The Ukrainian Weekly 1986, No.19
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www.ukrweekly.com }ished by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association! rainian Weekl V Vol. LIV mNo. 19 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 11, 1986 25 cents CHORNOBYL DISASTER: FALLOUT CONTINUES Reports reveal all is not normal 250,000 children leave Kiev by Bohdan Faryma exodus from the Ukrainian capital and by Michael B. Bociurkiw Accounts received from Western (With wire service reports) the Soviet Union's third most populous diplomats and journalists May 8 about city nearly 12 days after a fiery explo- JERSEY CITY. N.J. — While Soviet the emerging panic situation in Kiev NEW YORK — Anxious Kiev sion at the giant atomic power station. television showed pretty pictures of were quiet at variance with the official residents are streaming out of the city flowers and happy families strolling line disseminated through TASS earlier and clogging public transportation as Other Soviet news outlets continued down the streets of Kiev on May 8, in the week. Soviet officials quoted by radiation levels increased from the to report "all is normal" in the wake of Ukrainian mothers were reportedly the government-operated news service stricken Chornobyl nuclear plant 60 the world's worst nuclear disaster, taking their children to the train station maintained that life in the Ukrainian miles away, the official Soviet news according to Western journalists. and placing them, unescorted, on Mos- capital proceeds normally. Indeed, agency TASS reported on Wednesday. "A certain rise in the level of the cow-bound trains to escape radioactive pictures released last week by TASS of TASS said a wind shift caused the rise radioactive background in the city and dust. ТЋе next day it was confirmed that May Day celebrations in Kiev — show- in radiation levels and prompted an in certain districts of the region has been some 250,000 Kiev schoolchildren ing smiling Ukrainian youths caught up observed," TASS said, but it added that between the ages of 6 and 13 are having in the euphoric spirit of workers' the radiation levels still pose no health their school year cut short and will be parades — gave the impression that Soviets: we don't need threat. sent to summer camps early. Western reports about widespread "Of course there is some anxiety..." Meanwhile, as lethal radioactive nuclear contamination was much ado outside assistance TASS said. "In railroad stations and at particles spewed out from a still-smoul- about nothing. airline ticket offices there are queues for dering crippled reactor in Chor- To reinforce the remarkable sense of by Roma Hsdzewyez tickets. Now dozens-of. extra long- nobyl some 60 miles away, the local normalcy in Kiev, TASS, in its dis- NEW YORK — Rep. Benjamin Gil- distance trains, suburban commuters, leadership in Kiev was discovering that a patches, waxed enthusiastic about an man led a delegation of three Ukrainian (Continued on page 16) big nuclear leak is as hard to conceal as international cycle race in the city's Americans to the Soviet and Ukrainian to control. A TASS report on May 8 streets, and Soviet sports personalities SSR Mission to the United Nations finally acknowledged that there was were filmed and reported to be doing here on Monday, May 5, to discuss the Up to 4,000 disquiet in the Ukrainian capital, and their athletic training. possibility of humanitarian aid from that Kiev residents may not have been Soviet officials were so intent on abroad for residents of Ukraine affected may have been given full information about the disaster "projecting a business-as-usual attitude by the nuclear accident at the Chor- at Chornobyl. (Continued on page 15) nobyl power plant. at power plant During the 45-minute meeting inside the Mission, three Soviet officials told by Michael B. Bociurkiw the upstate New York congressman and the Ukrainian Americans that there is NEW YORK— As many as 4,000 no reason for concern, that the Soviet workers could have been working at the authorities do not need any outside Chornobyl nuclear power plant in assistance in providing for the disaster Ukraine when an explosion occurred on victims, and that the problems (unspe- April 25, a Western expert on nuclear cified) wrought by the accident are power in Ukraine said. being solved. David Marples, a research associate The Soviets representatives also at the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian echoed the official Soviet casualty Studies who has done extensive re- figures (2 dead, 197 injured) and search on the development of nuclear assertions that announcement of the power in Ukraine, stated in an interview calamity was delayed because with The Weekly last week that his authorities had to have time to study the estimates were gleaned from published situation. Soviet sources obtained in Europe and The Ukrainian American delegation North America. ‚deluded Ulana Mazurkevich and Irene The accident at the Chornobyl re- Skulsky of the Ukrainian Human actor, 60 miles north of Kiev, spewed Rights Committee of Philadelphia and radioactive material into the atmos- Ronya Stojko Lozynskyj of the phere that drifted into many neighbor- Ukrainian Congress Committee of ing countries, and sent a radioactive America, New York chapter. cloud as far away as Japan and the West Several times during the meeting, Coast of the United States. Rep. Gilman reiterated his request that The town of Prypiat, says Dr. the Soviet government set up an Marples, is "an artifically constructed emergency agency to facilitate contacts town" that was built when the plant was between evacuated residents of the first put into operation in 1977. Based Chornobyl area and their relatives on Soviet estimates of the amount of living abroad. residential space in Prypiat and the The New York republican also average size of a Soviet family, Dr. presented the Soviet diplomats with a Marples said that the "minimum copy of House Resolution 440, which amount" of workers was 3,700, and was unanimously passed on May 1. The possibly as many as 5,000. resolution, as Rep. Gilman explained in "When you think that there are six a cover letter addressed to Yuri reactors under construction (at ІШаїїа"А Feduschak Dubinin, permanent representative of Chornobyl) and that at the 9 n a es 6 11, the USSR to the United Nations, "ex- Rnmeinytsky plant where there's one INSIDE ^ P 9 " more information about the Chornobyl reactor under construction then we ІІЧЛМЕ. nuclear accident; plus centerfold featuring demon- presses the sympathies of the American strations by the Ukrainian community. (Continued on page II) (Continued on page ! ї ` THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 11,1986 No. 19 2 U.S. Commission on Famine Soviets OK Deschenes fact-finding trip TORONTO — The Soviet Union has response to the Deschenes Commission holds inaugural meeting informed the Canadian government's came on May 7, one day after the in- Commission of Inquiry on War Crimi- quiry headed by Justice Jules by Roma Hadzewycz the Famine Commission's first meeting nals that it has 34 witnesses who are pre- Deschenes concluded its public hear- were the following: pared to testify against two Canadians, ings. ^ establishment of a scholars' coun- WASHINGTON - The organiza- reported the Toronto Star on May 8. Deschenes Commission officials tional meeting of the U.S. commission cil whose members would serve on a voluntary basis as advisors to the The USSR officially responded to the would not comment on the Soviet offer on the Ukraine Famine, a government Deschenes Commission on April 30, and would only say that it was "under body created by public law 99-180, was commission (it was suggested by Rep. Mica that Dr. Marta Bohachevsky granting permission for the commission consideration." The USSR said the held here at the Rayburn House Office to travel to the Soviet Union and "see Deschenes Commission could travel to Building on Wednesday, April 23. Chomiak be named head of this coun- cil); for themselves the documents and to the USSR only after June 10. The corn- The meeting had a nuts-and-bolts listen to the statements of the witnesses mission is to present its report to the ^ employment of contract workers to agenda: discussion of the scope of the and make their own conclusions," said Canadian government by June 30. conduct an oral history project (the commission's work, approval of the Alexei Makarov, minister counselor at On May 8, the Canadian Broad- commission's by-laws and budget, and pilot of which was directed by Dr. Mace the USSR's Embassy in Ottawa. for the Ukrainian Professionals and casting Corporation reported the go- an exchange of ideas among members Mr. Makarov told the Toronto Star Business Persons Association of New vernment will give no extension to the as to the projects and hearings that the that the two men about whom the (Continued on page IS) commission, even though it has been body may undertake. Soviet government has information are granted permission to travel to the The meeting was opened by Rep. Dan accused of mass execution of Soviet Soviet Union. Mica (D-Fla.), the commission's chair- citizens during World War II. The Soviet offer makes no mention of man, who submitted his opening re- Ihor Olshaniwsky The Star said that previously the preconditions originally stipulated marks into the record (The full text published reports, based on Soviet by the Deschenes Commission. Judge appeared in last week's Weekly.) evidence, said one suspect, who now Deschenes ground rules include: access Statements were also made by other dead at 56 As The Weekly was going to press, lives outside Metro Toronto, belonged to original documents on war crimes, commission members present, includ- to a Ukrainian underground unit that use of independent interpreters and the ing Reps.