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ïêàëíéë ÇéëäêÖë! CHRIST IS RISEN! Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXI HE KRAINIANNo. 17 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 2003 EEKLY$1/$2 in Ukraine Fire in Kamianets-Podilskyi destroys PrisonT officials allowU a unique look W 18th-19th century historical archives inside Kharkiv corrections facilities by Andrew Nynka always be made, in an interview with The by Roman Woronowycz water damage. The director of the State Ukrainian Weekly he seemed to strongly Kyiv Press Bureau Comittee of National Archives, Hennadii KHARKIV, Ukraine – In a very rare suggest that any major reform would be Buriak, called the fire a tragedy. move, high-ranking prison officials here, unnecessary. KYIV – Officials are blaming an unau- “April 10 will go down in our history as usually known for their strident secrecy, Indeed, a rather comprehensive tour of thorized printing operation for a fire in a Black Thursday,” stated Dr. Buriak. opened their doors to journalists, aca- two prisons on April 12 revealed bright, 16th century Franciscan cathedral in Kamianets-Podilskyi Mayor Oleksander demics and a local theater troupe for a clean and very well kept facilities that, Kamianets-Podilskyi on April 10 that Mazurchak stated on April 23 during a look inside correctional facilities in the compared to much of the surrounding destroyed 70 percent of the historical report before a hearing of the State Kharkiv Oblast and a unique interaction neighborhood, would appear to provide a archives stored there. The upper floors of Committee of National Archives held to with prisoners incarcerated there. better life inside the prison walls than the building were used as a warehouse to review the incident that initial findings The move was the first of the outside. hold hundreds of thousands of government show the fire started in the print shop, Arabesque troupe’s three-part plan to Following that tour, several psycholo- documents consisting of millions of sheaths which is owned by the local eparchy of the draw attention to Ukraine’s prison sys- gists and sociologists who have seen and of paper from the 18th and 19th centuries, Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow tem. Members of the Kharkiv-based the- worked in other incarceration facilities in which belonged to the national archives Patriarchate. The UOC-MP has had posses- ater group, which was allowed to per- Ukraine and abroad said that the prison offices located next door. sion of the historic cathedral for some years form inside the correctional facilities, ini- facilities in Kharkiv appeared to be first The fire ravaged much of the historical now. tiated the program because they say rate. record of the Podillia Gubernia, as that The mayor explained that workers of the Ukraine’s correctional system is in need However, Ukraine has a reputation of region of southwestern Ukraine was called UOC-MP may have been negligent in not of reform. over-crowding in its prison facilities and until 1919, including the archives of the maintaining electrical wiring and safety Prison officials here said that they a shortage of trained corrections officers Podillia State Chamber from 1796-1919, standards in the offices, which are found allowed the five-day program, which – a result of the huge increase in crime the Office of the Governor of Podillia from below the warehouse, on the first two floors began on April 8, to show the conditions and criminals after a Soviet police state 1795-1917, the Office for Peasant Affairs of the historic church located in the city’s of prison facilities in Kharkiv, saying that withered away and an economy that has for Podillia Gubernia from 1861 to 1919, old district. He said the print shop had not there was nothing to hide. While failed to provide adequate jobs and living the Office of the Military Governor from received municipal authorization to operate. Volodymyr Butenko, the head of standards for its citizens. 1795-1845 and the city offices of “The print shop had not been licensed, Ukraine’s State Department of Penal Svitlana Oleshko, program director for Kamianets from 1875-1920. and its existence was not approved by either Corrections in the Kharkiv Oblast, did Arabesque, said that the physical appear- Many of the remaining historical docu- the city administration or the archive’s acknowledge that improvements could (Continued on page 3) ments that did not burn received extensive (Continued on page 20) Volunteers clear wilderness trails at Soyuzivka KERHONKSON, N.Y. – Two score plus volunteers arrived at Soyuzivka on Saturday, April 12, for the first Trailblazing Weekend at the resort of the Ukrainian National Association. They came not to vacation or relax, but to work here in the Shawangunk Mountains. Some came armed – with rakes, machetes, weed-whackers, chainsaws, pickaxes and shovels – while others were allowed to “pick their weapon,” related Nestor Paslawsky, Soyuzivka’s new director of hospitality services, a.k.a the resort’s manager. Their task was to clear wilderness trails on the resort’s property, with a view toward making them accessible for hikers, mountain bikers and others to enjoy Soyuzivka’s natural beauty – and espe- cially the mountaintop view from the resort’s waterfall. At the end of the day, the volunteers had succeeded in clearing a 4-foot-wide trail to Soyuzivka’s waterfall, and, as Mr. Paslawsky observed, it was a glorious success as the trailblazers took “a victory photo” at the top of the mountain. He added: “It was great to see the enthusi- asm. For me, who’s never been up to the falls, it was also nice to see that there’s an easy way to get up there.” Lest readers think this trail was blazed Victor Cymbal in a day, it must be noted that two Trailblazers at the top of the mountain near Soyuzivka’s waterfall. (Continued on page 11) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 2003 No. 17 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Opposition shifts its position, Rada approves government program ... countries even agree on the amount of the debt. Belarus has said Ukraine owes it more abandons drive to oust Kuchma KYIV – The Verkhovna Rada on April than $100 million, while Ukraine has insist- 17 approved an action plan submitted by ed that the debt does not exceed $50 mil- by Jan Maksymiuk give the Parliament the right to approve a Viktor Yanukovych’s Cabinet of Ministers, lion. (RFE/RL Newsline) RFE/RL Poland, Belarus and Ukraine Report prime minister (nominated by the presi- Interfax reported. The plan was supported dent) and all Cabinet ministers (nominated by 335 deputies, including the Socialist Defense ministers mull cooperation It seems that the Ukrainian parliamentary by the prime minister); and to give the Party and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc cau- opposition – the Communist Party, the president the right to dissolve the cuses and 55 lawmakers from Our Ukraine. BREST, Belarus – Belarusian Defense Socialist Party, and the Yulia Tymoshenko Parliament if it fails to gather for a session Communist Party lawmakers voted against Minister Leanid Maltsau and his Ukrainian Bloc – has already abandoned its unproduc- within 30 days after its election or form a the plan. The Constitution of Ukraine stipu- counterpart, Volodymyr Shkidchenko, met tive drive to oust President Leonid Kuchma Cabinet within 60 days after the inaugural lates that the Verkhovna Rada may not con- in Brest, southwestern Belarus, on April 22 ahead of the end of his second term in the sitting. sider ousting a Cabinet for one year follow- to discuss bilateral military cooperation, autumn of 2004. It should be remembered The memorandum also proposes that ing the approval of its program. (RFE/RL Belarusian Television reported. The minis- that not so long ago, on March 9, tens of parliamentary and local elections (except Newsline) ters reportedly talked about the use of mili- thousands of people at an anti-presidential for rural councils) be held under a fully tary airfields in Belarus by Ukrainian pilots rally in Kyiv demanded early presidential proportional system. ... but rejects bill on proportional system and of Ukrainian airfields by Belarusian elections. Now, however, the opposition’s pilots. (RFE/RL Newsline) The opposition document slams the KYIV – The Verkhovna Rada twice main concern appears to be about prevent- Kuchma proposals for constitutional ing Mr. Kuchma from remaining in office failed on April 17 to approve a bill provid- Yanukovych elected leader of party reform by saying that these proposals “do ing for parliamentary elections under a fully beyond his legitimate term – this possibility not meet the interests of society; are con- KYIV – A congress of the Party of the is implicitly included in the bill on political proportional system, Interfax reported. In ducive to making presidential power the first vote, the bill was supported by 217 Regions in Kyiv on April 19 elected Prime reform that Kuchma submitted to the absolute, abolishing the parliamentary sys- deputies from Our Ukraine (93), the Minister Viktor Yanukovych to succeed Verkhovna Rada last month. tem and sprouts of the independent judici- Communist Party (60), the Socialist Party Chairman Volodymyr Semynozhenko, On April 14 the leaders of the three ary, and replicating structures and functions (19), the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc (17), the Interfax and UNIAN reported. First Vice above-mentioned opposition parties – Petro of the authorities; and destroy local govern- Agrarian Party (14), the National Prime Minister Mykola Azarov was elected Symonenko, Oleksander Moroz and Ms. ment.” The opposition is convinced that the Democratic Party (five), and other deputies. to head the party’s Political Council. Mr. Tymoshenko – and Our Ukraine Chairman presidential proposals to change the consti- In the second vote, 213 deputies backed the Yanukovych told the congress that the Viktor Yushchenko signed a tution “are dangerous for society and lead bill.

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