The Ukrainian Weekly 1991, No.4

www.ukrweekly.com iished by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association! rainian Weekl Vol. LIX KNo. 4 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 1991 v 50 cents The other side of separatism: Ukrainian Independence Day recalled in Kiev Crimea votes for autonomy Somber tone prevails in commemorations loving people who have perished in their Though Moscow has balked at re by Marta Kolomayets by Kathleen Mihalisko struggle for independence. They also storing national-territorial autonomy Radio Liberty came to hear today's democratic leaders to the deported Crimean Tatars, a KIEV — Celebration marking the 73rd anniversary of the proclamation of - Dmytro Pavlychko, Mykhailo MUNICH - The inhabitants of program was implemented in 1989 to the Ukrainian National Republic Horyn, Larysa Skoryk, Volodymyr Crimea Oblast, the scenic peninsula on help resettle those who wish to return to (UNR) and the 72nd anniversary of the Yavorivsky and Volodymyr Cherniak Ukraine's Black Sea coast whose popu their homeland. The influx of Crimean unification of Ukrainian lands into one to name a few - address the problems lation swells each year at vacation time Tatars, who now account for more than independent state took on a somber of the future. with Kremlin VIPS and legions of 100,000 of the oblast's 2.5 million tone in the shadow of recent aggression The ceremonies, which took place ordinary citizens, were called to the inhabitants, has exacerbated housing by Soviet troops in Lithuania. polls on January 20 to participate in a and job shortages on the peninsula. against the backdrop of the golden More than 15,000 citizens of Ukraine referendum on the future status of their Clashes between Slavs and the re- domes of St. Sophia Cathedral and the gathered on Sunday, January 20, in St. region. More than 80 percent of eligible settlers - many of whom live in tents - monument of Hetman Bohdan Kh- Sophia Square, in bitter cold tempera voters turned out, and an overwhelming are common. In October, for example, melnytsky - both symbols of Ukraine's tures, to pay tribute to all freedom- 93.3 percent of them approved a propo police blocked roads to the city of Yalta (Continued on page 16) sal to re-establish the Crimean Autono after two tent camps were destroyed by mous Soviet Socialist Republic as "a angry local citizens. There are no subject of the USSR and a party to the Crimean Tatars on the oblast council, Ukraine's cities and towns mark union treaty." forcing the resettlers to make them The event, which TASS referred to as selves heard by means of pickets and January 22 anniversaries "the first' referendum'in the USSR," other kinds of protest actions. followed a recent decision by Crimea Last year, those dilemmas, however KIEV -- The anniversaries of Public commemorations were held Oblast authorities to nullify Stalin's unresolved, gradually came to be over Ukrainian independence and re as far east as Luhanske, where some decision in 1945 to downgrade the shadowed by another issue related more unification of Ukrainian lands were 200 residents formed a human chain autonomous republic to an oblast, a to inter-Slav relations than to the commemorated by a variety of public on January 20 near the city's central step made one year after the dictator's Crimean Tatars. Crimea was part of the meetings, dedications, religious and department store as far west as wholesale deportation of the Crimean Russian SFSR until 1954, when Stalin cultural services held on January 20 Khust, in the Carpathian Mountains, Tatar people from their homeland. made a gift of the prized oblast to the and 22 in cities and towns through as far north as Chernihiv and as far Yet far from being an attempt to Ukrainian republic in honor of the out Ukraine, reported the Respub- south as Odessa. reverse a gross Stalinist injustice, the 300th anniversary of Ukraine's "reuni lika news agency based here. In one of the largest gatherings, referendum had little to do with the fication" with Russia. Many of the rallies turned into nearly 40,000 took part in a comme aspirations of the Crimean Tatars, who Russian pre-eminence on the penin protests against the Soviet military morative religious procession on in the past several decades have led a sula continued to be assured by mass im crackdown in Lithuania and Latvia, January 20 celebrating both the ceaseless struggle to return from their migration, leaving a population that is as well as the proposed union treaty. (Continued on page Ш places of exile in Central Asia and re currently 70 percent Russian and establish their national-territorial auto making Crimea the only oblast of nomy. Indeed, in December Crimean Ukraine where Ukrainians, who number Tatar spokesmen called for a boycott of 720,000, are in the minority. Investigation completed in Khmara case the referendum. Crimean officials have long been TORONTO - Stepan Khmara's land and an Inter-Parliamentary Union The vote also had no basis in Soviet among the least tolerantly disposed to defense counsel Yuriy Ayvazian has member of the U.S. Congress, as well as law, despite any impressions that TASS manifestations of Ukrainian pride and advised the Toronto-based Jurists Patrick Boyer, member of Parliament may have given. The Ukrainian republic consciousness. There are no Ukrainian- Group that the investigation of the from Toronto, urging that the Khmara does not yet have a law on referendums, language schools there, and radio allegations and marshalling of evidence case be taken by the Inter-Parliamen and the relevant all-union legislation broadcasts are restricted to a 15-minute has now been completed by the Procu tary Union. which came into effect December 27 is weekly program in Ukrainian. The rator's Office in Kiev. Edward Broadbent, chairman of the hardly an open invitation to introduce newly established International Center Ukrainian-language press is limited to a Mr. Ayvazian and co-counsel Victor wholesome democracy, Vermont-style, for Human Rights and Democratic token number of the translated edition Nikazakov will now have until into local government. That law, in fact, Development in Montreal, has also of the newspaper Krymskaya Pravda. February 10 to examine the evidence specifically rules out the use of referen been requested by the Jurists Group to Nationally minded intellectuals have collected by the Procurator's Office dum to change the status or borders of a take up Dr. Khmara's case. often accused officials in Symferopil of territory. The Crimean vote was, there against People's Deputy Khmara. The following anti-Ukrainian policies and The Respubiika press agency based in fore, another example of the legal trial will begin sometime after the of patent disregard for minority rights, Kiev reported that on January 10, Dr. anarchy so pervasive in the Soviet defense lawyers have completed their citing, among numerous examples, that Khmara had been charged under seven Union, but one which has ominous investigation. the Ukrainian Language Society is articles of the Criminal Code (86, 142, implications for both the Crimean Dr. Khmara remains in prison, where unable to get itself registered in Crimea. 139, 145, 166, 187-3 and 189-4). Tatar and Ukrainian nations. he has been since November 17, 1990. Only two months ago, Symferopil Among the charges, according to education authorities shut down a two- The Jurists Group, composed of Molod Ukrainy, are assault, abuse of week-old Ukrainian Sunday school by Rukh jurists in Kiev and civil rights authority by a people's deputy, attempt INSIDE: boarding up its doors and changing the lawyers in North America, has called on to seize private and state property, lock. the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Ge organization of mass disorder, creating Ф Conclusion of Dr. Roman neva, Switzerland, to intervene on an obstacle to a religious observance, Solchanyk's interview with Olek- Fears of forced Ukrainianization behalf of Dr. Khmara, a democratic insulting a representative of state sander Burakovsky on Ukrainian- bloc activist and dentist from Chervo- authority and destruction of state Jewish relations — page 2. Ukrainian strivings for national nohrad, western Ukraine. property. The assault charge carries a rebirth and independence have set off Daouda Sow, president of the IPU penalty of up to 15 years' imprison Ф Interview with Canada's many alarm bells in Crimea Oblast. It is Council, and the Committee on the ment. first consul-general for Kiev, no accident that the events which led to Human Rights of Parliamentarians of Respubiika also reported that Lviv's Nestor Gaybwsky — page 8. the referendum on January 20 began to the IPU have received representations Committee for National Accord on (Continued on page 11) from Rep. Edward F. Feighan of Cleve (Continued on page 2) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 27,1991 No. 4 Lutheran Church of Latvia A GLIMPSE OF SOVIET REALITY backs republic's independence KESTON, England - The Latvian 1989 Archbishop Gailaitis has been out Ukrainian-Jewish relations Lutheran Church has backed up its spoken in calling for full and early support for Latvia's independence from independence from the USSR. in eyes of Jewish activist the USSR with action, reports Keston He urged the West to give political as CoUege. The Cathedral in Riga has been well as moral support to the Latvian by Dr. Roman Solchanyk the religious outlook for Jews in U- made available by the church authori people as they try to put an end to 45 kraine? Can one see any positive move ties to demonstrators guarding the years of Soviet rule. The major Western CONCLUSION ment here? I have in mind the opening Parliament building against the threat nations have never recognized the of synagogues and religious study.

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