www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: • Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay in Kyiv — page 4. • Interview: Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.N. — page 6. • Ukrainian folk dance in Brazil and at Soyuzivka — centerfold. HE KRAINIAN EEKLY T PublishedU by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW association Vol. LXXV No. 32 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 2007 $1/$2 in Ukraine Famine survivor Party congresses launch political campaigns says she will not rest until the story is told by Zenon Zawada Kyiv Press Bureau KYIV – Eugenia Sakevych Dallas is 82 years old, but she’s not resting until she finds $5 million. That’s how much it would cost to pro- duce a film on her life story as a starving girl who survived the Ukrainian Holodomor to become a European fashion model, as documented in her autobiogra- phy, “One Woman, Five Lives, Five Countries.” Perhaps the world’s most recognized survivor of the Famine-Genocide of 1932- 1933, Ms. Dallas spent the last month in Ukraine trying to make film and television contacts, and even recruit financers. Ivan Dadiverin “I won’t stop until I die,” Ms. Dallas said. On the left, Yulia Tymoshenko greets the August 5 congress of her “I am like a bulldog that grabs onto you. bloc at Kyiv’s International Exhibition Center. Above, Prime The world has to know about this tragedy.” Minister Viktor Yanukovych approaches the Ukraina National Palace She said she’s puzzled as to why Ivan Dadiverin of Arts, where the Party of the Regions held its congress on August 4. there’s a relative lack of interest in her remarkable story. by Zenon Zawada The grand showmanship – replete with National Palace of Arts and the latter por- Growing up in a rural village in the Kyiv Press Bureau pop stars, fireworks and mindless sloga- tion in the Sports Palace. Odesa Oblast, Ms. Dallas’ family was neering – showed Ukrainian politics have Stability and wealth were the main KYIV – Fireworks erupted from the come of age in the television era, while slogans of the Regions’ campaign launch terrorized, robbed and destroyed by stage with each step that a confident the widespread consolidation of parties in contrast to the Orange forces, which Soviet collectivization in the years prior Viktor Yanukovych took. testified to a new epoch monopolized by chose reform, justice and fighting corrup- to the Holodomor. Yulia Tymoshenko wore a traditional As early as the spring of 1931, Ms. three political giants with unparalleled tion as their causes. Ukrainian shirt embroidered in white access to resources. Dallas and her family were starving, topped by red beads when addressing her To buttress stability and wealth, Prime gathering weeds for food and making Minister Yanukovych declared in his followers – almost all of whom wore Party of the Regions soup from nettles. Communist authorities white “Yulia” shirts. opening address an unprecedented, ambi- deemed her parents enemies of the state Meanwhile, Yurii Lutsenko stirred the tious government-spending program No party congress matched the extrav- for owning property and resisting collec- thousands gathered for the Our Ukraine aimed at students, young families and agance demonstrated by the Party of the tivization, deporting both to Central – People’s Self-Defense congress with newborn children. Regions on August 4, when it held the Asia, never to be seen again. his fiery, revolution-style rhetoric. first half of its meeting in the Ukraina (Continued on page 3) Ms. Dallas and her siblings fled to “May the holy fathers forgive me, but Kyiv to join their older brother in the sometimes it seems to me the Holy Gospel winter of 1931. is mistaken. Judas didn’t hang himself. He During the years of the Holodomor, simply changed his surname and went to Verkhovyna, sold at foreclosure auction, (Continued on page 11) work as the Ukrainian Parliament’s speak- er,” he said, referring to former Socialist ally Oleksander Moroz. now under new ownership/management Well-versed in the imagery and pageantry of modern politics, Ukraine’s by Danusia Lukiw and were married at Verkhovyna. three major political forces launched Special to The Ukrainian Weekly The board of managers includes Jerry their parliamentary election campaigns Kindrachuk and Boris Tatunchak, home- as pre-rehearsed, grandiose shows pass- GLEN SPEY, N.Y. – After a six-year owners in Glen Spey, Mr. and Mrs. ing for party congresses. struggle, Verkhovyna MountainView Blanarovich, and Mr. Piddoubny. Tailored to amuse television news view- Resort in Glen Spey, N.Y., was bought by Before last month’s Verkhovyna sale, the ers and excite the party rank-and-file to the Anna Nazarkewycz Trust on July 3, UACF, a non-profit corporation, owned the swing votes their way, the meetings were at a foreclosure auction sale. resort from 2001 to 2007 but lost it after six heavy on slogans and promises, without Under new ownership and manage- years of mismanagement and failure to pay any discussion or debate, which nowadays ment, a board of managers and a its debts. According to Mr. Piddoubny, the is reserved for backroom discussion. Ukrainian investor group have already resort lost its camp business due to many All parties promised to fight corrup- started planning the future of Verkhovyna, factors, including damage to the facilities by tion, improve investment conditions and including the traditional Ukrainian a non-Ukrainian group using the resort in increase wages, pensions and govern- Festival. The investors currently include 2001, a lack of continuing donations and ment payments for each newborn. Peter Piddoubny, a lawyer from New York some poor management decisions. Each had its own emphasis – the Party City who spent many summers at Mr. Blanarovich said the UACF also of the Regions on economic growth and Verkhovyna; Philip Schepel, a tax consult- repeatedly failed to pay the taxes, mort- cooperation with the Russian Federation, ant with family ties in Glen Spey; and gage and insurance, forcing them to go the Tymoshenko Bloc on sweeping Yuri and Sonya (née Nazarkewycz) Zenon Zawada into foreclosure. He said even though the reform, and Our Ukraine – People’s Self- Blanarovich, who were initially involved Nazarkewycz Trust had asked the UACF Famine survivor Eugenia Sakevych Defense on cancelling deputies’ immuni- with the Ukrainian American Cultural Dallas holds a copy of her memoirs. ty as part of its anti-corruption message. Foundation (UACF) as vice-presidents (Continued on page 11) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 2007 No. 32 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Ukraine’s elites remain above the law Nine parties band together tion of democratic forces in Ukraine into a single election bloc. “You have made a real by Taras Kuzio business and politics, saying, “People in KYIV – Nine parties signed an agree- step into the future. ... I am with you. We ment in Kyiv on August 2 to form a bloc of Eurasia Daily Monitor big business should be separate from the are an indivisible team. A single force. The political life of the country,” due to democratic forces called Our Ukraine – Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc is going forward Ukraine’s Orange elites are facing a potential conflicts of interest. People’s Self-Defense, Interfax-Ukraine with us,” Mr. Yushchenko said. “Our ideal growing scandal surrounding Yurii Our Ukraine and the Yulia Tymoshenko reported. The bloc, with the pro-presidential is a powerful state, a single people, a single Lutsenko, head of the pro-presidential Bloc have both stated their readiness to Our Ukraine People’s Union at its core, was official language, a single Christian Our Ukraine-People’s Self-Defense bloc voluntarily forfeit their immunity. The joined by the Forward Ukraine party, the Orthodox Church and a single nation,” he (OU-PSD). Mr. Lutsenko allegedly lob- OU-PSD is collecting signatures to hold a People’s Rukh of Ukraine, the Ukrainian said. Mr. Yushchenko also approved of the bied on behalf of Ukrainian New referendum on ending immunity, claiming Republican Party Sobor, the Ukrainian bloc’s announced intention to form a new Telecommunications (UNTC) when he that corrupt businessmen run for People’s Party, the Christian Democratic party after the elections. “The new party was interior minister. Mr. Lutsenko’s Parliament to hide from the law. Union Party, the Pora Party, the Party of will not be seeking cushy jobs. It will work wife is UNTC’s financial director, and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych Motherland Defenders and the European for the benefit of the nation, the individual; the company was established in 2005 by criticized these calls for action and Party of Ukraine. The bloc is led by Yurii it will operate effectively in power and in members of Mr. Lutsenko’s extended accused the president of “populism.” He Lutsenko, one of the leaders of the Orange the opposition,” he said. The election pro- family from Rivne Oblast. Mr. Lutsenko also pointed out that calls to revoke par- Revolution in 2004 and internal affairs min- gram of the bloc, titled “For People, Not ister in the Cabinets of Yulia Tymoshenko, allegedly supported instructions to shift liamentary immunity are regularly heard For Politicians,” calls for abolishing parlia- Yurii Yekhanurov and Viktor Yanukovych Internal Affairs Ministry cellphone con- during election campaigns but quietly mentary immunity, canceling privileges for in 2005-2006. (RFE/RL Newsline) tracts to UNTC. forgotten afterward. lawmakers, setting up a national anti-cor- The Lutsenko scandal suggests that As media restrictions have eased, the Parties’ youth organizations unite ruption bureau and forming an independent Ukraine’s ruling elites remain above the press has leveled accusations of abuse of body to vet all judges. (RFE/RL Newsline) law. office and corruption against the presi- KYIV – The youth organizations of the Since Ukraine became an independent dent’s son and some Orange leaders.