www.ukrweekly.com ubiished by tht Ukrainian National Association Inc.. a fraternal non-profit association rainian Weekly Vol. LVII No. 43 THE UKRAfNIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22,1989 50 cents Ukrainian Communist Thousands in Chicago pledge solidarity with Ukraine Party's plenum: Millennium statue orchestrated farce? is dedicated CHICAGO - In a truly ecumenical by Dr. Roman Solchanyk celebration, thousands of Ukrainian Americans pledged their solidarity with The official report on the plenum of Ukraine on Sunday, October 15, during the Central Committee of the Com­ dedication ceremonies of a statue of Ss. munist Party of Ukraine that convened Volodymyr and Olha, concluding on September 28 to select a new party Chicagoland's yearlong festivities mark­ leader in place of Volodymyr Shcher- ing the Millennium of the Christia- bytsky has all the markings of a well- nization of Ukraine. rehearsed farce. On a bright, yet windy Sunday after­ Virtually ail of the speakers at the noon, characteristic of this ethnically plenum essentially did two things: (I) vibrant city, dignitaries from Ukraine's heaped mounds of praise on Mr. capital city of Kiev, a Ukrainian Shcherbytsky both as an individual and member of Parliament from Krakow, as a party leader, and (2) heaped Ukrainian Orthodox, Catholic and mounds of praise on Volodymyr A. Protestant leaders joined together with Ivashko, Mr. Shcherbytsky's successor, federal, state and city officials to unveil both as an individual and as a party what the'day^'smaster of ceremonies and leader. Millennium Monument Committee The absence of any serious dissonant chairman Julian Kulas called a "con­ notes in the plenum proceedings, and firmation of the long history of our the fact that directly after the plenum religious faith." Pravda published back-to-back in­ terviews with the three main actors in The event, which called for freedom this performance — Mikhail Gorba­ for all Ukrainian Churches, also chev, Mr. Shcherbytsky and Mr. Ivash­ focused attention on Soviet leader ko — projects an image of unanimity of Mikhail Gorbachev's upcoming meet­ Bishop Innocent Lotocky of the Ukrainian Catholic Church and Metropolitan views that, given the current realities in ing with Pope John Paul II, in late Mstysiav,head of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Chui'ch, blesst the the Soviet Union, strongly suggests November. Millennium statue. behind-the-scenes orchestration. A historic event, the blessing of the Volodymyr Yavorivsky, a deputy of the Rukh. Sharing the speakers' podium The question obviously arises as to monument not only; united according to police estimates 5,000 to 7,000 Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the that afternoon were former political the purpose of this exercise, which was Kiev regional chairman of the newly- prisoner and Ukrainian Helsinki U- broadcast live on republican television. members of the Ukrainian American community in Chicago, but also al­ established Popular Movement of nion member Mykola Horbal, who is It would seem, first of all, that the Ukraine for Perebudova, known as (Continued on page 4) (Continued on page 12) lowed that community to listen to Protests over Crimean nuke plant Rul(h leader Volodymyr Yavorivsky hustles on Washington circuit reach climax, strike threatened by John A. Kun brought him face to face with media, by Dr. David Marples construction zone was said to be UNA Washington Office government and political leaders in dangerously high. Second, there has 'Washington during a visit to the The protests over the construction of been volcanic activity within 50 miles of WASHINGTON - Volodymyr nation's capital on October 9-12. a nuclear power plant on the Kerch the area in recent times. Third, local Yavorivsky, president of the Kiev Mr. Yavorivsky, an elected depu­ peninsula of the Crimea appear to have residents have been disturbed about the Regional Rukh organization, ex­ ty from Kiev to the Soviet Con- reached a crisis point. As a result of the transformation of the Crimea from a perienced a swirl of activity that (Continued on page 3) failure of the Soviet authorities to reach health and recreational zone into a a final decision on the reprofiling of the center of heavy industry. station, the local population has threa­ Despite the recommendation of the tened strike action that is to encompass Velikhov commission, the Soviet go- the entire Crimean Oblast of the Ukrai­ gernment did not make an immediate nian SSR, decision about the future of the station. At the same time, the situation in the In a recent interview, the former Crimea cannot be divorced from that minister of nuclear power, Nikolai elsewhere in the republic, where there Lukonin, maintained that the plant have been new reports from areas that would not be started up until it had been have been badly affected by fallout from inspected by a team of international Chornobyl. experts. The implication was that it Following protracted protests would eventually be brought on line, against the building of the Crimean but as Mr. Lukonin was subsequently plant in 1987-1988, a government relieved of his duties, one cannot take commission was sent to Kerch under the his remarks at face value. leadership of the vice-president of the The Crimean Party Icaviei, A. Gi- USSR Academy, Yevgeniy Velikhov. renko, then wrote a letter in mid- The commission recommended against September to the deputy chairman of the station's operation on several the USSR Council of Ministers, A. Volodymyr Yavorivsky pins Rukh button on Rep. Christopher Smith's lapel. grounds. First, the seismicity in the (Continued on page 2) THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22,1989 No. 43 Leading Georgian Rallies all over Ukraine support alternative election law LONDON - Public rallies were held at the meeting supporting the alter­ the Lviv authorities had planned the rigiits activist in various cities throughout Soviet U- native election law put forward by U- brutal disruption of the meeting in kraine in mid-October to nrotpst krainian members of the all-union advance. A number of resolutions de­ the official draft of a law on Congress of People's Deputies. manded the removal of the procurator dies in car crasli republican elections and to support The Ukrainian SSR Supreme Soviet Izosimov from his position and for him an alternative draft proposed by a is scheduled to vote on an elections law to be put on trial. There were also propo­ group of progressive people's deputies on October 25. sals for the removal of the chief of the in Ukraine, renorted the Ukrainian During the Lviv meeting the issue of special forces used against the demon­ Press Agency on October 18. police brutality used against citizens strators and of the chief of the Ministry The largest of the public meetings who gathered peacefully for a rally on of Internal Affairs. occurred in Lviv, western Ukraine, October 1 in Lviv was also raised, the Telegrams were reportedly sent to the where some 30,000 residents gathered UPA said. Statements by members of USSR Supreme Soviet explaining the under the banner, "Support the demo­ public commissions appointed to exami­ critical socio-political situation in cratic election law," the London-based ne the causes of the incidents were read Ukraine. The protesters decided to UP A reported. A resolution was passed aloud, many of which concluded that (Continued on page 15) July 26 and September 13. It expressed Narodychi problem is not new, and Protests... concern over the shortage of medial journalists first began to focus attention (Continued from page 1) personnel in a number of areas and the on the problems there in early 1989. failure of the Soviet health authorities What is new is the acknowledgement at Riabev - who had inspected the sta­ to pay heed to outbreaks of illnesses. the government level that such prob­ tion — bemoaning the fact that con­ In addition, it is clear that many lems exist and that they are connected struction work was continuing and affected regions have lacked supplies of directly to the Chornobyl tragedy. The noting that further building has been clean food and consumer goods. Al­ key difficulty now is to arrange for future scheduled for the remainder of this year. though the Byelorussian authorities evacuations of the affected and en­ Such procrastination has occurred have drawn up a program to eliminate dangered population over the next four despite a petition of Crimean residents the effects of the Chornobyl accident in years. with at least 350,000 signatures op­ the period 1990-1995, the Ukrainian For the present, tasks such as health posing the station, and despite the program has been somewhat delayed. protection measures for the population unanimous opposition of the Crimean In short, there are some grounds for the in the Chornobyl region and the de­ Communist Party and government Merab Kostava assertion that the situation in Ukraine cision on the location and building of leaders. in the aftermath of Chornobyl has been nuclear power plants in areas such as KENT, England — According to More recently, the building zone is far from satisfactory. the Crimea lie outside the republican reports from Moscow, the leading said to be experiencing "unprecedented There have been continuing articles, domain. Traditionally, the Moscow- Georgian human rights activist Merab tension." People are incensed at the for example, about the difficult si­ based ministries have been slow to Kostava died in a car crash early on failure of the Crimean Oblast Executive tuation that has arisen in the Narodychi recognize the wishes of those who must Friday, October 13. Committee to solicit prompt action Raion of Zhytomyr Oblast. One ac­ live in the area of a major energy The incident happened on a deserted from the Soviet government. At a count has taken issue with the current facility.