and nian Catholic Church on ''religious. (Continued on page 6) in the USSR. (Continued on page 4) THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUtJDAY, OCTOBER 1,1989 No. 40 A GLIMPSE OF SOVIET REALITY Hopeful candidate Chornovil Ukrainian ecological group announces political platform LONDON - The Ukrainian Press publishes its draft statute Agency has received the text of Vyacheslav ChornoviFs alternative by Dr. David Marples The Green Council must meet four draft election program for the forth­ times annually. It is composed of the coming republican elections. The Ukrainian ecological association chairman and deputies, members of the Mr. Chornovil, a well-known and 2felenyi Svit (Green World) has pub­ secretariat, representatives of collective leading dissident, is the editor of the lished its draft statute in the Kiev members of Zelenyi Svit, experts and samvydav journal Ukrainian Herald newspaper Radianska Ukraina. The scholars. Its task is to examine ecologi­ (organ of the Ukrainian Helsinki ^ draft was originally formulated at a cal problems, to represent the associa­ Union) and winner of the Sunday meeting of the association which took tion in state and public organizations of Times Nicholas Thomalin award. A place on April 26. The editorial board of Ukraine and the USSR, to develop con­ full translation follows: Radianska Ukraina comments that it is tacts with foreign ecological organiza­ "The publication on August 8 of now being published in order that tions, to produce a regular bulletin, and the draft of the Law on Elections of readers may suggest additions and to accept collective members into the USSR deputies is evidence of the amendments before the first congress of association. The day-to-day business of intention of the party-bureaucratic Zelenyi Svit, which is scheduled to take the association is run by the secretariat, apparatus in Ukraine to stay in place this fall. which again includes the chairman and power at any price. If, through a joint The association is described as the deputy chairmen. effort, we are not able to substan­ republic's most influential ecological Originally, Zelenyi Svit had described tially change this law there is not organization, and one that played a itself as an informal organization, and much hope for the democratic com­ major role in the stoppage of work on before April it had appeared unlikely position of the highest organ of Vyacheslav Chornovil the controversial Danube-Dnieper that it would issue a formal statute. power in the republic. Canal last year. Moreover, the publica­ That it has done so may be an indication Nevertheless I recommend the wealthy and peaceful stale in the tion of the statute comes at a time when| of certain pressures placed on its repre­ proposition of my supporters to democratic family of European na­ Ukraine's ecological problems may be sentatives for drawing attention to attempt to break out of the confines tions, 1 see the route this awakening reaching a crisis level.