www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: • Lenin statue in Kyiv is vandalized – page 3. • A young Ukrainian displaced person’s memoir – page 8. • Chicago and Cleveland troupes unite in dance – page 13. THEPublished U byKRAINIAN the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW associationEEKLY Vol. LXXVII No.27 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 5, 2009 $1/$2 in Ukraine Kyiv consecration of bishop is historic Ukrainians mark 45th anniversary for Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church of Shevchenko monument in D.C. by Yuriy Borysov Ivan Jurkovic. by Yaro Bihun Special to The Ukrainian Weekly The last time a Ukrainian Catholic conse- Special to The Ukrainian Weekly cration was performed in Kyiv, Metropolitan KYIV – The Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Andrey Sheptytsky was on his way to exile WASHINGTON – The Church consecrated Studite monk Yosyf in northern Russia in 1914 and then ordained Embassy of Ukraine and the Milyan as auxiliary bishop of its Kyiv two priests in secret, Mr. Antoshevskyi said. Ukrainian American commu- Archeparchy in a June 18 chirotony attended In his homily, Archbishop Husar, the nity of the greater Washington by 20 hierarchs of the Catholic Church, 100 head of the UGCC, to whom many refer as area marked the 45th anniver- clergy and more than 400 laity at the patriarch, thanked Bishop Milyan’s parents sary of the Taras Shevchenko Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of “for raising a bishop and giving him up for monument’s unveiling with a Christ. God’s service.” commemorative ceremony on The ceremony, held under the cathedral’s He also spoke of his Church’s survival of June 27. unfinished domes and without electricity, many trials: “If we have survived the severe The ceremony was held on was the first public consecration performed hardships of the last few centuries, it is only the grounds of the Ukrainian in Kyiv by the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic through the grace of God, who operated poet’s memorial in the U.S. Church since it was established by the through us. Our survival was not achieved capital, where on that same Union of Brest in 1596, said Taras through our own merit. It is a gift from the June day in 1964 former Antoshevskyi, director of the Religion Good Lord. …The Lord is behind this his- President Dwight D. Information Service of Ukraine. torical success.” Eisenhower unveiled the mon- “The proclamation itself didn’t evoke sat- In turn, the new bishop said he would try ument in front of an estimated isfaction or elation,” the Rev. Milyan said of to establish contacts with traditional crowd of more than 100,000. his appointment. “I accepted it very calmly. Christian Churches in Ukraine’s capital. Addressing a much small- However, there is anxiety in my soul.” Roman Catholic hierarchs and priests, as er crowd this time, Ukraine’s The chirotony began the prior evening well as clergy from the Ukrainian Orthodox Ambassador to the United when the bishop-designate accepted his Church – Kyiv Patriarchate also attended States Oleh Shamshur called appointment and took an oath before the the consecration. that historic event an enor- Church Synod. Having already received Among the elements in his bishop’s crest, mous achievement of the Pope Benedict XVI’s blessing on April 16, Bishop Milyan chose an anchor as a symbol Ukrainian American commu- the Church selected June 18, Holy Eucharist of hope, “because I am hoping very much nity and “convincing proof Day, as the day of the new bishop’s conse- for God’s help,” and the motto “Z Namy of their enthusiasm and com- cration, because the Rev. Milyan had served Boh” (God Is With Us). Other symbols mitment to the liberty of their Yaro Bihun as the supervisor of Holy Eucharist Church “I think I won’t be a stranger here,” he historic motherland.” A combined church chorus performs at the 45th in Lviv for 10 years, explained Ihor Yatsiv, said in a June 15 statement. “I built my He said the monument – anniversary commemoration of the unveiling of the the Church’s press secretary. monastic and priestly service on the experi- the work of sculptor Leo Mol monument to Taras Shevchenko in Washington. Trembita players in folk costumes greet- ence the Church gained during its great his- and landscape architect ed attendants, led by Major Archbishop and tory, which is a very valuable rock for me. Radoslav Zuk – was one of the best in the model, Ambassador Shamshur noted that Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, Metropolitan Ivan Therefore, I hope that I won’t differentiate world to honor Ukraine’s premier poet. “it is both natural and highly symbolic Martyniak of the Peremyshl-Warsaw myself from the Kyiv clergy within our The ambassador also noted the work of that the American nation, which has been Archeparchy, Bishop Yulian Voronovskyi of Church, as well as those close to our tradi- Ukrainian American community leaders, built upon the foundations of freedom, the Sambir-Drohobych Eparchy and Bishop tion and spirit.” singling out Dr. Lev Dobriansky, then- acknowledges the genius of this great Petro Stasiuk of the Australia, New Zealand The Rev. Milyan spent half his Church president of the Ukrainian Congress Ukrainian hero.” and Oceania Eparchy. Also present was the Archbishop Alexander Bykowetz of apostolic nuncio in Ukraine, Archbishop (Continued on page 4) Committee of America, for initiating and bringing the project to completion. the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Describing Taras Shevchenko’s impor- Patriarch in his brief remarks at the com- memorations contrasted the condition of tance to Ukraine’s long struggle for free- dom and his vision of America as a (Continued on page 5) Our Ukraine party gets overhaul, declares opposition to Tymoshenko by Danylo Peleschuk isters to abandon Ms. Tymoshenko’s Special to The Ukrainian Weekly Cabinet, a political maneuver that could have dissolved her government and led to KYIV – Led by President Viktor pre-term parliamentary elections. Yushchenko and Presidential Secretariat “On the one hand, Our Ukraine said it Chair Vira Ulianchenko, an overhauled Our will withdraw its politicians from the coali- Ukraine party declared its opposition to tion, but it didn’t call off its ministers,” said Yulia Tymoshenko at its June 27 party con- Ihor Zhdanov, president of Open Politics, a gress and ostracized those politicians loyal Kyiv-based think-tank. “From the point of to the prime minister, who are led by mil- view of political logic, it’s absurd. This lionaire natural gas trader Mykola logic is distorted, involving leaving people Martynenko. Yuriy Borysov [in the Cabinet] in order to have access to The opposition declaration proved to be resources.” Bishop Yosyf Milyan (center) is the first Ukrainian Greek-Catholic bishop publicly more show than substance, however, as the consecrated in Kyiv since the Church’s establishment by the Union of Brest in 1596. party backed down from requiring its min- (Continued on page 16) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 5, 2009 No. 27 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFS Constitutional instability in Ukraine Ukraine marks Constitution anniversary Ukraine political party. “Task No. 1 is consolidation of political forces,” Mr. leads to continuing “legal turmoil” KYIV – Adoption of the Constitution Yushchenko noted. He said that, despite in 1996 marked the completion of the the fact that in the past few years his legal formation of the Ukrainian state, political force lived through a rather diffi- by Taras Kuzio sis in November of that year, when tapes Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr RFE/RL made illicitly in his office allegedly proved cult period, today the party “is spreading Lytvyn said in his message of greetings its wings.” He said, “Our task is to that he ordered violence against journalist on the occasion of Constitution Day, June On June 28, 1996, Ukraine became the strengthen consolidation, reach out to Heorhii Gongadze, who was kidnapped on 28. He said the Venice Commission of the last Soviet republic to adopt a post-Soviet September 16, 2000, and found decapitated each other, offer unity not only among the Council of Europe called the Constitution Constitution, and that day was designated on November 2, 2000. political party, but also to outline com- of Ukraine one of the best among demo- Constitution Day, a national holiday. Two Ukrainian politicians traditionally mon policy in Parliament,” the president cratic countries of the world. Within the years later, on October 21, 1998, the approached constitutional, and indeed all noted. (Ukrinform) framework of holiday festivities, flowers other issues, from the standpoint not of Crimean Autonomous Republic adopted its were laid at the monuments to poet Taras national interests, but personal advantage. YTB says Tymoshenko must run own constitution, recognizing the peninsula Shevchenko and the first president of the within Ukraine. Following the 2002 parliamentary elections, KYIV – According to news reports of Mr. Kuchma shifted 180 degrees from his Ukrainian National Republic, Mykhailo Leonid Kuchma’s re-election as president Hrushevsky. Participating were Prime June 30, Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc National in 1999 gave rise to Ukraine’s first non-left constitutional position two years earlier Deputy Oleh Liashko of the Yulia toward support for a parliamentary system. Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, government parliamentary majority that sought to ditch members, national deputies and Tymoshenko Bloc (YTB) said he is con- the country’s “semi-presidential” The architect of this strategy, which had two vinced that Prime Minister Yulia objectives, was presidential chief of staff Presidential Secretariat Chair Vira Constitution in favor of a full presidential Ulianchenko. (Ukrinform) Tymoshenko will not repeat the mistake system. The relevant four questions were Viktor Medvedchuk, leader of the Social of 2004 and refuse to run for the presi- Democratic Party-United. put to an April 2000 referendum in April Tymoshenko comments on coalition dency.