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LX No. 21 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 24,1992 v 50 cents Russia criticized UNA's Supreme Assembly convenes annual meeting for meddling by Roma Hadzewycz with the traditional ceremony in honor Jaroslaw Padoch, honorary member of KERHONKSON, N.Y. - The U– of the UNA's patron, Taras Shev– the Supreme Assembly, during his krainian National Association's Su– chenko. remarks before the Shevchenko monu– in Ukraine's affairs preme Assembly began its annual This year's ceremony, however, was ment at Soyuzivka. by Marta Kolomayets meeting here at the fraternal organiza– distinct from all those preceding it, as in this 178th anniversary year of the Kiev Press Bureau tion's upstate New York'resort, Soyu– Shevchenko's "vision of a Ukrainian Kobzar's birth, and the 131stj)fjiis zivka, on Monday morning, May 18, state" had become reality, said Dr. (Continued on page 5) KlEv — Responding to news that the Russian Supreme Council intends to rescind the 1954 decree issued by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR that granted Ukraine the Cri– mean peninsula, Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk criticized Russia for meddling in Ukraine's internal affairs. Arriving on Tuesday evening, May 19, at Kiev's Boryspil Airport from a two-day visit to Poland where he met with President Lech Walesa and signed seven documents, including one on good-neighbor relations and coopera– tion,President Kravchuk told reporters that "the Russian Supreme Council does not adhere to the norms of inter- national law, it does not operate in political realities." "The Russian Parliament can adopt anything it wants to, but this does not mean that their acts will have any legal standing," Mr. Kravchuk continued. a Hadzewycz (As The Weekly was going to press, The UNA Supreme Assembly at the traditional opening ceremony honoring Taras Shevchenko at Soyuzivka. on Thursday afternoon, May 21, the Russian Parliament was holding a closed session on the Crimean issue, reported The Associated Press, and no New ambassador Roman Popadiuk Ukraine's ambassadors results were available.) The future of the Crimea, the most discusses U.S. Embassy in Ukraine depart for postings southernly part of Ukraine, with a by Khristina Lew Roman Popadiuk, his wife, Judith, a by Marta Kolomayets population of 2.5 million, including a WASHINGTON - On June і the third-generation Ukrainian born in Kiev Press Bureau large Russian majority, has heightened Syracuse, N.Y., and their four children tensions between Ukraine and Russia in United States' first ambassador to Gregory, age 12, Matthew, 10, Cathy, 7, KlEv — Levko Lukianenko and an ongoing struggle for rights to this Ukraine, born in Austria to western and Mary, 5, will join the staff of 13 Serhiy Komisarenko have joined the resort peninsula. Ukrainians who eventually immigrated currently working at the U.S. Embassy ranks of Ukraine's expanding diplo– The Crimean Autonomous Republic, to America, will depart with his wife in Ukraine located in the Shevchenko matic corps. which declared itself independent on and four children to take up a three-year district of Kiev. On Thursday, May 14, Leonid May 5, one day later adopted a Consti– posting in Kiev. Kravchuk issued presidential decrees The Embassy, a former regional tution that declares the Crimea a part of appointing Messrs. Lukianenko and Communist Party headquarters, is a the Ukrainian state with its own rights Komisarenko ambassadors to Ca– free-standing, three-story building with and privileges. nada and Great Britain, respectively. a third-floor auditorium capable of However, on Wednesday, May 13, Mr. Lukianenko, 64, a former seating 300. Originally intended to political prisoner who served more the Ukrainian Supreme Council issued accommodate 16 staff members, the a deadline of May 20 for the Crimean than 25 years in Soviet hard-labor U.S. Embassy by year's end will be camps, had been a people's deputy Parliament to revoke its declaration of augmented to 40 staffers .after the new independence. from the ivano-Frankivske region ambassador lobbied for additional until Tuesday, May 19, when he And although the Presidium of the staff. Supreme Council of Crimea voted to resigned from this elected post to revoke its declaration of independence Finding the U.S. government very prepare for his new position. at a presidium session on Monday, May receptive and very much aware of the Bidding farewell to his fellow 18, when it came up for a vote in the growing potential of Ukraine and the deputies in Ukraine's Parliament last full Parliament on Wednesday, May 20, importance of the U.S.-Ukrainian week, Mr. Lukianenko said that a quorum was not present. Thus, the relationship, Ambassador Popadiuk these are difficult times. Crimean Parliament failed to meet the will now head a staff of 20 State "These are particularly difficult deadline imposed by the Ukrainian Department officers, in addition to a times for Ukraine, because Russia Parliament, as it waited to see how the Marine honor guard, five employees of continues to act in opposition to Russian Parliament will act on the the Agency for international Devel– Ukraine's interests," Mr. Lukia– future of Crimea. opment, representatives of the United nenko said during his last parliamen– President Kravchuk noted that Rus– States information Agency, and at– tary session on Tuesday, May 19. sia's actions in relation to the Crimea taches from the departments of agricul– Cautioning against Russia's im– are alienating Ukraine from Russia. U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Roman ture, commerce and defense. And the perialistic tendencies, Mr. Lukia– (Continued on page 2) Popadiuk. (Continued on page 10) (Continued on page 2) THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY ?A, 1992 No. 21 Russia criticized... puties of the Crimea will be able to Synod of Ukrainian Catholic bishops make the right decision, one that will (Continued from page 1) not lead to further tensions in this convenes on Ukrainian territory "The Supreme Council of Russia and particular region." the Russian leadership are clever. They Speaking about the residents of this Lviv - An estimated 10,000 faith– of Mukachev will not attend. Bishop pass acts relating to Ukraine and, thus, area, Mr. Kravchuk said: "1 think that ful filled the Cathedral of St. George ivan Margitych will represent the they force Ukraine to react in some way. anyone who turns on his television and the outer courtyard for the divine eparchy. Then they point to Ukraine and say, every day and sees what is going on in liturgy which opened the first synod of 'See what Ukraine is doing.' " Transdnistria, in Nagorno-Karabakh, The synod was called by Cardinal bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catho– "Ukraine has netfer passed any politi– who sees the situation in the Caucusus lic Church in Ukraine since the forced Lubachivsky a little more than one year — if he cannot comprehend what his after his return to Lviv on March 30, cal act that interferes with Russia's liquidation of the Church in 1946. internal matters, but Russia declares vote in the Crimea can lead to, then І Cardinal Myroslav ivan Lubachivsky, 1991. Of primary importance in the would call this an unpredictable charac– two-week-long meeting is the appoint– and adopts legislation concerning U– major archbishop of Lviv of the Ukrai– kraine, and this is dangerous," said Mr. ter," commented Mr. Kravchuk. nians and head of the Ukrainian Greek- ment of new bishops, the establishment of new eparchies in Ukraine, the appli– Kravchuk. "1 want to repeat that Ukraine has Catholic Church, was main celebrant. When asked to give a prognosis on never laid any claims to other territories He was joined by twenty-eight bishops cation of the new code of canon law for Eastern Churches and the development the future of the Crimea, President and Ukraine is committed to its territo– from Ukraine and the West who will Kravchuk noted, "1 feel that the de– rial integrity," he concluded. participate in the two-week synod of particular rights for the Ukrainian which began its working sessions on Greek-Catholic Church, the relation- "1 don't think this kind of post is in May 18. ship between the Ukrainian Greek- Ukraine's ambassadors... any way a retirement. Work abroad Catholic Church in the West and the (Continued from page 1) will be very difficult. We have no This historic synod will have special Church in Ukraine, the declaration of nenko noted that even in Canada, embassy staffs anywhere; the struc– significance for several reasons — it is the invalidation of the pseudo-synod of which was the first Western country ture is not yet developed. We have to the first synod to be held on territory 1946 and several other important ac– to recognize Ukraine on December 2 start from nothing; funds in our tions which will be published at a later since the elevation of the head of the and which has over 1 million citizens Ministry of Foreign Affairs are date. Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church to of Ukrainian ancestry, the Ukrainian almost non-existent. This is no major archbishop with all the rights of a The head of the Ukrainian Greek- Embassy will have only eight staffers, vacation; it is very important politi– partriarch; it is the first synod to be held Catholic Church has retained the title of in contrast to the Russian Embassy cal work." on the territory of Ukraine and in the major archbishop since 1963. At the in Ottawa, which has 70 employees. Mr. Komisarenko, whose de– second vatican Council, the elevation Cathedral of St.