INSIDE: • A look at five years of Ukraine’s independence — page 2. • Ukrainian Christmas symbolism — page 8. • Yara Arts Group in Buryatia — page 9. HE KRAINI A N EEKLY T PublishedU by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW association Vol. LXV No. 1 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 5, 1997 $1.25/$2 in Ukraine Kuchma thanks diaspora for support Conference reflects on 20 years WASHINGTON — In a special mes- our victories. 1996 is marked by one of the sage to “our brothers and sisters abroad,” most important victories: the adoption of President Leonid Kuchma thanked the Constitution of Ukraine, which codified of Ukrainian human rights activism by Irene Jarosewich a security and cooperation agreement to Ukrainians of the diaspora for “decades of our achievements in the process of state- which the government of the USSR was work at the time of the Iron Curtain’s exis- building, delineated further steps in its NEW YORK — Twenty years ago, a s i g n a t o r y . tence that created a positive posture toward development and became the fundamental small group of determined individuals To commemorate the 20th anniversary Ukraine” and five years ago resulted in consolidating factor of our society. gathered together with a pledge to unveil of the founding of the UHG, its External speedy recognition of its independence. “I want to sincerely thank all of you, the hypocrisy of the Soviet system, to Representation in the United States orga- Addressing his fellow Ukrainians dear countrymen in the U.S.A. and Canada, reveal its oppressive grip on the lives of nized a conference held on December 15, around the world just over five years Great Britain and Australia, France and its citizens and the brutality with which it 1996, at the Shevchenko Scientific Society since Ukraine declared its independence Germany, Brazil and Argentina, Russia and treated its opponents. From a modest and then confirmed that independence by Poland, in all countries, on all continents, beginning in the Kyiv apartment of in New York. Speakers included Nina a nationwide referendum, the president for your support — both moral and materi- Mykola Rudenko, the Ukrainian Public Strokata-Karavanska, one of the founders stated: “Fate has scattered us around the al, your sincerity, your mutual concern Group to Promote the Implementation of of UHG; R.L. Chomiak, a journalist who world, to various corners of our planet. about the fate of Ukraine and your active the Helsinki Accords became an interna- tracked the activities of the Ukrainian But all of you are close and dear to us, participation in creating its future.” tionally recognized human rights organi- human rights movement from the West; because we and you are sons and daugh- President Kuchma also extended his zation. Myroslav Marynovych, a co-founder of ters of one mother, Ukraine.” best wishes for the New Year and Founded on November 9, 1976, the the UHG and now a professor at the In the December 28 missive released by Christmas, wishing “good fortune and mandate of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group Pedagogical Institute in Drohobych, the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington, good health, success and fulfillment, and (UHG) was to provide information of Ukraine; and Valeriy Pavlov, a Ukrainian the president wrote: “No matter how peace and harmony in your hearts and in human rights abuses by Soviet authorities, cinematographer. diverse our everyday concerns, plans and your families.” in violation of the 1975 Helsinki Accords, The conference was organized and hopes may be, we nurture one mutual hope directed by Nadia Svitlychna, who also and goal: we are building a free, indepen- introduced Raisa Rudenko, wife of the dent and developed Ukraine, a strong group’s first chairman, as well as Andriy democratic European state. Each of us has CHRIST IS BORN — GLORIFY HIM! Grigorenko, son of the late Petro a contribution to this cause; each of those Grigorenko, also one of the founders of contributions is valuable and essential.” the UHG and its representative in Mr. Kuchma underlined that the diaspo- Moscow. The voice of the late Oksana ra’s activity is particularly evident in “open- Meshko, another founding member of ing Ukraine and Ukrainians to those coun- the UHG was heard from an archival tries that became your second homelands, tape as she read an appeal to the World as you spurred the development of bilateral Congress of Free Ukrainians. ties and promoted Ukrainian interests.” There was consensus among the The president continued: speakers that the now-popular adage “The past five years were difficult. But, “Ukraine’s independence was achieved on the path to defeating the burdensome without bloodshed” is untrue — and legacy of the past and taking their difficult even immoral. Ukraine’s independence first steps, the people of Ukraine felt the was not obtained over a weekend; it was support of their brothers and sisters abroad. obtained over many decades with many You sincerely sympathized with us when lives lost and ruined. Intended as a posi- we encountered problems, you helped us tive statement, “without bloodshed” in correct our mistakes, and you rejoiced over fact belittles and obscures the sacrifices of countless people. Ms. Strokata-Karavanska, who spoke about the importance of historian Walter Kwas Mykhailo Melnyk’s work on the forma- tion of dissident thought, reminded the of Soyuzivka audience that nowadays everyone accepts as an obvious truth that the independence dead at 80 of Ukraine was a necessary precondition for the collapse of the Soviet monolith. KERHONKSON, N.Y. — Walter Yet, as recently as 10 years ago, this was Kwas, who was widely known in the a radical position in the Soviet Union, Ukrainian community as manager of punishable by incarceration. Soyuzivka, the Ukrainian National For years, the situation in Ukraine, Association’s upstate New York resort according to Mr. Chomiak, could be com- — having served in that capacity for 28 pared to trees falling in the woods: with no years — died on Saturday, December 28, one to hear, was there sound? Ukrainian 1996, following a brief illness. He was human rights activism was reminiscent of 80 years old. trees falling in dense, silent woods. Mr. Kwas was active in numerous In particular, the 1960s, the period of Ukranian community groups, and served “Shestydesiatnyky” activism and subse- as a supreme advisor of the Ukrainian quent repression was a long silence. National Association for many years until Information about arrests, detentions and he chose to retire from that post in 1994. conditions in the camps rarely made it to He was born in Bozhtysha, Zolochiv the West. Even when information county of western Ukraine, on March 17, reached Western correspondents based in 1916, and worked in the Ukrainian cooper- Moscow, if the correspondents could not ative movement until the outbreak of World confirm information, then it often War II. After emigrating to the United remained unreported. (Continued on page 3) Icon by George Kozak as reproduced on Christmas card published by the UNA. (Continued on page 3) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 5, 1997 No. 1 ANALYSIS: A look at Ukraine in its fifth year of independence Dudayev aide stabbed to death in Kyiv Ukrainian hotels. The EBRD will also by David R. Marples In early September, the long awaited finance a $70 million pilot project in the Ukrainian currency – the hryvnia – was KYIV — Ruslan Badayev, an aide to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast to purchase and Ukraine marked its fifth year of indepen- introduced, replacing the much maligned the late Chechen leader Dzhokar dence in 1996. In many respects the year install gas meters. The EBRD has already karbovanets, which had been in use for Dudayev, was stabbed to death in Kyiv, extended credits to Ukraine worth $392 can be perceived as one of consolidation of the past four years. Contrary to some Agence France Press reported on the Ukrainian state within the international million. Five joint projects are being expectations, the hryvnia held steady December 28, 1996. His assailant has community. Compared to its former Soviet implemented in the state sector, and the against the dollar on the international been arrested, but no details have been neighbors, Ukraine can be termed an oasis remaining 12 in the private sector. exchange (at 1.76 to $1), though by the disclosed about the motive for the mur- of stability amid a bleak desert of conflict Ukraine can expect a real investment year’s end it had begun to decline. der, except that it appeared to be “a set- and change. At the same time in specific boom as early as 1997, predicted Mr. The coal sector remains Ukraine’s tling of accounts.” NTV reported that spheres – particularly the coal and nuclear Poluneyev. He added that Kyiv will be biggest single problem within the indus- Mr. Badayev had not been involved in energy industries – there remains cause for “the world’s financial capital” in May trialized spectrum. The early part of the politics in recent months and that the concern. In addition, the Russian Duma’s 1998, when the EBRD holds its two-week year saw a coal strike that affected 177 of murder seemed to have been connected claim to the city of Sevastopol is an indica- stockholders’ meeting in the city. Ukraine’s 227 coal mines, while in this with his personal business dealings. tor that relations with the giant neighbor (Eastern Economist) same month, then Prime Minister state remain uncertain, particularly in view (OMRI Daily Digest) Marchuk declared his plans to close Federation Council calls for moratorium of the likely long convalescence of down some 70 mines that were operating Kuchma focuses on agricultural reform President Boris Yeltsin.