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INSIDE: • Protests at unveiling of restored Lenin statue in Kyiv – page 3. • A cookbook from NYC’s Veselka restaurant – page 10. • New Ukrainian American writers at Chicago’s UIMA – page 13. HEPublished by theKRA Ukrainian NationalIN AssociationIAN Inc., a fraternal non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXVIIT UNo.49 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER W 6, 2009 $1/$2 in Ukraine Canada observes national Committee of Voters of Ukraine Holodomor Memorial Day concerned about January election by Zenon Zawada from 2004. Kyiv Press Bureau “A threatening amount of aggressive, intolerant information about competitors has KYIV – Ukraine’s presidential election surfaced, which reaffirms the absence of campaign is being conducted freely and political culture,” Opora Elections Programs transparently without significant rights viola- Coordinator Olha Aivazovska said at a tions, Oleksander Chernenko, the board December 1 press conference in Kyiv. chairman of the Committee of Voters of At the same time, she cited a distinction in Ukraine (CVU), said at a December 2 press this year’s campaign compared to 2004 conference in Kyiv. because “on all levels, power is shared Yet the legitimacy and transparency of the among different political forces while the January 17 presidential vote remains threat- opposition has free access to voters, media ened by Parliament’s failure to pass a revised and other resources.” elections rules bill in a timely manner, he Both the CVU and Opora urged Ukraine’s said. Parliament to approve new election rules as “The CVU notices the absence of political soon as possible, taking into account recom- will and a parliamentary majority to improve mendations offered by the Venice the election rules,” Mr. Chernenko said, a Commission of the Council of Europe. day before the Verkhovna Rada failed to Yet, Ukraine’s biggest political forces, the approve amendments to the election law, Party of Regions of Ukraine (PRU) led by which in October had five provisions reject- Viktor Yanukovych and the Yulia An installation in Toronto of 33 black flags – symbolizing the year the Famine-Genocide ed by Ukraine’s Constitutional Court. Tymoshenko Bloc (YTB), aren’t interested reached its peak, 1933 – commemorated the 76th anniversary of the Holodomor. Another Western-financed Ukrainian in changing the rules they authored, which critics said tilt the vote in their favor. election monitoring organization, Opora, The most troubling provisions of the WINNIPEG, Manitoba – Saturday, Holodomor reached its peak. Situated in reported the quality of this year’s presiden- November 28, marked Holodomor visible city locations, the installations tial election campaign isn’t much improved (Continued on page 19) Memorial Day in Canada as officially rec- attracted passers-by who stopped to learn ognized by the government of Canada. more about this crime against humanity. In This year, on the 76th anniversary of the Hamilton, an installation was also promi- Famine-Genocide of 1932-1933 in Ukraine, nently displayed in one of the city’s federal Demjanjuk trial begins in Germany flag installations were found in three buildings. Canadian cities in memory of the victims On Saturday, November 28, in solidarity PARSIPPANY, N.J. – John Demjanjuk’s The 89-year-old retired U.S. autoworker who senselessly perished in the Holodomor. with Ukraine, Ukrainian Canadians remem- second trial on Nazi war crimes charges is charged with complicity in the deaths of Installations located in St. Catharines, bered Holodomor victims with a moment of began on November 30 in Munich, 27,900 Jews at the Sobibor death camp in Hamilton and Toronto, Ontario, displayed Germany, in what most observers expect Nazi-occupied Poland. 33 black flags symbolizing the year the (Continued on page 5) will be the last major Nazi war crimes trial. Mr. Demjanjuk appeared in court on a hospital bed, lying on his back with his head propped on a headrest. Hearings are limited to two 90-minute sessions a day due to his Holodomor victims are remembered at Embassy of Ukraine failing health and are scheduled to continue through May 2010. Mr. Demjanjuk suffers by Yaro Bihun from a bone marrow disease, among other Special to The Ukrainian Weekly ailments. WASHINGTON – The estimated 10 mil- Mr. Demjanjuk’s lawyer Guenther Maull lion victims of the 1932-1933 Famine- was quoted by RFE/RL as saying he expects Genocide in Ukraine were honored on his client to be acquitted. “After all, he is not November 28 at the annual Holodomor accused of having himself committed spe- commemoration at the Embassy of Ukraine cific crimes at specific times, but rather, he in the U.S. capital. allegedly was a hand for other perpetrators, The commemorative program, titled namely the main perpetrators,” said Mr. “Execution by Hunger: The Unknown Maull, listing Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Genocide of Ukrainians 1932-1933,” includ- Himmler and Richard Heidrich. ed remarks by Ukrainian Embassy, U.S. gov- Senior prosecutor Barbara Stockinger ernment and Ukrainian American communi- said, “The Munich state prosecutor’s office ty representatives, a Holodomor documenta- is aware that this will not be an easy trial.” ry film, an informational exhibit prepared by RFE/RL quoted her as saying: “For one the League of Ukrainian Canadians and the thing... the accused is already 89 years old concluding candle-lighting ceremony. and also because some of the witnesses who Leading those present in the Lord’s will be heard here are of a remarkable age. Prayer, the pastor of St. Andrew Ukrainian But there is a large amount of evidence Orthodox Church, the Rev. Volodymyr which can be looked at so we believe that Steliac, noted that the prayer includes an the trial will proceed a little slower than appeal to God to “give us this day our daily Yaro Bihun usual but that the crime can be proven to the bread,” an entreaty that takes on special accused.” meaning when said in the context of com- Children who came with their parents to the Holodomor commemoration at the Among the evidence is an identity card Embassy of Ukraine also placed candles in the form of the cross in memory of the (Continued on page 21) millions who perished in the 1932-1933 Famine-Genocide in Ukraine. (Continued on page 8) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2009 No. 49 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFS Presidential candidate Three Ukrainians die in Afghanistan have caught flu and flu-like illnesses since the start of the flu epidemic in Ukraine, the Tymoshenko’s foreign policy KYIV – The Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Health Ministry reported on December 1. A Ministry has confirmed the deaths of three total of 431 people have died of flu and its Ukrainians as a result of an Mi-8 helicopter by Taras Kuzio of the Ukrainian World Congress of complications since the outbreak of the epi- crash in Afghanistan on November 24. The (UWC), the body that unites diaspora demic. Some 87,083 patients have been dis- Eurasia Daily Monitor ministry’s press service said on November Ukrainians, Ms. Tymoshenko stressed that charged from hospitals, the ministry said. 30 that a search and rescue group had identi- Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s “Ukraine’s strategy and its future are tied (Ukrinform) fied the wreckage of the helicopter and its 2010 presidential election program is titled to the European Union.” European integra- crewmembers. The Ukrainians worked for “Ukraine will be victorious. Ukraine that tion is not only a foreign policy issue but it Epidemic is over in Kyiv the Air Freight company. On November 27 is you” and includes a strong emphasis on also concerns domestic policies. A pro- KYIV – Health officials in Kyiv Ukraine’s integration into Europe. Ms. European foreign policy, Ms. Tymoshenko the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) delivered the wreck of the helicopter announced on November 30 that the flu epi- Tymoshenko’s election program is avail- told the UWC, would impact upon every demic that has plagued the city for the past able, as with other registered presidential “sector of our life” and we need to plan to and the bodies to a U.S. military base in Bagram. Previously, six Ukrainians died in a four weeks has ended. Officials said that candidates, on the Central Election “build Europe in Ukraine.” Ukraine would from November 23 to 29 the number of flu Commission website (http://www.cvk.gov. “never be derailed from this direction by helicopter crash in Afghanistan in July. (Ukrinform) patients in the capital city decreased signifi- ua/vp_2010/kandydaty/index.php). any obstacle,” she told the UWC (www. cantly and is now at the “non-epidemic Ms. Tymoshenko’s program differs kmu.gov.ua, August 20). Tribute to Holodomor victims level,” though the epidemic for the rest of from that of Viktor Yanukovych and Vice-Minister Hryhoriy Nemyria is Ms. the country remains in effect. In the last four KYIV – On November 30 President Arseniy Yatsenyuk in that it places its main Tymoshenko’s preferred candidate for the weeks, about 143,000 people were treated Viktor Yushchenko laid flowers before the emphasis upon Ukraine for undertaking post of foreign affairs minister if she wins for flu in Kyiv, which is more than 5 percent Holodomor Victims Memorial in Kyiv, the the reforms needed to facilitate trans- the election. Mr. Nemyria has lobbied hard of the city’s population. Twenty-four people presidential press service reported. Mr. Atlantic integration. Messrs. Yanukovych for Ukraine’s European aspirations in have died from flu viruses. People are and Yatsenyuk follow in former President Yushchenko took part in the Mournful Brussels, Paris and Berlin; in the latter reportedly suffering from different types of Leonid Kuchma’s tradition of pointing to March in memory of the Famine-Genocide’s two, enlargement fatigue and Russophilism viruses, including swine flu.