The Ukrainian Weekly, 2016
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INSIDE: l Ukrainian Journalists of North America meet – page 4 l Vesnivka’s e-Library of Ukrainian Choral Music – page 9 l At the UIA: artistic explorations of Petro Bevza – page 10 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXIV No. 24 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 12, 2016 $2.00 After 98 years, Surma store Rada rejects radio quotas in New York to close in June for Ukrainian-language music by Zenon Zawada ated too many loopholes to avoid playing Ukrainian-language music. KYIV – Despite an abundance of popular, With the original draft, “musicians and high-quality music in the Ukrainian lan- civic activists offered significant compro- guage, much of it doesn’t get primetime air- mises to the representatives of the radio play on Ukrainian radio stations. It’s most industry, agreeing to reduce the quotas to often played after midnight – a practice that 35 percent and to introduce them gradually has long been criticized and has become over two years,” said Leonid Ovcharenko, particularly relevant during a time of an activist with the Vidsich (Rebuff) civic Russian war against Ukraine statehood. organization. “But they demanded that the Civic activists and pop musicians have quotas be identical for all radio stations conducted a campaign since the winter to and be applied equally at all times. The bill get legislation approved that would boost was unanimously approved in committee prime-time Ukrainian-language radio quo- and passed on to Parliament.” tas to 35 percent from the current 5 per- Meanwhile, the alternative bill emerged cent average airtime, culminating in a vote in consultations with “mediynyky,” Ms. in the Verkhovna Rada at its June 2 session. Gerashchenko wrote in a June 5 Facebook Yet the nation’s legislators rejected four post, using a vague reference to the radio attempts that day to approve either of two station owners and/or their representa- bills that would have introduced quotas for tives. Lawyers and executives of the radio the Ukrainian language. Critics said the stations were also consulted, she said. Matthew Dubas vote confirmed that the nation’s ruling elite Currently, the only quota that exists on Markian Surmach (center) and Stephanie Czerepanyn (left), who has worked at – most of whom are exclusive Russian Ukrainian radio is that 50 percent of the Surma since 1978, speak with Noah Remnick of The New York Times. speakers, whether privately or publicly – content of radio stations has to be pro- are fighting Ukrainianization. duced by a Ukrainian national. In most by Matthew Dubas store shelves empty day by day. There is a “They practically became allies of Putin cases, the music is in the Russian language, sadness but also a need to fight the urge to and the ‘Russky Mir’ [the concept of the Mr. Ovcharenko said. And most of the NEW YORK – The end of an era, some re-order those items,” he mused. Russian World] today, and Parliament Ukrainian language music is set aside for have called it, but then again nothing stays In speaking in his office area, Mr. humiliated itself today,” National Deputy after midnight. the same forever. Whatever we tell our- Surmach has many items decorated by his Andriy Illyenko of the nationalist Svoboda The original bill called for a 35 percent selves, the closing of the Surma Book & aunt, Jaroslawa Surmach-Mills, including a party said of his colleagues after the vote. prime-time quota for all stations regardless Music Company “The Ukrainian Shop” on Petrykivka-decorated kitchen hood. Many “I can’t imagine how the Verkhovna of format, gradually being introduced at 25 Seventh Street is a tough one to process. examples of her artwork were either on Rada can call itself percent in the first Markian Surmach, the third-generation display or for sale. “Her presence is still felt Ukrainian after this, A bill to boost Ukrai- year, 30 percent in owner of the store and grandson of the in this place,” Mr. Surmach added. if it can’t even the second year and store’s founder, Myron Surmach Sr., spoke The public’s initial reaction to news of defend our state’s nian-language music 35 percent thereafter. with The Ukrainian Weekly on June 3, to the store’s closing was a resounding “No!” information sphere content on prime-time The alternative break the news directly to the readers. enabled stations to And Mr. Surmach added that everyone has on an elementary radio was supported by We began our conversation where the an opinion or idea, and speaking with indi- level,” he added. avoid the quotas if last one left off, in April 2015, when Mike vidual customers is difficult for both sides. The original bill 260 musicians, includ- their format was Buryk wrote in The Weekly: “I asked “We even had a phone call from a Ukrainian (No. 3822), which ing Ukrainian rock non-musical. It also Markian how long Surma would last. ‘As was supported by enabled reducing the store in Minnesota that wanted to confirm legend Oleh Skrypka. long as my personal interest in Ukraine the news, and they expressed shock.” Vice Prime Minister quota to 20-25 per- continues and evolves,’ he said, ‘Surma will Surma has supplied Easter supplies Viacheslav Kyrylenko cent if the music was be here.’” (beeswax, dyes and styluses/kistky), and submitted to Parliament on January 27 of a specialty format, such as rock, pop, Referring to that 2015 statement from embroidery, books and assorted items, – earned only 191 out of 226 needed votes. R&B, hip hop, lounge, classical or folk. The original bill set the quota for every just over a year ago, this writer asked: many from Ukraine – which began to be It was supported by a majority of the deputies of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc (56 six hours of programming, while the alter- What has changed and why? Mr. Surmach stocked by Myron Surmach Jr., who took percent, or 80 votes), the People’s Front native bill allowed for 30 percent of said: “My cultural and heritage roots are as over from his father after his service in the (77 percent, or 62 votes) and the Self- Ukrainian-language content in a 24-hour strong as ever, but reality being as it is, the U.S. Navy in the second world war. increasing costs of running the store, as Reliance (85 percent, or 22 votes) factions, period to be played between 10 p.m. and 6 Surma’s suppliers from Ukraine were while it was rejected by the Opposition a.m. It set no requirements for the remain- well as limited personal time for family also saddened by the news of the store’s have been the main motivating factors in Bloc (getting zero votes), Radical Party (10 ing 70 percent between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. closing, and summarized it, “The closing of percent, or two votes) and Batkivshchyna That means that much of the Ukrainian- this decision.” Surma or any longtime store reminds peo- Mr. Surmach, who began full-time work factions (16 percent, or three votes). language music could have been played ple of their own mortality – an end of an The deputies voted in a similar pattern between 6 and 8 a.m., Mr. Ovcharenko said. at Surma 30 years ago, noted that he was era,” Mr. Surmach recalled. getting many offers for the building that in three subsequent attempts to approve an “The alternative bill has a lot of loop- Surma was founded in 1918 by Myron holes that would have been exploited,” he houses the store – but not many offers on alternative bill (No. 3822-1) that would Surmach Sr. after he arrived in the United have introduced smaller quotas. said. “Our proposal has no exceptions – 35 the store itself. Officially, the store will close States via Ellis Island in 1910 after leaving It was submitted on May 25 – or rushed percent for all stations, at all times.” its doors by the middle of June, after 98 his family in Zheldets in the Lviv region of through Parliament as the original bill The original bill was supported by 260 years in business. Many of the books are to Ukraine. Myron’s older brother had arrived approached a vote, as alleged by critics – by Ukrainian-language musicians, including be archived and Mr. Surmach admitted that a year earlier and invited Myron to come to 10 deputies that included Rada First Vice- Ukrainian rock legend Oleh Skrypka. he is not sure how to close the store and America. After working in New York for Chair Iryna Gerashchenko of the “We live in a country where the Ukrainian may offer a “soft” closing beyond the mid- nearly a year, Myron Surmach opened Poroshenko Bloc. language is forbidden,” Mr. Skrypka said dur- dle of June. It was vehemently opposed by the sup- “It has been difficult to watch as the (Continued on page 16) porters of the original bill, who said it cre- (Continued on page 13) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 12, 2016 No. 24 ANALYSIS Chafing at sanctions, Moscow Arrested man reportedly planned Paris attack getting the visas. In a petition to French Ambassador Isabelle Dumont, protesters KYIV – The Ukrainian Border Guard has said 100 applications had been rejected pokes and pries at EU unity confirmed a media report that a Frenchman and 1,000 people were still waiting for an with a cache of weapons and explosives to Russia that is suffering. answer. In April, the European Commission by Charles Recknagel be used allegedly in a planned attack in For Russia, the sanctions, coupled with proposed short-stay visa-free travel in RFE/RL France was arrested on the Ukrainian-Polish low oil prices, caused its gross domestic Europe to Ukrainians with biometric pass- border in late May.