Rower from Ukraine Seeks to Cross Atlantic, Twice Ukrainians Worry

INSIDE:• New feature: “The News from Here” — page 4. • Lviv to be site of shrine to Blessed Nicholas Charnetsky — page 9. • A Ukrainian American journeys to the North Pole — page 13. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXI HE KRAINIANNo. 27 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 6, 2003 EEKLY$1/$2 in Ukraine StoryT of Duranty’sU Pulitzer continues Ukrainians worrWy about grain shortage to receive international exposure despite government promise of stability PARSIPPANY, N.J. – From North actually much different: “I remember a by Maryna Makhnonos 15 percent deflation and that the actual America to Russia, from India to Argentina, boiled egg – just one. It was at Christmas.” Special to The Ukrainian Weekly increase could be estimated as 3 percent. in newspapers and magazines, on radio and The article then went on to tell more about “Most of the population who bought television, and online in various publications the life of Mr. Kolomayets and his relatives KYIV – “No, we have no flour,” said flour in reserves grew up during Soviet and discussion groups, the case of Walter at the time of the famine. a middle-aged grey-haired woman who era,” Mr. Lenh told the news conference. Duranty continues to be in the headlines. Mr. Leroux also focused on other corre- sells grains in Kyiv’s central market. “The inherited behavior played a role in The Chicago Tribune of June 25, pub- spondents who, unlike Duranty, did report “The same goes for buckwheat,” she most of the cases.” lished a story by Senior Correspondent what was happening in Ukraine. “Reporters added to another customer. The bakers told the news conference that Charles Leroux, who reported that “In other than Duranty – principally Welsh Following reports of this year’s poor the 2002 grain harvest was not estimated 1932, the Pulitzer Prize went to a foreign journalist Gareth Jones and The Guardian’s grain crop and of slight price increase, correctly and was actually less than the correspondent who concealed a famine [Malcolm] Muggeridge – described scenes Ukrainians rushed into the markets dur- declared 38.8 million metric tons [a metric and the deaths of millions. Ukrainians of great suffering. One such report told of ing the past two weeks to stock up on ton is 2,204.62 pounds, while a short ton is want that prize revoked.” grain stores (the Soviets exported grain to flour, prompting anxiety despite offi- 2,000 pounds]. To make matters worse, the Headlined “Bearing witness,” the story the West during the famine) guarded by cials’ promises to stabilize the situation. cold spring followed by a drought made it focuses on one survivor of the Great armed Russian troops while Ukrainians Representatives of the Ukrainian Bakers’ obvious in June that 2003 grain and spring Famine, Anatole Kolomayets of Chicago, died of starvation nearby.” Association called an urgent news con- crop harvest would not be plentiful. and his reaction to the Duranty debacle. “He The reporter also brought up the issue of ference in Kyiv on July 1, to explain the “This (harvest estimation) was the last does not belong with the honest men. It Duranty’s libel of other journalists: “... in an causes of the shortage and to calm their drop of negative expectations ... that pro- [awarding the prize to Duranty] was shame- August 1933 New York Times story [he] customers. voked this situation,” Mr. Lenh said. ful,” Mr. Kolomayets told the Tribune. called Muggeridge’s and Jones’ work ‘an “The stir originated in little towns across The bakers, whose association Mr. Leroux wrote that “Duranty had exaggeration of malignant propaganda.’ At the country due to the post-Soviet psy- includes the country’s top 400 baking made a deal with what turned out to be the that time, Duranty reportedly had told a chology,” said Yevhen Lenh, deputy head plants and an other 600 minor bakeries, devil. In 1929, an exclusive interview with British Foreign Office acquaintance that at of the UkrZernoProm grain company and said market dealers used people’s expec- Stalin secured him tremendous influence in least 10 million people had died.” a member of the Bakers’Association. tations as the basis for speculation, which his profession. ... In exchange for continued As well, Mr. Leroux focused on the Grain prices increased about 2.5 times is a normal market trend in such cases. precious access to the Kremlin, he agreed to Ukrainian community’s campaign to revoke from 410 hrv per ton (about $82 per ton) Meanwhile, the government attacked report favorably on Stalin’s plan to raise Duranty’s Pulitzer. “Ukrainians contend that last August to 1,050 hrv (some $210 per the dealers immediately with checks on industrial and agricultural productivity and the long-lingering damage of Duranty’s sins ton) in June, according to a press release their bookkeeping and threats of punitive the standard of living for citizens of the outweighs the Pulitzer board’s contention by the state grain company, Khlib measures in cases of speculation. As a USSR.” that the award is for specific work of the Ukrainy (Bread of Ukraine). result, many businessmen preferred to During the worst of the famine, he noted, prior year (Duranty won not for non-cover- Prices for a kilogram of bread rose about take flour off their counters to avoid “Duranty reported that ‘village markets age of the famine, but for his coverage of 10 to 15 percent across the country, which problems with the authorities concerning [were] flowing with eggs, fruit, poultry, the forming of the Five-Year Plan). They resulted in higher costs to the public of price issues. However, inspectors could vegetables, milk and butter. ... A child can have read the after-the-fact New York between .10 and .15 hrv (several cents). fine them for holding back foodstuffs. see this is not famine but abundance.’ ” Times repudiations of their reporter’s work, The highest price increase by 18 percent Former Prime Minister Anatolii Mr. Kolomayets, whose family lived in including a piece on the editorial page in was registered in Crimea, but local bakers Kinakh, who heads the Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Union, criticized the eastern Ukraine, told the Tribune that it was (Continued on page 15) said the increase came after last October’s moves saying that “instead of modern market mechanisms and creation of con- ditions to make supply bigger than demand, the fiscal and administrative Rower from Ukraine seeks to cross Atlantic, twice measures are being applied.” by Peter Steciuk According to the Interfax news agency, NEW YORK – Ukrainian Teodor Mr. Kinakh said the country has a sufficient Rezvoy is making a daring bid to become amount of grain. His comment followed just the third person in the world to row similar remarks by President Leonid solo across the Atlantic Ocean and back. Kuchma aired on local TV news last week. Should he succeed, Ukraine would The president assured the public that the sit- become the third country, after Great uation will improve. Mr. Kuchma reminded Britain and France, to have one of its viewers that Ukraine had survived an even countrymen achieve the feat. Ukraine’s more difficult situation without panic in Consulate General in New York hosted a 2000, when farmers had an even poorer press conference on June 20 at which Mr. grain harvest of 24.8 million tons (27.28 million metric short tons). Rezvoy discussed his upcoming journey. To solve the shortage, the president Mr. Rezvoy, 35, of Odesa, Ukraine, has ordered the State Grain Reserve to sell already completed the first leg of the jour- some 2 million tons of grain in the next two ney, having rowed from Spain to the months until the same amount of grain Barbados in just over 67 days, according imports arrive. However, bakers claimed to information compiled by the Ocean the reserve’s officials are stalling on fulfill- Rowing Society. That journey, which took ing the order, which strengthens rumors that place from October to December 2001 the country doesn’t have sufficient grain and covered a distance of 2,934 miles, reserves despite the positive statistics cited. made him the first man from the former “Of the promised 6,800 tons (7,480 short Soviet Union to row across an ocean. tons) we received only 1,000 tons (1,100 The second leg will take Mr. Rezvoy short tons) from the State Reserve,” said Peter Steciuk from New York to Brest, France, along Volodymyr Slabovskyi, director of a bakery Ocean rower Teodore Rezvoy is flanked by Kenneth Crutchlow (right), director what is referred to as the “Gulf Stream enterprise and a representative of the of the Ocean Rowing Society, and Serhii Pohoreltzev, Ukraine’s consul gen- Route.” This was the same route traveled Bakers Association’s Crimean branch. eral in New York, who hosted the press conference. (Continued on page 4) (Continued on page 5) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 6, 2003 No. 27 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Will Kuchma outwit the opposition Authorities decry food price hikes Ukrainian prime minister’s presence does not indicate that the Visegrad Four intend via his version of constitutional reform? KYIV – The Ministry of Agriculture to transform Ukraine into an associate said it believes that recent hikes in food member of the group, but that it was by Jan Maksymiuk tion that President Kuchma is seeking to prices, including bread and other grain aimed at signaling that Ukraine “is not RFE/RL Poland, Belarus and Ukraine Report outwit the opposition and prolong his products, are “absolutely groundless” in only a neighbor of Hungary, Poland, and term in power beyond 2004.

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