NLG terminal page Donetsk parents page Why Boob Tube page could diversify do battle for Ukrainian is losing Ukrainian energy supplies 6 language schools 14 viewers 44 Ukrainian international monthly edition Week №2 (14) February 2011

www.tyzhden.ua Featuring selected content from The Economist for free distribution current afFairs|contentS Trends & talk the main chance Terminal stumbling block Ukraine’s Government is using the Events, Quotes, The Three-Martini Launch idea of a liquid gas terminal as a Numbers Building an NLG terminal in Ukraine could be a move to powerful geopolitical card— diversifying gas suppliers—or one that it may not have the 4 just a waste of taxpayer money 6 courage to play 9

ideologues Ethnic Parents to the cleansing, Barricades Ideological Splits then and Donetsk officials are The ruling party now eager to close down could be facing a Ukrainian schools even if showdown between they are 95% filled with its pragmatic and students. But parents pro-Russian wings are fighting back 10 12 14

Crooked In a Captious Land Demobilization 2011 Lawmaking Kyiv’s policy towards A massive layoff of officers A “minor” the Crimean Tatars could leave Ukraine’s army violation of the remains controversial weaker and its police more Constitution grows and inconsistent corrupt into a scandal with criminal undertones 16 18 22

If not NATO, then Russia? Mr. Yanukovych goes to among the pols The ability of the public purse to Washington pay for defense is just one of the The Yanukovych Administra­­ Learning Democracy tests of its “non-aligned” status tion’s image in the West is German historian Frank that Kyiv is failing made by Americans, paid for by Golczewski talks about Ukrainians and watched closely the WWI era and the by Russians benefits of pluralism 22 24 28 neighborS The Land of the Dancing with When Evil turns to Good Nebbish bears Patriarch Filaret talks Leonidas Russians have never BP’s Russian about raider attacks on Donskis: been a free people. venture is the Kyiv Patriarchate The Source of From time to time already proving and the delusion of a Success they simply changed trickier than “Russian world” masters expected 31 32 34 36

Raider of the Lost the arts Ukrainians vs Television Patriarchate Quitting the “boob tube” Ukrainian Orthodox Strangers in Their Own Land is becoming more churches are skeptical Ukraine’s FM frequencies offer and more justified for of the Moscow church's little–except third-rate foreign Ukrainians. Their reasons arguments on canonicity and soviet-era pop, sprinkled are many and "non-canonicity" with a bit of classic rock 40 42 44

The Ukrainian Week №2 (14) February 2011 Mailing address: PO Box 2, Kyiv, 03067 Founder: ECEM Media Ukraine LLC Publisher: The Ukrainian Week LLC Publisher address: vul. Mashynobudivna 37, Kyiv 03067 Ukraine Published since 2010 E-mail: [email protected] Tel.: (044) 351-1300 State registration certificate 16412-4884P of March 13, 2010 Print: ТОV SKIMP, Triada Print Publishing Bohdan Andriytsev, Director, ECEM Media Ukraine LLC Ordering number: 609. Print run: 10,000 Roman Tsupryk, Chairman of the Editorial Board Sent to print on March 7, 2011 Serhiy Lytvynenko, Editor-in-Chief, Ukrainskiy Tyzhden Free distributions Lidia Wolanskyj, Editor, Ukrainian Week International Edition Anna Korbut, translator 2|ukrainian week|№2 February 2011 editorial|trends & talk How not to lose Ukraine t first glance, the news coming out of Ukraine medium business destroyed, as well as students, who offers little to be optimistic about. In just one don’t want to see education become completely com- year, the new Administration has dropped the mercialized and universities lose their autonomy. As Acountry’s ratings for human rights almost to a result, those in power have had to compromise. the levels of the mid-1990s. Beyond state oversight yet These protest actions have also shown the soli- helped at every step by state agencies, Ukraine’s oli- darity of the country: participants come from across garchs are busy monopolizing entire branches of in- the land, without regard to language preferences or dustry, grabbing stakes in the country’s largest enter- opinions about historic figures. prises. Some Cabinet Members, such as Education Opinion polls continue to show that Ukrainians Minister Tabachnyk, allow themselves to say things consider freedom of speech, of assembly and of elec- that are not only offensive to Ukrainians as a nation, tions an intrinsic good and that they consider it un- but even echo racist statements by Nazi officials dur- acceptable to restrict or take away such freedoms. ing the WWII occupation. Instead of battling wide- The press continues to have highly-principled jour- spread corruption, the government is settling accounts nalists who critically evaluate the government’s ac- with political opponents and accusing activists of tions and offer Ukrainian voters objective informa- criminal activity based on patently absurd grounds. tion about the state of affairs in their country. The biggest danger is that, instead of making use The power of the state is seen by Ukrainians as of the current concentration of power to undertake coming, not from pure abstract “force,” or the sta- promised reforms, today’s governing elite are trying tus of “superpower,” or the ability to interfere in the to rebuild Ukraine into a kind of zone of heightened affairs of one’s neighbors, although this is typical comfort for the elect. A zone in which the rest of the for Russian society. Instead, the power of the state country will be a source of labor and funds to cover is seen by Ukrainians as its ability to protect the budget spending. For those in power, the plan seems rights and well-being of its citizens. to be to swim in luxury and funnel the profits from When it comes down to it, Ukrainians prefer to enterprises under their control, not into moderniza- resolve their political conflicts at the negotiation table tion or infrastructure, but into the satisfaction of per- and through free elections. Yet these traits are not sonal whims or the capitalization of private projects merely the achievement of recent years. The qualita- outside Ukraine, through offshore channels. tive difference between Ukrainian society and Russian Needless to say, a state built along these lines is is that Ukrainians have long embraced European val- very vulnerable to external forces, especially Russian ues as their own. Because of this, Ukraine’s identity ones. First of all, its leaders need support and protec- has not disappeared into some “all-Russian” identity, tion against its own citizenry and, secondly, they need despite several centuries under Russian rule—and investment so that their own plans can succeed. many forceful campaigns by Russian imperial and so- On the other hand, the price of this kind of sup- viet rulers to bring this about. The distinctiveness of port will be giving up control over strategic assets in Ukrainians from “Great Russians” lies not only in Ukraine’s economy to the Russians—something their language and historical memory, but also in their Russian officials, from Vice Premier Sechin to worldview, on the place of the individual in their soci- members of the Duma are already openly saying. ety, and on the priority they give to different values. These are assets that will generate sufficient addi- In the end, even the current people in power in tional resources for the Russian economy while sup- Ukraine are in no hurry to fall into the arms of the porting the Kremlin’s plans in Europe—plans that are Russian bear: they would still prefer to run their terri- clearly set out in the Russian Federation’s strategic tory on their own. Yet this idea is in conflict with the documents: taking control over energy transport and expansion of authoritarian practices. If Ukraine’s distribution networks, expanding Russian influence leadership does not trust its own people but choses to over decision-making processes in Europe, and draw- fight them instead, it will be very vulnerable, indeed. ing European countries into deals that may be incon- For Ukrainians to complete their path to Eu- venient for them but useful for Moscow. rope, that is, to come back home, its leaders need to The good news is that, in trying to set up a dicta- pass the challenge of Europeanness that their citi- torship along the lines of the one in Moscow, the key zens are presenting them now. This means: talk to word for the current Administration in Kyiv is “try- your opponents, include them in the decision-mak- ing.” It has already bumped up against resistance ing process, discuss reforms in advance so that they from Ukrainian civil society, that is, the community can be appropriately amended, and don’t set up any of citizens who are capable of expressing and defend- more feeders for your clique. ing a political position. Ukraine’s foreign partners should actively de- For Ukraine’s civil society is too European to al- mand that its leaders opt for this way of running the low itself to be used as a soviet tool. The very reac- country. To ignore the threat of dragging Ukraine tion of Ukrainians to the gauntlet tossed by their po- into the “Russian world” is not just against Ukraine’s litical leadership is typical of European societies with interests, but against the interests of all of Europe. a sense of proper human rights and freedoms and The bloody history of the 20th century has shown us the ability to defend these. Protest movements are all that the sacrifice of liberty in one European nation happening at the national level, bringing together not only does not solve the issue of European securi- business people, who don’t want to see small and ty—it complicates things even more. №2 February 2011|ukrainian week|3 trends & talk|this month February 3 February 8 February 11 Blogger kikhot1953 takes The Verkhovna Rada of Hosni Mubarak resigns as responsibility for blowing Crimea no longer exists. president of Egypt and the up Stalin in Zaporizhzhia It’s now the “Vierkhovniy army takes over Soviet.”

quotes Anatoliy Blyzniuk demonstrates ukrainophobia North Prospect or Yanukovych Blind The Donetsk governor urges all those who want to speak When the hammer is your only tool, Ukrainian and “play at democracy” in his all problems look like nails office to ship out to Ivano-Frankivsk. spider makes its web, not tances are now thinking about according to some exist- immigrating. ing plan, but because it They don’t see and they don’t un- Mykola Azarov A doesn’t know what else to derstand. The President has just do. Because it’s programmed that announced that he intends to in- loses his memory way. So, too, Ukraine’s current crease GDP by 10% every year, A Government instruction “reformers:” they squeeze SMEs, an “Asian tiger” pace. Where will cuts the staffing at not because they understand this wonder come from? Only the Institution of economic mechanisms or IMF Author: from a “proffessor’s1” imagina- National Memory instructions, but because they’re Yuriy Makarov tion. In rich countries, SMEs ac- by 33%, “because of programmed that way. It’s as count for 50% (UK) to 80% (US) lack of funding.” simple as that: they don’t know of GDP. In Ukraine, it’s 12% tops, anything better. but nobody can give more accu- The list of cruelties experienced rate numbers and even this share these days, not only by Ukraine’s is falling. Take a look at any flat tax payers, but by all busi- newspaper and see how many Hanna Herman ness owners with no reliable new ads say “Legal services. Liq- “protection,” is not limited to the uidate your company in a day.” does not see any novelties in the updated Tax Oh, inevitably, the government russification Code. And although the will wonder what’s happen- “There’s no russification­­ government is making it ing, increase the pressure, in Ukraine. Even Pre- ­­­­ seemingly attractive to and blame “sabotage”— mier Aza­­rov is lear­­ning register legal entities, forgetting one thing: Ukrai­­nian, although the real daily practice of When the hammer is your he never bothered the country’s fiscal and only tool, all problems to do this in 20 years law enforcement age­­ look like nails. Nobody ar- of independent Ukraine.” ncies is all about in- gues that among “small” spections, fines and and “medium” sole entre- lawsuits. This is inex- preneurs there aren’t Olena Voronova orably pushing busi- many slick operators who loses a job ness owners back into sell UAH 200,000-worth the shadows—and of furniture a month and When the bilingual where there are shad- pay UAH 200 in taxes. But young Odesite says she wants to speak ows, relations are the absolute majority are Ukrainian on the completely different entrepreneurs whom the job, a Kyiv café and different “fellas” government abandoned on manager says “Why want an accounting—or Day One. Many of these people do you need this pushing them to look language?” and for a better life abroad. 1 Viktor Yanukovych wrote in his application as candidate in the 2004 presidential race that he was once a “prof- turns her down. Many of my acquain- fessor.”

The month February , 1914 February , 1918 February , 1956 in history 8 9 14 The Noviy Svit The Red Army occu- The 20th Congress of Ukrainian pies the capital of the the CP opens in Mos- publishing house Ukrainian National cow and condemns opens its doors in Republic; thousands the cult of personality Montreal of Kyivites are killed and ideology of Stalin

4|ukrainian week|№2 February 2011 this month|trends & talk February 12 February 17 February 26 March 1 Bad weather in The roof at the newly- A fire in Zaporizh- Tickets for Ukraine leads to 320 built Sky Mall collaps- zhia’s Nova Linia Euro-2012 games traffic accidents in Kyiv es in Kyiv. Insurance hypermarket kills go on sale and 941 settlements estimates are UAH 5 two people suffer blackouts million of damage

numbers $9.3 billion is Ukraine’s trade deficit for 2010, North Prospect orY anukovych Blind up from $5.7 billion in 2009 would still be sitting in their viet model or the new Russian drawing offices and design sur- one—because they like it and it’s over UAH 17 million face-to-surface guided missiles, the only system they believe in. will be spent this year on chartered but it turned out that the country Then, as the old joke goes, they airplanes for government didn’t need this many weapons. wonder why they all they ever get delegations and to maintain the And so these people went to the is a machine-gun at the end. President’s helicopter market rather than the unem- Douglass North’s Nobel prize ployment office. They survived, was for reminding the world that though that was not what they history, traditions and cultural UAH 13.8 billion were trained for. And today stereotypes are as real economic they—not Marx’s proletarians— factors as production facilities, has been budgeted to renovate are the biggest potential oppo- technologies, and resources. the building of the security nents to the government. Do administration in Koncha-Zaspa, where top officials reside those in power even understand where there are shadows, this much? If you look through the CVs of relations are completely Ukraine’s top officials, they all different and different UAH 33 million have a higher education; some is being allocated to renovate even have two degrees, including “fellas” want an Syniohora, the Presidential estate in one in economics—if you didn’t accounting Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast know how much an exam grade “costs” at our economics univer- The USSR’s “real socialism” had sities—and baldly “cash only,” as a Russian face because it had ab- our professors also want their sorbed the centuries-old tradi- UAH 130 billion piece of the pie. Indeed, if not for tions of a domineering state, om- is now owed by the government to this, perhaps these professors nipotent tsar, wasteful magnates, Ukrainians who have sued it would by now have studied mod- thieving bureaucrats, and servile ern trends in economics, espe- plebes. This approach can un- cially the new institutionalists: doubtedly work, if you leave out 70% Williamson, Coase and North. the cost of consumables—in this North has often written that “in- case, your country’s people—, but was the reported growth rate of stitutions matter,” institutions only if two things are in place: Ukraine’s stock market in 2010. It is meaning sets of rules, written or natural wealth and a system of expected to grow 30-40% in 2011 unspoken, rules governing ac- repression. In short, the Russian tions, and codes of conduct. Of economic model can target a course, institutions force “trans- missile at the US and even send a 11.3 million Ukrainians action costs” on the economy. human into space—it is incapable use the internet and ua.net visitors And this is the friction that hin- of providing all its citizens with a grew 30% in 2010 ders market relations and is roof over their heads and buck- eventually capable of stopping an wheat in the stores—as long as it economy. has export commodities and a Meanwhile, Party of the Regions’ Gulag. $6.9 billion ideologues and practicians are Unfortunately for him, Mr. Yanu- was “invested” in Cyprus by Uk­­- diligently aping either the old so- kovych has neither. raine – actually just offshore deals

February 19, 1954 February 20, 1649 February 22, 1987 March 1, 1991 By decision of top so- Hetman Bohdan Andy Warhol, Donbas miners begin viet officials,C rimea Khmelnytskiy begins to founder of Pop Art their first political is transferred from negotiate the boundar- and American artist strike, demanding the Russian FSSR to ies of the Zaporozhian of Ukrainian-Lemko Gorbachev’s the Ukrainian SSR Army with Poland origins, dies resignation

№2 February 2011|ukrainian week|5 the main chance|energy projects The Three-Martini Launch Building an NLG terminal in Ukraine could be a move to diversifying gas suppliers—or just a waste of taxpayer money

his year, Ukraine’s delega- Author: turning gas to liquid and then North Africa and the Middle East tion was proactive as never Iryna liquid back into gas, is lower will be able to double liquid gas before at the World Eco- Khodorova than the cost of pumping and output to 476bn cu m, while the Tnomic Forum in Davos. The servicing pipeline systems and share of NLG on European gas President amused investors, so on. markets could go up from 11% in while his officials hustled ear- In 2008-2009, the price of 2008 to 36% by 2035. nestly to diversify energy sup- Russian gas went up steeply while Yet, most experts surveyed plies. Watched by their Presi- NGL spot prices plummeted and say that the rising price of liquid dents, Viktor Yanukovych and EU countries switched to this al- gas should not hamper the Ilkham Aliyev, Ukrainian and ternative fuel. Liquid gas put con- building of a terminal in Uk­­ Azerbaijan fuel and energy min- siderable pressure on Gazprom, raine, since diversifying fuel isters signed two critical deals Estimated cost of NLG whose export of fuel to the EU fell sources is a strategic objective. about transiting Caspian oil terminal in Ukraine – 11.4% in 2009, causing its market “As long as Naftogaz buys gas through Ukraine and supplying share to slip from 25% to 22%. only from the Russians, no one liquid gas from Azerbaijan. €1 billion Meanwhile, total imports of NLG will be able to prevent Gazprom Ukraine’s Minister Yuriy Boyko to European countries grew by from dictating prices and, hence, stated that Ukraine would get 25%. Qatar alone doubled its sup- politics,” says Mykhailo Hon- 2bn cu m of gas in 2014 and 5bn ply, although earlier it had been char, Director of Energy Pro- cu m in 2015, saying, “Ukraine selling gas mostly to the US. In grams at the Nomos Center. will build a terminal and Azer- 2009, its NLG was selling for US The pricing policies of the MEGAPROJECT LIMBO baijan will fill it with gas.” $80–90 per 1,000 cu m, while Russian monopolist confirm this Russian gas ranged from US $260 assumption—and those coun- An appetizing idea to US $300 for 1,000 cu m, even tries that have dared to start di- The idea of building a natural for long-term contracts. versifying their sources have felt liquid gas (NLG) terminal in a definite easing. “As soon as Ukraine can only be welcomed, European countries started to as it will allow the country to di- The main advantage of increase their NLG purchases, versify energy sources. A resolu- Russia loosened its price policy,” tion to build a terminal on the natural liquid gas is that it says Oleksandr Todiychuk, ex- Black Sea coast was approved is relatively cheaper than CEO of Ukrtrans­­nafta. Latvia is back in March 2010 and the Gov- a typical example. It could not ernment expects the facility to go the gas piped by Russia negotiate a discount from the on line by 2014 with a capacity of Russians until it joined forces 10bn cu m. It has also been an- Pick your price range with Poland to build a common nounced that a state-owned en- This year, however, buying from terminal. terprise called The National NLG Qatar looks less attractive: after Theoretically at least, Terminal Project, set up at the the country gained a foothold in Ukraine does need an NLG ter- Odesa-BrodyOdesa-Brody pipipelinepeline Kyiv-OdesaK i Od HighwaHi h y Kyrpa’sKyr ’ Bridge in Kyiv Podil Bridge in Kyiv DniprovskaDni HES Dnipro Bridge at Zaporizhzhia end of December, will be respon- the EU gas market, it stopped minal. But this raises a slew of sible for it. They are to prepare a output at eight production facili- practical issues. What guaran- Built to supply Caspian oil to the EU aandnd Widely advertised in 2003-2004 as CCoonstructionn on the Darnytsia road and Construction of the Podil Bridge over ThisThis hydroelectric station was intendedded Launched in 2004 and still unfinished, feasibility study by September ties in 2010 and cut exports by tees are there that huge amounts Belarus, construction was completedd in Ukraine’s first toll highway, this project rarailil bridge was started in 2004, after a the Dnipro started in 1993, was as a reserve source of power in the despite the major funding allocated to 2011 and construction will be 66%. Needless to say, this caused of public money will not be 2001, but the pipeline was never was organized on a concession basis to long-standinglong struggle for control over suspended in 1994 and relaunched in eventen of an accident at another station.ion. it from the State Budget annually. The tendered out by January 2012. a spike in NLG prices on world wasted, as with Odesa-Brody In 2014, supplied with oil. Since 2004, it has include 36 roads, 15 bridges, 4mn cu m tthehe project between then-Transport 2004. By the end of 2010, only the first CCoonstructionn actually began in 1983,, current deadline for opening the In their efforts to avoid en- stock exchanges: in August, NLG pipeline, which stood empty for operated in the reverse direction, of asphalt and more. These works were MiMinistern Georgiy Kyrpa and then-Kyiv part of the bridge was done: the butbut the project was frozen after the bridge is 2012. ergy dependence on Russia, most 2 bn was US $150 per 1,000 cu m. Still, several years after construction sending Russian oil to Odesa. In USSRUSS collapsed. In December 2009,, tthehe Old World countries built their cu m even this is better than the US was completed? How much has December 2010, the facility started partly funded, but in 2005 the MaMayory Oleksandr Omelchenko. The rail Havana overpass and the Naberezhno- own NLG terminals several years of NLG could ship to $275 that the Russians charge for official Kyiv considered the risks government officially announced that pportionort of the bridge was finally Khreshchatytska access road. first of seven planned facilities was Ukraine operating as intended, but still underer ago. Bulgaria and Romania both 1,000 cu m of natural gas at the that relations with the Kremlin capacity. The volume of oil pumped to the condition of the highway was offofficiallyic opened September 27, 2010. ccoompleted.m Construction continues. launched similar projects in German border. will grow tense, possibly leading Belarus is expected to rise to 8mn t by unsatisfactory. The highway is now The road portion was opened three 2010. The key advantage of natu- British Petroleum projects to a steep rise in the price of 2013, but even this most under reconstruction momonths later—but only UAH UAH –UAH UAH UAH –UAH ral liquid gas is that it is rela- that demand for NLG will remain Russian fuel while the terminal st – 1. t – 2. st 9 t – 9. t – 5 st 5 optimistic scenario is o 1 but work is going s 7 in oone direction. o b s 1 s o b c b o b c n o b o c n n c c n c tively cheaper than the gas piped stable in the EU in 2011, while is being completed? How will d n d d short of the pipeline’s d e d d e e slowly. e t e e t t t t t these challenges be handled? At a a by Russia. First, transporting supplies grow 32%. Moscow- a

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MEGAPROJECT LIMBO

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№2 February 2011|ukrainian week|7 the main chance|energy projects that there will be obstacles facing which is currently choosing be- cility can easily be hooked up to the construction of an NLG ter- tween Ukrainian and Latvian Ukraine’s existing gas transit minal in Ukraine. Poland, for in- projects—and even China, whose system. Nor is there any need to stance, had problems transfer- China Machine-Building Intеr­­ connect the terminal to the main ring the ownership of land when national Сorporation is inter- pipeline separately, since the it wanted to undertake a similar ested in building a terminal near purpose of supplying liquid gas project.” Moreover, the bureau- Mykolayiv as part of an already- to this country is certainly not to cratized permits system in place launched project to build a new interfere in the transit of fuel in Ukraine today means that any seaport, could potentially partic- from Russia to the EU.” Others, project can be postponed indefi- ipate in the construction of this including Vadym Kopylov, for- nitely. In short, the Government mer COB of Naftogas Ukrainy needs to concentrate political and now Ukraine’s Deputy Fi- will in order to make the NLG “The refusal to use Odesa- nance Minister, agree with Todi- terminal a reality. “The biggest Brody pipeline in reverse in ychuk, although Mr. Kopylov risk is that there won’t be avail- points out that only 2/3 of the able liquid gas on the market—a 2004 was a purely political capacity of Ukraine’s gas transit fairly realistic possibility, given decision that had nothing system is used currently. the current NLG boom…” says Indeed, it’s not entirely clear Honchar. In this same context, to do with economics” why Ukraine has already turned Todiychuk notes that any deals down the option of transiting or with Azerbaijan could go sour if terminal. Stirol Concern, recently even selling liquid gas to Europe, Turkey’s position and interests purchased by Dmytro Firtash’s even as it plans to construct a are ignored, as that country can Group DF, too, has expressed in- terminal in its territory. Perhaps and does restrict the shipment of terest in investing in the con- announcing the construction of a hazardous cargo across the Bos- struction of an NLG terminal in liquid gas terminal is Kyiv’s fee- phorus. Ukraine. ble attempt to talk Russia into a In any case, the deal with “From the economic perspec- more reasonable price for the Azerbaijan will not be enough for tive, there are no problems with natural kind. And if Moscow sud- Ukraine to maintain NLG supply building and using an NLG ter- denly concedes, the megaproject levels. Kazakhstan, Belarus— minal,” says Todiychuk. “The fa- could be history. MEGAPROJECT LIMBO

Odesa-BrodyOdesa-Brody pipipelinepeline Kyiv-OdesaK i Od HighwaHi h y Kyrpa’sKyr ’ Bridge in Kyiv Podil Bridge in Kyiv DniprovskaDni HES Dnipro Bridge at Zaporizhzhia

Built to supply Caspian oil to the EU aandnd Widely advertised in 2003-2004 as CCoonstructionn on the Darnytsia road and Construction of the Podil Bridge over ThisThis hydroelectric station was intendedded Launched in 2004 and still unfinished, Belarus, construction was completedd in Ukraine’s first toll highway, this project rraailil bridge was started in 2004, after a the Dnipro started in 1993, was as a reserve source of power in the despite the major funding allocated to 2001, but the pipeline was never was organized on a concession basis to long-standinglong struggle for control over suspended in 1994 and relaunched in eveentn of an accident at another station.ion. it from the State Budget annually. The supplied with oil. Since 2004, it has include 36 roads, 15 bridges, 4mn cu m tthehe project between then-Transport 2004. By the end of 2010, only the first CoConstructionn actually began in 1983,, current deadline for opening the operated in the reverse direction, of asphalt and more. These works were MiMinistern Georgiy Kyrpa and then-Kyiv part of the bridge was done: the bbutut the project was frozen after the bridge is 2012. sending Russian oil to Odesa. In USUSSRS collapsed. In December 2009,, tthehe December 2010, the facility started partly funded, but in 2005 the MaMayory Oleksandr Omelchenko. The rail Havana overpass and the Naberezhno- operating as intended, but still underer government officially announced that pportionort of the bridge was finally Khreshchatytska access road. first of seven planned facilities was capacity. The volume of oil pumped to the condition of the highway was offofficiallyic opened September 27, 2010. ccoompleted.m Construction continues. Belarus is expected to rise to 8mn t by unsatisfactory. The highway is now The road portion was opened three 2013, but even this most under reconstruction momonths later—but only UAH UAH –UAH UAH UAH –UAH st – 1. t – 2. st 9 t – 9. t – 5 st 5 optimistic scenario is o 1 but work is going s 7 in oone direction. o b s 1 s o b c b o b c n o b o c n n c c n c d n d d short of the pipeline’s d e d d e e slowly. e t e e t t t t t a a a

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or more than a year, the idea of building a liquid Still, there is the possibility that no one really needs gas terminal has been hotly debated: how feasi- such a terminal. Ukraine has to talk it up so as to ble it is, what Ukraine will gain from it, and what have a bargaining chip in negotiations with Rus- Fimpact it might have on geopolitical relations sia. But this only confirms that there are no with Ukraine’s neighbors, both near and far. contracts in place yet, only memoranda, an- In fact, the terminal has emerged as a new move to- nouncements and other improvised deci- wards greater energy independence and a major sions. Even the deals at Davos have few contribution to Ukraine’s security. Strategically, this details. So far, there is only a Memoran- will allow Ukraine to diversify energy supplies, as dum of Understanding indicating that the country now hugely depends on supplies of all Azerbaijan could provide the fuel to fill in fuels from Russia, extracting only a tiny portion it- the terminal. Still, there is no actual self. In economic terms, this strategy is right, as it agreement, a futures contract spec- will increase the country’s security. The appearance ifying a price and liability for car- of this new terminal could offer Ukraine’s Govern- rying it out or failing to do so. ment a nice bargaining chip when time comes to ne- There has been no feasibility gotiate gas prices with Russia, following the suit of study although promises of one EU countries: they started dealing with Qatar sev- have been in the air for some time. eral years ago and were able to get significant dis- Indeed, the site for the future terminal counts from Moscow. has not even been chosen. Meanwhile, the new But first, a number of questions need to be an- Government has been talking about it since the swered: how much capacity will be used at the ter- last year and its predecessors were talking about Author: minal? Will Ukraine find enough gas for it? This it before that. This has been going on for nearly five Valeriy kind of project is much more complicated than your years now. For these officials, the important thing is Borovyk, basic business plan. To launch a terminal, the Gov- to keep saying that the terminal is on the way. They COB, Nova ernment must promote it on all markets, and then don’t have to do anything, just to talk it up enough Energia find the fuel for it to process and the markets for it to gain something to trade with. Ukrainy to sell to. So far, it’s just talk. And if talk does not What will Ukraine actually gain? Essentially, it can become action soon, all available supplies could be demand whatever it wants if it plays this game in a taken. After all, it’s not just Ukraine that is thinking few fields at a time. But does the current Govern- about liquid gas terminals, but also some of its re- ment have enough skill and perseverance to substi- gional neighbors. tute a terminal that the country Another issue that arises is rela- really needs with something tions with countries in the Cas- while ukraine talks else of equal value? Everyone pian basin. When the terminal about building a saw the way the Government goes on line, it will not change agreed to extend the lease of the the situation dramatically – its terminal, Black Sea Fleet for 25 years in planned capacity is not a strate- the neighbors will return for some conditional dis- gic amount for Azerbaijan. Dur- counts on gas that ultimately ing his visit to Kyiv, President contract all brought no benefits at all: the Ilkham Aliyev mentioned that available nlg price of gas continues to grow Azerbaijan could increase vol- in Ukraine because the previous umes to Ukraine severalfold, meaning that Azer- Government pegged it to oil prices and the baijan had no problem with the concept, i.e., price of oil is on the rise again. With gas get- “You build the terminal, we’ll work with you.” ting more expensive, too, any possible discount For Caspian basin countries this project is relatively is ultimately offset. minor. They will not place serious stakes on it or Some other examples include deals in the aircraft view their role in it from a geopolitical context in the industry; the virtual giving away to Russian col- same way as they would with major trunk lines like leagues of the monopoly in the atomic energy indus- Nabucco or new Russian projects to transit gas to Eu- try; a decision to allow Russians to extract hydro- rope. But without changing anything globally, the carbons in the Black Sea shelf without any tender; terminal could have enough local impact to change or the joint venture to extract shale gas with Rus- the relations between Ukraine and Azerbaijan, as sians who have no more expertise in this industry well as between Ukraine and Russia. After all, it will than do Ukrainians. Moreover, this was done, not in give the country access to regional energy resources exchange for something, but for free. It’s hard to that had been unattainable earlier. This, in turn, understand what kind of national strategy lies be- should improve and reinforce relations with coun- hind giving away strategic assets in exchange for tries of the region. marginal tactical dividends. №2 February 2011|ukrainian week|9 ideologues|pr in discord Ideological Splits The ruling party could be facing a showdown between its pragmatic and pro-Russian wings

Author: fter Party of the Regions so on. In addition, Russian politi- government shares this pragmatic Dmytro won the VR election in cal handlers involved in the cam- and completely reasonable ap- Kalynchuk 2006, its, then very much paign organized visual propa- proach. Some characters cannot Aalive Yevhen Kushnariov, ganda that divided Ukrainians seem to back off, doing damage to a member of PR’s Political Coun- into “three sorts” and other hos- the image, of not just their coun- cil, shocked White&Blue support- tile messages geared to splitting try, but of their own leaders.. ers with a killer statement: Ukrainian society. “Ukraine should have one official After Yanukovych lost the Neither fish nor fowl language and that language is election, Party of the Regions Like most Ukrainian parties, Ukrainian.” Adding injury to in- continued to actively exploit Party of the Regions has no sult for the pro-Russian contin- these issues as the opposition. clearly defined ideology. In the gent, he suggested cutting the Local councils elected in 2006 time it spent as opposition, PR salaries of civil servants who with a PR majority in Eastern and collected a crazy ideological cock- didn’t speak Ukrainian 20% and Southern Ukraine made a big tail made up of all the wishes of adding 30% to the salaries of deal of establishing “Russian as all those who might possibly vote those who spoke only Ukrainian the regional language” and de- for them, first among them, the at work. All this brought a furious claring themselves “NATO-free pro-Russian contingent. Yet PR’s response from fellow PR member zones.” moves in this direction came Vadym Kolesnichenko, a notori- The situation changed radi- down to noisy words: the party ously anti-Ukrainian deputy: “I cally after PR gained virtually rushed to pass the language bill, think Kushnariov got it wrong… complete power in 2010. Objec- the obscure Declaration of the The Russian language should tively, the party should no longer Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine “On have official status in some have had an interest in breaking Dignity, Freedom and Human oblasts—and that’s just the first the country up. Moreover, numer- Rights,” and so on. In time, stage.” Fortunately, the “first ous protests, resentment among though, the language bill was set stage” is still only talk. the Ukrainian intelligentsia and aside until “after the election” In 2004 election, Vik- resistance in the opposition hold and never raised again. tor Yanukovych’s team them back from keeping their lan- While one PR man, Education for the first time vio- guage and humanitarian prom- Minister Dmytro Tabachnyk, de- lated an unspoken ises. The Yanukovych Administra- clares that Halychians and Ukrai- rule in Ukrainian tion is obviously not rushing to nians are two different peoples, politics by thro­­ implement the most radical of the Government and the Presi- wing divisive these, even though it has all the dent arrange grand celebrations issues that leverage to do so: its people run of Unity Day January 22, com- had previous­ the SBU, the Prosecutor’s Office, memorating the day when the ­ly been taboo the Interior Ministry, and the Western and Central Ukrainian into the cam- Constitutional Court, and it can Republics joined together. VR paign. These easily organize a majority for any Deputies Tsariov and Kole- included grant- vote in the Rada. It looks like the snichenko crusade against com- ing the Russian pragmatic wing, at least, is trying memorating OUN-UPA, the Or- language offi- to prevent further radicalization ganization of Ukrainian Nation- cial status, al- of Central and Western Ukraine, alists and the Ukrainian Insurgent lowing dual ci­­ which means agreeing to certain Army, while L’viv Deputy Ihor tizenship with ideological compromises. Hryshchuk calls on the public to the Russian Fe­ But not everyone in the ag- donate money to complete the ­deration, and glomeration called the Ukrainian monument to Stepan Bandera, the most prominent leader of Dueling officials OUN. Donetsk Oblast Council Secretary Mykola Lev­­chenko “If it were within my power to appoint ministers, jeers that the Ukrainian language I would resign this minute and switch to freelancing is only good for folklore and or be unemployed just to see someone else as the jokes, while the President’s Dep- Minister of Education.” uty Chief-of-Staff Hanna Herman Hanna Herman, urges, “Protest when you’re told

photo: phl photo: Shuster Live! TV show, January 28 you are not Ukrainians!” 10|ukrainian week|№2 February 2011 pr in discord|ideologues Dmytro Tabachnyk On the anniversary of the Bat- snichenko with his “For a Rus- tiatives are all still on paper alone. on the steadfast tle of Kruty, where 300 students sian-Speaking Ukraine” move- Given this, the political prospects leader: and cadets were mowed down by ment, who also arranged an ex- for the Kremlin wing are anything “A local community can build monuments 6,000 Bolshevik troops, Kole- hibit called “The Volyn Massacres: but clear now. to whomever it wants snichenko whimsically publishes Polish and Jewish Victims of the Still, PR is unlikely to split for its own money. The government has an article entitled “The Kruty OUN-UPA”; Levchenko with his over ideology just yet. So far, Vik- no right to prohibit tragedy is not a myth on which the “Ukrainian is only good in folklore tor Yanukovych has managed to people from follow- country can build its future,” and jokes”; VR Deputy Oleh Tsar- reconcile his oligarchs among ing any ideology they want, although it while President Yanukovych ad- iov, co-leader of the Anti-Fascist each other. The PR’s business should stop any at- dresses the people of Ukraine, Forum of Ukraine, known best for elite is consolidated as never be- tempts to impose ideologies on others. saying, “With their courage and his campaign to close Kryivka, a fore. But the Kremlin wing is un- When we talk about sacrifice, several hundreds of ca- very popular UPA-themed restau- likely to find a powerful spon-­­ historical facts, Stalin was the leader of the dets, college and high school stu- rant in L’viv; and so on. sor anytime soon. Eventually, winning army and of dents set a true example for the The Kremlin wing is known though, the PR oligarchs could the nation that won next generations of fighters for in- for its aggressive opposition to all start squabbling again. At that the Great Patriotic War [WWII]. This has dependence.” Zaporizhzhia Gov- things Ukrainian and for endlessly point, some “decent” sponsor ensured him an im- ernor and PR member Borys singing to the ideological tune might need the Kremlin faction portant, unshakeable place in history.” Petrov shocks some party faithful played towards Ukraine across the and any deserters will easily find [in Russian] by suggesting that the Communist Russian border. Nor are they look- shelter in Moscow. (UNIAN) Party’s Oblast Committee should ing less enthusiastic with time, Hypothetically, there is the place statues of Stalin only inside despite protectionist moves on third scenario: before the next VR its offices. When Ms. Herman an- Moscow’s behalf that are having election the PR leadership will nounces that the President will an adverse effect on PR’s busi- force a split. Yuriy Lutsenko’s never sign Tabachnyk’s draft edu- ness wing. With no serious busi- Narodna Samooborona once cation reform program, the Min- ness of their own and having built grabbed the votes of those un- ister calls for her resignation. their image exclusively on being happy with President Yushchen- phl photo: This clash of “ideologies” dead against all things Ukrainian, ko’s and Premier Tymoshenko’s within PR is leading to more and these PR members are now strug- policies, only to run in a bloc with more conflicts. For the voters who gling to find their place. The Ad- Yushchenko’s Nasha Ukraina did not support PR, the party re- ministration, in turn, uses this in a subsequent election. mains an oligarch-run political “Kremlin wing” largely to play Similarly, the Kremlin force that steals state property the tunes that pro-Russian sup- faction can draw dissatis- and is ready to cut deals with Rus- porters in Eastern Ukraine and fied voters from PR, which sia by crushing Ukrainian iden- Crimea want to hear, such as the would allow it to continue tity. Nowadays, PR diehards are threat of “the vengeance of Ban- singing about “Banderite beginning to talk about “political derites,” a “swift” solution to the threats” yet set up a bloc collaborationism.” The habit of language issue, and so on. with PR later... theo- saying one thing in the West and Nevertheless, the current po- retically. its near opposite in the East is yet sition of PR leaders on socially Yet the reality is more proof to PR supporters that sensitive issues is slowly turning that PR is in a political they are being lied to. The ex- its pro-Russian wing into a team split as a result of its pected “better life today” has not of buffoons who, in the eyes of shortsighted ideo- arrived so far, nor is it likely to do voters, are only capable of lying logical work when so. These days, PR voters are vot- and manipulating. Borys Kole- it was in opposition. ing with their feet: in 2006, 60% snikov, who represents PR’s busi- It is constantly wal­ of voters came to the polls in Sev- ness interests, once openly called ­king a fine line be- astopol; only 41% did in 2010. In Tabachnyk “a cheap clown.” tween further radi- Kramatorsk, only 37% voted in lo- calization of Cen- ­­ cal elections, while Melitopol A political time bomb tral and Wes-­­ broke the record for votes “against Since “A better life today” never tern Ukraine everybody”—25%. materialized for most Ukrainians, and deeper dis- voters are beginning to treat any appointment in The Kremlin wing new promises, such as “no unem- Eastern Ukraine The PR members who want to ployment in Ukraine in a year,” as and Crimea.­­ And avoid clashes within Ukrainian science fiction; in exchange for ex- holding the splits society—its business wing—or tending the Black Sea Fleet, gas for too long is not good who prefer to look for compro- has become more expensive, not for the musculoskeletal mises on cultural issues—Herman, cheaper; education and arts ini- system. Lavrynovych and Landyk—are finding themselves more and more Dueling officials estranged from those party mem- bers who are openly ready to serve “There is a simple international practice: an official who Russian interests and Kremlin does not agree with his President’s or Premier’s appoint- bosses. The “Kremlin wing” in- ments should resign. That’s the easiest way out – and you cludes Tabachnyk with his belief save face, too.” that “Halychians and Ukrainians Dmytro Tabachnyk, are two different peoples;” Kole- Interfax Ukraine, January 30 №2 February 2011|ukrainian week|11 ideologues|learning from history ETHNIC CLEANSING, THEN AND NOW

World War II German police and Security Service reports*: “The Kyiv Prosvita Society has managed to intensify its activities. They have set up a choir, a theater and art workshops, as well as a puppet theater, sewing courses for girls, a technical drawing school, a laboratory for visual manuals, a dancing school… Security police have more than once spoken against the continuing operation of Prosvita as an organization that operates all across Ukraine and could become a shelter for illegal Ukrainian national resistance groups.”

“The German civil administration is indeed implementing a policy to destroy Ukrainian culture. This conviction will push more and more people into the radical camp and the radical movement, which was formerly exclusively a phenomenon exported by West- ern Ukrainians and emigrants who arrived on this territory with the German army. It is now likely to gradually cover the entire population and gain considerable influence… The German propaganda apparatus should immediately be purged of all Ukrainian nationalist elements. Local Ukrainian papers are still being run by radical ultra- nationalist Ukrainian elements.”

“The Ukrainian intelligentsia is using the weakness of German positions whenever possible. Chauvinistic nationalism is on the rise and working for independence. Bandera’s OUN is concentrating on sabotaging the process of sending workers to Germany through word-of-mouth propaganda.”

“A broad range of the Ukrainian intellectuals and semi-intellectuals in Kyiv and other cities, who are, as a rule, influenced by Western Ukrainian instigators, are taking advantage of all our difficulties and mistakes to spread rumors that com- pletely poison the chances of German-Ukrainian cooperation.”

* Source: Central State Archive of Higher Government Offices in Ukraine

Tabachnyk’s clean sweep of education! Education Ministry initiatives and policies Language – Russian as the language of international communication (borrowed from the Law on Languages in the Ukrainian SSR) – free choice of language of education, bypassing Ukrainian – no language specified as the basic language of instruction in Ukraine – canceling the state exam in the Ukrainian language for BAs

Literature – focusing on “Slavic spiritual ideals” – treating Russian literature as exceptional – replacing works on the Holodomor with a section called “Ukrainian Russian- language poetry” in school programs

History – rewriting history “under Russia” (an attempt to publish a textbook jointly with the Russian Federation, rejecting the Holodomor as genocide against Ukrainians, among others) – ignoring the Orange Revolution as a historical event in textbooks 12|ukrainian week|№2 February 2011 learning from history|ideologues ETHNIC CLEANSING, THEN AND NOW

Dmytro Tabachnyk, Minister of Education, Science, Youth and Sports “The current Government has not managed to block all channels for the unlawful funding of nationalist organizations, such as Prosvita, from the State Budget, but the lively stream has turned into a trickle that could dry up at any time.” (in Russian) Gazeta 20001

“The Orange compradors2 are trying to turn Ukraine, with its glorious past that is in- extricable from overall Russian and soviet history, into a colony of Halychyna3 where the supporters of Orthodox Slavic unity were persecuted for centuries… To this end, they cultivate lies at the state level, turning the people of Ukraine into an “imaginary society” devoid of historical memory and hence lacking any orientation in the pres- ent or the future. Despite the pathetic nature of these lies, it is essential to under- stand this very real threat and not be deluded by the notion that obvious propa- ganda is harmless.” (in Russian) Gazeta 20004

“Bandera and Shukhevych will remain in history as nationalists and organizers of massive killings and will always be tainted as collaborators.” (in Russian) Party of the Regions5

“The people of Halychyna have very little in common with the people of the Greater Ukraine, in terms of mentality, faith, language and politics. We have different ene- mies and different allies. Moreover, our allies and even our brothers are their ene- mies, while their “heroes” (Bandera, Shukhevych) are killers, traitors and accom- plices of Hitler’s executioners.” Izvestia6

Tabachnyk’s clean sweep of education! – anti-Ukrainian anthropocentrism (ignoring military clashes between Ukrainians and Russians, denigrating the role of the Ukrainian National Republic and the UPA, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army) – reverting to soviet historical terminology (the Great Patriotic War instead of World War II, among others)

Education – denigrating independent external testing – pegging tuition to inflation – total Ministry control over curricula in post-secondary institutions – granting “classical university” status only to post-secondary institutions with over 10,000 students7 – Ministry control over the election and appointment of the administrations of post-secondary institutions – a reduction in quotas for state funding of post-secondary applicants – restricting student governments and university autonomy

1 http://2000.net.ua, September 17, 2009. 2 Locals who collaborate with the colonizer. (!) 3 Sometimes called “Galicia,” which is the name of a Spanish province. 4 Ibid., April 9, 2009. 5 http://partyofregions.org.ua, June 4, 2010. 6 The contemporary version of the soviet newspaper, September 23, 2009. 7 Were such a standard applied in the US, Harvard College would not qualify. №2 February 2011|ukrainian week|13 ideologues|fighting back Parents to the Barricades Donetsk officials are eager to close down Ukrainian schools even if they are 95% filled with students. But parents are fighting back

PARENTS AND KIDS. In Donetsk, each generation has been deprived of the chance to go to Ukrainian schools

Author: krainian schools have al- Blame the foundation graders this year was now banned. Stanislav ways been seen as almost At the end of January 2011, Public The teachers are certain that this Fedorchuk, exotic in Eastern Ukraine. School #136 in Budionovsk Dis- is being done on purpose, as the Donetsk UYet, the remaining ones are trict, Donetsk, which has Ukraini- school is currently operating at disappearing one after another an-language status, was given the 95% capacity. Photo: under the current government. thumbs-down signal: the county Viktor Kartsev, chair of the Stanislav The process in Donbas looks no committee had decided to shut it Budionovsk District Council, Fedorchuk different from raider attacks in down. This is the second Ukrai- claims that the main reason for business. First, rumors fill the nian school in Donetsk that offi- closing down the school is a crack town about possible plans to close cials decided should disappear, al- in the foundation under the gym down a certain school. The parents though its students have good and the lack of hot water. He says of first- and tenth-graders panic grades and the school is consid- that the choice was made in favor and start looking for alternatives ered one of the most prestigious of PS #120 because it has a swim- immediately. These are not hard facilities in the district. ming pool and hot running water. to find, but Russian will most PS #136 is supposed to be “The supervisor of the District likely be the classroom language. transferred to a nearby Russian School Board told us that UAH The first to go was a school in public school, #120, although it 400,000 had been allocated from Krasniy Luch, Luhansk Oblast, remains unclear whether students the local budget last year to repair with a capacity of 1,200 students will still be able to have their edu- our school,” says Svitlana Hon- and only 300 left, followed by cation in Ukrainian. On February charuk, one of the teachers, “but Public Schools #111 and #136 in 1, the Head of the District Depart- the only thing they did was rein- Donetsk. Of course, the arguments ment of Education met with the force the foundation. The parents for closing down Ukrainian schools school’s teachers to announce that paid for roof repairs. We invited bear no scrutiny whatsoever. the enrollment of first- and tenth- an independent architect to esti- 14|ukrainian week|№2 February 2011 fighting back|ideologues mate the cost of the work done. He one of the parents. “Now, we won’t Nearly 400 people came. First, the said that the foundation work get it. What can we do?” school was closed and the admin- could not have cost this much. “This is illegal,” claims Rufina istration refused to explain any- And now we get these explana- Ishchenko, another upset parent. thing. But after an hour, the par- tions that the foundation is crack- “My six kids go here and my last ents and students were invited to ing even though it’s all just about daughter was supposed to enter the assembly hall, where Viktor one single plate that needs to be this school this year but we were Kartsev and officials from the dis- fixed. This kind of thing doesn’t told that our kids would not be ad- trict school board had arrived. cost UAH 1mn like the Depart- On February 23, these efforts ment of Education boss says.” Plans are to shut down paid off and PS #136 was given a Mr. Kartsev agreed to meet reprieve. For now. with the parents in a discussion 26 schools. Ukrainian The Ukrainian Arts College, that lasted three hours. Mr. Kart- ones are likely to be which opened in Donetsk in 1992, sev insisted that streamlining was in the flush of independence, a normal process for education fa- the first to go could be the next victim of cilities and he supported it. Yet, mitted to either tenth, or first “streamlining.” And it’s not the this “optimization” left the par- grade. This means we have to look last one on the list: the Depart- ents’ committee quite unhappy. for other options. But we don’t ment of Education’s plan is to One thing that bothered them was have another Ukrainian-language eventually close down 26 schools. that the school that had partly school in our district. This is not There is good reason to suspect been renovated for their money about the future of the school— that these will mostly be those could now be handed into private this is about the future of 570 stu- where Ukrainian is the language hands. They even offered to set up dents!” of instruction. If this kind of se- a charitable account where they lective “purging” continues in the could donate money to repair the Resistance pays region, Mr. Tabachnyk & Co. will school’s foundation, but Mr. Kart- The unhappy parents, teachers eventually create the “Russian- sev was not impressed. and students finally decided to speaking Ukraine” that they so stage a protest in the schoolyard. badly want to see. A never-ending battle In the late 1960’s, all Ukrainian schools were closed in Donetsk. Later, students only had to learn Ukrainian on a voluntary basis. As a result, the Ukrainian language lost its prestige, not only in the city of Donetsk; it virtually disap- peared from secondary education altogether in the region. In 1990, Russified Leonid Hromoviy opened the first Donetsk Ukrainian school, #65, in Donetsk, after Andrei Sakharov, the famed Total number of academic and human rights activ- schools in Donetsk ist, raised this issue at the Council 157 of the USSR People’s Deputies. Ukrainian-language Today’s russifiying officials are not schools ashamed to repeat the practices of 18 their “great predecessors.” They simply replace the catchphrase “friendship of nations” with the more modern-sounding words like “streamlining” and “economizing taxpayer’s money.” “My wife and daughter went to this school,” says one of the de- fenders of PS #136 with great emotion. “And my granddaughter, too. It’s important for us that this school remain Ukrainian. My grandfather used to have an im- portant position and he was Ukrai- nian-speaking, but he was forbid- den to use it on the job. Yet my granddaughter chose Ukrainian and this particular school.” “We chose this school among all others around for secondary education,” says Larysa Petrova, №2 February 2011|ukrainian week|15 IDEOLOGUES|VR VOTING Crooked Lawmaking A “minor” violation of the Constitution grows into a scandal with criminal undertones

Author: from time to time, they would take Volodymyr Makeyenko, Chair of Oleksandr Mykhelson these electronic cards from their own the VR Protocol Committee, has al- legislators and the most reliable fac- ready spoken in favor of removing n February 1, the Verkhov­­na tion members would insert them this requirement about personal vot- Rada amended Ukraine’s­­ into the terminals when a vote came ing from the Constitution. Obviously, Constitution to extend its up. This involved rushing up and this will raise a question that has Oown term until October 2012 down the row and hitting all the nec- been bothering many “little folk” in and set the presidential election for essary “assigned” buttons within the Ukraine for quite a while: in that March 2015. This latest “tweak” to 10 seconds given for voting. The pro- case, why have 450 deputies, who the Basic Law clouded an unexpected cess, known as “playing the piano” in cost taxpayers UAH 875m last year storm that arose over the voting pro- the backrooms of the Rada, looks hi- alone? Meanwhile, there are more cess itself. In fact, it looks like Ukrai- larious to journalists and visitors «PIANO specific questions to ask. nian parliamentarism—however it is watching from the gallery. PLAYER»: understood—is in a state of clinical Needless to say, this “piano play- Voting for No right of transfer absent death. In the past, voting on behalf ing” is completely illegal. Art. 3.84 of neighbors The first question is, what happened of an absentee deputy who supported the Constitution states that “Depu- has become to Volodymyr Ariev’s card? The most the proposal in question was not le- ties shall vote at the Verkhovna Rada standard conspiratorial conclusion is that the gal, but widespread. It was only one sessions in person.” Back in 1998, practice in the Rada system has been hacked to step from that to a situation where the Constitutional Court issued Res- VR make sure that the necessary voting those pressing the button don’t even olution №11-rp/98 to explain this bother about having the deputy’s item to those who, for some reason, consent. didn’t get it the first time: “National Deputies of Ukraine shall not vote A game of cards for other National Deputies of According to the Rada electronic sys- Ukraine during sessions of the Verk- tem, 310 of the mandatory 300-dep- hovna Rada of Ukraine.” Now it was uty constitutional majority passed in black and white. Constitutional amendments extend- The catch is that it’s impossible ing the term of the Government and to punish a deputy for violating the local councils to five years. The re- Constitution because there is no law porters who were watching the vote governing this. “The system is not set counted that, in fact, at least 25 dep- right down to actual consequences,” uties were not present at the time of says Viktor Musiyaka, Law Profes- voting but their votes were counted sor, and National Deputy of several as “ayes” by the Rada system. convocations and a co-author of the The scandal gained momentum original Constitution of Ukraine. late that same night when Volod- Musiyaka believes that the penalty ymyr Ariev, a deputy from Narodna for “piano playing” should even be Samooborona, informed the press included in the Constitution itself, that not only was he not in the Rada, not in additional legislation. he was not even in Ukraine when the Deputies have their own excuses vote was taken. To confirm this, Mr. for playing the piano. They say the Ariev sent a shot of himself with his legislature cannot operate efficiently National Deputy card taken at the without some kind of violations. For airport in Washington DC. instance, when the scandal over For starters, deputies cannot even Deputy Ariev’s card emerged, it register in the session hall without turned out that Mykhailo Po- their electronic cards. Every morning, lianchych (NUNS) had once voted the Speaker announces how many for Pavlo Movchan (BYT), at the re- deputies are present in the Rada, but quest of Mr. Movchan himself, who in fact he is only stating how many was at Feofania Hospital at the time. cards were inserted into the terminals Eventually, Movchan was expelled at each seat in the hall and counted by from the BYT faction, but he insisted the electronic system. that he had only exercised his Con- Party and faction “bosses” ten­­ stitutional right to support a bill he ded to use this for their own benefit: believed was important. 16|ukrainian week|№2 February 2011 VR VOTING|IDEOLOGUES results without actual deputies and tion to steal my card several months Technically, it’s easy to find the their cards. But the deputies asked by back,” Ariev told Ukrainian Week in guilty: the Rada system makes it Ukrainian Week say this is not possi- a phone call from the US. “Most possible to determine the terminal ble. If there were a way to do this and likely, someone requested a dupli- from which a card voted and sur- it were used on a regular basis, they cate on my behalf and the VR Secre- veillance videos of the session can argue, this would surface very quickly tariat agreed to issue and activate it show who used the card. Ariev says and eliminate the need to collect cards while I was still abroad.” that he filed the necessary com- and rush around voting for others. This explanation looks fairly re- AT THE HEART plaints, not only with the VR Proto- In fact, there are two aspects to alistic. The final votes needed to pass OF A SCANDAL. col Committee and Speaker Lytvyn, this "card game." First, most depu- Constitutional amendments were A special VR but also with the Prosecutor Gener- ties don’t actually carry their cards being gathered in the VR up to the investigative al’s Office, while he was still in the with them. They leave them with very moment of the vote. According committee US. Although, the PGO had not con- their faction “overseers,” who hand to the press, Andriy Kliuyev, the First will look firmed the receipt of his claim at the the cards in to the Rada Secretariat Vice Premier, was personally in into with the time of press, but once the deputy when the session is over. Second, charge of this. Even though the machinations returned to Kyiv on February 8 he with Ariev’s each deputy has access not only to an amendments were passed with 10 card could always file it in person. “original” card but two duplicates. extra “votes,” no one could have been So, if a deputy loses or leaves the certain of that on the morning of A gift for times to come original card somewhere, he or she February 1. So, anything could have The response of Ariev’s political op- can request a duplicate, in writing. been going on. ponents to his move was stormy. The VR Technical Support Depart- However, Ariev believes this is Deputy Makeyenko immediately ment then blocks the forgotten or no longer just about violating the stated he was sure Ariev was not in- lost card and activates a duplicate. Constitution, for which there is no terested in the truth: “This is a new But Ariev’s situation is not so prescribed punishment in law, but maneuver… a PR maneuver, nice easy. He reported the loss of his interference in the work of a public going, but there’s no complaint on card several months earlier and had official. And Art. 344 of the Criminal file. And believe me, there won’t be been using a copy ever since. In the Code of Ukraine calls for up to three one. Because even if he does, it Washington airport photo, he is years in prison for this—and abuse of won’t affect the vote; 310 or 309 holding precisely the №2 card. “I office for this purpose is punished by votes doesn’t matter.” doubt there was some special opera- three to five years’ imprisonment. Clearly, the pro-Presidential VR majority is confident that none of the other absentees from the fateful Feb- ruary 1 session will be prepared to admit that their cards were used ille- gally. But the VR Committee Chair is being disingenuous. According to ex- perts polled by Ukrainian Week, a single violation of the voting proce- dure, never mind one this significant, is quite enough to consider the vote invalid. One classical example is last September’s canceling of the amended Constitution, which had been in effect for five years, due to violations protocol at the time that it was being amended in winter 2004. Moreover, the Constitutional Court’s 1998 Resolution №11-rp/98, which refers to Art. 152 of the Basic Law, states clearly that voting for an- other deputy is a violation of protocol that entails declaring the voted law unconstitutional. According to Viktor Musiyaka, the opposition has to turn to the Constitutional Court with re- gard to this suspect vote. The Court will either have to cancel the results or overturn its own earlier ruling. Who knows: maybe the machi- nations with Ariev’s card will be a nice gift for some as yet-unknown investigator in a few years. Espe- cially, if the next Ukrainian Adminis- tration treats the current one with the same all-encompassing “atten- tion” as the current one treats its

photo: phl photo: predecessor. №2 February 2011|ukrainian week|17 ideologues|tatar depatriation In a Captious Land Kyiv’s policy towards the Crimean Tatars remains controversial and inconsistent

elations between the Cri­­ Author: mier Vasyl Dzharty to Mustafa Mr. Cemiliev’s response was mean Tatars and the Cri­­ Yulia Cemiliev, President of Mejlis, the that Crimean Premier Dzhar­­ty mean government look like Tyshchenko, governing body of the Crimean had to go to the revived Council Rthe erratic swinging of in- Ukrainian Tatars. On January 18, it was dis- of Crimean Tartar Representa- tricate clockwork by which it is Independent closed that Mr. Dzharty had tives under the President of impossible to tell the time, rather Center of asked Crimean Tatars to volun- Ukraine with his proposal, a body than like a smooth-working, con- Policy Studies tarily leave the land they had mostly made up of Crimean Ta- sistent and reliable mechanism. been squatting as this hindered tars who are from organizations In the 20 years since Crimean Photo: the socio-economic development opposed to the Mejlis. Last Au- Tatars began to be repatriated Anatoliy of the region and destabilized in- gust, President Yanukovych en-masse, it has become typical Bielov ter-ethnic relations. The docu- changed the format of the Coun- of the Crimean government to re- ment stated that the Crimean cil, which had been formed of spond to problems on an ad hoc government “would not turn a representatives elected by the basis rather than maintaining a blind eye to certain leaders of the Crimean Tatars following their strategy of dialog with the Tatars. Crimean Tatars who are prepared own procedure, to an appoint- The situation is both complicated to ignore and disdain the Consti- ment-based system. Right now, and strange, given that the ma- tution and the laws of Ukraine. with 8 members vs 11, represen- jority of issues for the Crimean The law is only law when it is the tatives of the Kurultai-Mejlis, the Tatars are socio-economic ones same for all.” national council, are a minority that have long been overdue for a Yet the Crimean Land Com- on this Council, so the results of solution. mittee reports that of all land debates are easy to predict. De- The first significant move in that has been squatted, Crimean spite much talk about possible 2011 to integrate Crimean Tatars changes to this format, the proce- into Ukrainian society actually dure has not been revised so far. happened in December 2010. The too often, the crimean Such “new approaches” to di- country’s executive branch was tatar issue is used to mask alog could well be a result of streamlined by Presidential De- Party of the Region’s long politi- cree, resulting in the elimination the real situation with cal memory. Despite years of PR of the State Committee for Nation- land allocation on the monopoly in Crimea, the Mejlis alities and Religions. This institu- supported Viktor Yushchenko tion used to manage Budget funds peninsula and later Yulia Tymoshenko in allocated to implement state-initi- Tatars have taken only 17% in the elections. Nor did the Mejlis’ crit- ated programs for the settlement region. The rest has been grabbed icisms of the Kharkiv accords and and provision of deported Crimean by domestic and Russian busi- public disagreement with the ex- Tatars and other nationalities re- ness entities. Too often, the turning to Uk­­raine. Crimean Tatar issue is used with Now, the money will go to the regard to this problem to mask Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the real situation with land allo- although the Decree did not cation on the peninsula. But why the local government doesn’t like transfer the authority to work on Of all the land integration and settlement policy grabbed in Crimea, to give land to Crimean Tatars is to the Ministry’s remit. More- Tatars have taken not stated, as this is the place over, any government policy is only where corruption and ethnic ste- not just about strategies and ac- 17% reotypes intertwine. tions, but also about the real re- sources needed for implementa- tion. Over 2006-2009, settlement and integration programs for Crimean Tatars and other nation- alities were underfunded by UAH 103mn, and, in 2010, only UAH 35mn was allocated instead of the necessary UAH 108mn. Politically, 2011 started with an ultimatum from Crimean Pre- 18|ukrainian week|№2 February 2011 tension of the stay of Russia’s in the know about tricky issues fleet in Sevastopol fail to register around Crimean Tatar identity. in PR ears. Instead, they tend to prioritize The January letter gained the “economization” of politics. considerable publicity, not only In practice, this often refers to for its list of problems and the the enrichment of specific offi- ultimatum-like tone, but for the cials and their friends. One of these fact the Mr. Dzharty used the Meanwhile, the government word “Mejlis” for the first time is downplaying the social and is your perfect as the proper representative cultural aspects of Crimean Tatar body of the Crimean Tatars in an identity. Indeed, the strategy for travel companicompanion. official document. In 20 years of socio-economic development in Tatar repatriation, no Ukrainian Crimea, approved in late 2010, legislation has ever found place has just one sentence about the for the term. Nor for a law on re- need to “harmonize ethnic rela- newing the rights of people de- tions and establish a multicul- ported for their nationality, tural dialog.” It does not mention which would include a mecha- possible challenges that could nism for rehabilitation and com- emerge in the process of modern- w s NoNo oro ese pensation for deported peoples: izing Crimea if the multiethnic kstst the relevant bill has been shelved nature of the region is not prop- ooko e BoB indefinitely. erly taken into account. aatt Y Many other religious and his- Today, the pendulum is torical issues are in a similar situ- swinging towards dialog once ation, including a return to Tatar again. The Committee estab- place names, reviving the histori- lished by the Council of Minis- cal memory of Crimean Tatars, ters on January 31 to resolve the and constructing a mosque in issues related to squatted lands Colourful…Classic… Simferopol. This ultimatum from and allocating land for houses the Crimean government with re- for repatriated deportees and spect to land allocation drew a lot other people in Simferopol and of attention, both in Crimea and the region should start working outside, because it is seen as a di- soon. This opens the door to dia- rect threat. And any suggestion log with the government. How that force might be used could this will change the ad hoc ap- become the real catalyst for a ma- proach of government policy jor ethnic confrontation. with regard to Crimean Tatars All enTocompassing… the point… All this leaves an impression remains to be seen. that the Crimean government is clueless about such things. Its new Donetsk elite is not always

AdEasyventur going…ous…

All the highlights.

Kyiv vul. Lysenka 3 tel: (044) 235-8854 vul. Spaska 5 tel: (044) 351-1338 Povitroflotskiy prospekt 33/2 tel: (044) 275-6742

Lviv bul. Svobody 7 tel: (032) 272-8574 www.book-ye.com.ua IDEOLOGUES|FIXING PENSIONS

20|ukrainian week|№2 February 2011 FIXING PENSIONS|IDEOLOGUES

№2 February 2011|ukrainian week|21 ideologues|defense policy Demobilization 2011 A massive layoff of officers could leave Ukraine’s army weaker and its police more corrupt

Author: Once they reach 37, officers look Drop your guns Dmytro Krapyvenko forward to a public pension with “This pension reform makes it enough time to get into a nice ca- clear that the military is not a career in Ukraine’s public reer in civilian life. Starting next priority for the government,” institutions has little to year, though, the service period says Valentyn Badrak, Director recommend itself these will be extended to 21 years, then of the Center for the Army, Con- A days. To some extent, low to 22 in 2013 and so on, to reach version and Disarmament. “Mas- salaries and the bureaucratic mo- 25. Officers also worry that they sive retirement will turn the rass are offset by benefits and will only receive a small portion Armed Forces into a ragtag band. early retirement—and the oppor- of their discharge benefit, which The officers retiring now were tunity to get involved in corrup- is currently UAH 20,000 and up, trained in soviet military acade- tion. But social benefits are being depending on their rank, unit and mies. Without any doubt, they cancelled one after another, and many other factors. have had better quality of train- bribery is getting riskier. Until Until recently, the state was giv- ing. Since independence, the recently, early retirement at 40 ing officers some benefits that were government has spent little on remained the only guaranteed a great help to modest family bud- large-scale maneuvers, shooting benefit. But the Government has gets, including 50% off residential and so on. It’s mostly the majors now got its hands around the services bills and 100% reimburse- and lieutenants retiring now and neck of this sacred cow by in- ment for apartment rents, extra va- they are a very important seg- creasing the service period for cation days, and food rations—all of ment in the army. We can have those in uniform. which are now cancelled. Even the great generals and rank-and-file, It didn’t take long for those in service period is now the same for but without its mid-range com- the enforcement agencies to re- everyone, unlike before, when one mand, the Armed Forces will spond to this change to their year in a peacekeeping mission never be battle ready.” well-deserved rest. According to counted as three, while service in a The resignation of 5-7% of different estimates, 10-12,000 harsh climate, on battle alert or in 148,000 officers is a felt loss. army officers and 8,000 police- the Chornobyl zone counted as 18 And that number could well men have filed notices of resigna- months for 12. In the face of these grow. Today, only the officers tion since December 2010, when “reforms,” officers are leaving the who signed a five-year contract rumors of this reform surfaced. military in droves. back in 2006 can retire without national security If not NATO, then Russia? The ability of the public purse to pay for defense is just one of the tests of its “non-aligned” status that Kyiv is failing

When the Verkhovna Rada majority It’s too late to discuss what Ukraine even a minimal amount, let alone in- passed the Bill “On the principles of lost when it rejected Euroatlantic inte- crease its budget. domestic and foreign policy” on July gration and the drawbacks for Europe Ukrainian experts and the Ministry of 1, 2010, and the President signed it which, when it had a chance, did every- Defense suggest a virtually identical sum into law, they effectively cancelled thing it could to prevent Kyiv from join- that needs to be spent on defense every the Law “On the principles of national ing NATO Membership Action Plan. year: at least UAH 20bn. According to security of Ukraine.” In fact, the list More important now is a different ques- very modest estimates by the Ministry, of priority national interests no lon- tion altogether: How prepared is the military needs UAH 27bn this year. In ger includes any provision on Ukraine to “carry” its non-aligned sta- reality, President Yanukovych allocated Ukraine’s integration into the Euroat- tus? Neutral or non-aligned status is only UAH 13.6bn, or slightly over US lantic security region nor any refer- very costly and a country’s budget to has $1.5bn, from the budget—half of what ence to the related treaty. Ukraine’s to cover the cost. Viktor Yanukovych’s defense needs. lawmakers have confirmed Ukraine’s first year in power showed that nobody In fact, this amount will only cover “non-aligned” status. is planning to spend on defense—not the cost of living, including payroll, uni- 22|ukrainian week|№2 February 2011 defense policy|ideologues complications. The rest have a gitimate bonuses and benefits. At problem: sources in the Armed the same time, senior officers Forces say that there is an un- who are doing well through cor- spoken rule to not release any- ruption are also on no hurry to one who resigns for reasons of retire. Their pensions are not a health but to find every possible priority.” excuse to turn them down. Quit- Younger staff often acts as ting the military due to “default cannon fodder in the fight of contract obligations” is even against corruption in enforce- harder: commanders come up ment agencies. It’s the inexperi- with all kinds of documents enced cops that the internal se- proving that all social benefits curity service most often purges. have been available and, in the- So, lawmen who inherit the jobs ory, if they don’t keep their of freshly-retired officers will promises, the contract can be not find an easy career path: terminated. In reality, though, young people keen to get some- only a handful has actually suc- thing from their positions fill the ceeded in this—experienced mil- ranks of those sentenced for cor- itary lawyers. ruption. Meanwhile, a post-crisis la- Shapeshifter time bor market is unlikely to offer The Interior Ministry is also on work to every retiree. “A lot of the verge of colossal staff changes them won’t find their place in ci- including a 30% staff cut an- vilian life,” says Badrak. “Those nounced by Anatoliy Mohyloiv who find themselves out in the and massive resignations of po- cold could be drawn to criminal licemen over the pension issue. activities. Others who are dis- “Today, people can retire with 20 heartened by their fruitless job years’ service,” says an opera- searches could join opposition tional officer from one of district political movements. Officers are units in Kyiv. “For some units, people with outstanding internal this will not have much of an im- discipline, but once they join a pact, such as, if a 40-year old pri­ political party, they will work ac- ­son guard is replaced by a youn­­ tively and decisively.” ger person. But operational work In short, this wave of massive is different. Experience ma­­kes a resignations could cost Ukrainian ALL FOUGHT OUT. critical difference here. More- society a lot: the prospect of Officers are in a hurry to trade over, young employees tend to thousands of turncoats and sol- undistinguished service for a think about what they get out of diers of fortune is not promising. stable pension their position almost as soon as Ukraine already went through they get it. And I don’t mean le- this once, in the 1990’s. national security forms and food—but nothing on what spending considerably. But it changed which (correctly connected) company one might call actual defense. By com- plans radically after Russia’s incursion will get to do this. parison, Russia, where territorial claims into Georgia. The Swiss defense budget, The question of budget capacity to against Crimea and Sevastopol come up with 7.5mn people, is over US $5bn. Mil- fund defense is just one of the non- at various levels all the time, spent itary experts say it’s the most militarized aligned “tests” Kyiv is in the process of 2.84% of GDP for defense in 2010—RUR country in the world, able to muster a failing. The past year has made it clear 1.274tn, or over US $43.5bn—and is well-organized army of 1.7mn troops that “neutrality” is not so much a mat- planning to raise that to 3.02% in within 48 hours. ter of status for Ukraine, as it is a legal 2011—RUR 1.517tn or around US $52bn. The poverty of Ukraine’s defense excuse to walk away from NATO and But Russia’s not the only good ex- budget has completely stopped the back into Russia’s orbit. Nor is the em- ample. In neutral countries whose status switch to a professional army. In his barrassing prolongation of the Black is close to non-aligned Ukraine, the mili- election platform, Mr. Yanukovych Sea Fleet’s stay in Sevastopol for 25 tary is funded far better. For instance, promised these changes would be done years the only problem. Even such a Finland’s military budget was 1.55% of in 2011. Today, the Defense Ministry long-mothballed option as joining GDP last year, or US $3.46bn, and de- says unequivocally that the army can- Russia’s Collective Security Treaty Or- fense spending is on the rise: Finland not switch to a contractual basis for ganization has been resurrected by plans to spend US $14.3bn over 2010- lack of funding. For now, Ukraine will Party of the Regions. Statements 2013. Sweden, another neutral country, keep drafting 25,000 conscripts every about the need for “closer coopera- is one of the most militarized states in year, just as it always has. Judging by tion” with this organization are al- the region. In 2009, its defense budget reports over the last month, the only ready in the air. And that’s just a step was US $5.5bn—and its population is “military objective” the Defense Minis- away from sending Ukrainian boys to 20% of Ukraine’s. Three years ago, offi- try is working on now is feeding the Russia’s hot spots. cial Stockholm was going to cut defense troops. And the main question is— Andriy Duda №2 February 2011|ukrainian week|23 among the pols|image-making Mr. Yanukovych goes to Washington The Yanukovych Administration’s image in the West is made by Americans, paid for by Ukrainians and watched closely by Russians

Author: “They are unabashed liars, gion of Honor, few days later, Alla when Ukraine’s then-President Oleksandr twisting facts, paying hirelings Lazareva, a Paris-based Ukrainian found himself a pariah in the West. Mykhelson in Europe, the US and inside the journalist, revealed in her BBC blog Initially, there were some comic country for stolen money…” that a French MP known for lobby- incidents, such as in the wake of Viktor Yanukovych, ing Russian interests had “arranged” election campaign 2004, when Kyiv February 4, 2011 this award for the Ukrainian Presi- journalists attended a grandiose dent. press conference held by Bernard his angry speech about “hire- In addition to political connec- Whitman, the president of Whit- lings” made by Viktor Yanuk- tions, lobbying is also a useful tool. man Insight Strategies. Mr. Whit- ovych at the Poland-Ukraine Common belief is that the purpose man announced that his company TForum in Warsaw was, of of lobbyists is to arrange meetings had run an opinion poll in Ukraine course, about the opposition. Luck- for their clients with politicians and and found that Candidates Yush- ily for Ukraine’s President, he is far state officials and that it’s then up to chenko and Yanukovych had equal from alone in fending off his “slan- the clients to promote their ideas. In ratings. No supporting data about derers.” The Foreign Ministry is one the US, lobbying is a legal business the survey were offered and shortly of his most proactive allies, tireless and such companies are required to afterwards, it became known that in its use of diplomatic profession- report about both their revenues and Whitman Insight Strategies special- als, including Minister Hryshchenko their clients. Lobbying firms miss no ized in marketing and advertising himself, as mouthpieces to deny any opportunity to monitor all such re- and had no relation opinion polls. criticisms directed at the current ports as they are keen to reveal any Something similar happened in Administration in the Western violations by their competitors. 2010, when the Azarov Government press. Indeed, the Ministry has even Meanwhile, politicians and other of- hired Trout Cacheris, a US firm, to taken to directing Western reporters ficials are well aware that they are audit the work of its predecessor, the with explanations about how they the target of lobbying efforts and Tymoshenko Government. Firstly, should “properly” write about this don’t place much trust in blandish- however, Trout Cacheris is a legal government (see http://ukraini- ments. In short, expecting that lob- and lobbying firm, not an auditor. anweek.com/politics/17707). bying alone will get the necessary Company representatives an- Other allies in the cause of decision made is not realistic. nounced that, for their UAH whitewashing the reputation of the Still, business is business. The 23mn—US $3 million—in taxpayer Bankova1 abroad are the Russian key factor is to make the client be- money, they would only “coordi- comrades whose role in the debate lieve that lobbyists are omnipotent. nate” the work of others. The “oth- about Ukraine at the Council of Eu- In the US, there are numerous PR ers” turned out to be Akim Gump rope Parliamentary Assembly last agencies ready to take on image- Strauss Hauer & Feld, an interna- October was described by Ukrainian making on behalf of a paying client, tional law firm whose client list in- journalists. It was there that Yulia whether in the US, in the client’s cludes Rinat Akhmetov, and Kroll, Novikova, PR Deputy and sister of home country, or anywhere else in the detective agency asked in 2001 Mr. Yanukovych’s Chief-of-Staff the world. A closer look at the way to investigate Kuchmagate by Viktor Serhiy Liovochkin, discussed with Ukraine’s current Administration is Pinchuk, a multimillionaire and Mr. Konstantin Kosachov, the head of operating in this area suggests more Kuchma’s son-in-law. At the time, the Russian delegation to PACE, and than a whiff of Russian influence. Kroll declared that “there is no basis Alexander Pochinok, a member of to talk about Mr. Kuchma’s part in Russia’s PACE Monitoring Commit- Outsider ways the murder of Georgiy Gongadze.” tee, how to force the Europeans to for the homeboys Among the Western firms en- soften their resolution about the in- Ten years ago, Western PR tactics gaged by the current Administration terference of the SBU, Ukraine’s se- were new to Ukraine. Even party to “persuade” Ukrainians is the mys- curity service, with Ukraine’s media. conventions looked like late soviet- terious American Institute in Uk­­ When President Nicolas Sarkozy style Party activist get-togethers: no raine. Over the past few years, it has awarded Viktor Yanukovych carefully prepared scripts, profes- held a series of roundtables and France’s highest decoration, the Le- sional lighting and transparent prompters for the speakers. It all 2 The release of covert tapes used to implicate former Presi- 1 Bankova refers to “vulytsia Bankova” or Bank Street in started to change after Kuch­­magate,­­ 2 dent Leonid Kuchma in the murder of journalist Georgiy English, where the Presidential Administration sits in Kyiv. Gongadze in late 2000, aka “Casette Scandal.” 24|ukrainian week|№2 February 2011 image-making|among the pols

№2 February 2011|ukrainian week|25 among the pols|image-making press-conferences in Kyiv to cam- It was Mr. Manafort who made Ukraine” with their criticism of this paign against joining NATO. On Jan- Party of the Regions, completely so- Administration. uary 31, 2011, Executive Director An- viet before, switch modern technol- Mr. Jackson said in his interview thony Salvia wrote an opinion piece ogies in its commercials and rallies. that he had talked to Mr. Yanukovych for the Kyiv Post arguing that Viktor He taught Mr. Yanukovych to smile for an hour that same day and was Yanukovych should be awarded No- in public and raise his hands in the “moved” by the President’s deep con- bel Peace Prize for cutting the Kharkiv American-style gesture of greeting deal and bringing Ukraine closer to when speaking in public. In a rare in this tightly-knit circle of Russia. The original idea for this comment to the New York Times, came, of course, from PR Deputy Paul Manafort said that he was not interests among American Valeriy Bondyk back in July 2010. just making money in Ukraine, but officials, lobbyists and spin “trying to play a constructive role in Outsiders among developing democracy.” doctors, Russian and the homeboys Bruce Jackson, President of the Ukrainian oligarchs, US lobbyist Paul Manafort is argu- Project on Transitional Democra- ably one of the best known unofficial cies, is another “builder.” In an in- Viktor Yanukovych could Western advisors to Mr. Yanukovych terview for Den’, a national paper, find himself far from in Ukraine. In 2005, Mr. Manafort on February 2, Mr. Jackson com- and the consultancy in which he was pared the “Yanukovych the Com- being the key client a partner drafted a list of recom- mon Man” to the US President mendations for Rinat Akhmetov’s Harry Truman. He said that Mr. cerns about the high level of corrup- Systems Capital Management (SCM) Yanukovych was building a Ukraine tion in Ukraine. The American also to enter international markets. This that is similar “not to the new Be- met with SBU Chief Valeriy Khorosh- was how the American lobbyist, who larus, but to the new Poland,” but kovskiy. The real purpose of these top had worked for several Republican he was getting no support and that meetings was not disclosed. Den’ presidential candidates and been in- Yulia Tymoshenko and her “orga- journalist Mykola Siruk insists that volved in an influence peddling nized” supporters were “destroying he organized the interview with Mr. scandal at HUD,3 met Rinat Akhme- Jackson at his own initiative. Among in 2004, Friends of tov, the owner of SCM. 2 Wikipedia entry on Paul. J. Manafort. Ukraine paid Barbour others, Bruce Jackson is a one-time Griffith & Rogers US American secret agent and former $320,000, Vice President of Lockheed Martin, but no one knows the aerospace company. He has close what for ties to the Pentagon and played an important role in lobbying NATO membership for the Baltic States. According to the Wall Street When Friends of Journal, which referenced official Ukraine disappeared documents, a charity fund run by at that point, Foruper Mr. Jackson and his wife received Group Ltd., a British offshore company, US $300,000 from Rinat Akhme- paid Barbour Griffith tov in 2005. When Mr. Yanukovych & Rogers US visited the US at the end of 2006 as $820,000 Premier, local papers wrote that it was Mssrs. Jackson and Manafort who arranged his meetings with American officials, including Vice President Dick Chaney. Nothing personal—just business! Strange ways for a charity fund run by strangers Mr. Jackson and his Contacts between Republican Party wife received US hawks and Kremlin loyalist oli- $300,000 garchs can probably be considered from Rinat Akhmetov in 2005 the same kind of business. In April 2007, the WSJ disclosed an investi- gation into how Bob Dole, a Repub- lican candidate in 1996 election, helped Russian aluminum tycoon Oleg Deripaska get his ban on visit- ing the US lifted. The Wall Street Journal states that Deripaska paid Mr. Dole, a well-known lobbyist at that time, US $300,000 in 2005 as a retainer and another US $260,000 when the Russian oligarch finally had his US visa. 26|ukrainian week|№2 February 2011 The WSJ article also argued that All homeboys? cooperation between Putin’s circle In 2005, Barbour Griffith was paid and US lobbyists was even more sig- an additional US $98,000 through nificant during the process of Mon- yet another offshore company. tenegro separating from Serbia, This time, US journalists managed when Russian oligarchs gained con- to trace the payer. It was the now- trol over its industry and tourist defunct Republican Party of coastline. The names are familiar Ukraine led by Yuriy Boyko, Fuel here, too: Mr. Deripaska invested and Energy Minister in both Yanu- considerable capital in buying Mon- kovych Governments, as well as tenegrin assets, encouraged by Mr. today. Putin, who wanted a foothold on the Nor did the notorious RosUkrEn- Mediterranean. In 2006, Russian ergo co-owner and gas and chemical oligarchs paid Rick Davis and Davis industry tycoon Dmytro Firtash miss Manafort,­­ the firm whose partner is the party. In 2004, Neil Livingstone, Paul Manafort, several million US an American security expert, quoted dollars to organize Montenegro’s in- the Wall Street Journal that the Yan- dependence referendum. kee friends of Russian tycoons at Other lobbyists mentioned in Barbour Griffith and Highrock Hold- the WSJ article include Leonid Rei- ings, a Cypriot company controlled man, one-time Telecoms Minister in by Mr. Firtash, are related. Russia, who was considered one of On their own, all these connec- the richest people around newly- tions don’t add up to much. But elected President Putin in early 2002-2004 was when Russia first 2000’s. By mid-decade, Mr. Rei- launched a serious attack on man, whose companies were being Ukraine’s gas transit system (GTS). accused of money-laundering in the When the idea of a joint gas transit US, turned to Barbour Griffith & consortium failed—not the least Rogers, another US lobbyist, due to pressure from the US— through the Alfa Group. One of the Ukraine became involved in some founders, Haley Barbour, is now very opaque schemes, such as Ro- Governor of Mississippi. The com- sUkrEnergo, where Mssrs. Boyko pany was paid the total of US $2mn. and Firtash figured as well, which This is where our main heroes eventually put the country’s energy come back into the picture. In independence at risk. 2002-2003, Barbour Griffith & In 2009, the “gas lobby,” aka Rogers was working on behalf of the Firtash group in Yanukovych an organization called “Friends of circles, began to compete for influ- Ukraine.” In 2006, American jour- ence with Mr. Akhmetov. This nalists discovered that the legal group ostensibly includes Chief-of- address of this unknown organiza- Staff Serhiy Liovochkin, who is in tion was at the offices of Barbour charge of the President’s foreign Griffith & Rogers, and one of its visits, among other things. At the founders was BGR’s Executive Di- end of 2009, with Mr. Manafort’s rector. Prior to disappearing as help, Mr. Liovochkin went to mysteriously as it had appeared, in Washington to arrange a visit for 2004, Friends of Ukraine paid Bar- Mr. Yanukovych, who was then in bour Griffith & Rogers US opposition. In the end, the trip $320,000, but no one knows what never took place, but the efforts of for. At that point, Foruper Group his boys paid off for the PR leader Ltd., a British offshore company, when he traveled to the US in April paid Barbour Griffith & Rogers US 2010 as President. It was then that $820,000. Mr. Yanukovych brokered a deal to The American investigative transfer Ukraine’s enriched ura- journalists also revealed via data nium to the US and was treated to from the US Department of Justice a photo op with President Obama. that this typical fly-by-night com- The work of US lobbyists on be- pany was founded by an attorneys half of the Yanukovych Administra- working for the infamous Semion tion is undoubtedly also appreci- Mogilievich whose gas deals once ated. However, in this tightly-knit shook the West. Back then, the US circle of interests among American press covered this, but not as much officials, lobbyists and spin doctors, as the Russian press did. In 2005, Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs, Ukrainians were fingered in this and ultimately Gazprom and the case, too, including people rumored Kremlin, Viktor Yanukovych could to have been involved at home in all find himself far from being the key these machinations for many years. client. among the pols|interview: golczewski Learning Democracy German historian Frank Golczewski talks about political technologies from the WWI era, how to build a new empire and the benefits of pluralism rank Golczewski is a professor Author: at Hamburg University and a Olena Chekan renowned expert in the con- Ftemporary history of Eastern Photo: and Central Europe. Prof. Golcze- Oleksandr wski explores confluence of histori- Chekmeniov cal circumstances within where spe- cific personalities acted, but his greatest interest is the factors that affect this system of “historical coor- dinates.” Golczewski likes to search for historical finds and paradoxes. And he believes that historical mem- ory is part of our guard against the mistakes of civilization. UW: Recently in Der Spiegel you said that Europe treated Ukrainians, a nation that has the right to self-determination, as something that the Germans invented during WWI. What did you mean? –At that time, the Germans used a political technology of sorts. They put prisoners of war of a certain nationality in one place and worked with them. The prisoners were told they belonged to a certain nation and had to fight for their independence against those who were oppressing them. This was how they evoked a feeling of na- tional identity to use the captive interview: golczewski|among the pols soldiers for their own purposes later. very important to people. And once a The truth is that democracy Nationalism played a key role here, national consciousness dominates, it must be learned. There’s no other but it was never intended to support doesn’t matter any more who is in way. This may be the most impor- real sovereignty, only to serve the in- power—communists or national so- tant task facing Ukraine today. It terests of others. cialists. This is what allowed Stalin to needs to debate all urgent and pain- This kind of deliberate policy switch from communist slogans dur- ful issues and hold a dialog both in- was not only applied to Ukrainians. ing WWII to “For the Fatherland! For ternally and with Russia. Scholars Polish soldiers who served in the Stalin!” These have nothing to do should start the ball rolling because German army and fought against with communists or anyone else. ordinary voters don’t know every- France were also involved in the ex- There’s Stalin, the leader of the na- thing that really happened. Those periment. When the French took tion, and there’s the Fatherland, over 30 today were educated in ordi- them prisoner, they were put in where I was born. Then people start nary soviet schools and they still be- camps and eventually turned into thinking more in terms of their na- lieve on some level in what they were “real” Poles. This approach was used taught there. They were not taught to create Jozef Haller’s army. And It’s great that people go to analyze or that there are many the Russians did the same, using truths. The truth is not invariable. It captive Czech and Slovak Austrian out to the streets and can be subjective. The values of my troops to set up the Czechoslovak protect their rights. But family are different from the values Army. The Germans put Ukrainian, of another. And the views of differ- Finnish and Georgian prisoners in this is not a war, it’s a new ent countries vary a lot, too. different camps. Here, the Ukraini- political culture ans studied Ukrainian language and UW: Ukraine is suffering post- history and were told that they were tion than in terms of ideology. That’s colonial syndrome and most an independent nation. exactly what is happening today. Ukrainians are afraid to lose But the Germans never helped independence… anyone, nor did they want to. They UW: You mean that a new – Fear is a very dangerous just behaved more wisely during the Russian Empire is being built? thing. People hypnotized by fear WWI than in WWII because they – Yes. And it’s clear why and the thought that someone knew that they could lose the war. Ukraine’s desire to find its own iden- might harm them deprive them- And if that happened, prisoners of tity rouses this reaction in Russia. selves of a normal life. You should war would have come in handy as It’s very simple. “Kyiv is the Mother do what Ukraine needs and what’s they were already trained to be patri- of all Rus Cities.” Only now it’s over good for your country and not look ots in their own countries and would there, in another country our mother at Russia and the West. In my be prepared to fight against Russia. has been stolen! Russians have a opinion, there is no danger that This is the first part of your question. hard time accepting this, and per- Russia will attack Ukraine. The other point is that, after haps they can’t. This belief is very WWI, war broke out between Po- firm in the people’s minds and Rus- UW: What about Georgia? land and Western Ukraine. The sia’s leaders encourage them to – Mikhail Saakashvili thought Polish were trying to get the sup- think that way. the West would come to his aid. But port of Western Europe and to that he should have remembered 1968, end they started a propaganda UW: Do you think civilized 1956 and 1939. The West never sup- campaign in Paris to the effect that relations between Ukraine and ported anyone. Just look at Czecho- Ukrainians did not exist as a na- Russia are possible with such slovakia, Poland, Baltic States or the tion but were just something the opposite visions of the future? beginning of the WWII. By the way, Germans had invented. – Yes, of course. Such relations the Poles, too, think Germany might are possible, even necessary. But it cut a deal with Russia, attack Poland UW: Why does the UPA1 bother the will take some time and a lot of ef- and divide it for the umpteenth time, Russians more than ROA,2 which fort. Eastern Europe is used to a even though there are no conditions also fought alongside the Nazis? one-party system where coordina- for this. In terms of Ukraine, I think, Why does Russia get so enraged tion is critical, while the West, with Russia will not attack it, either. But over Ukraine’s desire for its own its centuries of pluralism, needs no you are the closest neighbors and identity? coordination whatsoever. There’s a that forces you to search for ways to – The UPA fought for Ukraine­­ nice saying: Let’s just agree to dis- establish good neighborly relations. against Russia, while the ROA fou­­ght agree. In the West, parties struggle You have to come to terms with Rus- only for Russia. A different Russia, for power: some win, others lose, sia somehow. Just like German did but Russia just the same. Nation- but it doesn’t fundamentally change with France. alism as belonging to a cer- the country that much and democ- tain state or nation is racy doesn’t disappear. That’s what’s UW: Ukraine and Russia, France missing in Russia. Everyone there and Germany are two completely has to have a common viewpoint, different weight categories! and only that viewpoint is correct. – Not at all! Germany was very The viewpoint of a political oppo- weak after WWII. In the first five or nent becomes a criminal offense. six years, France could have taken But for us, viewpoints are just view- anything it wanted: the Saarland, for points, numerous and different. instance. Yet the French realized that

1 Ukrainian Insurgent Army from WWII, which fought both the soviets and the Nazis. 2 Russian Liberation Army №2 February 2011|ukrainian week|29 among the pols|interview: golczewski this policy would lead to a repeat of trol over their own lives. Some peo- what had happened twice already: ple are still not interested in being war. That means it’s better to cooper- responsible for themselves. They ate. It benefits both countries. But it continue to blame others for their doesn’t mean friendship. Charles De failures, Jews, dark-skinned races… Gaulle rightly said that two countries can never have friendship, only mu- UW: We have depressed regions, tual interests. So, you need to find too, as does Russia… these mutual interests. And to re- – In Russia, you either work or member that, in many ways, Ukraine go to the mafia. The only difference and Russia depend on each other. is how much you make. And it’s very risky because it leaves an impression UW: Massive demonstrations, that all those who work are stupid hunger strikes and labor strikes and it’s much better to go to the all over the world, all in the midst criminal world, where money is of a financial crisis and further much easier. I have an impression Wikileaks disclosures. Is this that a new wave of criminalization some kind of new world war? has started and is spreading over – The Cold War may be over, Russian society. I don’t think this is but now we have global terrorism. happening in Ukraine so far. No one knows where these terrorists are, but their presence is the reality UW: Is Germany tired of the daily of these times. Moreover, today, feeling of guilty for the Holocaust people don’t trust politicians as and for starting WWII? much as they used to. With internet, – No. I haven’t noticed this. I can they have unlimited access to infor- see this in my students and high mation, so everyone can find out school students. They are more in- what’s going on. And there’s nothing terested in recent history. This gets wrong with Wikileaks. Historians us into talks, discussions and de- are well aware that nothing can be bates. In 1950s and 1960s, people kept hidden or secret in the end. It’s didn’t want to talk about the hard great that people go out to the streets “Democracy with high unemployment. People past because it was too painful. The and protect their rights. This is a has to be are so inert there they don’t want to society wasn’t prepared for open de- new quality of politics. Today, those learned. There move an inch; they don’t care about bate of these issues. Feelings pre- in power have to listen to the people is no other finding a job. Even young people. In vailed then. The younger generation more than ever before. But this is way.” the past, they knew that the state has a more detached, academic ap- not a war, it’s a new political culture. and the Party would take care of proach both to recent and contem- Your Orange Revolution was some- them but would punish any initia- porary history. Moreover, if there’s thing similar. It was part of the new tives. They just needed to be loyal to anything to learn, it’s from historical political culture, a newborn. the state. Once Germany united, a mistakes. People need to see the con- lot of East Germans believed that sequences of war, greed for conquest UW: What differences in West Germany had to give them ev- and xenophobia. The Nazis ruined mentality is there between East erything. But it turned out that no- Germany and murdered millions of and West Germany? body owed them anything, nor was people. This we can never forget. If – There is some radicalizing in anyone going to give them anything. we forget, the followers of Nazism or East Germany, which you can see They had to look for a job on their this so-called communism will be both in Russia, and in Ukraine, as own, be competitive, and take con- able to dupe people once again… well. This was inherited from the so- Young Germans and ordinary viet or the Nazi past and it comes bio people learned about Ukraine only from the lack of political education. It Frank Golczewski, historian, expert in contemporary recently. We had some refugees took West Germany 40 years after the Eastern and Central European history, Professor at from Ukraine after WWII, but they war to educate people about politics, Hamburg University mostly moved on, to Canada and 1948 – born in Katowice, Poland. His family moved to Germany. that politics is a complex thing; that 1973 – graduated from Cologne University with PhD. the US, leaving no trace behind. all the factors in a situation need to be 1979 – defended his habilitation thesis The current immigration from studied and analyzed and only then Worked as Fellow at the East European Section, the Federal post-soviet countries is purely eco- conclusions formed; that you can’t Center for Political Education, Higher Pedagogical School, nomic in nature. Germans did blame everything on someone else Rhineland, and at Osnabruck University. learn about Ukraine during the Or- and think you yourself are innocent. 1983 – Professor of East European history at Hamburg University ange Revolution. It provoked in- (Bundeswehr) since 1994. terest in your history, too. We even UW: Are the young people 1981-2010 – Wrote numerous publications on 19th and 20th organized an international confer- different from earlier generations century European history, including Germans and Ukrainians ence entitled “Divided Memoirs— 1918–1939 (2010); Cologne University Professors in the Time Competing Memories” at Hamburg in East Germany? of Nazism (1988); Modern Societies in Poland, co-authored – Yes, they are. Young people with Willibald Reschke (1982); Relations between Poles and University. Among other things, it have more opportunities to see the Jews, 1881–1922. A Study of the History of Anti-Semitism in focused on the Holodomor of 1932- world, to travel and get whatever Eastern Europe (1981). 1933. I must say our students and education they want. And still, East Co-wrote Russian Nationalism (1998), A History of Ukraine PhDs made a number very inter- Germany has its depressed regions (1993), Poland: the Dimensions of Genocide (1991). esting, profound presentations. 30|ukrainian week|№2 February 2011 tolerating russia|neighbors The Source of Success

ne of the most prominent and perceptive ex- perceived as a potential club of emerging rival powers, perts on the former Soviet Union, the French from China to Russia, that position themselves as a historian, philosopher and political scientist new ideological and civilizational alternative to the ОAlain Besançon, once suggested that “failure West, is based on authoritarian capitalism, or capital- to understand the soviet regime is the principal source ism without liberty, a sinister phenomenon of the of its successes.” More than that, Besançon went on to post-Cold War world. add that it was difficult to find in any one Western What does modernization signify for present-day Rus- country at any one time “more than a dozen minds ca- sia and its political elite? How does Russia’s President pable of understanding the soviet phenomenon and of Dmitri Medvedev understand modernization? In the- translating what they know into politically useable ory, he appears to be a new modernizer, inclined to terms.” talk about the emergence of a new, democratic Russia, Curiously, Alain Besançon’s disciple Françoise Thom, whereas the omnipotent Prime Minister, Vladimir Pu- a history lecturer at Sorbonne, added fairly recently tin, avoids this word, preferring “stabilization”—and that never before has misunderstanding of Russia in understandably so, as democracy will never “stabilize” Western Europe been as huge as it is now. According the world in the sense that he is so fond of, that is, im- to Thom, a sort of self-inflicted blindness fuelled by posing a once-and-for-all order and arresting social sweet lies and the charms of self-deception, it results and political change. in shutting the eyes before the fact that Russia pro- Unfortunately, never has the will to misunderstand voked the war against the sovereign state of Georgia, Russia been as strong in the EU as it is now. If it had and then occupied and annexed parts of Georgia’s ter- not happened to me in Brussels, I would never have ritory. No matter how strongly we agree that Georgia’s believed that such a pearl of wisdom could come from President Mikhail Saakashvili is hardly a model demo- the lips of a ranking official from the European Com- crat, the fact remains that the West has swallowed this mission, yet this bureaucrat made himself very clear, déjà vu episode that came straight from the geopoliti- and in presence of academics and exchange students, cal repertoire of the 20th century. regarding the role of Russia as a “prime stabilizing fac- We are tempted to believe that Russia is on the way to tor in such areas as Caucasus.” reforming its economic and political systems. Yet we The EU has failed to understand critical aspects of tend to forget, as Thom points out, that all the waves Russia’s politics today. As in those old days when so- of modernization in Russia have come as a reaction to viet dissidents were a lifetime ahead of all Western its defeats and losses. Peter the Great undertook his politicians and political scientists put together in reforms after Russia was defeated by Sweden near terms of a clear understanding of the logic of power in Narva, Alexander II after the painful loss of the the USSR, Russian journalists and human rights activ- Crimean War, Nicholas II after the disastrous war ists cannot stand the rubbish about Russia they hear Author: against Japan. Let me add in the EU. Leonidas Mikhail Gorbachev to this One legendary soviet dissi- Donskis, chain: he had good reason to The West won’t tolerate dent and Russian human EU MP for make a desperate attempt to fascism among its own, rights activist, Sergei Kova- Lithuania modernize the military and lev, once told me that the economic potential of the but is ready to tolerate supposed naiveté of the Soviet Union after its dis- it with Russia West is merely an illusion. grace in Afghanistan. They understand every- As with China and other Asian autocracies that try thing. Didn’t they understand what kind of anti- to combine free-market economies with zero po- fascist Stalin was when another anti-fascist, Lion litical liberties and pluralism, “modernization” in Feuchtwanger, brought the West good news about Russia continues to be, as it has always been, the de- the paradise-on-earth in the Soviet Union? They did, velopment of technology and military potential. True, and their naiveté was just a trick and self-deception. perhaps for the first time in modern Russia’s history, And then Kovalev aptly summed it up, challenging the political and industrial elite of the country agreed Alain Besançon: “They do not tolerate fascism of their to import new weapons and warfare technologies— own, but they tolerate it elsewhere.” just recall France’s Mistral, not to mention Israeli war A sincere belief that anything is so, makes it so, as intelligence planes, and so on—, rather than relying William Blake’s winged phrase suggests. A sincere exclusively on exporting weapons, which suggests a belief that gas and oil are more important than hu- paradigm shift in strategic planning and thinking man rights can be supported by the theory that we about the future. have to respect “the people’s choice.” Yet we know But it does not change the essence of this issue, as that there was no choice—and that there never will be modernization, in Russia, is in no way related to such any, if we keep applying double standards, requiring core Western values as the individual’s autonomy and legitimacy and respect for human rights only from dignity, fundamental liberties and human rights, po- the small, while thinking of the big and powerful as litical liberty and pluralism, subsidiarity and the rule “trying to catch up and improve”—even when the re- of law. To put it simply, the model of what may well be cord shows the opposite. №2 February 2011|ukrainian week|31 neighbors|life in russia The Land of the Nebbish Russians have never been a free people. From time to time they simply changed masters

Fierce: The same thing happened before the In Russia, a person was never considered a real person. disaster: an owl screeched and the samovar A stinking peasant, a serf, from time immemorial until howled without end. 1861. A member of the collective, a komsomol or com- Gayev: Before what disaster? munist, carrying out the missions of the great Lenin or Fierce: Before freedom. Stalin after 1917. Between these two epochs was a mere Anton Chekhov, The Cherry Orchard 50 years. Then 70 more years, a brief entr’acte, and once again the country hears the sound of screws being tight- years ago, on February 19, 1861, Al- ened. The people simply exchange masters, the way their exander II of Russia signed the ancestors were once allowed to do on St. George’s Day. Manifesto on the Abolition of Serf- The Russian has never been free. Russians are not used 150dom. From that day on, freedom be- to being listened to, and are themselves not good at lis- gan ticking away, the same freedom that the inimitable tening to others. They’re used to loud, derogatory tones Chekhovian Fierce called “a disaster.” and, as soon as such an opportunity arose, they began The longer I live, the stronger I feel that every time I to pay back the world in the same coin. For many cen- step out onto the street, I enter the battle “for our turies, Russia, with its 90% serf population, was held in and your freedom.” Every step I take towards my terror. Humiliation breeds humiliation. Only a free in- destination is an attempt to win back a small slice of dividual can respect the freedom of another. But that my territory. But the longer this battle continues, the free individual cannot come out of nowhere, having more obvious it becomes: people not only don’t want never lived, having gone immediately from being a serf to give me a piece of my and only my territory—they to being a comrade. don’t even know what it is. They wonder and take of- Once in a while, the serf is allowed to come closer to the fence when I don’t want to let outsiders onto my ter- master’s rooms-to become a lackey. How common those ritory. diminutive, affectionate suffixes have become in Russia I stopped taking the Moscow Metro long ago. Not be- in recent years! In the store, you are offered a little cause—or not only because—it’s sizzling in the summer “blousekin” to buy, the cashier will make your day with a Author: and frigid in the winter and filled with drunken bums “receiptlet,” the doctor asks you to please open your little Kateryna who stink to high heaven. But…I enter a car and see doz- “eyesies,” the insurance agent wants you to buy a tiny Barabash, ens of eyes, dumbly and mechanically directed towards “policiette,” and, of course, they’re all ever-so pleased to Moscow my person. Not because I am unusually pretty or because give you a teeny-tiny discount. Most understand this ba- my zipper’s down or something. These people don’t re- by-talk as a form of courtesy. Lackeys do not understand ally see me. They’re just staring. That’s the way it is. true, internal courtesy, which has no need of “-kins” or They’ll glance at you and then turn away: you’re part of “-lets.” In the primitive, servile imagination, the highest this temporary collective. As your station draws near, form of gallantry is “His lordship has deigned to taste a you move towards the exit. “Lady, drop of vodka in his study.” you getting off??” looms from be- Being unfree is a genetic habit of hind you, always in a displeased for serfs, Russians. It is the mother of all our tone, from a fellow passenger plan- the “strong flaws, as it destroys any glimmer of ning to get off who, just for good self-worth with a hot iron. Russian measure, pokes you between the hand” is their masochism is charming in its reli- shoulder blades with an index fin- beloved mother ability and pride, which has passed ger. You shrug your back, trying to itself off as Christian humility for get away from that finger. “Don’t touch me, ok?” And many centuries. Serfs love to hang onto the neck of then a tone of insult combined with injury: “Whaaat? serfs like them, only bolder ones, and call them Can’t I???? Oh, beeeeeg your paaaaardon…” their national leaders—often in pairs, in tandem—, Building socialism on your own was impossible. Only in at the same time hating with passionate jealousy any a mass, only in a herd, shoulder-to-shoulder, hand-in- outsiders. Serfdom is indeed insufferable, doomed by its hand. The only way to get to that bright future was in very nature to see the world divided into so many identi- groups with a tour guide. The plainclothes tour guides cal cells, much like a honeycomb. Any other shape of eye, made sure that no free zones appeared among people— other way of thinking, other religion, other culture, other that could lead to undesirable thoughts and wishes. language—all that is “other” is immediately degenerate That is the real reason why people here are so afraid of and should be whipped. Xenophobia and chauvinism are space, why any leeway scares them: what if it expands? the favorite offspring of serfs, while the “strong hand” is what if I find myself alone? and then there won’t be any their beloved mother. That’s why you will see so many bright future for me. And because we are so afraid of people, even young people, at pro-Stalin rallies in Russia unfilled, undesignated space, all public areas in Russia today. This Administration realized that a long time ago, are filled with blasting music. After all, silence some- when it had not yet come to power… times gives birth to thought. And what the heck do we Poor, poor Fierce…they’ve forgotten the old man, but need that for? he knew what he was talking about. 32|ukrainian weet|№2 February 2011 neighbors|bp in russia Dancing with bears BP’s Russian venture is already proving trickier than expected

ONY HAYWARD, BP’s ex- now have an opportunity to move In return Rosneft will get 5% of boss, once moaned that he on. It would like to direct the BP’s shares, making it one of the wanted his life back. That world’s attention to its efforts to largest shareholders. It will also was after an oil spill in the improve safety, its plan to start share BP’s expertise and tech- T Rosneft will get Gulf of Mexico last year, which paying dividends once again this nology. The deal sparked a furi- the British oil giant expects will year and its ideas for the future. 5% ous row between BP and its part- end up costing it more than US Alas, some of those plans are of BP’s shares ners in TNK-BP, a Russian oil $40 billion. BP, too, is struggling already hitting obstacles. Two company run as a joint venture to get its old life back, even after weeks ago BP announced a new between BP and a few Russian apologizing, helping with the partnership with Rosneft, Rus- Russia contributes oligarchs. clean-up, dumping Mr. Hayward sia’s state-controlled oil giant, about On the same day that BP’s and taking a huge write-off. that will see the companies ex- 10% results were announced, a judge On February 1, it announced ploring a large and promising of BP’s profits in London granted a request by its final, awful results for 2010: a part of Russia’s Arctic region for Alfa-Access-Renova (AAR), the loss of US $4.9 billion. That was oil. The deal gives BP access to vehicle through which Russian BP’s first loss since 1992, but the Russian reserves that are nor- partners hold their stake in company fondly hopes that it will mally kept out of foreign reach. TNK-BP, that the Rosneft deal 34|ukrainian week|№2 February 2011 be put on ice until at least Feb- man’s firm) and played a part in ruary 25th. AAR argues that Mr. Dudley’s ouster. TNK-BP is meant to enjoy an ex- clusive right to develop any fur- Of oil and oligarchs ther deals in Russia to which BP Now BP is in bed with Rosneft might be a party. It complains and has shaken hands with Mr. that BP has stiffed it. “BP is act- Sechin, who is widely seen as the ing more Russian than a Russian architect of the attack on Yukos, firm,” says one of AAR’s largest an oil firm that was dismantled shareholders. AAR has also with scant regard to the law in moved to block a dividend from 2004. Yukos’s main shareholder, TNK-BP that would have yielded Mikhail Khodorkovsky, is now in BP US $900m. jail. He was ostentatiously given At a press conference Bob a second prison sentence just as Dudley, BP’s new boss, said that the BP-Rosneft deal was an- it had been impossible for BP to nounced. talk to AAR in advance of the BP may become embroiled in Rosneft deal because of the mar- the legal battle over Yukos’s as- ket sensitivity of the share swap sets, which were swallowed by involved, and that BP and its Rosneft. But first the British firm partners would be headed for faces a fight with Mr. Fridman. If arbitration on the matter re- BP assumed that its partnership gardless of the court verdict. He with Rosneft meant that Mr. says he expects to come to a set- Fridman would not dare to pro- tlement quite easily, and that test, and that Mr. Sechin would one of BP’s strengths is its long always take BP’s side, it may history of involvement with Rus- have miscalculated. The legal sia, which contributes about challenge from AAR is said to 10% of BP’s profits. At least come with the full knowledge some of this history, however, and approval of the Kremlin. “BP consists of misjudging Russian has a very simplistic view of the politics and quarrelling with its power structure in Russia,” says partners. Mr. Fridman. When BP formed its joint AAR does not have any inter- venture with TNK in 2003, oli- est in destroying Rosneft’s US garchs seemed the partners of $16 billion deal with BP. But choice for getting things done in equally Mr. Sechin is unlikely to Russia. But in 2008, having stand in Mr. Fridman’s way when judged that the ultimate power he demands that BP compensate in Russia lay with state energy AAR handsomely. Rather than companies, BP went behind the wanting to chase Mr. Dudley backs of its private Russian part- away again, the Kremlin—and ners to negotiate a deal with Gaz- AAR—are keen to draw BP prom, the state-controlled gas deeper into Russian business and behemoth. gain more influence over it. Ros- This did not go down well. BP neft wants to transform itself underestimated the power of into a respectable global oil firm, Mikhail Fridman, one of its oli- using its relationship with BP as garch partners. A self-made en- a stepping-stone. trepreneur, Mr. Fridman got rich BP must surely have its in the 1990s and then consoli- qualms about this; but all the dated his business under Vladi- parties’ interests are at least mir Putin while remaining his aligned on one thing. They want own man—a trick few have man- those Arctic oilfields to make aged. BP’s attempt to outplay money. As Mr. Dudley affirmed Russian oligarchs at their own this week, BP’s long-term strat- game of power politics failed. egy is to keep searching for oil, Mr. Fridman pulled strings, which is more lucrative than gas. Gazprom disengaged and Mr. And with more and more of the Dudley, then the chief executive world’s oil being produced by of TNK-BP, had to flee Russia. state-owned oil firms, private Purported diplomatic cables ones need to go to greater ex- published by WikiLeaks suggest tremes, both technologically and that Igor Sechin, the deputy politically, to stay in the game. prime minister and chairman of Rosneft, BP’s new partner, was © 2011 The Economist Newspaper co-operating with Alfa (Mr. Frid- Limited. All rights reserved neighbors|interview: filaret When Evil turns to Good Filaret, Patriarch of Kyiv and All Rus-Ukraine, talks about raider attacks on churches belonging to the Kyiv Patriarchate and the delusion of a “Russian world”

Interviewer: church and settle this issue—in the stance, in Kamianka, a village in Tel- Olena Chekan favor of Moscow, of course. manove County, Donetsk Oblast,­­ some businessmen showed up offer- Photo: UW: How likely is the “Bulgarian ing money to the parish and clergy Anatoliy Bielov scenario” to happen in Ukraine? to repair the church—on condition – The church split in Bulgaria that they switched to the Moscow umors are spreading in when democratic forces came to Patriarchate. Moreover, they were Ukraine that the Russian Or- power after fall of the USSR and warned that, if they didn’t do so vol- thodox Church (ROC) in- discovered that the Bulgarian Patri- untarily, force would be used. These Rtends to eliminate the Kyiv arch, Maksym, had been appointed outsiders started a campaign in the Patriarchate. Ukrainian Week by the Communist Party, against all village to draw the locals to the Mos- asked Patriarch Filaret about the church canons. At the time, some cow Patriarchate. But the local likelihood. bishops and the clergy spoke against bishop, even though Russian, firmly him and the church split. When the stood his ground in favor of the Kyiv UW: Your Holiness, how true are one-time Tsar Simeon became Patriarchate. He announced that if rumors that the ROC wants to Prime Minister of Bulgaria, he de- this kind of activity continued, he destroy the Kyiv Patriarchate? cided to take these churches away was prepared to die to prevent the – Actually, the Ukrainian Ortho- from Maksym’s opponents and give church from being taken. This dox Church of the Moscow Patri- them back to the Patriarch in 2004. scared the raiders off for a while. archate wants to fix the split in This made the impression that the In Vinnytsia Oblast, some staff Ukrainian Orthodoxy.1 We are also government stopped a schism in the from several county administra- strongly in favor of a single Orthodox church. However, some priests ap- tions gathered the Kyiv Patriarch- Church in Ukraine. But whereas we pealed to the European Court of ate clergy and demanded that they want to consolidate all Orthodox Human Rights in Strasbourg, which switch to the Moscow Patriarchate. groups as a single, independent na- ruled that what the Bulgarian leader You can see the same thing in Don- tional Ukrainian Orthodox Church, had done was illegal. The Court or- bas. Our clergy say they are offered the Moscow Patriarchate wants to dered the government figure out help, support and financial assis- unite our churches by subordinating how to return the churches and pay tance, but they say no. them all to the Russian Patriarch. compensation. In Makariv County, Kyiv Ob­­ Moreover, Moscow’s plan suits both Someone wants to use this Bul- last, some parishes were switched the policy of the Russian Federation, garian scenario here, too, that is, to the Moscow Patriarchate on the and ecclesiastic policy of Patriarch liquidate Ukrainian Orthodox basis of faked documents about Kirill. Kirill believes that the split can Church of Kyiv Patriarchate with which the parishioners had no idea. only be fixed with the help of those in the help of those in power. Still, This has all elements of a crime and secular power, that is, through force. this is only the desire of those who some MPs have turned to the Pros- And in support of his ideas, he gives oppose the Kyiv Patriarchate and ecutor General about this (see Di- as an example the way that Stalin think that, given Ukraine’s pro- gest #13 for more on this). eliminated the Ukrainian Auto- Russian President, he should do cephalous Church in 1930 and 1944 what Moscow wants him to do. UW: There’s now a bill to grant by ukase and other instances when Indeed, they began working to- churches status as legal entities. churches split in Russia, pointing to wards Moscow’s objective all over Some experts say it will be easier what those in power did to them. For Ukraine last year. Where they have for raiders to grab church property. Patriarch Kirill, the interference of more sense, local officials are keep- – Making churches legal entities the state in ecclesiastic matters is ing out of this. But where they want is not a bad idea. But with how the perfectly normal. He believes that to demonstrate that they only sup- church is split in Ukraine today, we the state should interfere with the port the church that the President are against this bill. It will allow the attends, pressure is heavy and Moscow Patriarchate to demand 1 There are currently three Ukrainian Orthodox Churches: they’ve even started raider attacks to property through the courts that under the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC KP), the Autocephalous take away our churches. For in- they believe is theirs but is currently (UAOC), and under the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP). 36|ukrainian week|№2 February 2011 interview: filaret|neighbors under the Kyiv Patriarchate by the Stalin’s method. will of the parish. It’s no secret that “Patriarch Kirill courts can be pressured and bribed. believes the split can only be resolved by These squabbles over property could the government—and lead to a conflict resulting in reli- that means by force, gious intolerance. We remember similar to the way that what happened in Western Ukraine Stalin destroyed the in the early 1990s: blood was shed Autocephalous Church there when one group attacked an- in Ukraine in 1930 and other with pitchforks and axes. We 1944.” don’t want this to happen again, let alone spread across Ukraine. That’s why we asked the President, the Pre- mier and the Verkhovna Rada to consider what this all might lead to. UW: How many KP priests have switched to Moscow? – Just two, so far, who switched to the Moscow Patriarchate as soon as it offered them some “financial incentive.” But their parishioners did not follow them. Actually, Kyiv Patriarchate followers don’t want to switch to the Moscow. Just look at Donetsk Archbishop Yuriy Yurchyk: in 2008, he announced he was switching to the Moscow Patriarch- ate but his parishes did not follow him, so Moscow turned him down and he was forced to go to the Greek Catholics. We are not too concerned when people who are not morally sound leave us. Even Jesus had his Judas, a traitor among the apostles He Himself had chosen. This actu- ally cleanses the church. I would say that, surprisingly, this all works in favor of the Kyiv Pa- triarchate. In theory, yes, these ille- gal actions and pressure could de- stroy the Kyiv Patriarchate, but what is happening is quite the opposite. All this has gained a lot of publicity, leaving people angry, not just in Ukraine, but also in Europe and the US where we also have churches. The faithful have been going to their governments for help, so this is con- solidating communities around the Kyiv Patriarchate. I see Divine Prov- idence in this: God is turning the evil into good. It’s the same as 1995, when Patriarch Volodymyr died. Ev- eryone remembers that “bloody Tuesday.” (see sidebar) It was those terrible events that consolidated the public around the Kyiv Patriarchate and it has been growing rapidly ever since. Then-President Leonid Kuch­ ­ma was forced to put us on an equal basis with the Moscow Patriarchate. So, we hope that Viktor Yanukovych, who calls himself President of all Ukraine, will settle this issue by treating all churches equally—not just in words, but in deeds. №2 February 2011|ukrainian week|37 neighbors|interview: filaret to it the rights that were once taken away. This sounds like Volodymyr will continue to defend the inde- RUSSIAN pendence and autonomy of his ORTHODOXY church. Kirill will have to back off, 12,000 because Metropolitan Volodymyr parishioners has one ace up his sleeve if the pres- Nearly sure continues: join with Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarch- 100 bishops ate. This is Moscow’s greatest fear. UW: What threat does the promul­­ 67 eparchies gation of “Russian World” repre­­ sent for Ukraine and its Orthodox faithful? Is the ROC’s international UKRAINIAN expansion a reflection of shrinking ORTHODOXY numbers in Russia? 15,000 – “Russkiy Mir2” is the same parishioners shiny coin that “A bright future with Over Communism” once was. Patriarch 100 Kirill invented this concept to spur UW: How about MP followers – Patriarch Kirill’s strategic goal bishops spiritual unification around Mos- switching to Kyiv? is to deprive the Ukrainian church cow first, followed by political and – In Poltava Oblast, an entire of the right to be independent and 85 territorial unification. This is essen- community decided to switch to autonomous. That’s why he wants eparchies tially reviving the Russian empire. the Kyiv Patriarchate but the gov- the title of Kyiv Patriarch, to have But his objectives are impossible; ernment is interfering. Local offi- his residence in the Kyiv Pechersk you can’t step into the same river cials faked a court decision, sealed Lavra, and to become a citizen of twice. We are living in new times. the church, so that the parishio- Ukraine, although dual citizenship The reason for ROC’s expan- ners had to pray outside it on is against Ukrainian law. He wants sion in Ukraine is obvious. Today, Christmas. There is a similar ex- more influence over Ukraine. When the Kyiv and Moscow Patriarch- ample in Chernihiv Oblast. It’s al- the church is independent, he can- ates combined have more parishes ways the faithful who initiate a not interfere in the life of the UOC switch to the Kyiv Patriarchate. MP, bypassing Volodymyr. Kirill A Brief History of UOC KP has been coming to Ukraine fre- June 1990. Local Council in Kyiv announces the revival of the UW: Can you count on support quently to show that he, the Mos- Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church and the Kyiv Pa- cow Patriarch, not Metropolitan triarchate and elects Mstyslav Skrypnyk, the Metropolitan of from the Ecumenical Patriarch? Ukrainian Orthodox Church in USA and Ukrainian Auto- – We don’t lay much hope on Volodymyr, is the boss of the MP cephalous Church in the Diaspora, the first Patriarch of Kyiv the Ecumenical Patriarch because Church here. Kirill met with Viktor and All-Rus. he can’t help us. He doesn’t have the Yanukovych without Metropolitan October 28, 1990. Moscow Patriarch Aleksei grants “inde- power to do it. This should be regu- Volodymyr, which is against proto- pendent and self-standing” status to the Ukrainian Orthodox lated by a law entitling parishes as col. He arrived and blessed the new- Church at St. Sofia and consecrates Filaret, the Metropolitan legal entities to voluntarily choose ly-elected President of Ukraine, of Kyiv and All-Rus, as the Primate of Ukrainian Orthodox what church they belong to, while even though we should have done Church. the state only has to enforce the law, this—or at least Volodymyr. November 6, 1990. Patriarch Mstyslav is enthroned at St. Sofia. not like it does now: if a parish is Last summer, when Patriarch November 1-3, 1991. The Council of Ukrainian Orthodox taken away from us by the Moscow Kirill visited Ukraine, he went to Church chaired by Metropolitan Filaret unanimously decides Patriarchate, officials register this Crimea to meet with the President that the UOC needs autocephalous (autonomous) status. within a few days, even under fake again on his own, without Volod- May 27, 1992. Summoned by the Moscow Patriarchate, the documents, at the same time as they ymyr. That’s why Volodymyr left Kharkiv Council illegitimately removes Metropolitan Filaret do everything they can to prevent a Dnipropetrovsk when Kirill arrived from his office as Primate of UOC causing a schism in the parish from leaving Moscow. The there, and returned to Kyiv with Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Ecumenical Patriarch could help if most of the bishops following him. June 25-26, 1992. The UOC and Ukrainian Autocephalous he recognized the Kyiv Patriarchate And that’s what forced Patriarch Orthodox Church (UAOC) unite into a single Ukrainian Or- an autocephalous church. Then ev- Kirill to state publicly at Mass in St. thodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate at an All-Ukraine eryone could come to the indepen- Sofia that no one was planning to Council. Patriarch Mstyslav becomes the Primate and Metro- dent Ukrainian church, even from encroach on the autonomy of the politan Filaret is elected his deputy. A year later, Mstyslav the Moscow Patriarchate. Ukrainian Orthodox Church of dies. Moscow Patriarchate. Clearly, there October 22, 1993. Metropolitan Volodymyr Romaniuk is UW: Your Holiness, what do you is an internal stand-off between Vo- elected the new Patriarch of Kyiv and All-Rus at an All- think of what Metropolitan lodymyr and Kirill. Subsequently, Ukraine Orthodox Council. Vo­­lo­­dymyr, Head of UOC MP, said Metropolitan Volody­­myr spoke at July 18, 1995. “Bloody Tuesday:” Police beat up participants at the recent Council of Bishops in the Council of Bishops in Moscow, in the burial of Patriarch Volodymyr outside St. Sofia after Moscow? He no longer seems to where he argued that the indepen- President Kuchma refuses to allow him to be buried on the want to be Kirill’s puppet and dence and autono­­my of the Ukrain­ cathedral grounds. most Ukrainian bishops ian church is nothing new for October 22, 1995. The newly-elected Patriarch Filaret is en- sup­­port this. Ukraine: it simply means returning throned. 38|ukrainian week|№2 February 2011 interview: filaret|neighbors than the ROC does in all of Russia: 15,000 parishes in Ukraine versus 12,000 parishes in Russia. Après Husar, la deluge? Political analysts are already saying that Russia will no longer be a predominantly Christian country The new head of Ukraine’s Greek Catholic Church in 30 years. Today, Moscow’s popu- lation is 9mn, but only 31% of it is will have to be a team player ethnic Russian. If you add in Ukrai- nians, Georgians, Armenians and Author: Ukraine is already a challenge for any Church other Christians, it’s still only 49%, Taras Antoshevskiy, as a moral arbiter. So far, the UGCC was an compared to 34% Muslims. But RIS, Religions Information Service example of the right way to co-exist with a Muslims have significantly higher government: when necessary, you work as birth rates, so they will exceed the When I heard for the umpteenth time partners; when necessary, you criticize it, number of Christians in Moscow that His Beatitude Lubomyr Husar was decid- even quite sharply. Immediately, certain severalfold in just a few years. Last ing to resign from his post as head of the speeches of Cardinal Lubomyr come to mind, Christmas, only around 100,000 Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (UGCC), I back in 2002, when he criticized those who faithful attended church in Moscow, barely stopped myself from responding, also were not issuing wages to their employees while 70,000 Muslims celebrated for the umpteenth time, “The time isn’t and in spring 2006, when he took the Verk- Kurban Bairam. This bothers both right.” My worries about the Church concern hovna Rada to task for its activities—then- the Kremlin and the Russian Church. several aspects, starting with the external Speaker Oleksandr Moroz even wrote a let- That’s why they’ve latched onto situation and the fact that there has been no ter to Rome complaining about the bishop. Ukraine as their salvation. clear successor lined up to replace Lubomyr In his last public statement prior to re- Husar. Still, Cardinal Husar himself has made signing, Cardinal Lubomyr once again criti- UW: Father Ihor Yatsiv, press it very clear that he trusts the Synod of Bish- cized the policies of the current Administra- secretary of the Ukrainian Greek ops to choose the right person and that ex- tion towards the country’s confessions, fo- Catholic Church, said recently that ternal or political circumstances cannot de- cusing not on individuals but on systems and the government could provoke termine the internal life of the Church. approaches. The day before that, the UGCC religious tensions by treating a In the 20 years since the Ukrainian had turned down potential handouts from single Church preferentially. Does Greek-Catholic Church emer­ged from the un- the government because of the strings that this mean “the KP today, and the derground, it has gone through a number of might have been attached. Catholics tomorrow”? phases. The primacy of Patriarch Lubomyr The political goal of weakening the – That could be their intention. helped the Church to democratize and to re- Church’s influence among voters was one of The Moscow Patriarchate and the build its internal structure. The church has the forces behind both a lefebvrist split and Vatican are now in conflict over the matured as the local Church of its people the activities of the Dognal sect.1 The efforts Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. that cares for more than just religious ser- of the latter merit particular attention, as That’s why Kirill is not meeting vices. Perhaps this is precisely why His Beati- they are being publicly and actively sup- with the Pope. The last Patriarch tude Lubomyr is confident of the bishops’ ported by certain of those who favor the Aleksei did the same. They demand choice: whomever they choose, the Church “Russkiy mir” [Russian World] from the Rus- that the Pope settle the issue with will continue to move in the same direction. sian Orthodox Church [including] one of Ed- Ukrainian Greek Catholics first— As to external chal- ucation Minister Tabachnyk’s aides… which means eliminating them by lenges, here there The new primate of the UGCC, whoever forcing them into Russian Ortho- are fewer reasons he may be, will find it harder to withstand doxy. So, Moscow actually has two for optimism. The pressure from the government, which seems problems: the Kyiv Patriarchate political and so- to have finally understood that unless it can and Ukrainian Catholics. cial situation in control the spiritual lives of its citizens, it will be difficult to maintain total control over the UW: With the State Committee m a x l e vi n photo: life of the country and its society. for Religions disbanded, how It is no surprise that attempts to recon- does the state coordinate struct an empire have been accompanied relations with various religions? by manipulations at the spiritual level, by Is it in dialog with churches other inventing and imposing civilizational, pseu- than UOC MP? do-religious formulations that are largely – This Committee did indeed heretical and mythologized. The protest ac- help solve interconfessional con- tions of Church dignitaries against the new flicts. Now, nobody is there to deal authoritarianism is a major problem for its with the squabbles that come up inventors. The leadership of the Church from time to time. Parishes are among other churches in the last decade now registered at an institution has always been at the forefront of building that deals with all charters, while civil society in Ukraine, so no matter who in church affairs have been handed particular is chosen, this will have to be a over to the Ministry of Culture. team player with a strategic development This diversification denigrates the plan and a vision of its place in society. And status of churches, but the Church this bears no relation to what today’s gov- is the soul of the nation. ernment is building in Ukraine or the ideol- ogy of a “Russian World.” 2 The expression can mean both “Russian World” and “Rus- sian Peace,” something akin to the historical “Roman Peace.” 1 Started by Czech priest Anthony Elias Dognal in 1970. №2 February 2011|ukrainian week|39 neighbors|roc vs Uoc Raider of the Lost

Patriarch Yakym (1621-1690) In 1685, the Patriarch subordinated Patriarchate the Kyiv Metropole to Moscow In its campaign against alternative Orthodox Churches, the Moscow Patriarchate’s main argument is its own “canonicity” and the “non-canonicity” of all others. Followers of Ukrainian Orthodox churches are understandably skeptical

Author: ast summer, when asked about Oleksandr a possible reconciliation with Kramar the Kyiv Patriarchate, Russian LOrthodox Patriarch Kirill an- swered the question saying: “The word ‘reconciliation’ is not quite right here. Who will reconcile with whom? There are 15 national Or- thodox Churches and not one has recognized the schismatic church of Mykhailo Antonovych Denysen- ko.1 Reconciliation is only possible if this person comes back to the womb of the Mother Church, con- scious of his error and ready to make public penance.” azan Bishop nople, which Meanwhile, followers of the Iona Metro- had been Kyiv Patriarchate categorically re- politan with nei- seized by the Ot- ject this argument and see them- ther the consent nor tomans. When the na- selves as the successors of Kyiv the blessing of the Constan- ïve Patriarch arrived for what Metropole, which has always been tinople Patriarch. Through sheer he thought would be negotiations, canonically aligned with the Con- inertia, Iona still called himself “of Godunov essentially put him under stantinople Patriarchate. Indeed, it Kyiv,” but his successors later house arrest, demanding that he was joined to the Moscow Patri- dropped it because it reminded recognized the then-Moscow Met- archate in a very strange manner. them of the connection to Constan- ropolitan Iova, whom no other Or- tinople. At this point, they started thodox Church had recognized offi- The ghost of canonicity past calling themselves Moscow Metro- cially. The captive Patriarch was It all started back in 1299 with the politans. Subsequently, the Mos- forced to concede. Even so, he then-Kyiv Metropolitan Maksym cow Metropole found itself out of granted the Moscow Patriarchate fleeing from “turbulent Kyiv” to the the Mother Church and had no of- jurisdiction only over Russian dio- Russian Vladimir-upon-Kliazme. ficial recognition from any other ceses not Ukrainian or Belarus His successor Petro moved to Mos- Orthodox Church in the world for ones. Ironically, the Moscow church cow in 1325, but neither they, nor 141 years, from 1448 to 1589. gained its autocephaly or autonomy their successors, were in a rush to That’s when the ROC first be- in a manner that was less canonic drop “Kyiv” from their title, as this gan to demonstrate its preference than the modern-day “schismatic” would cost them their legitimacy. for aggressive, raider-like means Kyiv Patriarchate. One hundred years later, ev- towards its ends. Tsar Boris Go- Patriarch Iova, like most of his erything changed. On December dunov, then regent of Ivan the Ter- successor, was a typical acolyte of the 15, 1448, the Council of Bishops of rible’s son, invited Constantinople Russian lay government and his rise what was then Muscovy elected Ri- Patriarch Yeremiy (Jeremiah) II to was in the times of the infamous Ivan move to Moscow from Constanti- the Terrible (Grozniy), who perse- 1 Patriarch Filaret. See interview p. 26. 40|ukrainian week|№2 February 2011 roc vs Uoc|neighbors cuted all clergy who opposed his tyr- Ivan and Pyotr. Without a slightest Yeremiy II in 1589. In May 1686, anny and championed the traditions pang of conscience, the Russian Pa- the Constantinople Patriarch finally of the Orthodox Church. In 1571, the triarch exempted Gideon of the ob- officially recognizes the “raider at- Tsar ordered Iova transferred to the ligation to be subject to the Con- tack” of the Moscow Patriarchate Russian capital. In 1575, he became stantinople Patriarch. for 400 gold coins and 120 sables. the Archimandrite or Senior Abbot Meanwhile, Moscow was doing The Bishops of the Constantinople of the Tsar’s Novospasskiy Monas- its work in Constantinople, too. Patriarchate declared Dionysius’s tery, rising to Bishop in six years, and Back in December 1684, the Tsar actions illegal at a special Synod ending up Archbishop and Moscow Yosyp had sent the Patriarch 200 rubles and dethroned him as Patriarch. Metropolitan in 1586. Neliubovych- and asked him to hand the Kyiv Unsurprisingly, when he asked Tukalskiy (1668-1676) Metropole to the Moscow Patri- Moscow for help after this, he was The second raider attack Kyiv archate. The Patriarch refused. Af- told that “giving away the Kyiv The subjugation of the Kyiv Metro- Metropolitan. ter Gideon was appointed, a new Metropole is a trifle not worthy of pole to the Moscow Patriarchate was Ordered all delegation was sent to first talk to special thanks.” even more controversial. Immedi- churches to stop Dositheus, the Patriarch of Jerusa- Once in the ROC, it didn’t take ately after the Pereyaslav Treaty was mentioning the lem, who declared he would not the Ukrainian Church long to feel signed in 1654, enormous pressure Muscovy Tsar as bless this illegal affair “even for some of the fine traditions of au- was put on the Ukrainian Orthodox Head of State. more money.” Dionysius, the Patri- thoritarian Moscow, such as censor- Church to switch to the ROC. Just as Exiled Mefodiy arch of Constantinople also never ship at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra pub- Fylymonovych, recognized the raider seizure of with the Hetmans, Moscow used the the protégé of lishing house from the end of the principle, divide and conquer. First, Moscow, to a Kyiv Metropole by the Moscow Pa- 17th century. By the time Peter the the Hetmans of Left-Bank Ukraine, monastery in triarchate. A legitimate Synod of Great (Pyotr I) came to power, the who were the Kremlin lackeys and Uman Ukrainian Bishops, convened with Ukrainian Church had lost all ves- brought to power with the help of the his blessing, refused to recognize tiges of independence. The secrecy Russian army, refused to recognize Gideon as Metropolitan or the of the confessional was regularly vi- Metropolitan Dionysus Balaban, ROC’s jurisdiction. olated and the church effectively who was elected in 1657. He was re- turned into a branch of the Russian placed by Lazar Baranovych (1659- The beat goes on… Empire’s secret police. It acted as 1661), not without help from the But Russia’s secular and ecclesias- both a ministry for imperialistic pro- neighboring army. Once it turned tic elites have never considered the paganda and one of the key instru- out that he was not prepared to act attitudes of their subjects as some- ments for russifying Orthodox peo- under Moscow’s orders, he was re- thing worth thinking about. The ples conquered by Moscow. placed by a more compliant Mefodiy bishops who opposed the church This trend intensified after the Fylymonovych (1661-1668). Gideon. coup faced persecution. As to the ROC replaced the institution of the The Kremlin considered its ec- Kyiv Constantinople Patriarch, Moscow Patriarch with a Synod in 1721. It clesiastic revolution over only after Metropolitan ambassadors asked help from… was now controlled by the Su- it had acquired sufficient political (1685-1690) Turkey, where his residence was. preme Prosecutor, the state official influence in Ukraine. A series of Abdicated They offered peace in return for the known as the Tsar’s eyes. The offi- political coups arranged by Mos- subordination to Ottomans “persuading” the Ecu- cial degradation of the Russian Or- cow emissaries with the support of Constantinople menical Patriarch. The Ottomans thodox Church into a state institu- the Tsarist Army, which was sta- and pledged had control over Dionysius, as with tion was complete. tioned in Ukraine in the 1660’s, loyalty to Moscow brought the tame Hetman Ivan Samoylovych to power in 1672, set- Ukraine’s autocephaly lost ting the ground for a final and Stalin’s regime destroys the independence of the Ukrainian Church complete “acquisition” of the In October 1927, the Second All-Ukrainian Orthodox Synod of the UAOC was Ukrainian Orthodox Church. called to review charges brought by the government against the All-UOC Coun- In July 1685, Moscow launched cil, especially Metropolitan Vasyl Lypkivskiy. Even when the charges of counter- its church coup. An illegitimate, revolutionary activities proved groundless, communist officials insisted that the non-representative Synod was sum- Metropolitan be removed from running the Church. Administrative pressure moned to elect the new Metropoli- forced the Synod to replace Vasyl Lypkivskiy with Mykola Boretskiy as Metropoli- tan. The Patriarch of Constantino- tan. In 1929, arrests started as part of the Ukraine Liberation Assembly case, which involved individuals from the UAOC. In January 1930, most likely on or- ple never gave his consent to this Lazar ders from the NKVD, the Third All-Ukrainian Orthodox Synod was convened to and most Ukrainian Bishops re- Baranovych “voluntarily” dissolve the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. It became fused to participate for this reason. (1616-1693) one of the first victims of administrative command system. Yet, the legitimacy of this Synod did Acting head not concern Moscow overly much. of the Kyiv The council elected a pre-agreed Metropole in Bulgarian bravery candidate called Gideon and known 1657, 1659- On May 11, 1872, Bulgarian bishops of the Constantinople Patriarchate unilater- as Prince Sviatopolk Chetvertyns- 1661, and 1670- ally declared their Church an autocephaly. The Constantinople Patriarchate and kiy. Chetvertynskiy had been the 1685. Although other Orthodox Churches rejected this move as schismatic and the Constantino- matchmaker for Moscow-controlled Moscow- ple Patriarch did not actually recognize the Bulgarian Orthodox Church as inde- oriented, pendent until 1945. In fact, the ROC was the only Church to support this initiative Hetman Samoylovych, in the secu- Baranovych of the Bulgarians and its Synod wrote a letter to the Ecumenical Patriarch say- lar world. In November 1685, opposed the full ing, “What the ecclesiastic leaders did not wish to give Bulgarians in goodwill, Gideon arrived in Moscow, where subordination the secular government did… Those without prejudice must agree that excom- Patriarch Yakym consecrated him of Kyiv to municating Bulgarians from the Church and declaring them schismatic over such Patriarch in the presence of Tsars Moscow. a minor disagreement would be unfair.” №2 February 2011|ukrainian week|41 the arts|fm formats Strangers in Their Own Land Ukraine’s FM frequencies offer little–except third-rate foreign and soviet-era pop, sprinkled with a bit of classic rock

Author: recent bill passed by the play the best in world music. In- like Russkoye Radio, that have Oleksandr Verkhovna Rada to amend stead, there are dozens of FM proved their worth in the vast Yevtushenko Ukraine’s broadcasting law stations with identical content airwaves of Russia. A drops the requirement that desperately vying for the atten- Today, Ukraine’s airwaves are domestic radio broadcast at least tion of listeners by chasing after packed with product that in no 50% music by Ukrainian compos- the hottest hits from pop con- way reflects Ukrainian mentality, ers or performers. The bill’s spon- veyer belt. The most coveted con- identity or natural cultural needs. sor, PR Deputy Olena Bondarenko veyor is Moscow’s, with its pre- Indeed, the most infamous radio used the European Convention dictably low—often below-the- stations are beyond the law, vio- on Television without Frontiers, baseboard low—quality of lyrics lating all civilized norms. But which requires radio stations to and music. that’s no wonder, as getting play a lion’s share of European Radio stations that play clas- around the restrictions of the Na- music, as her reference point. She sical music have no chance to tional Radio and Television Coun- also argued that there are too few become popular and sought-af- cil is a piece of cake. works by Ukrainians to set quotas ter among Ukrainian FM fre- on them. quencies. Jazz and rock stations The almighty format In fact, Ms. Bondarenko is are successful elsewhere, where “The key requirement for proper quite wrong in this. The problem they have grateful listeners and development is unconditional con- is not a dearth of Ukrainian mu- happy advertisers. So far, just a trol over the country’s media space sical product, as the PR deputy few local FM stations that pro- and clear rules for the media own- seems to think, but the peculiar- mote so-called “cultured chan- ers,” says Kyrylo Stetsenko, a com- ity of Ukrainian network radio, son” fill the ranks of popular and munity and artistic activist, teacher which mostly ignores domestic “listenable,” but their “Ukraini- and well-known musician. “But products and lives by its own anness” is limited to their ad- these are mostly non-Ukrainians. strange rules. For instance, Uk­­ dress. The most influential ones They see this country as a territory raine hardly has any stations that include network radio stations for promoting their product. The

42|ukrainian week|№2 February 2011 fm formats|the arts game is to not let Ukrainian prod- ing CDs of festival participants. Opinion uct get to market or to do so under Fortunately, there are many more Musicians and managers on the dropping of the discriminatory conditions. This is like him. They all look for alterna- 50% Ukrainian quota why Russian pop culture domi- tives to just pressing the radio Oleh Hnativ, nates in Ukraine. If Ukrainians button. director, Perkalaba continue to be passive and the gov- What about Ukrainian musi- – Dropping the quota is an obviously hos- ernment does nothing to protect cians? There have been a few large tile move by fifth columnists in Ukraine to its domestic producer, there is a rallies to gather signatures in open destroy an entire segment of Ukrainian real threat that Ukrainian music letters to the President, the Gov- culture. What else is new? It actually will be completely eliminated from ernment and the NRTC regarding changes nothing, because Ukraine the market.” the pathetic situation in broadcast- doesn’t have any Ukrainian-language FM media. In Poland, the top radio stations, Today, Ukraine has several ing. Everyone signed and pro- unlike Ukrainian ones, have perfectly bal- hundred FM stations, including tested. Many a spear was broken anced pro-European sources of information without being some 40 in Kyiv alone. They are during talk-show debates. And discriminatory about music. not aiming to be the “drivers of what has that changed? Virtually cultural progress,” nor are they nothing. Ukrainian songs were air- Stanislav Shumlianskiy, dedicated to discovering and pro- wave Cinderellas, and they still director, Molode Radio moting new bright talents. They are. FM content directors keep – What consequences can this possibly are music boxes of sorts that are spreading the myth about the lack have for an audience that hardly heard busy playing tug-o-war with the of quality Ukrainian music. Yet, any Ukrainian music before and will have coverlet of Ukrainian advertising. every month, Ukrainian labels is- no broader access to it after? The problem is that, despite a number of attempts to Radio coverage is actually much sue dozens of CDs in a range of set up at least one completely Ukrainian smaller than TV advertising in musical styles. The catalog of Nash radio station, we still have none. Everyone Ukraine, so the first objective of Format (Our Format), an art agrees that modern Ukrainian music is any station is to get the best piece. agency that collects all newly-is- out there and is growing as a real phe- And this determines the reper- sued products, includes 1,500 au- nomenon. But there is not one station for it, just like be- toire selection, centered on Mr. dio and video items. How much fore. Dropping the Ukrainian content quota could bother Format. The widespread belief is more is needed? It seems that some young artists, the beginners. But it won’t affect the that sticking rigidly to a fixed mu- Ukraine simply failed to protect its well-known bands like Okean Elzy or Skriabin. sic format brings both the listen- media space in time. ers and the ads. “We’ve failed to build our own Maria Burmaka, folk rock singer All this seems reasonable. But media database, not state, not – Ukrainian artists have found themselves there is another side to this. Serv- private ones,” says Roman Kal- in this idiotic situation for quite some ing stereotypes makes radio sta- muk, Director at FDR Radiocen- time now. I mean the humiliating practice tions depressingly monotonous, ter, a company that develops and among radio and TV channels of broad- but the biggest drawback is total distributes media products. “This casting Ukrainian content late at night, as cosmopolitanism. It only becomes is why there’s such a huge imbal- though we are a non-format in our own clear that a radio station is in Kyiv, ance between Ukrainian and for- country. I’m not worried too much if they not Tambov, from the news or ad- eign products.” Seven years ago, play my songs more or less. What bothers vertising aired in Ukrainian—and Kalmuk was content director at me is that passing this bill opens up a Pandora box. So far, all these attacks on the Ukrainian lan- not even always then. And only be- the Stolytsia radio station. It was guage, history, literature and music have had their limits. cause the National Council for then the only station centered on Today, we are looking at a situation where the Ukrainian Television and Radio requires it. high quality Ukrainian and West- music that was not on the airwaves de facto yesterday will ern alternative music. But one now disappear de jure. Lost airwaves day, the owners decided to “I hardly listen to any Ukrainian change its format in pursuit of stations,” says Serhiy Kharchuk, richer pickings. Now, it is one of the internet these days,” says Stas Director of the Slavske Rock festi- many run-of-the mill pop sta- Shumlianskiy, Molode Radio’s di- val. “I always have a pile of new tions. The same thing happened rector. “So far, it’s an innovation Ukrainian CDs in my car. That’s to L’viv’s Lux FM. for Ukraine, but I’m sure we have a what I listen to, because I can’t Kyiv-based Molode Radio plays future.” hear what I like on our radio sta- only Ukrainian music. It was The battle of formats and of to- tions. Why should I, the citizen of launched two years ago as a broad- tally commercialized media in tan- Ukraine, be deprived of my right cast station but changed into one dem with a completely sterile cul- to listen to Ukrainian music?” of the first online radio stations in tural component reflects the lack Kharchuk defends his right by or- Ukraine. “In developed countries, of proper media policy and a strat- ganizing music festivals and issu- radio stations are very active on egy for developing the arts.

Russifying the airwaves In the fall of 2010, the NRTC re-registered li- tions of the tender under which these compa- Retro FM Editor-in-Chief used similar argu- censes for state-owned TRO Dovira (Avtoradio1) nies won their licenses. ments, mentioning a regional poll as the basis and TRK NBM Radio (Radio 5 and Retro FM) The content director of Avtoradio explained that his for stating that 75% of his audience wants to TRK Ltd., because of changes in their content company had polled its listeners. “Our network is hear more Russian. “Our core audience, peo- policies. These two companies asked the Coun- predominantly in the eastern, Russian-speaking re- ple aged 35-50, grew up in soviet times, cil to cut their Ukrainian-language quota from gions and our audience is grown-ups who were speaking Russian.” 100% down to “at least 75%.” Yet hosting their raised in the Soviet Union… They expect to hear Rus- Prior to this, Europe Plus and Nashe Radio cut programs in Ukrainian was one of the condi- sian-speaking presenters and a lot of music.” their Ukrainian-language quotas to 75%, too.

1 Avtoradio is actually predominantly Russian-language, including its presenters. №2 February 2011|ukrainian week|43 the arts|tv is dying Ukrainians vs Television

◀ Reason I: Online takes the field ◀ Reason II: Reductio ad absurdum ◀ Reason III: Colonization ◀ Reason IV: The time factor ◀ Reason V: A form of protest ◀ Reason VI: Sleeping with the Watch a movie or a TV serial without From time to time, something reasonable Russian expansionism is affecting virtually all Big city viewers lose an hour or two People—mostly young ones—who want spiritual enemy commercials anytime you want—what a or at least informative shows up on TV in areas of the lives of Ukrainians these days, but traveling for an average 8-hour workday, to stand out from the mass tend to do Religious beliefs also make some people deal! Most internet users in Ukraine today between pop junk and political barking. At nowhere so strongly as on TV. In Ukrainian- leaving very little personal time at the end strange things. Some join the child-free quit television. Most world religions don’t can afford to download a good-sized video. least, the previews would have you think speaking families, even five-year olds have of the day—possibly 4-5 hours in the movement, freeganism (an extreme have outright restrictions concerning TV, But it’s not just about technology. The so. But when you start watching a program been known to stymie their parents with: evening. According to GfK Ukraine, a movement based on the principle of eating although priests often exhort their faithful internet is gradually but steadily undermin- like that, first you patiently sit through an “Why is everything in Russian on TV?” Yes, sociological service, people spend 3:54 on only food from trash cans), or other exotic to spend less time watching TV. “Idols, ing television’s monopoly, both in introduction made up of facts you know indeed, Russian teleproduct has completely TV in cities with a population over 50,000, trends. Public abjuration of television looks celebrities, TV stars—these are all entertainment and information. No from grammar school. Then you listen to dominated the Ukrainian airwaves, to the while those who live in smaller towns like another such exoticism, one that is antipodes of Christian values,” says Roman comedy show can compete with YouTube experts and hear nothing but trivial and point that, one national TV channel aired spend 4:08 in front of their TVs. growing into a protest, a kind of Kulchytskiy, a translator who considers and no reality show can beat social routine stuff. After that, you watch several blatantly anti-Ukrainian trash, like “Мы из “I don’t have time for TV,” says Bohdan non-conformism and a rejection of social himself an Orthodox Christian. “The viewer networks. On the internet, you don’t need dubious scenarios, and finally the credits будущего 2” [We’re From the Future 2], on Loghvynenko, one Ukrainian blogger. “I’m stereotypes. is introduced into the world of the 25th to wait for the 7 o’clock news: it’s available come on. It takes some viewers years to the anniversary of the Holodomor or Great surprised every time someone says But it’s not such absurd protest as it may member of Singing Underwear.* TV raises online in real time, 24/7. US statistics look realize that they can’t expect anything Famine of 1932-33. something about Shuster Live! or some look at first sight. As soon as censorship a mediocre mass that dreams, not of pretty persuasive: according to Forbes, the intelligent from TV. TV marketing specialists Ukrainian TV producers are proud of their other nonsense like that! I don’t begins in the country, TV is the first to fall salvation, but of big money and a pass to average American spent over 12 hours per are oriented on ratings and mass audiences expanding product. But most shows have understand how the feuds of a bunch of victim to it. When Leonid Kuchma was the world of the pop elite. For kids, week with a remote and no more than 9 because this guarantees revenues. No more than a whiff of inferiority complex and bureaucrats with a limited vocabulary and President, some opposition newspapers television becomes the teacher of life hours on the internet in 2005, by 2010, wonder the silver a screen is filled with colonial obeisance. Just watch any talent even more limited subject range can be of continued to publish, but criticizing him wisdoms and robs parents of dialog with things changed dramatically in favor of primitive, criminal and pseudo emotional show: they all have at least one guest star interest to anyone.” from the big screen was unthinkable. their offspring. The bright wrappings of TV online. Now, it’s over 13 hours on the programming. from Russia on the jury. “The Russian movies Censorship is rearing its ugly head again values win the fight for family values, either internet and slightly less in front of the TV. If the viewer is not prepared to swallow and serials that flood our TVs have nothing but these days: the trend towards “guided” directly or subconsciously.” sensational claims about hangover-free primitive plots, mediocre actors and mostly news on the majors, such as Inter, is vodka, magicians with extrasensory copycat versions of some Western hit,” says obvious, as is the canceling of frequencies * an ironic pop band in Ukraine powers, or vignettes from the lives of pop Natalia Zaika, Communications Expert at Kyiv for the channels critical of the government. stars, sooner or later any interest in School of Economy. “On top of that is ongoing Some protest quietly and simply by not television will disappear. propaganda about the ‘great and powerful’ touching the remote. More aggressive Russia. Russian pop concerts and shows are activists can even organize performances impossible to watch. The same people singing about “Killing the TV inside yourself” or or talking the same lines over and over again. “Live, don’t just watch” with a climactic Comedy shows such as ProjectorParisHilton or ending of old boob-tubes being smashed in Comedy Club often jeer at Ukraine. I don’t public. think shows like this are worth airing at all, so I don’t watch TV.”

44|ukrainian week, digest|№2 February 2011 tv is dying|the arts Quitting the “boob tube” is becoming more and more justified for Ukrainians. Their reasons are many Ukrainians vs Television Author: Dmytro Krapyvenko

◀ Reason I: Online takes the field ◀ Reason II: Reductio ad absurdum ◀ Reason III: Colonization ◀ Reason IV: The time factor ◀ Reason V: A form of protest ◀ Reason VI: Sleeping with the Watch a movie or a TV serial without From time to time, something reasonable Russian expansionism is affecting virtually all Big city viewers lose an hour or two People—mostly young ones—who want spiritual enemy commercials anytime you want—what a or at least informative shows up on TV in areas of the lives of Ukrainians these days, but traveling for an average 8-hour workday, to stand out from the mass tend to do Religious beliefs also make some people deal! Most internet users in Ukraine today between pop junk and political barking. At nowhere so strongly as on TV. In Ukrainian- leaving very little personal time at the end strange things. Some join the child-free quit television. Most world religions don’t can afford to download a good-sized video. least, the previews would have you think speaking families, even five-year olds have of the day—possibly 4-5 hours in the movement, freeganism (an extreme have outright restrictions concerning TV, But it’s not just about technology. The so. But when you start watching a program been known to stymie their parents with: evening. According to GfK Ukraine, a movement based on the principle of eating although priests often exhort their faithful internet is gradually but steadily undermin- like that, first you patiently sit through an “Why is everything in Russian on TV?” Yes, sociological service, people spend 3:54 on only food from trash cans), or other exotic to spend less time watching TV. “Idols, ing television’s monopoly, both in introduction made up of facts you know indeed, Russian teleproduct has completely TV in cities with a population over 50,000, trends. Public abjuration of television looks celebrities, TV stars—these are all entertainment and information. No from grammar school. Then you listen to dominated the Ukrainian airwaves, to the while those who live in smaller towns like another such exoticism, one that is antipodes of Christian values,” says Roman comedy show can compete with YouTube experts and hear nothing but trivial and point that, one national TV channel aired spend 4:08 in front of their TVs. growing into a protest, a kind of Kulchytskiy, a translator who considers and no reality show can beat social routine stuff. After that, you watch several blatantly anti-Ukrainian trash, like “Мы из “I don’t have time for TV,” says Bohdan non-conformism and a rejection of social himself an Orthodox Christian. “The viewer networks. On the internet, you don’t need dubious scenarios, and finally the credits будущего 2” [We’re From the Future 2], on Loghvynenko, one Ukrainian blogger. “I’m stereotypes. is introduced into the world of the 25th to wait for the 7 o’clock news: it’s available come on. It takes some viewers years to the anniversary of the Holodomor or Great surprised every time someone says But it’s not such absurd protest as it may member of Singing Underwear.* TV raises online in real time, 24/7. US statistics look realize that they can’t expect anything Famine of 1932-33. something about Shuster Live! or some look at first sight. As soon as censorship a mediocre mass that dreams, not of pretty persuasive: according to Forbes, the intelligent from TV. TV marketing specialists Ukrainian TV producers are proud of their other nonsense like that! I don’t begins in the country, TV is the first to fall salvation, but of big money and a pass to average American spent over 12 hours per are oriented on ratings and mass audiences expanding product. But most shows have understand how the feuds of a bunch of victim to it. When Leonid Kuchma was the world of the pop elite. For kids, week with a remote and no more than 9 because this guarantees revenues. No more than a whiff of inferiority complex and bureaucrats with a limited vocabulary and President, some opposition newspapers television becomes the teacher of life hours on the internet in 2005, by 2010, wonder the silver a screen is filled with colonial obeisance. Just watch any talent even more limited subject range can be of continued to publish, but criticizing him wisdoms and robs parents of dialog with things changed dramatically in favor of primitive, criminal and pseudo emotional show: they all have at least one guest star interest to anyone.” from the big screen was unthinkable. their offspring. The bright wrappings of TV online. Now, it’s over 13 hours on the programming. from Russia on the jury. “The Russian movies Censorship is rearing its ugly head again values win the fight for family values, either internet and slightly less in front of the TV. If the viewer is not prepared to swallow and serials that flood our TVs have nothing but these days: the trend towards “guided” directly or subconsciously.” sensational claims about hangover-free primitive plots, mediocre actors and mostly news on the majors, such as Inter, is vodka, magicians with extrasensory copycat versions of some Western hit,” says obvious, as is the canceling of frequencies * an ironic pop band in Ukraine powers, or vignettes from the lives of pop Natalia Zaika, Communications Expert at Kyiv for the channels critical of the government. stars, sooner or later any interest in School of Economy. “On top of that is ongoing Some protest quietly and simply by not television will disappear. propaganda about the ‘great and powerful’ touching the remote. More aggressive Russia. Russian pop concerts and shows are activists can even organize performances impossible to watch. The same people singing about “Killing the TV inside yourself” or or talking the same lines over and over again. “Live, don’t just watch” with a climactic Comedy shows such as ProjectorParisHilton or ending of old boob-tubes being smashed in Comedy Club often jeer at Ukraine. I don’t public. think shows like this are worth airing at all, so I don’t watch TV.”

№2 February 2011|ukrainian week, digest|45 the arts|tv is dying ◀Reason VII: Entertainment for the unhappy Recently, Maryland University researchers Is there life after TV? published the conclusions of their 30-year study in the Social Indicators Research journal: people who feel unhappy spend Ukrainian Week talked to artists about the most time in front of their TVs, whereas why they reject Ukrainian TV socially active people who generally feel happy find time for sports, books and community activity. Miserable people don’t look to be engaged, so they spend 20% “It stultifies “This technology is more time in front of their TVs. viewers!” stuck in the last Yet those who sacrifice all their free time to Vasyl Herasymiuk, century.” the god of TV get little satisfaction from it. poet Oleksandr Yarmola, leader of HHaidamaky They watch TV because they can’t come up I don’t watch TV. I don’t even have one with an alternative. The Maryland scholars at home. Sometimes I watch “The Arts” online or Personally, I haven’t had a TV for five or six years interpreted this as an addiction, similar to Channel 5, and one or two programs on UT1. That’s now. I quit when I changed apartments last time. I drug addiction. It gives temporary it. For starters, our Ukrainian television isn’t just threw it away and never bought a new one. I satisfaction that fills excess time and the Ukrainian. And all these endless talk shows—who had a used German TV set which I bought abroad in can stand them? They stultify the audience! There is resulting feeling of discontent. the early 1990’s. But it wouldn’t break, so I threw it nothing worth watching. Our Arts channel is out myself. This technology is stuck in the 20th For Ukrainians, TV is also the companion of broadcast on cable and it’s one of the most popular century. All our band members have quit television: unhappiness. According to GfK Ukraine, TV channels in Poland! Croatia has two similar some threw their TVs away when they moved; watching grew 7.2% over the first five channels. I watch Polish Arts and always wonder others just never turn it on. We don’t even know how powerful and fantastic this channel is. Unlike months of 2009. This period coincided with what they show there. When we come to do an them, Ukrainian television has the worst quality of interview, we’re sometimes shocked by what we see the heat of the financial crisis, falling all. When 1+1 started, it was at least dubbing good in the studio. The internet is a much freer source of incomes and rising unemployment. films in good language while Stanislav Chernilevs- information. Only Ukrainians need to speak English, kiy, the poet, worked there. Now it plays the same too, not just Ukrainian and Russian. It gives access pop junk as every other channel. Movies are to more information. The more information you impossible to watch, no art programs at all, endless absorb yourself, the better you can select objective serials. My rejection of television is profound and facts using reason. pessimistic.

“TV eats our kids’ “Watching TV just brains with a kills me.” spoon.” Misko Barbará, leader, Oles’ Sanin, filmmaker Mertviy Piven (Dead CCock), actor at Arabesky It’s been a year since I stopped Theater watching TV. I have three sets at home but I use them as monitors. They aren’t connected to I’m one of those snobs who can’t stand to watch cable. If a nuclear war starts tomorrow, I can read Ukrainian TV. Luckily, I can watch the History that online. And I haven’t been interested in any Channel, Animal Planet or BBC on cable. Oh, and programs for a while now. I download films and tons of films. Sometimes, I go back to watching educational programs for my kids from news on Channel 5, but it’s just when I channel- the internet. The TV eats their hop. I quit Ukrainian TV because I can’t stand it. brains with a big spoon and Watching it just kills me. Everything gets on my they’d rather read books. nerves: it’s totally unprofessional and corrupt and Quitting TV is easier than quitting it’s all lies. It brings nasty words to mind! Society smoking. It’s a psychological doesn’t have to be addicted to TV. Clearly, its addiction. It’s like another family stultifying effect is very powerful. And more and member who takes your life away. more people share my opinion. Young people don’t What for? I have a lot of friends who watch it and they’re absolutely right. More and have pulled the plug. When they ask me more older people are turning off their TVs, too. Of “Have you seen this,” I say “No,” and course, this habit is a hangover from soviet times that’s the end of that. We easily find when everybody watched the 9 o’clock news to a other topics to talk about. We live man. Now we at least have some choice. There are in a fantastic land of pirates. So channels where you come across an interesting idea far, we have access to everything, from time to time. so there’s no problem with that. My friends, directors who make TV programs and commercials, just don’t have time for TV. But I don’t think this has made them any worse as professionals!

46|ukrainian week, digest|№2 February 2011

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