The Ukrainian Weekly 2012, No.49
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www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: l Helsinki Commission hearing on Ukraine’s elections – page 3 l Alexander Motyl on “The Holodomor and history” – page 7 l Ukrainian Graduates honor Ukrainian of the Year – page 17 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXX No. 49 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012 $1/$2 in Ukraine Holodomor commemorated Party of Regions to form in Parliament of Canada majority in new Parliament by Zenon Zawada bank and ‘curator’ of the many ‘family’ busi- Special to The Ukrainian Weekly nesses, moves to become first deputy prime minister or even prime minister,” Andrew KYIV – The ruling Party of Regions of Wilson, a senior policy fellow at the Ukraine (PRU) will form the next parlia- European Council on Foreign Relations, mentary majority without the Communist wrote recently. He added, “The Ukrainian Party of Ukraine, leaders in both parties authorities intend to use the elections to said this week. Instead, the party will restore their legitimacy in the West by recruit at least 41 national deputies from threatening to join the Russia-led Customs single-mandate districts to join its 185 dep- Union. But this is a bluff. In fact, only a uties in forming the 226-vote majority. handful of oligarchs, mainly the so-called They’re almost there, said Oleksander gas lobby, would see gains in such a union.” Yefremov, the chair of the PRU parliamenta- In the two years since President ry faction. The party leadership has collect- Yanukovych took power, Ukraine’s parlia- ed 223 statements from deputies commit- mentary coalition – consisting of the Party ted to forming the majority – just three dep- of Regions, the Communist Party and the uties shy of the number needed – he told Volodymyr Lytvyn Bloc – approved radical the Den (Day) newspaper in an interview measures to integrate with the Russian published on November 27. Federation, which in some cases are widely Earlier that week, Communist Party considered unconstitutional. UCC Chair Petro Symonenko said his deputies Most notable are the Kharkiv agree- Member of Parliament Robert Sopuck, chair of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary won’t be aligning themselves with the Party ments of 2010 that extended the presence Friendship Group, serves as the master of ceremonies at the Holodomor commemora- of Regions. of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea for tion in the Canadian Parliament. As a result, the next majority will be less another quarter century, and this year’s lan- bers of Parliament who made emotional inclined to vote for Russian integration guage legislation that removes remaining UCC safeguards protecting the Ukrainian lan- statements commemorating this tragedy, projects, as in the past two years, and more OTTAWA – As part of National guage from being overwhelmed by Russian. Mr. Grod noted. “In addition, most media inclined towards promoting the interests Holodomor Awareness Week, on Thursday, Pro-Russian advocates will maintain sig- outlets carried constant news stories this of big business, observers said, citing in November 22, the Ukrainian Canadian nificant influence in Ukraine’s Parliament, week, and many school boards across particular the expanding family business Congress (UCC) in cooperation with the including elements in the Party of Regions Canada held Holodomor memorials.” belonging to President Yanukovych. Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship (Hennadiy Vasyliev and Vadim “On behalf of the Ukrainian Canadian “The power of the ‘family’ is likely to Group (CUPFG) and the Embassy of community, I thank and congratulate Prime grow further after the elections as Serhiy Ukraine in Canada held a solemn commem- Arbuzov, the current head of the central Minister Stephen Harper, Canada’s (Continued on page 13) oration on the occasion of the 79th anni- Parliamentarians and all those Canadians versary of the Ukrainian Holodomor of for their resolve in bringing the issue of 1932-1933 on Parliament Hill. Holodomor recognition to the forefront in The Holodomor was one of the most Canada and Ukraine.” Lviv remembers the Holodomor heinous crimes in the history of mankind, Many Ministers and Members of the result of a deliberate plan by Stalin to Parliament attended the ceremony on subjugate Ukrainians and destroy the Parliament Hill, including Minister Peter Ukrainian nation. For over 70 years the Van Loan, Parliamentary Secretary Ed Soviet regime concealed the truth and mis- Komarnycky, and CUPFG Chair and MP led the West in the hope that its memory Robert Sopuck, who was master of ceremo- would be lost forever. nies for the evening. The gathering on Parliament Hill was The commemoration was addressed by led in prayer by the Very Rev. Dr. Peter Marco Shevchenko, charges d’affaires of the Galadza of the Metropolitan Andrey Embassy of Ukraine in Canada; Members of Sheptytsky Institute in Ottawa, the Very Parliament James Bezan, Ted Opitz, Kevin Rev. Ihor Okhrimtchouk of Assumption of Lamoureux, and Alexandrine Latendresse; the Blessed Virgin Ukrainian Orthodox Holodomor survivor Dr. Julia Woychyshyn; Cathedral in Ottawa and the Very Rev. Dr. and Mr. Grod and Marta Tkaczyszyn from Ihor Kutash of St. Mary the Protectress the UCC National. Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Montreal. A special reading done by Holodomor UCC President Paul Grod spoke on survivor Dr. Woychyshyn provided those in behalf of the Ukrainian Canadian commu- attendance with a distinct perspective into nity praising the government of Canada the horrifying events of 1932-1933. Dr. and all members of Parliament for their Woychysyn retold her childhood memories support in acknowledging the Holodomor of living through the Holodomor and the Lviv City Council/Oleh Kokhan “we have witnessed statements about the terror it inflicted onto her family and vil- LVIV – Residents of Lviv came together at dusk on Saturday, November 24, Holodomor every day for the last three lage community. to light candles in memory of the millions killed in the Holodomor, the Famine- days in Canada’s Parliament in addition to Candles were lit to honor the victims Genocide of 1932-1933 in Ukraine. The ceremonies, accompanied by a moment published statements by the prime minis- with a moment of silence and the com- of silence, took place at 4 p.m. on the main plaza near the city’s monument to ter of Canada, the minister of foreign memoration concluded with the reading of Taras Shevchenko. In Ukraine and beyond, the fourth Saturday in November is affairs, the minister of citizenship and marked as a Day of Memory for Victims of the Holodomor. Solemn ceremonies immigration as well as a number of mem- (Continued on page 3) were held throughout Ukraine. 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012 No. 49 ANALYSIS Ukraine starts to import gas European bishops remember Holodomor the lack of organized resistance and credu- lity with respect to the Bolsheviks’ promis- KYIV – The head of the Ukrainian Greek- es. “The world of traditions of Ukrainian from Europe, cuts imports from Russia Catholic Church (UGCC) Patriarch village life, based firmly on Christian moral- Sviatoslav Shevchuk on November 24 from the earlier announced 24 bcm. He said ity and the rhythm of church services, was by Oleg Varfolomeyev prayed for the victims of the genocidal Ukraine could in theory import gas from hostile to the Bolshevik utopia. Therefore, Eurasia Daily Monitor Holodomor together with the Catholic Europe not only through Poland but also it was doomed to destruction from the bishops of the Eastern Rite in Zagreb, As Russia refuses to cut gas prices for through Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria moment the Red Army crossed the border Croatia, where they had an annual meeting. Ukraine and proceeds with its South Stream (Channel 5, November 16). Energy Minister of the Ukrainian National Republic. The The bishops from 14 countries prayed for pipeline project – aimed at diminishing Boiko said in June that Naftohaz would cut lack of organized resistance, social apathy, the healing of the wounds of the Ukrainian Gazprom’s dependence on Ukrainian gas gas imports from Russia this year to 27 bcm credulity with respect to the Bolsheviks’ pipelines (see Eurasia Daily Monitor, from the 40 bcm imported last year, and in nation inflicted by the Famine-Genocide of promises were the preconditions for the November 16) – Ukraine has announced September he said Naftohaz would cut 1932-1933 and against the recurrence of genocide,” stressed the hierarch. According plans to further cut Russian gas imports. Even imports from Russia further to 24.5 bcm of similar tragedies. On the eve of the event, in to Archbishop Ihor, the Holodomor in more notably, Ukraine began buying gas from gas next year (see EDM, September 18). answer to a question about whether the Ukraine, the Jewish Holocaust and the the German company RWE last month. The Speaking after Mr. Chuprun on November wounds of Ukrainians have healed, genocide of Armenians have the same Ukrainian government believes this will allow 16, Mr. Boiko said that thanks to RWE’s deliv- Patriarch Sviatoslav stated in an interview roots. “Genocide in all these cases was the country to cut Russian gas imports by eries already this year, Ukraine would cut to the publication Our Sobor that when directed against ethnic communities some 4 percent this year and by more than gas imports from Russia further to 26 bcm. such a tremendous human tragedy is viewed by the ruling regime as obstacles to 16 percent next year. Ukraine is also buying He said RWE’s gas would be imported not silenced, it is not conducive to healing the the creation or preservation of the empire, another two deep-water drilling rigs in order only from the Polish border, but also from wounds. “We still have to become mature Ottoman, Nazi or Soviet,” he said.