Rise Up, Ukraine!
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INSIDE: l Combatting gender violence in Ukraine – page 9 l “Out of Tradition” exhibit at The Ukrainian Museum – page 11 l Wladimir Klitschko TKOs Francesco Pianeta – page 14 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXI No. 19 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2013 $1/$2 in Ukraine Ukrainian American community “Rise Up, Ukraine!” rallies promotes its interests in Washington fail to attract broad support Ukrainian National Information Service by Zenon Zawada WASHINGTON – Within a framework of programs Special to The Ukrainian Weekly to promote closer relations between the Ukrainian community and their members of Congress, the KYIV – Opposition leaders spent Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS), the March and April holding rallies through- Washington bureau of the Ukrainian Congress out Ukraine under the banner, “Rise Up, Committee of America (UCCA), organized Ukrainian Ukraine!” (Vstavai, Ukrayino!) The prob- Days in Washington on April 17-18. lem was that not many Ukrainians both- The intent of the annual Ukrainian Days is to pro- ered to rise up with them. mote the concerns of the Ukrainian American commu- Though the majority of Ukrainian nity, as well as to establish better contacts with their citizens oppose the current govern- senators and representatives in Congress. ment, they’re not willing to do much to Nearly two dozen community members participat- support the opposition, other than cast ed in the two-day advocacy event, which began with a a ballot on election day. Opposition pol- briefing session at the American Foreign Policy iticians have been openly venting their Council (AFPC), with the participation of Ilan Berman, frustration with the lack of support. AFPC vice-president; Baxter Hunt, director of the “We’re told the opposition is weak, Office of Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus Affairs at the it can’t bring people to the streets. But it’s not the opposition that’s weak – U.S. Department of State; Volodymyr Viatrovych, lec- it’s the people not coming out,” turer at the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Batkivshchyna Party Chair Arseniy Academy; and Michael Sawkiw Jr., director of the Vladimir Andreev/UNIAN Yatsenyuk said in an interview pub- Ukrainian National Information Service. Opposition leaders (from left) Oleh Tiahnybok, Arseniy Yatsenyuk and lished by Korrespondent magazine in In his greeting to the participants of Ukrainian Vitali Klitschko have visited more than a dozen cities as part of the “Rise late January. “If the people are satis- Days, Mr. Sawkiw underscored that such events are Up, Ukraine!” rallies in March and April, but not many Ukrainians heeded fied, and the opposition is dissatisfied, essential for expanding the community’s influence on their call to rise up with them. that means the moment hasn’t arrived U.S. policy toward Ukraine. “Now our community has yet. But it will absolutely come.” Not only did the effort fail – falling “That’s a clear hint that he’s ‘our a chance to develop closer relations with new person- Those words caused a stir but did 36 votes short of a 226-vote majority – potential ally,’ so to speak,” said nel in the Obama administration, as well as with little to get Ukrainians excited. Instead, but key opposition deputies didn’t Volodymyr Fesenko, board chairman newly elected members of Congress. It is incumbent recent political failures have given the vote, including seven deputies of the of the Penta Center for Applied upon the United States to demonstrate support for the public even less reason to trust them. Batkivshchyna faction and seven dep- Political Research in Kyiv. “That Ukrainian nation and its pivotal choice of Euro- The most recent embarrassment uties of the Ukrainian Democratic undoubtedly will hurt the image and Atlantic integration. There are many important tasks occurred on April 19, when a parlia- Alliance for Reform (UDAR), including reputation of Vitali.” that still lie ahead,” he stated. mentary vote was held to oust Prime its leader, Vitali Klitschko, who didn’t The Svoboda nationalist deputies During the briefing session on Wednesday morn- Minister Mykola Azarov. The geologist even show up. voted in full quorum (36 votes) and ing, April 17, Mr. Berman spoke about the intricacies who spent more than half his life in First Vice Prime Minister Serhiy have carved a niche that’s distinct involved in Ukrainian politics and how Russia tries to Russia – and can hardly speak the Arbuzov noted afterwards that Mr. from their peers in the opposition. influence Ukraine’s domestic and foreign policy agen- Ukrainian language – is now the lon- Klitschko’s absence for the lack of con- [Editor’s note: For the sake of this arti- das. gest serving prime minister in inde- fidence vote on the Azarov govern- (Continued on page 4) pendent Ukraine’s history. ment speaks of his maturity. (Continued on page 3) Bandurist Chorus presents “Sounds of Spring” concert series by Matthew Dubas formed in a number of years or completely new to its 500- audience about the new songs for both Ukrainians and plus song repertoire, Anatoli Murha, president of the non-Ukrainians alike – providing historical reference or This is the first in a three-part series that chronicles the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus, explained. “As cultural ambas- explaining the origins of the song.” sadors, the UBC’s work is never finished and is a constant “Sounds of Spring: Songs of Easter, Shevchenko and Nature” First stop in Windsor concert series performed by the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus work in progress in the promotion of the Ukrainian culture in Windsor, Ontario, Detroit and Cleveland, on April 19-21. through the bandura Nearly 200 people packed the church for the con- The Weekly’s Matthew Dubas, thanks to travel arrange- and songs. As a per- On the road with cert, which opened with the Easter Canon “Christ is ments handled by the UBC, traveled with the chorus from former, it’s a truly Risen!” (Khrystos Voskres!), arranged by Hryhoriy Windsor to Cleveland, and all points in between on this tour, moving experience to the Ukrainian Kytasty and sung a capella, causing the entire audi- gaining a complete understanding about what it takes to put see audience mem- ence to rise to its feet. on a tour like this – both on and off the stage. bers mouthing the lyr- Bandurist Chorus Other religious selections were featured in the ics along with the cho- first half, including “Cherubic Hymn” by Dmytro Bortniansky, “Praise the Lord From the Heavens” (Khvalite DETROIT – The Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus (UBC) rus, and it never gets old in the over 20 years I’ve been Hospoda z Nebes), both sung a capella, “Easter Song” kicked off its “The Sounds of Spring: Songs of Easter, with the UBC. This kind of response from the ‘Sounds of (Velykodnia Pisnia) with music by artistic director and Shevchenko and Nature” concert series on April 19-21, Spring’ concert series tells us that we’re on the right track,” conductor Oleh Mahlay, as well as the 18th-century with its opening night at St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Mr. Murha said. English-language song “Christ the Lord is Risen Today,” Cathedral in Windsor, Ontario, on Friday, April 19. “The audience was very receptive to this series,” said arranged by chorus member Ihor Stasiuk for the UBC. The songs that the UBC performed in this tour provide a Oleh Mahlay, artistic director and conductor of the UBC. fresh perspective, with some songs not having been per- “We provided a good frame of reference to educate the (Continued on page 8) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2013 No. 19 ANALYSIS Politicization of Islam in Crimea PACE seeks Yulia’s release and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule, while summing up the visit to KYIV – Representatives of the Brussels by Ukraine’s First Vice Prime threatens peninsula’s stability Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Minister Serhiy Arbuzov, said on April 30: Europe (PACE) have called on Ukraine’s ones support Crimean Tatars in rural areas. “We have seen a number of processes by Paul Goble authorities to take steps to release former But, just as the Orthodox leadership is launched in Ukraine to address the EU’s Eurasia Daily Monitor Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko follow- involved in pushing the political goals of its expectations and the Ukrainian govern- ing the judgment of the European Court of Islam is being politicized in an unusual followers, so too the various Muslim ment’s own commitments and we look for- Human Rights (ECHR) in her case, the and somewhat unexpected way in Crimea. groups seek to promote the values of their ward to see tangible progress in areas such PACE press service said on May 7. “We spe- Certain Crimean Tatar leaders have been community. That means that Islam has as selective justice, electoral code and judi- cifically expect the Ukrainian authorities using the existence of Islamic groups on the been politicized not only over big issues ciary reforms.” The European politician not to wait with this until the court in peninsula to advance their own communal like the future status of Crimea, but also said that the joint task for both sides is also Strasbourg rules on her appeal against her demands, even as some Ukrainian and over smaller ones like land ownership, to improve the business and investment cli- conviction by the Ukrainian court. That Russian leaders have been invoking the road signs and the role of institutions that mate in Ukraine and to be able to use to the would not be justifiable in the light of the existence of those groups as a reason for seek to bridge the gap between the three full extent the foreseen economic integra- court judgment,” reads a joint statement by turning such demands down, according to ethnic groups.