ïêàëíéë êéÑàÇëü! CHRIST IS BORN! THEPublished U byKRAINIAN the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW associationEEKLY Vol. LXXVII No. 1 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2009 $1/$2 in Ukraine Monument commemorates 100th birthday of Stepan Bandera Verkhovna Rada approves by Zenon Zawada Kyiv Press Bureau 2009 budget by slim majority KYIV – Ukrainians have already begun com- by Zenon Zawada memorating the 100-year anniversary of the January Kyiv Press Bureau 1 birthday of the 20th century Ukrainian liberation hero, Stepan Bandera. KYIV – Ukraine’s Parliament cobbled together the mini- More than 3,000 Ternopil residents, defying mum 226 votes needed to pass the 2009 budget on snow and frigid temperatures, gathered across from December 26, 2008, before the New Year’s Day deadline. the State Oblast Administration building in Within three days, President Viktor Yushchenko put his Ternopil to dedicate the city’s statue to Bandera on signature on the nation’s chief financial document, but not December 26, 2008. without sharply criticizing it and the government of Prime Among those attending were Ternopil Mayor Minister Yulia Tymoshenko that drafted it, calling the bud- Roman Zastavnyi, State Oblast Administration Chair get “a tragedy,” among the worst in the last ten years. Yurii Chyzhmar, Oblast Council Chair Mykhailo “It’s lamentable that the nation has gotten used to the Mykolenko, Svoboda nationalist leader Oleh country’s budget being the subject of the hopes of one Tiahnybok and Bandera’s grandson, the 38-year-old person, who is painting a Fata Morgana with her unique acting skill,” President Yushchenko said, adding that city Stephen Bandera, a native Canadian who resides in budgets, which depend on the state budget, would be hit Kyiv. hardest. “The monument is for everyone who was called a Indeed the consensus among economists and political ‘banderivets’ because they spoke Ukrainian or had observers is the 2009 budget is a fragile document with sig- the desire to see a free Ukraine,” Mr. Bandera said. nificant flaws rooted in unrealistic economic expectations. The day’s speakers stressed Bandera’s role in the It projects Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 0.4 liberation struggle of Ukrainians, and noted that such percent, and an impossible inflation rate of 9 percent. It also statues were a sign of national consciousness being projects an exchange rate in the range of 7 hryvnia per $1 reborn in Ukraine. for the entire year. Ternopil sculptor Roman Vilhushynskyi created Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the former Verkhovna Rada chair the copper statue, which depicts a young Bandera and economics minister, said Ukraine’s GDP will decline decisively stepping forward, his right hand a closed by 3 percent at best. fist, as a massive flag flaps behind him. A responsible government would have decreased the The Ternopil dedication was the first of a series of budget’s social payments sharply and reduced the deficit statues to be erected, including a sculpture in Ivano- to zero in light of Ukraine’s steep economic decline, Mr. Frankivsk to be unveiled on January 1. Yatsenyuk said. The same day, Bandera’s native village of Staryi Instead, the budget consists of a $4.4 billion deficit, Uhryniv will host a museum dedication ceremony, or 3 percent of the projected GDP, above the recom- expected to be attended by President Viktor mended 2 percent. Yushchenko, who was vacationing in the Carpathian “No one will take on the responsibility of voting for a Mountains in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast for the realistic budget,” he said, expecting an amendment bill New Year’s holiday, the Presidential Secretariat in May 2009. “There is no political will for this, consid- reported ering everyone dreams of seeing themselves in the presi- The commemorations aren’t limited to statues. dent’s chair.” The Ukrainian government issued a commemora- The budget projects 238 billion hrv in 2009 revenue, tive postage stamp honoring the 100-year anniversa- Viktor Hurniak / UNIAN compared to 232 billion hrv in 2008, and 266 billion hrv in ry of Bandera’s birth, bearing the portrait created by spending, compared to 253 billion hrv in expenses in 2008. Ukrainian patriots at the December 26 unveiling ceremony (Continued on page 8) of the Stepan Bandera statue (background) in Ternopil. (Continued on page 9) Pittsburgh community welcomes Ukraine’s fi rst lady by Nickolas Kotow her at Pittsburgh International Airport were Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, Dr. Oleh PITTSBURGH – First Lady Kateryna Shamshur, ambassador of Ukraine to the Yushchenko, wife of President Viktor United States, Dr. Daniel W. Pituch, the Rev. Yushchenko of Ukraine, arrived in Dr. Anibal and Sonya Hlutkowsky Soutus, Pittsburgh from Toronto on Friday evening, Peter Hlutkowsky, Bohdan Konecky, November 28, 2008. Alexander Konecky, Nickolas C. Kotow The reason for her visit was an invitation and Ashley Iddings from the University of by Bishop Robert M. Moskal to be the hon- Pittsburgh Medical Center publicity office. ored guest at the 20th annual bishop’s chari- Mrs. Yushchenko and her party then trav- ty gala of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of eled by motorcade to a nearby hotel. Her St. Josaphat in Parma, Ohio, which was to first night in Pittsburgh was spent at a pri- be held on Sunday, November 30, and to vate dinner hosted by the Rev. Dr. and Mrs. visit hospitals in Pittsburgh to acquaint them Soutus. with the Ukraine 3000 International On Saturday, November 29, was a busy Charitable Foundation and its medical work day for the first lady. A tour of Pittsburgh on behalf of the children of Ukraine. area hospitals, including the Oakland and Michael E. Haritan The first lady of Ukraine was greeted Lawrenceville sites of the Children’s Sharing a champagne toast to the United States and Ukraine (from left) are: with the traditional bread and salt by Luba Hospital of Pittsburgh, the Hillman Cancer Ambassador Oleh Shamshur, Bishop Robert M. Moskal, First Lady Kateryna Hlutkowsky, and Lesyk Konecky presented Yushchenko, Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski and Msgr. Martin Canavan. her with a bouquet of flowers. Also greeting (Continued on page 15) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2009 No. 1 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFS Ukraine beefs up defenses Landmark year for U.S.-Ukraine relations Medvedev to Ukraine: pay up KYIV – Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign MOSCOW – Russian President Dmitry with an eye on Russia Affairs Volodymyr Ohryzko said on Medvedev has said Ukraine’s economy December 25 that he believes 2008 was a will face “sanctions and demands” from by Taras Kuzio marines, the best trained units in the armed landmark in the Ukrainian-American rela- Russia if Kyiv does not pay off its gas forces, as well as air force and anti-aircraft Eurasia Daily Monitor tions. The year, he said, was a “historical- debt. Mr. Medvedev’s remarks on Russian missile complexes (AMC). In the aftermath Since the Russian invasion of Georgia in ly active” one for the bilateral relation- television on December 24, 2008, came of the invasion of Georgia, these units would ship. In particular, U.S. President George August, Ukrainian President Viktor as the state-controlled gas giant Gazprom be strengthened and prioritized, Mr. W. Bush, Vice-President Dick Cheney Yushchenko has stressed the need to review warned Ukraine it would cut gas deliver- Yekhanurov said. and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice defense priorities, with reference to the bud- ies on January 1 if new contracts were not The Pivdenmash company in all paid visits to Ukraine. Apart from this, getary allocations to the military (The signed for 2009. The Russian president Dnipropetrovsk, one of the largest military Ukraine’s President Viktor Yushchenko Times, August 23). The president warned did not say what sanctions Moscow could industrial complexes in the former USSR, is and Foreign Affairs Minister Volodymyr that he would refuse to sign the state budget use against Kyiv, but warned that it had a developing a new AMC, the advantage of Ohryzko visited the United States. A road for 2009 unless it increased the military “whole arsenal of possibilities” at its dis- which is that it can be used to provide sup- map of the Ukraine-U.S. relations and budget for 2008. posal. Gazprom says Ukraine owes the port to both aviation troops and to infantry strategic partnership charter were signed Mr. Yushchenko’s demand for higher out- and naval forces. The new AMC, expected company more than $2 billion, including in 2008. The Council for Commerce and $805 million for November, $862 million lays came at a bad time, as Ukraine’s 2009 to enter production in 2010, will be used in Investments has proceeded to work. Mr. for December, and $450 million in penal- budget will be severely constrained by ground-to-air, ground-to-ground, and ship- Ohryzko noted that the United States was ties for late payment. Gazprom spokes- Parliament’s anti-crisis package adopted in to-ship anti-aircraft units and is undergoing active in promoting Ukraine’s Euro- man Sergei Kupriyanov told journalists October as a precondition for a $16.4 billion tests at Ukraine’s only test site near Atlantic integration. “I would say that this IMF standby loan from the International Feodosiya, Crimea. year was a breakthrough in terms of on December 24 that Ukraine’s state gas Monetary Fund. The president is unwarrant- Mr. Yekhanurov announced plans to development of Ukrainian-American rela- company Naftohaz told Gazprom officials ed in blaming the Yulia Tymoshenko gov- deploy new units to Ukraine’s long land tions, and we hope that this is proved by that they wouldn’t be able to pay the debt. ernment for the state of the military, inas- border with Russia.