www.ukrweekly.com СВОБОАА^ЗУОВОВА І І ЙИРО ono rainian Weekl Ї o- n PUBUSHED BY THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION INC, A FRATERNAL NON-PROFIT ASSOCIATION Vol. L ШNo. 20 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 16, 1982 25 cents Soviet nationalities policy Resolution Kiev's 1,500th anniversary events: of the more than meets the eye UNA Supreme Executive Committee by Dr. Roman Solchanyk historians and archeologists who main­ tain that Kiev emerged between the end Whereas, the Ukrainian National Association Supreme Executive It has been more than three years of the fifth and the beginning of the Committee at its meeting on December 29, 1981, issued a statement denying since the Soviet Ukrainian press first sixth centuries—an interpretation that, that it in any way violated the By-Laws of the Ukrainian National reported the decision to celebrate the for obvious reasons, currently enjoys Association, condemned the statement by the group of 11 members of the 1,500th anniversary of the city of Kiev official support — have never at­ Ukrainian National Association Supreme Assembly composed of: Supreme in 1982. The announcement of the tempted to fix the date at 482/ Auditors Bohdan Futey and John Teluk, and Supreme Advisors Tekla decision was made by Ukrainian Party In short, the year 1982 was chosen for Moroz, Askold Lozynskyj, Anna Haras, Wasyl Didiuk, Myroslaw Kalba, First Secretary Volodymyr Scherbitsky reasons that have little if anything to do Mykola Chomanczuk, Roman Kuropas, Michael Sorokaand Evhen Repeta; in his address to the Kiev City party with the historical record. Western and demanded that said group recall the statements made and printed in the conference, which was held on January commentators have suggested that this newspaper Homin Ukrainy on August 12, 1981, and 19, 1979.' year's celebrations are intended to Whereas, in lieu of recalling the statements so made, said group of 11 Soon after, in March, the press overshadow the millennium of caused a second statement to be published in the weekly Shliakh Peremohy reported the formation of an organiza­ Ukraine's conversion to Christianity in on March 28,1982, and said 11 members of the Supreme Assembly caused the tional committee headed by Oleksandr 988 and the 50th anniversary of the same article to be printed in the newspaper Homin Ukrainy, and Liashko, the chairman of the Ukrainian artificial famine of 1932-33, both of Whereas, a copy of neither the first nor the second statement was served SSR Council of Ministers, to supervise wnich``lre expected'tb'be publicized by upon the Supreme Ibtecutrvc Committee, and --- 5 the preparations for the anniversary, Ukrainians in the West. Whereas, said group of 11 alleged that said response of the Supreme 2 which-is to be marked this month. Although these considerations may Executive Committee of December 29, 1981, was full of inaccuracies, Throughout this time, and especially have played a role in the decision to insinuations, and made further false accusations against the president, the during the last six months, the mass mark the anniversary in the current entire Supreme Executive Committee, and the Supreme Assembly of the media in Ukraine have spared no effort year, an analysis of the numerous Ukrainian National Association: in publicizing the anniversary. Virtually articles that have appeared in the Now, therefore, the Supreme Executive Committee, sitting in session on every imaginable public undertaking in republican and central press dedicated this 14th day of April, 1982, hereby finds as follows: the republic is being linked in one way to the forthcoming celebrations suggests 1. Supreme Auditors Bohdan Futey and John Teluk, and Supreme or another to the forthcoming celebra­ that the determining factor was the Advisors Tekla Moroz, Askold Lozynskyj, Anna Haras, Wasyl Didiuk, tions. New monuments are being con­ observance of the 60th anniversary of Myroslaw Kalba, Mykola Chomanczuk, Roman Kuropas, Michael Soroka structed and existing historical land­ the formation of .the USSR in 1982, and Evhen Repeta have acted against the best interests and the good name of marks are in the process of being the Ukrainian National Association. restored; museums, hotels and even This "coincidence" has made it 2. The above-named group of 11 has vilified the supreme president, the cafes have been built to mark the possible to incorporate the Kiev anni­ Supreme Executive Committee, and the Supreme Assembly by false anniversary; films, plays and books versary into the broader framework of accusations and distortions of truth against such officials and governing have appeared in honor of the city's "successes and achievements'' of Leni­ organs of the UNA. jubilee; and a variety of meetings, nist nationalities policy and the Soviet 3. The said group of 11 did not avail itself of the procedures provided for by including scholarly conferences, have multinational state. the By-Laws of the Ukrainian National Association, and did not cause to be been organized as part of the extrava­ The central thread running through (Continued on page 2) ganza. all of these articles is the ethnic, lin­ A Western correspondent who visited guistic, cultural and historical unity of Kiev last year described the undertaking the modern Russian, Ukrainian and as "a multi-million-ruble project with Byelorussian nations, which are said to Convention countdown the emphasis as much on the Soviet have evolved from a "single early Rus' future as on the Ukrainian past."3 nationality" ("edinaya drevnerusskaya Pritsak is keynote speaker This observation is much more signi­ narodnost") with its political center in ficant than is perhaps readily apparent. Kiev. at UNA convention banquet Most major anniversary celebrations in Thus, M. F. Kotlyar, a specialist on the Soviet Union have clearly defined the Kievan Rus'period, has argued that political and ideological motives, and even after the formation of these three JERSEY CITY, N.J. - Dr. Omeljan this year's Kiev commemorations are no East Slavic nations, which he dates as Pritsak, director of the Harvard Ukrai­ exception. Indeed, the 1,500th anniver­ having occurred at the end of the ISth nian Research Institute, will be the sary of Ukraine's capital may serve century, they "nonetheless continued to keynote speaker at the UNA conven­ as a classic example of manipulation of view themselves as a single Rus' people tion banquet on Thursday, May 27, the the historical past for the purpose of also in the 16th and 17th centuries." Ukrainian National Association's Su­ promoting current objectives. In this Moreover, says Mr. Kotlyar, "that is preme Executive Committee announc­ case, the objectives are in the realm of why reunification was so readily and ed. contemporary Soviet nationalities Dr. Pritsak will speak on "The Tasks policy. (Continued on page 3) of Ukrainiandom at the Turn of the The first question that arises is why Second Millennium." 1982 was singled out as the year for 1. Radianska Ukraina, January 21, 1979. The UNA's 30th Regular Convention commemorating the city's anniversary. 2. "Do ISOO-richchia zasnuvannia gets under way Monday, May 24, at 9 Clearly, it is not necessary to be a Kyieva," Radianska Ukraina, March 4, a.m. at the Genesee Plaza/Holiday Inn, professional historian to understand 1979. in Rochester, N.Y. that it is all but impossible to date the 3. AP, May 22, 1981. The convention banquet is slated for emergence of ancient cities to within a 4. See Ya. Ye. Borovsky, "Pokhodzhennia 7 p.m. on Thursday in the hotel's grand Kyieva. Istoriohrafichnyi narys," Kiev, ballroom. 12-month period. Naukova Dumka, 1981. Soviet historiography is by no means In addition to Dr. Pritsak, many 5. Omeljan Pritsak, "Za kulisamy proho- prominent Ukrainians and non-Ukrai- unanimous regarding the time of Kiev's loshennia 1,500-littia Kyieva," Suchasnist, origins. Moreover, even those Soviet Vol. 21, No. 9, September 1981, pp. 46-54. (Continued on pate 5) Dr. Omeljan Pritsak 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 16. 1982 Z No. 20 Soviet POW Cites Afghan gains Helsinki Watch marks anniversary ALLAH J1RGA, Afghanistan - A and another Soviet prisoner, Valery Q/ ^AOSCOW Helsinki GfOUD "Sovieiviet officer capturecantured in March said aan Kisilyov were visibly nervous during the - fTiwewwTf f important Soviet airbase located just interview, according to the AP. Their NEW YORK - The U.S. Helsinki . rights as stated in the Helsinki Final north of Kabul, the Afghan capital, has answers were translated from Russian Watch Committee on May 12 marked the Act. lost a number of warplanes in raids by to Dari, an Afghan dialect of Farsi, sixth anniversary of the founding of the "The Soviet government's enthusias­ Afghan guerrillas, reported the Asso­ and then into English. Moscow Helsinki Watch Group, a tic support of the grass-roots anti- ciated Press on April 30. Mr. Kisilyov, 19, who served in a citizens' civil-rights committee fou,nded nuclear movement in the West should Capt. Alexander Petrovych Sidiel­ motorized rifle unit, said he was un­ by Soviet physicist Yuri Orlov after the not be allowed to obscure the fact that niko; a native of Zaporizhzhia in aware of the use of chemical weapons by USSR signed the Helsinki Accords in citizen action groups cannot exist in the Ukraine and one of five Soviet soldiers Soviet troops. If they were used, a 1975. Soviet Union, let alone press important held by insurgents near this overrun special brigade would handle them, he Two years after the formation of the .issues through public demonstrations Afghan Army post 12 miles west of the said without elaboration. group Dr. Orlov was tried and sen­ and the free press. The fate of the 44 -Pakistan border, said that the airbase Mr. Sidielniko, who is being held by tenced to seven years' stnct-regimen imprisoned members of Soviet citizens' "has been attacked three times, each the Gulbiddin Hekmetyar faction of the labor camp and five years' exile for his Helsinki groups speaks for itself.