The Ukrainian Week

The three main opposition page David Kramer: It's time to have page Getting the neighbours' ear: page forces: background, a serious conversation with the whitewashing of the Party flaws and potential 10 Ukrainian authorities 16 of Regions in the West 22

№ 19 (42) november 2012

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|contents briefing focus Politics Latest Transfers in Time for a Time for Action No Illusions: the Law Enforcement: Tymoshenko- Yanukovych & Co do not hide background, flaws The police undergoes Lutsenko Bill? the fact that their strategic and prospects of personnel rotations Will sanctions goal is to retain control over the three major after the election against Ukrainian the country. Society is ready opposition parties officials follow the to resist this with bottom-up 4 Magnitsky Act? 5 consolidation and initiative 6 10

Another Step to David Kramer: Steven Pifer: The West Isolation: Janusz It’s time to have a now views Ukraine as a Bugajski on US- serious conversation country that has gone off Ukraine relations with Ukrainian the democratic track after the election authorities 14 16 18 Neighbours Opinion Azarov Versus A War for the Ihor Losev Firtash: Media buzz Neighbours’ on the kidnapping of Leonid about escalating Ears: The Party of Razvozzhayev as a signal conflicts within the Regions’ lobbyists of Ukraine’s illusionary ruling party in the West sovereignty 20 22 25 ECONOMICS INVESTIGATION The Dollar Fight: Money Talks: Enhanced Security: Why the government An effective Oligarch-owned private wants to maintain the social media “armies” are set to benefit current dollar-hryvnia since ancient from the new law on security exchange rate at any times activities price 26 29 30 SOCIETY history Warm Relations: The Ukrainian Week continues its Where the Ukrainian series about ancient peoples with Catholic University’s the Yotvingians - the quick, fierce friendship with Dmytro and courageous Baltic tribes that Firtash may take it once inhabited Ukraine 33 36 culture & arts Ukraine Finds Sophie Jullien on the Anna Shevchenko: The Its Place on Cognac literature festival Ukrainian-born British writer the European as a platform for sharing talks about her debut novel Bookshelf ideas and discovering little Bequest and history for known cultures the mass audience 40 42 44 navigator The Louvre Strong Spirits: Yuri In the Footsteps of Fallen Heroes: Welcomes Johann Andrukhovych and The Ukrainian Week takes a drive Georg Pinsel, a Karbido present the third to explore the sites of significant master of Ukrainian part of their poetry and military campaigns baroque sculpture music trilogy 46 47 48

Natalia Romanec, Shaun Williams, Editors; Anna Korbut, Translator Mailing address: PO Box 2, Kyiv, 03067 The Ukrainian Week № 19 (42) November 2012 Publisher address: vul. Mashynobudivna 37, Kyiv 03067 Ukraine Founder: ECEM Media Ukraine LLC Publisher: The Ukrainian Week LLC E-mail: [email protected], Tel.: (044) 351-1300 First published in January 2010 www.ukrainianweek.com State registration certificate Print: The Novy Druk, LLC, 1 Mahnitohorska Str. Series KB No18352-7152ПР of October 24, 2011 Ordering number: 12-6950. Print run: 15,000 Bohdan Andriytsev, Director, ECEM Media Ukraine LLC Sent to print on 22 November 2012 Serhiy Lytvynenko, Editor-in-Chief, The Ukrainian Week Free distribution № 19 (42) november 2012|the ukrainian week|3 briefing| 5 November 6 November The opposition gathers in The parliament passes the National Referen- front of the Central Election dum Law that gives the president more op- Commission, protesting portunities to change the Constitution through against the falsification of the public voting and to manipulate the outcome election

Quotes Andrew Wilson on the media The expert of the European Council Lateral Transfers on Foreign Relations believes that the Ukrai- nian government will renew pressure in Law Enforcement on the media once the election process is over 1

Viktor Yanukovych Quiet lay-offs The president has made no public statements since October 31, but officials who failed to ensure high support for the PR are fired upon his instructions

Lesia Orobets The first victim of the election? Unidentified people attack the office of her husband’s firm. She assumes that the government is trying to force her into the pro-presidential majority in the new parliament ersonnel rotations began at Ukrai- mentary campaign. Hennadiy Moskal, a re- nian law enforcement agencies after tired general in the police, feels that this is Volodymyr Yelchenko the election. They are particularly no- how the government is trying to get its loyal unian photo: Ready for the Customs Pticeable at the Ministry of Internal Af- servants in place, prior to the presidential fairs, where the heads of ten oblast depart- election. The newly appointed generals also Union ments were replaced within the course of include the following infamous names: the Ukraine’s Ambassador to one day. There were also new appointments Ivano-Frankivsk Office of the Ministry of Russia explains that in the Ministry’s central apparatus as well Internal Affairs will be headed by Oleh Salo Ukraine will join the Customs Union if the as in some departments. Notably, the per- (photo 1) and the Zakarpattia Office – by financial crisis contin- sonnel clean-up largely pertained to the re- Vasyl Vartsaba (photo 2). Both “distin- ues in the EU gions where the Party of Regions (PR) did guished” themselves during the 2004 presi- not enjoy significant support. However, ex- dential election. That very year, Vartsaba, perts are not prone to think that the rota- the then head of the oblast Ministry of In- tion is a direct consequence of the parlia- ternal Affairs conducted the so-called “Mu-

The month 2 November 1917 3 November 1937 10 November 1764 in history The Third Military Convention Soviet authorities Russian Empress, Catherine opens in Kyiv, demanding conduct the mass the Great, abolishes the the immediate declaration of execution of the rule of hetmans in Cossack Ukraine’s independence Ukrainian intelligen- Ukraine tsia in Sandarmokh, a forest in Karelia. 4|the ukrainian week|№ 17 (40) october 2012 |briefing 11 November 12 November 13 November Volodymyr Klitschko Catherine Ashton and Štefan The final results of the defends his world cham- Füle express doubts as to parliamentary election pion title in a 12 round whether the new Verkhovna are officially announced fight against Poland’s Rada reflects the will of the Mariusz Wach people

kachiv destruction” when the government tried to distort the will of the people with the aid of law enforcement agencies during the mayoral elec- Time for a Tymoshenko- tion. In 2005, a criminal case was initiated against the indicated persons and they were put on the international wanted list. According to some Lutsenko Bill? data, Salo and Vartsaba were in hiding in Russia. The government of the PR reinstated them and even gave them positions in Kyiv – and has now On November 16, the US House of Representa- sent them to “the places of their former glory” – Western Ukrainian re- tives passed the Magnitsky Act entailing sanctions gions. against Russian officials involved in the death of in- They say that the personnel re-shuffle of the Interior Ministry is a sort carcerated Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. The of preparation for the return of the despicable Mykola Bilokon, who Senate may vote on it by the end of November, and headed the Ministry in the last years of the Kuchma presidency. Today, the President is likely to approve it by the end of the former minister is working at the Russian Ministry of Justice and the year. The EU is preparing similar sanctions. In holds Russian citizenship, so his reincarnation in the office of the head of July, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly passed the the Ukrainian police, would be a significant event. There is another as- Magnitsky Reso- sumption – that the large-scale personnel changes were initiated by the lution calling on current Minister of Internal Affairs, Vitaliy Zakharchenko, who is at- European coun- tempting to create a network of “his own people on the ground”. tries to apply Zakharchenko is part of the Yanukovych family clan, so it’s very likely that sanctions against another position has been found for him outside the Interior Ministry the respective (some say that he could replace Serhiy Liovochkin as the President’s Chief Russian officials. of Staff). If that is the case, Zakharchenko’s personnel combination is cal- Thus far, the UK culated to maintain indirect influence within the Ministry of Internal Af- has done so. At fairs through those loyal to him. the end of Octo-

ber, the Euro- phl фото: pean Parliament 2 passed a resolution urging the European Council to apply similar sanctions. At this point, the US and EU sanctions include visa bans and the freezing of bank accounts. Experts project that the US might also use the Magnitsky Act to apply sanctions against officials that violate human rights in other countries, including those involved in the persecution of opposition leaders in Ukraine. In a recent interview for Deutsche Welle, German EMP Re- becca Harms stated that the EU is seriously contemplating sanctions against certain members of the Ukrainian government following the US model in the case of Magnitsky. However, there is a difference between the current situation in Ukraine and the Magnitsky case in Russia. The Ukrainian officials who were directly involved in the trials against opposition leaders were simply following orders from Ukraine’s top officials, thus the most effective solution entails sanctions against those who or- dered the persecution. Otherwise, trials similar to those against Tymoshenko and Lutsenko will per- sist, as those who follow orders are far more concerned about what may happen to them if they dis- obey than they are about possible sanctions against them in the EU or the US.

11 November 1917 15 November 1945 20 November 1917 The Ukrainian regiment A group of Ukrainian im- With its Third Universal, of the Third Military migrant scientists establish the Central Rada declares Convention crushes the the Ukrainian Academy of the establishment of the Bolshevik resurrection Arts and Sciences, UVAN, in Ukrainian People’s Repub- in Kyiv Augsburg, Germany lic, UNR

№ 17 (40) october 2012|the ukrainian week|5 focus|Post-election agenda vote will push the regime to seek far more exotic tools to stay in power after 2015. Immediately after the election, Time for Action the pro-presidential majority in parliament passed a law on a nationwide referendum. It creates the threat of a Yanukovych & Co do not hide the fact that their change to the Constitutional order by strategic goal is to retain control over the country. using controlled plebiscites. The procedure for drawing commissions to Society is ready to resist this with bottom-up count the votes in referendums ex- consolidation and initiative cludes the opportunity for opposition members to be involved. This opens he 2012 parliamentary election Author: and the cultivation of loyalty to des- doors to falsifications on a scale that is officially over in Ukraine. On Oleksandr potic rule has crushed initiative and is far greater than that in the last par- 10-11 November, Central Elec- Kramar the expression of individuality in liamentary election. Ttion Commission Chairman, most of the Ukrainian population. As Meanwhile, as it repeats state- Volodymyr Shapoval, announced the a result, these people remain socially ments about the priority of Euro- official results and the opposition es- and politically inert, ready to un- pean integration for Ukraine on a sentially recognized them on Novem- thinkingly bow their heads to the regular basis, without backing them ber 12. Despite stating that the par- stronger – such as entrepreneurs or up by taking action, the Yanukovych liamentary election was rigged and Enough state administration officials. regime continues to look for other games: undemocratic, the opposition ac- Western parties to turn to, should it find itself cepted its newly-won parliamentary leaders are Preterm optimism isolated from the West and relations mandates and agreed to start work- forced to shed Despite the cautious optimism with Russia become strained. So far, ing in parliament. Of the 450 MPs, their illusions showed by the West, after the parlia- China appears to be the most likely 445 are known. The remaining five about the mentary election turned out to be less alternative. It will not criticize Yanu- will be decided after the reelection in democratic and disastrous for the future of democ- kovych for the violation of demo- FPTP districts, where major falsifica- constructive racy in Ukraine than expected (some cratic standards, threaten the mo- tions took place in favour of pro-gov- aspirations of experts in the West expected the PR nopolist position of oligarchs close to ernment candidates, although in ac- Yanukovych and its allies to gain a constitutional the government, and at the same tual fact, there were many more such and the Party majority in parliament and pave the time, under certain conditions, can of Regions, districts. Supported by less than one as well as the way for Yanukovych to continue rul- help the government solve urgent fi- third of the electorate, the Party of oligarchs’ ing for many years to come) and the nancial issues facing Ukraine today. Regions (PR) ended up with 185 ability to lead opportunity for a change of govern- Putin’s Russia does not hide its seats while three opposition parties Ukraine closer ment after the 2015 presidential elec- concerns with how most Ukrainians currently have 178 seats, plus five to Europe tion, things are much more compli- voted against the regime and Yanu- more, unless the reelection in the five cated. Yanukovych & Co do not hide kovych’s attempts to transfer alle- disputed districts is rigged again. The the fact that their strategic goal is to giance to China. This gives the Communist Party has 32 seats. The retain control over the country and Kremlin good reasons to accelerate remaining 50 seats went to self-nom- are likely to keep telling the West to its integration plans for the post-So- inated candidates and representa- stay away from Ukraine’s domestic viet territory. This will entail increas- tives of minor parties. Through brib- affairs. Meanwhile, the lack of elec- ing pressure on the Ukrainian gov- ery and pressure, most of them will toral support shown in the October ernment to join the Customs and probably join the pro-government Viktor majority in the new parliament. Yanukovych Greater support for the PR in a switched Barack number of South-Eastern oblasts Obama’s stems primarily from their ethno-so- attention from cial background, which is postcolo- democracy to nial and post-Soviet in essence. A nuclear energy large share of the population there during his first are the descendants of people who visit to the US were resettled from other regions of in April 2010 the Russian Empire or the USSR. They never accepted the fact of Ukraine as an independent state, and still look up to Moscow and the path it follows, the most ardent of which are Crimea and Sevastopol. According to polls, the largest share of their population does not identify itself with Ukraine, yet has had Ukrainian citizenship since 1991. Moreover, the USSR’s policy of constructing a new historical community called the “Soviet People” 6|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 Post-election agenda|focus Eurasian Unions, and designing of In this situation the opposition’s ect for the development of Ukraine alternative scenarios to destabilize prospects in the parliament will de- as a democratic European country, South-Eastern Ukraine, if the cur- pend on its ability to achieve trans- based on the principles of true mar- rent government happens to lose in parent agreements on the format of ket relations, civil society and a law- the 2015 presidential election. Yuriy its participation in the 2015 presiden- governed state. Meshkov, Crimea’s separatist ex- tial election, which will largely define To achieve this, it is necessary president, is already claiming from political life for the next two years. If to initiate a self-organization pro- Moscow, that joining the Customs Tymoshenko remains in prison, both cess at the bottom by means of self- Union – with or without Ukraine – is Yatseniuk and Klitschko are likely to financing on the basis of member- the only way for Crimea to survive. run separately in hopes that one of ship dues and mass voluntary dona- The frustration of voters with them will make it to the second round tions from small business. the social and economic situation in and become a joint candidate of all According to an opinion poll con- the country is strong and likely to opposition forces automatically. ducted by the Democratic Initiative escalate, as the second wave of the However, this approach risks discred- Foundation in early October, 6% of crisis reaches Ukraine. As a result, iting opposition parties before the of- the population is already willing to the part of the PR’s core electorate ficial presidential campaign even finance a party, providing they are discouraged by its failures could kicks off, if they fail to hide their inter- convinced that it is protecting their turn to Russia. nal tug of war and/or resist the re- interests, and a further 10% can po- gime effectively due to their lack of tentially join them. At present, this The weakness coordination and agreement. share of the population is ready to of the opposition First and foremost, society is ex- contribute an average of UAH 135 Many voted for an opposition party pecting the opposition to prepare al- (nearly USD 17) in membership only because of its oppositional ternative projects for the resolution dues per month. Simple calcula- stance, and not because they of key problems in Ukraine. But is it tions show that this would be per- strongly supported it. The govern- capable of doing so? The numerous fectly adequate to form and inde- ment is likely to provoke conflicts declarations of the “united opposi- pendently finance a large European- within the opposition, discredit and tion” on the conclusions made from style party, which in their time, lay sideline it as incapable and uncon- previous mistakes are supposed to in the foundation of the modern structive. Reports have already sur- convince people that they are, but democratic system. faced of demands for all FPTP- the election campaign and the com- Thus, the formation of alterna- elected MPs to join the Party of Re- position of the opposition parties, tive elites on the basis of self-organi- gions rather than create satellite information regarding their connec- zation in society, and their consoli- factions or groups oriented at the tion to oligarchs and the absence of a dation around common course is a president as in the Kuchma years of clearly formulated plan of action in more complex and prolonged pro- 2002-2004. Thus, the scenario of Ukraine, forces people to have reser- cess, than a situational cohesion into reinforcing the role of the president, vations as to the ability of the elite in technological opposition conglomer- distancing him from the PR and the current opposition to meet the ates. On the other hand, a consolida- creating his image as a non-party expectations of most Ukrainians. tion of the Ukrainian majority from leader in preparation for the 2015 the bottom is capable of forming al- presidential campaign will be re- The Ukrainian majority ternative elites. It can also imple- placed by a campaign to create a Such a situation spurs Ukrainian so- ment a Ukrainian version of a Euro- stronger image of a unanimous rul- ciety to greater self-organization and pean civilization project. ing party that is capable of uniting the activation of efforts to find an al- A necessary condition for this is Ukrainian politicians. ternative political power and a proj- the formulation of a clear alternative Nicolas Sarkozy to the existing state of affairs and an awards Viktor algorithm for its achievement, and Yanukovych informing the population about it. with France's This is for people to know what can highest be done and how, what difficulties decoration, can be expected and why it is neces- the Legion of sary to overcome them. Alternative Honour, in forces to the Yanukovych regime do October 2010 not have to try to win all Ukrainian voters over, since this is impossible. However, they have to be consistent in their vision of changes in Ukraine and realistic, guided by the interests of Ukrainian society. The formation of a civil society from the bottom up, and attaining power, starting on the local, then regional and nationwide level for a broad popular movement can only be possible if the electorate learn to differentiate between cheap populism and promises “to solve all problems on your behalf”, and real programmes. № 19 (42) november 2012|the ukrainian week|7 focus|Post-election agenda The social base, formed from Swedish people who have rid themselves of Minister for superfluous illusions, overstated ex- Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt at a pectations and consumerist mindset, Shakhtar game will be sufficiently stable to create alongside the necessary amount of resilience oligarch Rinat for such a political force when it ini- Akhmetov in tiates the transformations that are November 2011 necessary for Ukraine. The personnel that have been trained at different levels from the bottom up will be required to change the existing bu- reaucratic system to a progressive one. The West’s mission The evaluation of the parliamentary election proves that quite a few people in the West have begun to understand the specifics of Ukraine more clearly, particularly the total domination of the oligarchy, the dependence of numerous institutions which should be independent (for example election commissions and the court) on the party in power, the these illusions are more like the self- Finally, it is this “new Ukrainian absence of actual freedom of speech delusion initially seen in Western petty bourgeoisie”, largely com- and the monopolization of the lead- circles regarding Vladimir Putin and prised of small businessmen, is the ing nationwide media by a narrow subsequently Dmitry Medvedev. social stratum that is most interested circle of people that is connected to Since the existing Ukrainian elite is in the European transformation of the government. Following on from of Soviet origin or a product of the Ukraine, the consolidation in this, the gulf between the ruling colonial past, it is generally impossi- Ukraine of a real market economy, elites and the majority of people be- ble to change it – a new once should human rights, the protection of came clearer, a choice that the for- be created in its place. property rights, equality before the mer can ignore as a result of various It is important to understand the law, an independent judicial system, technologies for the distortion of the fundamental reasons for the trans- and a real representative democracy. will of the people. However, the formation of Ukraine into a modern The pace of relevant transformations West finds it difficult to understand European, law-governed and demo- will depend on the ability of the EU quite a few specific features of the cratic state. Support is required for and the West as a whole to support Ukrainian political, social and eco- the formation of a civil society in the establishment of this class and nomic order, which impacts the ap- Ukraine, by establishing thousands the activation of its contacts with the proval of their decisions regarding of contacts with its provincial and re- EU. To achieve this, discrimination Ukraine. gional centres, as well as those in just against Ukrainians as regards access In order to prevent being the tar- several large cities. It is necessary to to free travel, commodities and capi- get of the Ukrainian government’s facilitate interpersonal contacts be- tal in Europe, should stop. manipulations, the West has to reach tween Europeans and active Ukrai- This is why it is so important to its own impression of the processes nian citizens (not simply with mostly sign and start the ratification of the taking place in Ukraine, based on di- illegal migrants from Ukraine), Association Agreement and Free rect contact with Ukrainian society. learning about the way of life, politi- Trade Area Agreement with Ukraine. It also has to be more critical of cal and business culture in the EU. Association, under current condi- grant-guzzling NGOs, which, taking Sovietization, which was accom- tions, it not so much an incentive for advantage of the lack the knowledge panied by the whipping out of indi- the regime, as it is important support about Ukraine among their Western vidual initiative and the ownership for Ukraine and society on its Euro- partners and their exclusive posi- instinct, has left a deep wound in the pean route, an instrument which is tions, often merely nourish existing mindset of generations. However, capable of strengthening pro-Euro- stereotypes regarding the situation. the aspiration for self-sufficiency is pean forces in Ukraine and objec- More specifically, their expectation slowly emerging, as reflected in the tively increase the possibility of real- for a change in government, based growing number of small and me- istically influencing any regime on on the Ukrainian parliamentary dium-sized business. The people, the part of the EU. The refusal to election, reflects their firm belief that who assert themselves, often do so in sign the agreement will not only the current regime still possesses a spite of the existing post-Soviet state push away the Yanukovych regime. sound element that can launch qual- bureaucracy model and the economy A significant part of society will be itative improvements, or that the re- dominated by oligarchs and monop- isolated from the opportunity to de- placement of Azarov with Arbuzov, olies. They are completely capable of velop contacts with the EU, there Kliuyev, with Khoroshkovsky or Ti- becoming the basis for the future will be great disenchantment, mean- hipko or Yanukovych with Porosh- civil society and alternative political while the regime will be trying to enko can change anything. In truth, forces. convince the vast majority of the 8|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 Post-election agenda|focus Secretary of unspoken rules. They are concerned the National with the terms of integration in the Security and Eurasian or European space rather Defence Council and head than with which of the two they may of the Party end up in. In fact, they may view real of Regions’ competition, the rule of law and a election political system they cannot control, campaign, as a much bigger threat than being Andriy Kliuyev, under the Kremlin’s influence. stays in touch When applying carrot-and-stick with the EU strategy to increase pressure on the Enlargement Yanukovych regime and the oligar- Commissioner, chy, the West should keep in mind Štefan Füle that none of the above is a sincere follower of European standards. The pressure should primarily target specific Ukrainian top officials who are involved in the violation of human rights and crimes, by means of freezing their bank accounts, launch- ing investigations against people linked to them, and banning them from obtaining EU and US visas. A list of requirements should be compiled for them to comply with, and population that they are under the that they can currently determine sanctions should be increased or re- influence of the central media, that independently, using their influence laxed as the respective officials com- they don’t want to see us in the EU, in the approval of state decisions. ply or fail to meet the requirements. so it will be necessary to look for al- For this reason, although unhappy Apart from that, pressure should be ternative alliances in the East, with with the concentration of power in exerted on leading oligarchs who Russia or even, for example, with the hands of the “Family”, they have support the Yanukovych regime. China. no desire to see the emergence of Meanwhile, the current position At the same time, in order to normal political parties, which of “neither war, nor peace” which es- promote changes in the Ukrainian would not be under their control sentially entails the freezing of con- government, the West should take and could try to change the rules of tacts with Ukraine on the part of the previous mistakes into consider- the game in Ukraine. EU and the US, and avoiding to take ation and take the initiative into its The idea that Ukrainian oli- more effective steps that could play a own hands, forcing the current garchs will inevitably resist the swal- decisive role in the change of govern- Ukrainian elite to react accordingly. lowing of Ukraine by Russia is a ment, threatens to facilitating the It is not looking on the Association myth, too. In fact, “Ukrainian” oli- mounting authoritarianism of Yanu- and Free Trade Area Agreements garchs have never really identified kovych and the influence of Moscow. with the EU as a tool to put pressure themselves with Ukraine or pro- After all, Ukraine and its future can- on the Yanukovych regime and in- tected its sovereignty – even if eco- not be viewed as an individual iso- fluential oligarchs. They have lim- nomic – from Russia. By contrast, lated case. It is not so much about ited interest in its being put into ef- they have always been – and still are Ukraine now, as it is about the line of fect, and delaying the signing is not – a part of the Soviet business elite, bifurcation that has emerged in it. critical for them. After all, the oli- struggling to expropriate and exploit Developments in Ukraine indicate garchs have created their own busi- the region’s economic resources for the direction in which many post-so- ness empires even without Associa- their own benefit without creating cialist countries will develop in the tion and FTA with the EU. Such an any new potential for them. If the near future. The defeat of demo- agreement is beneficial for them only way for them to do so is to pre- cratic and pro-European forces in from the point of view of increasing vent other representatives of the So- Ukraine will open the door to stron- the sales volume of their production viet business elite from entering the ger authoritarian and pro-Russian on the EU market. However, what is market they control, they counteract. trends in South-Eastern Europe, much more important to them is But whenever the prospect of per- South Caucasus and the Baltic that the existing rules of the game in sonal benefit entails selling a share States. The victory of the Ukrainian Ukraine remain. This will allow of their assets, “economic patrio- majority and its European choice them to maintain their monopoly tism” vanishes as it did among will set the ground for stronger de- positions and obtain excess profits, Ukrainian oligarchs who have been mocracies in the Baltic and Black Sea avoiding competition with Western actively selling their plants to Rus- region, and erode the threat of the business. For this reason, oligarchs sians over the past two-three years. new Russian imperialism for Eu- are not really interested in Euro- Moreover, Ukrainian oligarchs rope. Meanwhile, the emergence of a pean companies entering the Ukrai- have been watching not only the real market and rule of law in nian market, nor are they interested negative, but also the positive experi- Ukraine will offer the EU good po- in the emergence of real competi- ence of their Russian peers doing tential for deeper economic coopera- tive conditions with local Ukrainian business under Putin’s regime, pro- tion with a potentially large and medium-sized business, a niche vided that they comply with a set of promising Ukrainian market. № 19 (42) november 2012|the ukrainian week|9 Politics|Opposition: election and prospects No Illusions Ukraine’s majority needs to accurately assess the potential of the current opposition. This will help spare the country from further disappointment and preserve hope for an alternative project

Authors: Oleksandr Oleksiyenko, quickly, and the government will Andriy Skumin help to speed the process by attacking its many weak points. he election proved that a majority has crystallized in Batkivshchyna: Ukraine—and it voted Exploiting protest Tagainst the Yanukovych re- sentiments – for how gime. The election also demon- long? strated the lack of a new main- The election campaign, especially stream party on the country’s po- in the days following the vote, was litical horizon. further testament to the poor orga- Despite the opposition’s sparse nization of the United Opposition. media, financial, organizational By focusing its efforts on Western and leadership resources prior the Ukraine, Batkivshchyna essentially election and the amount of admin- left the rest of the country to the istrative resources utilized by the Party of Regions (PR), especially ruling party, the number of parlia- its first-past-the-post candidates. mentary seats gained by the three The United Opposition conducted opposition parties (Batkivshchyna, a sluggish campaign in Central, UDAR and Svoboda) exceeded Southern and Eastern Ukraine, of- projections. However, this can ten nominating weak FPTP candi- hardly be attributed to the success- dates while leaving fairly popular ful election campaigns of the oppo- people behind. As a result, no Bat- sition parties or the persuasive kivshchyna candidates won in Pol- power of their ideologies. At this tava or Volyn Oblasts, while Kmel- point, the majority of Ukraine’s nytsk, Kirovohrad, Chernihiv, voters have proven their utter re- Cherkasy, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and jection of the Yanykovych regime. Vinnytsia Oblasts elected just one Many voted for an opposition Batkivshchyna candidate each de- party only because of its opposi- spite giving from 30 to 45% to the tional stance, and not because they United Opposition in the party-list strongly supported it. Similar mo- vote. Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Za- tivations pushed people to vote for porizhia, Kherson, Mykolayiv, and single candidates from Bat- Kharkiv Oblasts each gave over kivshchyna, UDAR and Svoboda. 35% to the opposition. This means Quite a few people supported them that the opposition could have without knowing anything specific struggled for victory in at least 15 about the candidates they elected, districts, as witnessed in Pervo- voting for them simply because maisk, where voters fiercely de- they presented an alternative to fended the triumphant opposition the current leadership. Thus, vot- candidate following blatant falsifi- ers granted more trust to the polit- cation of the vote in favour of a ical forces that call themselves the pro-government one. However, opposition, even though they still Batkivshchyna ended up winning have a lot of questions for each of just one seat in these oblasts. Both them. However, the great risk is Batkivshchyna and UDAR gave up that they will once again disap- on the East without a fight, repre- point the majority of voters seek- sented by a minimal number of ing an alternative project. If that candidates, commission members happens, the opposition will find and observers. Therefore, it is vir- itself on the political sidelines very tually impossible to find out how 10|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 Opposition: election and prospects|Politics the votes were actually counted lems such as freeing the economy United Opposition, is growing less there. After all, the United Opposi- from the grip of oligarchs, elimi- effective as a politician. During the tion’s inertia in the South and East nating corruption, and consolidat- election campaign—and especially gave the government a chance to ing the nation. after the vote—he looked more like once again divide Ukraine into two Batkivshchyna’s leadership a mid-level manager than a party parts. raised the most questions. It is un- leader. Clearly, the opposition’s cam- clear who makes the key decisions Poor coordination has plagued paign teams did a poor job of pre- and who should be held responsi- Batkivshchyna’s leadership. This paring for the election. The vote ble for obvious failures, including count only confirmed this, as in the failed election campaign and It is unclear in many cases no Batkivshchyna ac- vote count in Eastern and Central tivists were available to protect the Ukraine. batkivshchyna who makes outcome of their candidate. Some- The party is obviously suffer- the key decisions and who times, the impression was that ing a leadership crisis. Every day, Batkivshchyna was specifically re- United Opposition leaders seem to should be held responsible luctant to help its candidates be less concerned with Yulia Ty- for failures where pro-government candidates moshenko. Even her hunger strike were leading, if only narrowly. against falsifications in the elec- problem was visibly manifested in United Opposition candidates tion failed to garner any reaction their reaction to election rigging. were often surprisingly passive from them. Turchynov, Kozhemia- Arseniy Yatseniuk declared at a themselves, letting their victory kin and Yatseniuk hardly com- rally in front of the Central Elec- slip away at the finish line. mented on it during the first days tion Commission on November After all, Batkivshchyna ended following her announcement of the 5th that his party had consented to up winning 62 seats under the hunger strike. There is a strong a re-vote in five disputed districts party-list vote and 40 more seats impression that nobody is going to because it was “the best solution in through its FPTP candidates. release Tymoshenko. Instead, her the situation” in his opinion. His However, it had offered nothing imprisonment will be exploited as ally Anatoliy Hrytsenko wrote on that could help to turn it into a long as it is effective in attracting his Facebook page, “I want to mainstream party during the cam- the electorate. She has lost nearly punch someone in the face for this paign. It relied instead upon old all influence within her party. ‘victorious’ recognition of a re-vote slogans like “Incarcerate the Ban- Meanwhile, Yatseniuk, accompa- in five districts”. Earlier, Hryt- dits” and “Freedom for Yulia”, of- nied by Turchynov and Kozhemia- senko proposed the absurd initia- fering no solutions to major prob- kin, two other leaders of the tive of holding a Batkivshchyna Politics|Opposition: election and prospects party convention, “nullifying” struggle,” an UDAR team member tween the United Opposition and party lists and refusing to attend said off-record. This is a strange UDAR candidates in one district the parliament. Utterly unprofes- comment considering that resulted in the victory of pro-gov- sional and lacking the support of Klitschko has been a Ukrainian po- ernment candidates in at least 22 his allies, this statement confused litical leader for several years now. districts. In most of these districts, voters and forced other opposition The crucial question for Batkivshchyna candidates fol- members to clarify that no such Klitschko is why he chose to pro- lowed with a narrow gap of under initiative had been accepted and it mote himself rather than cooper- 1%, while Klitschko’s candidates was impossible to carry out at the ate closely with the United Opposi- were running well behind. In fact, moment anyway. tion. In December 2011, UDAR UDAR stole from 3% to 15% of the Apparently, the key challenge and ex-Defence Minister Anatoliy votes that could potentially have for the bloc is now to develop a for- Hrytsenko’s Civic Position held mat of cooperation between Bat- lengthy negotiations about run- Klitschko must learn the kivshchyna, Yatseniuk’s Front of ning jointly, but failed to reach an right lessons from his Change, Hrytsenko’s Civic Posi- agreement. In March 2012, tion, and other parties that ran un- Klitschko rejected an offer to run earlier defeats and rid der the United Opposition’s flag. under the joint opposition party himself of the persistent The United Opposition parliamen- list with Batkivshchyna and the tary faction risks becoming a rep- Front of Change. manipulators who may lica of Viktor Yushchenko’s and Klitschko’s allies stated that well lead his party into a Yuriy Lutsenko’s Our Ukraine- this rejection was motivated by People’s Self-Defence faction with- polls projecting more votes for the pro-government majority out any trace of a joint position or United Opposition and discipline. Remaining unani- UDAR running separately gone to the opposition if Bat- mous is one of the key objec- rather than jointly. For kivshchyna and UDAR had nomi- tives on its agenda, especially some reason, though, nated joint candidates. given the government’s at- UDAR strongly insisted Sociological miscalculations tempts to fuel conflicts among on its own scenario for and unrealistic expectations were its leaders and defeat each the selection of not the only factors that led to party individually. joint FPTP UDAR’s failure. Klitschko and his After all, team wanted to come in second in the election and gain more seats than Batkivshchyna in order to dominate the decision regarding the nomination of a single opposi- t h e tion candidate for the 2015 presi- United Opposi- candidates, urg- dential election. UDAR did not tion and its leaders risk ing Batkiv take into account the fact that the ending up on the parlia- shchyna and United Opposition managed to mentary sidelines unless Svoboda to ac- reach out to voters with their cam- they stop exploiting the cept it instead paign agenda despite non-con- electorate with high- of a plan that structive slogans such as “We will minded protest senti- was beneficial stop them!” and their focus on the ments and offer the vot- for the whole “struggle between good and evil”. ers a clear and construc- opposition. Klitschko did not fit into this tive alternative project. The scenario scheme very well – not once did he offered by criticize President Yanukovych UDAR was personally throughout his entire UDAR: Manipulators based on campaign. vs Klitschko polls that This reserved (or flexible?) at- The abbreviation UDAR – p r o j e c t e d titude fuelled rumours of Klitsch- meaning “punch” or “hit” in victory for ko’s collaboration with the Ukrainian and standing for most of its Firtash group represented by the “Ukrainian Democratic Alli- FPTP candi- President’s Chief of Staff Serhiy ance for Reforms”, was one dates, not those Liovochkin in the government. of the very few creative as- from Batkivshchyna Meanwhile, at his party conven- pects of Vitali Klitschko’s or Svoboda. The tion, he failed to say how exactly entire 2012 campaign. vote proved that he was going to keep his allies The party was devoid of UDAR had been from collaborating with pro-pres- the triumphant fea- bluffing or had cho- idential forces in the parliament. tures exhibited by its sen unprofessional Potential crossovers are another leader in the boxing pollsters. The official weak point of UDAR. It has more ring. “Vatali is used count brought victory of these than Batkivshchyna, to relying on him- to only six UDAR can- which nominated mostly reliable self and was not re- didates in FPTP dis- people, save for a few exceptions, ally prepared for a tricts. Worst of all, or Svoboda, which lured many dirty collective the rivalry be- voters with the fact that pro-gov- 12|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 Opposition: election and prospects|Politics ernment forces could not buy its based on protests and activism, ahnybok will willingly play into MPs. Svoboda knows better how to de- this scenario. The government will Klitschko cannot become the stroy, not build. merely use its rival’s strengths leader of a mainstream party be- Its victory risks playing a lame against it, exploiting Svoboda’s cause his team includes a number trick on Svoboda. Once in the par- growing reputation as the most of manipulators who would pre- liament, it may decide that it is do- radical and consistent opponent of vent him from becoming an effec- the anti-Ukrainian regime. tive politician. Everyone is offering Svoboda needs to involve Svoboda can try to use this sce- him concepts and ideas that are of- more opinion leaders nario to its benefit. However, this ten mutually exclusive, hence will require many efforts and UDAR’s unclear position. It ap- and professionals transformations. Firstly, it needs pears to promote European choice in public governance, to shed its image as a xenophobic while not seeing the increasing and anti-Semitic party orches- role of the Russian language in economics and education trated by pro-Russian forces. Oth- Ukraine and close friendship with erwise, it will never have the sup- Moscow as barriers to that. These ing everything right and discon- port of the moderate electorate, people seem to be preventing tinue its political development. while the EU might count on Yan- Klitschko from realizing how cru- Until now a “street” party, it may ukovych or another PR candidate cial many things are for UDAR as a fail to transform into a proper par- in the second round, thus giving party that aims to lead the opposi- liamentary one, and end up doing the regime the green light to ar- tion: it should admit that Ukraine virtually nothing but blocking mi- ranging the outcome it needs at has no free market; offer an alter- crophones, fighting with any price. Secondly, Svoboda must native to the tycoon-controlled Party of Regions MPs or attract and involve more opinion economy; and determine the cen- quarrelling with the Com- leaders and professionals in public tral elements upon which national munist Party. That would governance, economics and educa- identity will be shaped. quickly push it to the side- tion – especially from Central and Otherwise, it does not qualify lines, and the government South-eastern Ukraine. Mean- as an opposition party. That is would make every ef- while, it should push aside part of partly the reason why Klitschko fort to help it get the “old guard” that still turns to and his party did worse in the elec- there. It may also rhetoric and policy typical for mar- tion than they had expected. They face harassment ginal ultra-radical forces, not that failed to communicate a clear aimed at damag- of a party with political leadership agenda to potential voters. In- ing its reputation ambitions. Last but not least, Svo- stead, UDAR’s campaign fea- as “the only party boda needs to upgrade its agenda tured people who wanted to that does not sell to make it more realistic in the cur- use Klitschko to their benefit its votes” which rent global and local arenas, stat- or work for different politi- was a major ing a clear vision of the changes cal forces. source of its 10% necessary to implement it in the Now Klitschko must in the election. best interest of Ukrainian voters. learn the right lessons from Svoboda’s suc- Until now, Svoboda – like Bat- his earlier defeats and rid himself cess in the election kivshchyna and UDAR – has not of the persistent manipulators who is likely to push the raised or analysed certain crucial may well lead his party into a pro- government to imple- issues for society such as the dam- government majority. That would ment a scenario dis- age done by oligarchs to the econ- be the end of his political career. If cussed earlier, yet omy, monopolization and manipu- UDAR wants to increase its politi- hardly realistic until lation of the print media market cal weight, it must change its team recently. It might use that is squeezing out Ukrainian- and its platform to stand apart loyal media to manip- language publications, and the from those of minor parties. ulate public opinion russification of the book publish- and lead Oleh Tiahny- ing industry. Its alternative project Svoboda: From rallies to bok, Svoboda’s leader, should offer constructive solutions the parliament portrayed as the best rival to the problems facing society at Unlike Batkivshchyna and UDAR, of Viktor Yanukovych, the moment. Otherwise, the reboot Svoboda’s candidates in the new into the second tour of that the majority of voters are parliament are unlikely to join the the presidential election, looking forward to will not take pro-government wing. Even if it while also fuelling fears of place once again. has potential crossovers, tough rising Ukrainian neo-Na- In order to become a viable al- party discipline will prevent them zism. This would repeat ternative to the current regime, from switching sides. Svoboda has the campaigns of 1996 in Svoboda will have to transform an ideology and a clear position, Russia with Yeltsin versus into a constructive rightist party well-organized local teams, de- Ziuganov, or 1999 in that can protect the interests of the voted activists, and the potential to Ukraine with Kuchma Ukrainian majority from the ultra- attract more voters. Its key prob- versus Symonenko, right populist party that it is now. lem is the lack of qualified people where most voters stood Unless that happens, it will quickly in specific industries who could of- up against the Commu- lose its support and end up with fer an alternative project. With nist threat. This does not the same core electorate of barely most of its early experience mean that Svoboda or Ti- 4% that it garnered in 2011. № 19 (42) november 2012|the ukrainian week|13 Politics|US & Ukraine Another Step to Isolation Author: fter the contested election of non-urgent international issues. Janusz victory of the Party of Re- This is partly due to Ukraine’s Bugajski gions, Ukraine will feel in- democratic regression and partly a Acreasingly alone and aban- consequence of America’s relega- doned by the West. The U.S. ad- tion of the broader Eastern Europe ministration, several EU and former Soviet Union as a governments, and the OSCE (Or- lesser geopolitical concern than ganization for Security and Coop- the Middle East or South Asia and eration in Europe) have described East Asia. the parliamentary ballot as a step As a by-product of the Obama backward for Ukrainian democ- administration’s “reset” policy to- racy, while U.S. Secretary of State ward Moscow, launched in early Hilary Clinton urged Kyiv to put 2009, Washington curtailed if not an “immediate end” to “the selec- completely discarded its campaign while more effectively preparing tive prosecution and detention of to enlarge NATO and secure the the country for eventual NATO ac- political opponents.” Having ig- post-Soviet neighbourhood within cession in line with the final decla- nored previous admonitions from Western structures. This has left ration at NATO’s Bucharest Sum- Washington and Brussels, the Re- the Central and East European mit in April 2008. gions government may instead states bordering Russia more ex- However, the “common values seek to tighten the Presidential posed and vulnerable to Moscow’s and interests” that the Partnership grip and move Ukraine closer to pressures and integrationist ma- envisaged seem to be evaporating, the Russian and Belarusian politi- neuvers. Whereas a Mitt Romney with both Ukraine and the U.S. cal model. presidency may have challenged veering away from each other. It was hoped that the parlia- Russia on its regional ambitions Ukraine’s “values” have not in- mentary elections, if conducted ac- and its internal authoritarianism, cluded democratic development, cording to Western standards, Obama’s softer approach is likely while its strategic interests have would launch a new chapter in Ky- to continue during his second diverged from the Euro-Atlantic iv’s relations with Europe and the mandate. path. It is difficult for the U.S. or U.S., by re-energizing the EU As- Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, any other country to defend sociation Agreement, sealing an and Georgia are not priority inter- Ukraine’s sovereignty if the gov- enhanced free-trade accord with ests for the current American Ad- ernment has chosen to expose it- the Union, raising prospects for ministration, whether in terms of self more extensively to Russia’s the release of International Mone- democratic development, national pressure tactics because of its tary Fund (IMF) resources, and re- sovereignty, or their strategic loca- alienation from the West. vamping relations with Washing- tion. The focus has been on estab- Since the Yanukovych admin- ton. Unfortunately, Ukraine now lishing a working relationship with istration took office in 2010, sev- finds itself caught between its own Russia in such spheres as arms eral meetings of the Ukraine-U.S. political failings, the EU’s internal control, counter-proliferation, and Strategic Partnership Commission preoccupations, and America’s anti-terrorism, even at the cost of have taken place, and three new strategic disinterest. With a more neglecting or relegating new or as- groups were formed to focus on alienated West and a diminishing piring allies. peaceful nuclear energy develop- international reputation, Kyiv will The Ukraine-U.S. Strategic ment, political dialogue and the Janusz Bugajski have even less leverage to resist Partnership, signed in December rule of law, and science and tech- is a Senior Russia's neo-imperial ambitions. 2008 during the waning days of nology. Although some high-level Associate at the George W. Bush Administra- meetings have been staged, there the Center for American Perspectives tion, was intended to give struc- is growing uncertainty whether Strategic and While Ukraine moves closer to- ture and content to the relation- these will continue and if the Part- International ward quasi-authoritarianism, the ship with Kyiv. However, the Part- nership will have any durable im- Studies in re-election of President Barack nership has not been significantly pact. Washington DC and the author Obama will ensure that Kyiv is developed by the Obama White Despite these setbacks, not ev- of 18 books shifted further to the rear of U.S. House, as there has been little im- erything is necessarily lost. If the on Europe, foreign policy. In the past four petus from either side. It was Ukrainian authorities are serious Russia, and years, Ukraine has slipped from based on the assumption that Kyiv about upholding the country’s sov- trans-Atlantic the second tier of U.S. foreign pol- would make strides in strengthen- ereignty and maintaining their relations. icy priorities into a tertiary sphere ing democracy and the rule of law freedom of choice in international 14|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 US & Ukraine |Politics the Association Agreement and ber security, and Moldovan integ- Free Trade accord. The adminis- rity. A domestic focus on reforming tration will need to consult closely the security and defense sectors with Brussels, as it will not want to consistent with NATO standards be out of step with its European will also substantially enhance the partners. country’s prospects. For its part, the U.S. administration should not NATO Contexts be passive but can reach out to the Ukraine’s decision on its “non-bloc new government. It can offer ad- status” means that the authorities vise on how best Ukraine can no longer aspire to join the Alli- strengthen its practical coopera- ance or envisage closer integration tion with the Alliance and extend with NATO. Although the rationale technical assistance to promote for neutrality was presumably to the reform agenda. improve relations with Russia, Moscow views it as a sign of weak- OSCE Opportunities ness in its offensive against NATO. One additional development dur- Ukraine’s estrangement will also ing 2013 provides Kyiv with an op- diminish Washington’s ability to portunity and a test of its commit- offer political support for Ukraine’s ment to Western values and inter- assimilation into the EU. Under ests. Ukraine’s chairmanship of the Yanukovych-Party of Regions the OSCE next year can either government no high-level Ukraine- strengthen the country’s standing

фото: unian фото: NATO meetings have been held in in the West or it will underscore conjunction with the last three that the government is sliding into allegiances then more work must NATO summits. This reflects both the OSCE’s authoritarian camp led be done to develop the Partnership the lack of an agenda and an ab- by the Russian Federation. with America. In a recent report sence of political will. It may also The main risks for the OSCE sponsored by the U.S.-Ukraine indicate that Kyiv is succumbing to chairmanship are increasing evi- Foundation in Washington, lead- pressure from Moscow to distance dence that Ukrainian democracy is ing American policy analysts listed itself both from the Alliance and eroding and falling short of the a range of constructive initiatives from Washington. standards exhibited by the OSCE’s for Kyiv. For instance, it can make If the new government wants democratic bloc. To stem and re- better use of U.S. technical assis- to demonstrate its commitment to verse such presumptions, Kyiv tance in implementing defense re- Ukraine’s independence and dis- should highlight the OSCE’s hu- forms. It can also improve the play to President Putin that it does man dimension agenda, which in- business climate to attract Ameri- not take instructions from his of- cludes democracy promotion. In can investment, including in key fice, then it should reset its rela- particular, this means upholding economic sectors such as high- tions with NATO. Ukraine’s decla- the mission of the Office of Demo- tech industries, aircraft construc- ration of non-bloc status may not cratic Institutions and Human tion, hydrocarbon and nuclear en- in itself hinder the content of Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw as the ergy, energy efficiency, alternative Ukraine-NATO relations. Indeed, primary monitor of democratic de- sources of energy, and agriculture. Kyiv can work more closely with velopment and human rights A number of economic agree- incoming officials in the second throughout the OSCE region. In ments can also be concluded by Obama administration to intensify recent years, ODIHR has been un- both partners, such as broadening cooperation with the Alliance, in- der considerable attack from Mos- the assortment of Ukrainian ex- cluding the country’s inclusion in cow for exposing election viola- ports on the U.S. market; minimiz- NATO missions and activities. tions in Russia and other post-So- ing trade barriers; and further lib- Even without joining NATO, viet states. eralizing the bilateral trade regime active participation in Alliance op- As OSCE chair, the Ukrainian through conclusion of a Ukraine- erations is a form of self-defense government should also engage in U.S. free trade agreement. Wash- for Ukraine. It enables greater mil- initiatives on arms control and nu- ington can also increase technical itary and political inter-operability clear non-proliferation. It can assistance to help Kyiv attract for- with the West as a shield against thereby strengthen its reputation eign investment to develop unwanted pressures from the East. as a country that voluntarily sur- Ukraine’s natural gas sources and Participation in the closing stages rendered its nuclear weapons and thereby reduce its dependence on of the Afghanistan mission is one highly enriched uranium in order imported energy which comes at a of the few arenas where the coun- to advance confidence building and political price. try can improve its international security throughout Europe and The U.S. government can also reputation and enhance its rela- Eurasia. At the very least, it will intensify its efforts to develop the tions with Washington. keep Kyiv in the spotlight. Other- Ukraine-NATO dialogue. But a Kyiv can also become more ac- wise, continuing estrangement much more difficult decision for tively engaged in regional security from the West will simply drive the Washington in the aftermath of discussions and formulate clear country into Russia’s arms, and as the Ukrainian elections is whether Ukrainian positions on such ques- we know from history Moscow to urge the EU to proceed with an tions as conventional arms con- finds it difficult to let go of allies early signature and ratification of trol, European missile defense, cy- that it has closely embraced. № 19 (42) november 2012|the ukrainian week|15 Politics|Sanctions against Ukrainian authorities David Kramer: We’ve been talking about carrots for too long. Carrots don’t work. It’s time to have a serious conversation Interviewer: avid Kramer is president of Nataliya Freedom House. This sum- Gumenyuk, mer Freedom House warned USA DKyiv about possible sanctions against Ukrainian top officials. After the October parliamentary election, David Kramer talks about sanctions as a necessary step similar to measures against Russia.

UW: Freedom House published a in terms of cooperation with the It’s discouraging to see this critical report “Sounding the OSCE. This has been highlighted in sort of violations and violence. Alarm Round 2: Protecting De- comments from the OSCE-ODIHR, Such developments do not create mocracy in Ukraine” in July, say- the US Department of State, and the necessary ground for solving ing that Ukraine may head down other observers. political conflicts. They further po- a path toward autocracy and larize the situation and raise kleptocracy. Quite a few concerns UW: Did the campaign meet your doubts about election results. were linked to the parliamentary expectations? election. How do you see the We started the monitoring UW: How would you comment election against the backdrop of well in advance this time. Hillary on the fact that the Ukrainian the report and your earlier obser- Clinton and Catherine Ashton government keeps ignoring vations? wrote a great article about the warnings from the West? I must say that your government abuse of administrative re- We do find it surprising. We ignored most of our remarks, unfor- sources, pressure on the media, had meetings on the highest level, tunately. Ukraine will head the the Central Election Commission, including with President Yanu- OSCE in 2013. However, our con- and voter bribery. But it was pub- kovych. The Ukrainian government cern is that Kyiv failed to comply lished only a week before the talks about commitments but then with its commitments to the OSCE election, and that was too late. A has no intention to fulfill them. I’m to hold a fair and transparent elec- warning like that should be dis- afraid that we’ve reached the stage tion. Ukraine has made a step back closed at least a month before the when the only way to move some- election takes place. Eventually, thing is through punishment – i.e., BIO David J. Kramer is President of Freedom House, which he we saw the violations similar to targeted sanctions. Incentives, it ap- joined in October 2010. Prior to joining Freedom House, those in the widely criticized local pears, will not change the way the Kramer was a Senior Transatlantic Fellow at the German Mar- election in 2010. In nationwide government behaves. We’ve been shall Fund of the United States. Before joining GMF, Kramer terms, this year’s parliamentary talking about carrots for too long. served as Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human election was the worst since the Carrots haven’t worked. It’s time to Rights, and Labor from March 2008 to January 2009. He also rerun of the presidential election have a serious conversation. Delay- was a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and in 2004. ing the signing of the Association Eurasian Affairs, responsible for Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Agreement and DCFTA didn’t work. Belarus affairs as well as regional non-proliferation issues. Be- UW: Many serious violations and I can only assume that President fore joining the U.S. Government, Kramer was a Senior Fellow wide-scale falsifications in favour Yanukovych is not truly interested at the Project for the New American Century, Associate Direc- of pro-government candidates in tor of the Russian and Eurasian Program at the Carnegie En- in signing them. So, I see no other dowment for International Peace, and Assistant Director of first-past-the-post districts were way than taking serious measures. I Russian and Eurasian Studies at the Center for Strategic and reported during the vote count. reluctantly have come to the conclu- International Studies, all in Washington. Kramer received his Just take the scandal in Pervo- sion that applying sanctions, espe- M.A. in Soviet studies from Harvard University and his B.A. in maisk, Mykolayiv Oblast.H ow do cially against certain officials, is the Soviet Studies and Political Science from Tufts University. you assess this situation? only alternative. 16|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 UW: How can the outcome of the US election affect its relations with Ukraine? There will be no much difference. UW: Before the Ukrainian parliamentary election, Russian opposition activist Leonid Razvo- zhayev was kidnapped in Kyiv after he came to Ukraine to ask for political asylum. What do you think about this? It was definitely kidnapping. It’s hard to say whether the Ukrainian government helped Russian special services, whether it knew about what happened, or whether it merely turned a blind eye to this. However, it allowed another government’s security services to kidnap a person on its territory. We are not concerned – we are outraged! This is the return to Soviet-style methods. We haven’t seen anything like this for a long time. Moreover, the government of Ukraine seems to be barely embarrassed by the fact that

hoto: unian P hoto: special services of another country feel like home in its territory. It UW: What does this mean? should launch an investigation into Freedom House will soon call how this happened. for serious consideration of personal sanctions. These will first UW: After the parliamentary of all include refusal to grant vi- campaign ended, where do you sas to some Ukrainian officials see the biggest problems in responsible for the violations. Of Ukraine? course, these measures will not Selective justice, persecution be taken immediately, but the of political opponents and corrup- talk of them will take on a much tion on the highest levels. The more serious scale. It’s very im- Ukrainian government is com- portant that the US Congress pletely responsible for this. The passed the Magnitsky legislation biggest threat is corruption, in- dealing with Russia first, since cluding the “familyzation”. This the situation there is much word was frequently used in April worse, but after that, the focus among people who were discuss- should turn to Ukraine. In the ing how the president’s family al- case of Russia, the Magnitsky Act legedly gains personally from his will not only bar officials in- position, and strengthens itself as volved in the death of the Rus- one of the power centres. sian lawyer from entering the US, but allow freezing of their UW: You are looking at the situa- assets. tion with democracy in Ukraine in the context of its presidency at UW: The Congress suggested OSCE in 2013. What can this sanctions against Ukrainian offi- mean for OSCE? cials involved in human rights vi- Kazakhstan headed OSCE in olations in July. In September, 2010… and it was not a great year the Senate passed a resolution for the organization though it sur- demanding the release of Yulia vived. I really hope Ukraine won’t Tymoshenko. In both cases, these do damage to the OSCE. Heading were just declarations. it means even more responsibility So far, this has been the most to fulfill the commitments in the serious step against the Ukrainian human dimension. The chair government. More importantly, should be a role model, and what there was not one vote against it in kind of model can Ukraine be to- the Senate. day?

Politics|Sanctions against Ukrainian authorities Steven Pifer: The West now views Ukraine as a country that has gone off the democratic track

Interviewer teven Pifer, long-time diplo- Natalia mat and US Ambassador to Gumenyuk, Ukraine in 1998-2000, has USA Sbeen known for reserved comments on the Ukrainian government. However, in his latest interview for The Ukrainian Week, Pifer sharply criticized the backslide on democracy in Ukraine and outlined the impact the October parliamentary election might have on the Ukrainian government’s future relationship with the West. were ready to say that would have ing thing about that was that not a UW: Can you comment on the been enough for us to engage single senator spoke out against statement from the US State De- Ukraine in a more positive way. the resolution — and the US Con- partment and the reaction of That argument can’t be made now gress has been very friendly to- other Western countries regard- because the election process was wards Ukraine for the past 20 ing the Ukrainian election? not seen as a step forward. I think years. Now no-one is ready to de- If you look at how the US State Washington and other capitals will fend the Ukrainian government. Department, the EU and most Eu- see this as just another piece of evi- That suggests that the Congress ropean capitals reacted, it was dence of the Yanukovych Adminis- now views Ukraine as a country pretty much a sense of disappoint- tration moving away from a demo- that has gone off the democratic ment about this election. It is not cratic course. It cannot be good for track. That’s a real problem. so much about what happened on Ukraine’s relations with the US and Sunday (October 28, the election Europe. UW: What do you mean when day – Ed.) because the voting you talk about sanctions? looked like it went fairly well. It’s UW: Could you explain the latest I’d like to make it clear that what happened before, like the statement from the State Depart- there is a separation between the abuse of administrative resources, ment and the resolution from the Ukrainian government and the uneven access to the media, ques- US Congress and Senate? What Ukrainian people. The resolutions tions about the transparency of do they mean? targeted specific individuals who the Central Election Commission’s Both resolutions reflect what are responsible for the democratic operations. And, of course two of the Congress really thinks about regression that we are witnessing. the main opposition leaders, Yulia Ukraine. Administration officials I think it is still too early to talk Tymoshenko and Yuriy Lutsenko, have said that they are not consid- about the application of real sanc- were in jail. Compared to the pres- ering sanctions against Ukraine at tions by the Congress. What Kyiv idential election in 2010 or parlia- this point. However, the most re- should find worrisome is the fact mentary elections in 2006 and cent resolution put forward by that this conversation was not 2007, this election was a signifi- Senator Richard Durbin and ap- even being held just a year-and-a- cant step backwards. proved by the Senate in Septem- half ago. ber, called for visa sanctions UW: So, now that election is over against specific Ukrainians. I UW: Has there been a precedent and the State Department has know that some in Ukraine said of applying similar sanctions? commented on it, what’s next? that the process was not correct or The Congress has just passed the I think we will have to wait and that it was not legitimate (among Magnitsky Act, but the Senate see. The Yanukovych Administra- others, the Ukrainian Ministry of has not. What does this mean? tion had the chance to run a good Foreign Affairs issued such a The House of Representatives election and get good marks. Some statement – Ed.). The most strik- voted on November 16 to pass the 18|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 Sanctions against Ukrainian authorities |Politics election. In both cases, the pro- BIO cesses seemed to be not as good as Steven Pifer was the United States Ambassador to Ukraine the presidential election in early from 1998-2000. He is now Senior Advisor with the Wash- ington-based Brookings Institution focusing on arm con- 2010 or the parliamentary elec- trols in Ukraine and Russia. He served at the State Depart- tions in 2006 and 2007. Another ment for over 25 years and the US embassies in London, concern is the way that the Consti- Moscow, Geneva and Warsaw. In 1996-1997, Mr. Pifer was tutional Court just decided to tear special assistant to the president and National Security up the Constitution it had been Council senior director for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia. operating under for five years, and change it to grant more power to I think the Administration of the President. There is also con- Barack Obama has been quite criti- cern about how the Verkhovna cal of Russia. The number of state- Rada has operated, and the arrests ments made by the White House of other members of the previous and the State Department concern- government that are now in jail. ing democracy developments in That is something that never hap- Russia within the past four years pened in Ukraine before. Only un- has been striking. You will proba- der this Administration have you bly find more statements by the had cases where officials from a Obama Administration than you previous government that lost did from the Bush Administration. went to jail. When it comes to Ukraine should not only be consid- charges against Tymoshenko for ered in the context of relations with abuse of power because she alleg- Russia. Ukraine may be held to a edly cut a bad gas deal with Rus- different standard than Russia, for sia, the argument in the West two reasons. One may seem some- would be that that was a political what unfair. When the US is en- decision and she should be pun- gaged in negotiations with Russia, ished for it politically. And she there are a lot of other really big is- was when she lost the election in

photo: natalia gumenyuk natalia photo: 2010. Nobody in the West sees The resolutions targeted this as a criminal matter. And, cer- Magnitsky Act. The Administra- tainly, the way the trial was con- specific individuals who tion had said that it already put a ducted was seen as a farce in the are responsible for the number of people connected to the West. No matter how much we are case on a no-visa list. It did so told that this was under Ukrainian democratic regression that partly because it would have liked legal procedures, this will not per- we are witnessing to retain the right to impose this suade the West. I regret to say all sort of sanction as an administra- this. In 2010, I was one of the peo- tive decision, rather than as a re- ple who said that we ought to give sues for the US Government, such sult of Congressional action. Ten Yanukovych a chance. He was as arms control, Iran and Afghani- years ago, the US applied visa elected in a free and fair process stan. In this sense, democracy in sanctions against some people back then. He had an opportunity. Russia is just one of many issues. from Belarus. So, there have been But, unfortunately, we’ve been There are probably not so many big cases when the US government re- seeing consistent regression on issues on Washington or Europe’s sorted to this, but it preferred to democracy. After Yanukovych be- agenda where Ukraine comes up, do so via administrative or execu- came president, there was an as- so democracy may get more attentive decisions, rather than through sumption in Washington that tion. That’s not fair to Ukraine. The the law. Ukraine is certainly not Ukraine did not want to join In 2010, I was one of other difference - this one fair Belarus so far, but it is moving in NATO. It seemed pretty clear that the people who said enough - is that Yanukovych has that we ought to give that direction. Look at the very the Ukrainian population was not Yanukovych a been saying consistently that he negative reaction from Moscow to interested in joining NATO. And chance. wants to join Europe and see But, unfortunately, the talk about applying sanctions that was fine – that was a decision we’ve been seeing Ukraine as a modern European in the Magnitsky Act. I think these for Ukraine. I think Washington consistent regression state. So, Ukraine is held to a dif- kinds of sanctions do have an im- concluded in 2010 that the best on democracy. ferent standard than Russia, be- pact. And I think some people in way for Ukraine to draw closer to cause Ukraine has articulated the the Congress are ready to use that Europe back then was to get closer goal of joining Europe. Unfortu- approach as a potential tool if to the EU. But this democratic re- nately, having set that bar so Ukraine continues to regress from gression is making it harder and high, the Ukrainian government the democratic path. harder. is falling short of that standard under President Yanukovych. UW: Besides the election, what UW: How will Obama’s victory And it may be bad geopolitically else could trigger sanctions? affect US relations with Ukraine? for the West if Ukraine aligns There are many different Many experts claim that the more closely with Russia. But problems with democracy in White House is ready to view that threat doesn’t have any Ukraine. One is the conduct of Ukraine as Russia’s sphere of in- weight in the US or Europe. elections – the 2012 parliamen- fluence as a result of the US-Rus- Closer integration with Russia tary election and the 2010 local sia relations reboot. may be a lot worse for Ukraine. № 19 (42) november 2012|the ukrainian week|19 Politics|Conflicts within the party in power the ruling party was not only made public, but was even the focus of the foreign media. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, a well-known German newspaper, published an article called Der Gute Mann von Kiew? (The Good Man of Kyiv?) by Konrad Schuller, based on his visit to Ukraine during the October parliamentary election. The publication described the titanic struggle of Premier Mykola Azarov with the cunning oligarch Dmytro Firtash. If any Ukrainian publication were to print such an article, it would have immediately been accused of writing a deliberately misleading article for money. “In a narrow circle, Azarov said that the main group in this war of oligarchs, headed by chemical and gas billionaire Firtash, has been consistently trying to ruin Ukraine’s relations with the West for many years now,” stated the article. It portrays Mykola Azarov as possibly one of the most pro- Western men in Ukrainian politics; one who personally insisted that Yanukovych should immedi- P hoto:phl ately free German political ana- lyst Nico Lange, arrested by the Ukrainian Security Service – the SBU, (which at that time was Azarov Versus headed by Valeriy Khorosh- kovsky, a member of the Firtash group) at the airport under ob- scure charges in 2010, and rec- Firtash ommended against the imprisonment of Yulia Tymoshenko who was also in a public conflict with News about escalating conflicts between groups of Firtash, but in better relations with Andriy Kliuyev, head of the influence within the ruling party surface in the PR election campaign. Moreover, Azarov is personally doing every- foreign media, including the Frankfurter Allgemeine thing possible to reduce Ukraine’s Zeitung, after the Party of Regions fails to get the dependence on Russian gas, the article expands. He is aiming to result it expected in the election replace Russian gas with that bought in Western Europe and is ykola Azarov looked ir- Author: the fore when reporters began to making every effort to intensify ritated on the night af- Oleksandr ask him about his prospects for cooperation with German indus- ter the election. As No. Mykhelson remaining in office. Instead of trial giants. Firtash and his Ro- M1 on the Party of Re- waving them aside, saying some- sUkrEnergo (of which Gazprom is gions’ list, he was forced to ap- thing like “this will be decided by a co-owner), on the other hand, pear at the PR’s official headquar- the president and parliament ac- were portrayed as the main lob- ters located at the InterContinen- cording to the Constitution”, the byists of Russian interests in tal hotel in downtown Kyiv, and premier called the reporters pro- Ukraine. talk about the “victory” of his vocateurs, then spoke offensively The article may give the Ger- party with the 30% it won in pro- to some of them, but did not actu- man readership, unfamiliar with portional vote, which was the best ally give a response. Ukrainian politics, the impression result of all election participants. that Azarov is a true European- The impression was, however, Airing Dirty laundry oriented statesman and democrat, that PR’s No. 1 was not in a good Something unimaginable fol- although it does say that the pre- mood. Azarov’s irritation came to lowed: the internal conflict within mier is doing all this as part of the 20|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 Conflicts within the party in power|Politics war against Firtash, and not out of to The Ukrainian Week’s sources, some scandalous districts. His some abstract idealism. Kliuyev came up with the follow- protégé, Valentyna Zhukovska ing scheme: candidates capable of blatantly stole the victory from Chaos as a strategy winning, should have done so on opposition candidate Mykola Bu- At first glance, the article has their own using the tools available latetsky. many rational points. Still, be- to them. Meanwhile, the adminis- This must have been the back- lieving Mykola Azarov’s dedica- tration machine would merely not ground for the publication in the tion to democracy and European interfere with what they did. As a Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. values is as naïve as assuming result, PR candidate Travianko at The ongoing struggle, among that Viktor Yanukovych reads notorious District No. 132 in Per- other things, is for the premier’s through Cicero’s works before he vomaisk, Mykolayiv Oblast, en- office. The Firtash group has had makes a public speech of his own. gaged special purpose police units its eye on it for years. Kliuyev also The article may stem from the to transport ballots from the wants it, but has found himself in long lasting animosity between oblast election commission. Oth- a lose-lose situation, falling hos- the Firtash group and Andriy Kli- ers, such as Tetiana Zasukha at tage to Azarov who is not ready to uyev, Secretary of the National District No. 90, “encouraged” the retire yet. This explains the ef- Security and Defense Council, courts to deem that tens of thou- forts to present Azarov to West- who attained the right to run the sands of votes for the opposition ern partners as a pro-Western Party of Regions’ election cam- were invalid. Some PR candidates premier who is supposedly pro- paign this spring. According to quit the campaign, due to a lack of tecting Ukraine from the pro- The Ukrainian Week’s sources, resources. Russian Firtash. one of the manifestations of this Kliuyev’s opponents quickly animosity was the chaos that responded to the anti-Firtash lasted over ten days after the elec- publication. On 6 November, the tion in a number of FPTP dis- Ukrainian Internet was abuzz tricts, where pro-government In a narrow circle, Azarov said that the main group with the news of Firtash’s man candidates lost to opposition or in this war of oligarchs, headed by chemical and Liovochkin resigning from the of- disloyal independent candidates, gas billionaire Firtash, has been consistently trying fice of the President’s Chief of to ruin Ukraine’s relations with the West for many but used an extensive arsenal of years now Staff and that Kliuyev was being measures to rig the outcome. considered as a possible replace- The President’s Chief of Staff ment. The news appeared on a and Firtash’s man, Serhiy Lio- website notorious for posting bla- vochkin (the current Head of the tantly false interviews, and was Kyiv City State Administration – rebutted later in the day. It is Oleksandr Popov, is trying to be- common practice in behind the come the fully authorized Kyiv scenes political struggles for poli- mayor under his protectorate, al- ticians to arrange the leaking of beit without success as yet), got misleading information about out of the challenge of ensuring themselves to see who will first solid support for the PR in Kyiv claim a newly-vacant office, or to with its electorate that is decid- report to their bosses – Yanu- edly unfriendly towards the PR. kovych in our case – that the ene- This was partly the reason why mies – in this case Kliuyev – are the PR essentially lost the cam- The idea of the scheme was for working tirelessly to overthrow paign in all 13 Kyiv districts. central government to look as if it the only loyal servant – Liovoch- Meanwhile, Andriy Kliuyev, as had absolutely nothing to do with kin. Whether the balance of head of the PR headquarters was the scandalous developments in power changes in the pro-govern- responsible for achieving one of many districts. This was why Yan- ment conglomerate, will largely the PR’s key objectives in this elec- ukovych stubbornly avoided com- depend on how well Kliuyev action, i.e. to ensure a 226 one-party menting on what was going on for complishes his new task to recruit majority in the new parliament. two weeks after the election. At at least 40 self-nominated and The PR headquarters now blames the same time, as is now clear, the opposition MPs into the PR fac- the failure to do so on the sabotage government obviously failed to tion in the new parliament. Actu- arranged by the Firtash group. dissociate itself, as the post-elec- ally, they are already getting “of- “They were literally sinking us. tion rigging and chaos are now fers that are hard to refuse”. Ac- Just look at how maliciously their blamed on the president both at cording to The Ukrainian Week’s Inter (a TV channel with nation- home and in the West. sources, the PR has already re- wide coverage controlled by In a situation like this, much cruited at least 20 crossovers. Valeriy Khoroshkovsky) covered now depends on who will present Ultimately, the current situa- developments at problematic dis- himself better in Yanukovych’s tion signals a serious internal tricts,” a PR source said. eyes. Will it be Liovochkin who struggle in the ruling party’s Of course, nothing is that sim- has to prove not only that Kliuyev camp that strives to look unified ple. Let’s say that Yanukovych or is to blame, but also that he is and unbreakable. If it has not someone from his closest circle once more fueling a scandal, or been leaked so obviously to the had personally authorized the Kliuyev, who would like to blame public so far, now it is – and will chaos that unfolded at some dis- everything on Firtash’s saboteurs. most likely escalate as the presi- tricts after the election. According After all, Firtash’s people ran in dential election draws closer. № 19 (42) november 2012|the ukrainian week|21

neighbours|Government lobbyists in the West A War for the Neighbours’ Ears The Party of Regions launches yet another campaign to whitewash the Yanukovych regime and discredit the opposition. Its members accuse international observers of violations and struggle to persuade the West that the election was democratic in Paris, and talk about threats from Svoboda in London

Authors: president Viktor Yushchenko to Alla Lazareva, Paris Paris after placing a huge poster Bohdan Tsiupyn, London of Yulia Tymoshenko on the fa- çade of the Paris mayor’s house. ommunication is The attempt failed. Now she is first and foremost a offering interested parties the war for the ears of opportunity to meet with Leonid “Cyour neighbour”, Kozhara, Deputy Head of the Czech writer Milan Kundera Verkhovna Rada Committee for once said. This is especially true Foreign Affairs, according to cor- when it comes to political com- respondence attained by The munication during elections. The Ukrainian Week. The Presi- Party of Regions’ mouthpieces dential Administration is now were also competing for the ears relying upon Kozhara’s diplo- of their neighbours, among them matic expertise when it comes to Western European researchers, its image in the West. MPs, senators and journalists. The Ukrainian Week has “The government must also ex- tried to contact Justine Gilles for plain its standpoint on the elec- a meeting to speak with the tion”, a colleague in Paris once president’s advisor about his said. Indeed, the world has quite comments on election viola- a few questions for the Ukrainian tions. In an interview with the government after photos sur- Russian newspaper Izvestia (The faced showing special Berkut po- News), Kozhara once stated, “In- WASTED address she uses. The NGO she lice fetching ballots from polling ternational observers are break- EFFORT: It looks mentions is known as the Euro- stations in Pervomaisk and else- ing the law by saying that like the mission pean Centre for a Modern where. Ukraine’s parliamentary election of Deputy Ukraine. The latest protection cam- was undemocratic”. “Mr. Ko- Chairman of the Its platform is centred on paign for the ruling party un- zhara’s schedule is full,” Gilles VR Committee European integration, the estab- for Foreign folded in Paris, led by PR MPs replied by email, while Kozhara Affairs Leonid lishment of direct connections Leonid Kozhara and Ivan left for London to talk about the Kozhara is to between Ukrainian and Euro- Popesku. They held no press threat of Svoboda at the UK tell everyone pean politicians, and dialogue conferences or other public House of Commons. In her com- that black with civic activists. However, its events during the first week of munication with the press and is white. Ukrainian co-founders are all PR November, yet met with inter- politicians, the PR’s French aide According to people, including Leonid Ko- ested parties in personal meet- introduces herself as an activist The Ukrainian zhara, Vitaliy Kaliuzhnyi and ings, a source claimed. from a “Brussels-based NGO Week’s sources, Yevheniy Heller. In its public The PR has delegated its monitoring Ukraine and every- the Presidential declarations, the Centre seems communications in France to thing linked to Ukraine’s EU in- Administration to be all about democratic rheto- is not happy Justine Gilles from Fleishman- tegration”, and not as an em- with the way he ric, but its activities reflect So- Hillard Paris. She previously ployee of the well-known public is doing his job viet propaganda practices. “I tried to arrange a visit of ex- relations company whose email think I attended just one event 22|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 Government lobbyists in the West|neighbours A War for the Neighbours’ Ears anything to do with the reelection. His biggest concerns The Party of Regions launches yet another nowned university. It was on the were about the opposition. With campaign to whitewash the fourth floor, with no elevator, a worried expression on his face, and wobbly chairs.” he tried to look like a true Euro- Yanukovych regime and discredit Another aspect of the Cen- pean politician who cares about tre’s activities is its selective ap- Western values of liberal democ- the opposition. Its members accuse proach to informing its Western racy: “Two radical parties from international observers of violations and audience, such as a mailing on the far-right and far-left wings access to the media sent prior to gained a large share of Ukrainian struggle to persuade the West that the the election on October 7-10. The votes. This means that the Ukrai- election was democratic in Paris, note stated in English and nian parliament will have a new French that opposition parties flavour… We are all concerned and talk about threats received more airtime on Ukrai- about Svoboda’s statements, es- nian television than pro-govern- pecially those concerning ethnic from Svoboda in London ment parties. This is true accord- minorities. Svoboda lacks toler- ing to the State Radio and Televi- ance and we are particularly con- sion Committee, but its list of cerned about its anti-Semitic opposition parties includes Na- declarations… Nazi and fascist talia Korolevska’s party, whose ideology is banned in Ukraine. promotional campaign outspent Svoboda is a marginal party. I’d all other parties running in the like to assure you that my party election. will never let Svoboda cross the red line.” Ukraine’s Rulers Warn During the discussion, how- of the Svoboda “Threat” ever, Kozhara was actually forced On November 6, the outcome of to admit that it was the actions of Ukraine’s parliamentary election his party, including the passing was discussed at the British of the notorious language bill, Ukrainian Society roundtable at that pushed many voters to sup- London’s Westminster parlia- port parties promising to resist mentary committee session hall. the government’s anti-Ukrainian Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UK initiatives. Volodymyr Khandohiy elicited Eventually, the overall im- grins from the crowd when he pression was that Kozhara had suggested that the Ukrainian and failed to accomplish his key mis- US elections had similarly un- sion. British Conservative MP predictable outcomes. However, John Whittingdale who observed the disparity between the two the Ukrainian election did not elections was clear the following sound too concerned about Svo- day when the Americans had boda. He said that some people of the European Centre for a COMMON successfully completed their in Ukraine also told him that Modern Ukraine,” says an activ- OBJECTIVES: election and announced a winner Svoboda follows a fascist neo- ist from the Ukrainian commu- Minister of while Ukraine was still counting Nazi ideology, but he decided to nity in France. “It was a meeting Foreign Affairs ballots with the help of special draw his own conclusions based with the Central Election Com- Kostiantyn police and mysterious burly men on what he saw and heard from mission’s Mykhailo Okhendo- Hryshchenko with journalist IDs two weeks af- people he considered reliable claims that vsky this August. They publi- he is ready to ter election day. Nobody else and trustworthy. “A man I know cized the election law and touted give it all for talked about similarities between very well, who is fairly well edu- the virtues of the government, the interests the elections in Ukraine and the cated and informed, accompa- but they did it so unprofession- of his country, US that night. nied me on my recent trip to ally! A history professor who yet identifies Leonid Kozhara spoke on be- Ukraine. He told me that he was was sitting next to me just won- Ukraine with half of the PR at the London dis- voting for Svoboda. As far as I dered quietly, ‘Who are they kid- the Yanukovych cussion sessions. He seemed per- know, he is not a fascist or a neo- ding?’ The address on the invita- regime fectly happy with how the count- Nazi. He is undoubtedly a Ukrai- tion letter was proudly stated as ing went in Ukraine and claimed nian patriot, and he was out- Pantheon-Sorbonne University. that the longest delays were in raged by the language bill. He When we arrived, a young first-past-the-post districts. Ac- wanted to manifest his patriotic woman redirected us to a build- cording to Kozhara, his party feelings. I assume something ing next door that had barely barely had any problems in the similar takes place in the UK, № 19 (42) november 2012|the ukrainian week|23 neighbours|Government lobbyists in the West too. There is frustration with the tems”. “You can offer any system leading political parties, and the to a country, and some people voters seek alternatives.” will still criticize it no matter Another issue at the London what,” Gusenbauer responded. discussion was the assessment of Meanwhile, voter bribery, voter Ukraine’s prospects of drawing coercion and abuse of adminis- closer to Europe. The prospects trative resources in FPTP dis- did not sound too optimistic. tricts were not mentioned. “He Participants who were not part must be a lobbyist from the of the Ukrainian delegation often Party of Regions,” suggested an mentioned “selective justice” and international observer who had comments from the audience worked at the Ukrainian election gave the impression that the as he listened to Gusenbauer. West still sees Tymoshenko’s The conference went on as a case as a symbol of the current sequence of speeches rather than government’s nature. a debate. No time was left for Leonid Kozhara struggled to questions from the audience, so dispel this, referring to the trial only the speakers had a chance over Romanian ex-premier to ask them. Sensitive or contro- Adrian Năstase on charges of versial issues were tackled very corruption, and assured Europe- gently, with no reproach. “Im- ans that Kyiv simply had not had perfections or falsifications?” enough opportunities to explain wondered Senator Hervé Mau- its position to Europe. In re- rey, Chairman of the France- sponse, he was told that he was Ukraine Friendship Group at the speaking at the British parlia- MUST BE A PARTY French parliament. Delivered in ment at the moment, and that OF REGIONS LOBBYIST: a somewhat worried tone, his Ukraine is represented in a num- Ex-Chancellor of Austria speech seemed the most ade- ber of European organizations Alfred Gusenbauer ardently quate reaction to the political de- and institutions which have been justifies any actions by the velopments in Ukraine. Ukrainian government at calling on its government to stop international events “Is it possible to expect that antidemocratic processes in the Yulia Tymoshenko will be re- country, and have mostly been leased soon?” moderator and ignored. Therefore, nobody in bership: “Candidates did not de- journalist Gérard Sebag asked London risked rejecting the bate on international issues at Hryshchenko. “I’m not God, I prospect of Ukraine’s escalating all during the election. Why? Be- can’t say when Ms. Tymoshenko international isolation. Ko- cause all participants of the po- will be free,” he answered zhara’s diplomacy seemed to fail litical process in Ukraine have a once again. According to The common objective – future Ukrainian Week’s sources, membership in the EU.” As he the European Centre for a the Presidential Administration listed the government’s accom- Modern Ukraine seems to is already looking for someone to plishments on the path to bring- replace him as its key mouth- ing this objective to life, Hrys- be all about democratic piece in the West. hchenko mentioned the new rhetoric, but its activities Code of Criminal Procedure, the Kostiantyn “biggest solar power station in reflect Soviet propaganda Hryshchenko the world under construction in and His Friends Crimea”, and the Association vaguely, adding “You know, her On November 12, the Paris- Agreement “initialled and ready close friend, Ukraine’s ex-pre- based École Militaire hosted a to be signed.” AGENT OF THE mier Pavlo Lazarenko, is cur- conference titled “Ukraine: A Backstage, Hryshchenko had PARTY: Ina rently in a US jail…” Strategic Crossroads in Europe”, a nice chat with some Western Kirsch chairs Although held at the presti- the European gious École Militaire, with well- arranged by the Revue Défense visitors whose speeches were Centre for Nationale (National Defence Re- quite friendly towards Ukraine’s a Modern known participants, high goals view) magazine and Vienna- government. Ex-Chancellor of Ukraine, an and political correctness, the based Renner-Institut. Although Austria Alfred Gusenbauer was NGO set up conference lacked something im- the conference took place in one of them. “Democracy is the by the PR to portant. “What did you expect?” Paris, the contacts for questions victory of the majority over the feed consistent a French journalist wondered. and references were Belgian. minority. Some of the defeated propaganda to “Take an old Soviet car, fix it up Ukraine’s Minister of For- in Ukraine cannot come to grips the EU and hire the best promoters in eign Affairs, Kostiantyn Hrys- with their defeat, hence the the world to sell it. Will they find hchenko, was present at the con- problems,” he said. Alexander buyers? I don’t think so. It’s the ference. He appeared quite con- Kwasniewski claimed that the same thing with the Party of Re- fident, assuring everyone in mixed election system “is defi- gions. No matter who promotes English and French of the Ukrai- nitely not good for Ukraine or it in the West, they will never nian government’s unfaltering other countries with insuffi- hide its falsifications or stolen will to lead Ukraine to EU mem- ciently structured political sys- victories.” 24|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 Kidnapped man or sovereignty?|Opinion Encyclopaedia of Illusions: The State Border of Ukraine he behaviour of the supreme power in Ukraine anything, then this is evidence of absolute official in- in the last 20 years has consistently called forth adequacy and ultimate disqualification. If they knew doubts regarding Ukrainian sovereignty. End- and didn’t do anything, it looks like a criminal breach Tless speeches on special relations with Russia of trust. Isn’t this why security services exist in vari- which often encouraged disregard for the established ous countries, so as not to allow their foreign col- formal diplomatic practice of inter-state relations and leagues to act brazenly on foreign territories? For ex- the replacement of international law as the ground ample, Switzerland is considered to be the capital of for them with informal arrangements made at infor- world espionage, because each intelligence service mal meetings with disregard of rituals and ceremo- considers it necessary to have its own resident spies nies that are necessary in this sphere – all of this there. Local counter intelligence services know every- formed a very slippery and dangerous background for thing, track everything, but don’t touch anyone, as Ukrainian-Russian coexistence. long as the foreign cloak and dagger knights remain But that, which happened to Russian dissident Razvoz- within the limits of decency, in other words, don’t zhaev in downtown Kyiv graphically highlighted the steal anything or kill anyone. As soon as something of fact that Ukrainian sovereignty is pure fiction. A bri- this nature happens, even the government of this gade of Russian enforcers, who came to Kyiv feeling country reacts immediately, since this is an invasion perfectly at home, captured a person virtually on the of sovereignty and public order. steps of the international representative office for refu- Meanwhile, in Ukraine we have true international gee issues and transported him to Russia. The hijack- banditism and a kind of enigmatic silence on the part ers, together with their victim, crossed the border of the Ukrainian authorities. Of course, we see the without any problems or misunderstandings with consequences of the absence of effective public con- Ukrainian border guards. If necessary, these highly trol over the activities of Ukrainian enforcers, which qualified guards are capable of noticing an extra pack are still unjustifiably closed and lacking in transpar- Author: of cigarettes, yet they failed to notice a person tied up ency. For example, what does society know about the Ihor Losev in a car. So in effect, we do not have special services, we specific contacts between the SBU and Russian spe- have no border guards, nor do we have an actual bor- cial services? But today, after a fundamental change der. On top of it all, both the Ministry of Foreign Af- in the leadership of the service, some witty people call fairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs are great this structure the Federal Security Service of Ukraine cause for concern. All this looks like a show lasting or FSBU, the abbreviation being very similar to Rus- since Soviet times when the Ukrainian SSR Ministry of sia’s FSB. And the border service, the head of which Foreign Affairs did not have a single embassy abroad. has reached the hallowed rank of an army general? Even before, Russian enforcers felt very comfortable in Can it really protect us from hundreds of thousands independent Ukraine, and under the Donetsk-based of illegal migrants, drug traffickers and the uncon- authority, began to behave demonstratively insolently trolled crossing of the Ukrainian border? Does such a and even defiantly, showing that they well remember thing really exist? the wonderful words if their supreme boss Vladimir In recent days, “Putin’s eagles” captured a Russian citi- Putin, said to a former US President: “George, Ukraine zen in Ukraine. But, having become convinced of their isn’t even a country.” Indeed, if foreign special forces absolute impunity, will Russian Checkists (as they are seized a person in any fully-fledged, albeit very small called to this day, although it’s difficult to imagine that country, this would call forth a flood of resignations on the special services of modern Germany would proudly the part of highly-placed competent officials, responsi- call themselves Gestapo agents) seize Ukrainian citi- ble for this area of state activity. But from the Party of zens, against whom they have claims? Regions’ managers and the bosses that appointed them Do Ukrainians need such enforcement structures? Our – absolutely no reaction to this public slap in the face friends in misfortune – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia of those in Ukraine, who are supposed to guarantee the – did not reform the KGB in their countries, but de- Constitution, specifically Ukraine’s sovereignty, inde- stroyed this punitive body of totalitarian dictatorship, pendence, territorial integrity, human rights and free- having instead established civilized national special doms, and other good things. services, without any Stalin-Yezhov-Beria strain. Taxpayers, if a class of people had finally been formed The incident in Kyiv leaves behind a sense of disquiet: in Ukraine, who would be able to think in such cate- will Ukraine transform into a territory, where the FSB gories, could have asked: why do we pay money to (Federal Security Service), GRU (foreign military in- support the Ukraine’s special service – SBU, border telligence main directorate of the General Staff of the services and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which Armed Forces), SZR (Foreign Intelligence Service) have yet to be able to express something reasonable and other special services of the Russian Federation regarding what happened after the brigandage in the can hunt for the citizens of Ukraine at will? And does style of Abreks from the Caucasus in the centre of the this mean that Ukrainian enforcers could return run- Ukrainian capital. And where are those with a cool aways from the time of the Orange Revolution – head, warm heart and “mani pulite” (literally "clean Bakai, Bodelan and Bilokon, to Ukraine from Russia hands" but clean record in fact)? If they didn’t know in the same manner? № 19 (42) november 2012|the ukrainian week|25 economics|Currency Exchange Rate Policy The Dollar Fight In spite of destructive consequences for the economy, the government will try to maintain hryvnia exchange rate at any cost until the expected re-formatted government is in place. So until the end of the year, it is doubtful whether the hryvnia exchange rate will exceed UAH 8.40/USD 1

epresentatives of the gov- Author: Secondly, the structure and tion only amounts to about 15%. ernment and the National Liubomyr growth of the deficit are important. Another 35% is consumer goods, Bank of Ukraine (NBU) re- Shavaliuk If the amount is stable, and the which make up almost half of the Rpeat the following phrase in structure leans towards goods that domestic commodities market. The unison: “there is no threat to the are within the range of investment remaining 50% is raw materials, stability of the hryvnia”. However, demand that will become part of from the existence of which, the op- independent economists have pre- new manufacturing capacities pro- eration of the Ukrainian economy, dicted a significant devaluation for ducing goods that will squeeze out including exporters, has been de- more than a year now, while the import or increase export, the defi- pendent since Soviet times. unceasing reduction in gold and cit is safe for the currency exchange There is a negative growth in exchange reserves and the ever rate. If there is such a deficit, inter- the deficit of foreign commodities more extravagant initiatives of the Looking at national creditors and private for- trading. In the first nine months of government in the area of cur- the premier's eign capital will always help to re- this year, it constituted USD 9.3bn rency regulation are evidence of office? The solve temporary foreign currency and grew by 57% in comparison to the fact that the situation on the NBU's ongoing problems. the relevant period of last year. Un- struggle with currency exchange market is on the Unfortunately, not one of the der such growth, Ukraine risks end- the verge of being critical. dollar may aspects that allow Ukraine to avoid ing the year with a deficit of almost be based hryvnia devaluation with significant USD 14bn, which is almost as much Fundamental factors on political trade balance deficit present, is in- as Azarov’s government in Kyiv The main factor of long-term action, ambitions of herent in Ukraine. In the structure pays for all of its imported gas! which predetermines the devalua- its Chairman of commodity imports, investment Against such a background, the gov- tion of the hryvnia is a trade balance Serhiy designated technological produc- ernment continues to stress that deficit. In Ukraine, the trade bal- Arbuzov Ukraine pays an exorbitant price for ance deficit for last year constituted imported gas, although the econ- USD 10.2bn, or 6.2% of GDP. The omy, at a gas price that is 20% lower amount is significant, but in itself, it than at present, will not even cover does not mean inevitable devalua- the growth of the deficit, not to tion. mention its entire volume. First of all, transition economies In other words, the prob- and the economies of developing lem is not actually in the gas countries often operate with trade price, but in the fact that balance deficit on an ongoing basis. Ukraine is losing its domes- This is caused by the low competi- tic market, while at the tive capacity of export and a high same time, export does not demand for the import of high-tech- ensure adequate compensa- nology in the process of the struction. Moreover, in the last tural transformation of the econ- quarter, deficit growth has omy. For example, in the last three accelerated. On the one years, on average, Poland’s trade hand, the European crisis, balance deficit constituted 4.6% of which is gradually gaining GDP, but was offset by foreign in- global dimensions, has re- vestments and loans, which totaled stricted demand for Ukrai- 8.5% of GDP. nian noncompetitive export.

26|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 Currency Exchange Rate Policy|economics On the other, for the time being, en- the government is building a debt threat of bankruptcy for individual terprises are literally bearing the pyramid, paying external debt at banks and a further increase in the whole brunt of the blow, in other the expense of new loans, but at cost of loans for enterprises. How- words, the income of Ukrainians rates that are several times higher ever, the greatest danger lies in the has yet to feel the impact of the cri- than existing ones. Finally, next fact that money is leaving the econ- sis in full, so at an unchanging hryv- year, the repayment of previous omy and Ukraine is steadily moving nia exchange rate, it ensures a sig- loans will increase sharply in com- towards chronic default and barter nificant increase in imports (via the parison to current ones, but the settlements. commodities market). possibility of new borrowing, even There is also a kind of manipu- Prior to the beginning of this under higher interest rates, will be- lation of BoP, which the govern- year, there was enough import capi- come more complicated, in view of ment, together with several oli- tal to compensate the trade balance the crisis on external financial mar- garchs, has been practicing since deficit, satisfy the demands of kets. All of the above-mentioned the beginning of 2011. In less than Ukrainians for cash currency and factors are considerable, while the two years, Ukrainian enterprises every now and again, even replenish development of the situation in have received USD 6.3bn in trade the reserves of the NBU. However, Ukraine and the world shows that credits compared to just USD in 2012, trends changed, and now, they will continue for at least sev- 162mn in trade credits they issued. the influx of capital is too little to eral financial quarters. For this rea- This means that either goods have even cover the trade balance deficit. son, the deficit of foreign currency been imported into Ukraine on And don’t let the large volumes of inflow is structural, so they will be credit (without relevant payment capital, attracted in the third quar- impossible to overcome by one-off for them in foreign currency) for ter fool you, because USD 2.6bn of or moreover, exclusively adminis- this amount, or money has been re- them are expensive state Euro- trative measures, which the gov- ceived for future export. The fact of bonds. They, together with the USD ernment is resorting to. the matter is actually a concealed 1.25bn, received from the additional article of BoP deficit, which can hit allocation of funds in November, re- Arbuzov’s “cast iron” it hard, and subsequently provoke placed the USD 3.5bn of the na- arguments additional demand for foreign cur- tional debt, paid out to the IMF. However, the NBU is turning a rency at a later date. Their servicing will be more than blind eye to the logical arguments Quite a resonant measure was twice as expensive, and subse- that are not in favour of supporting the introduction of a requirement quently, in the near future will fur- current hryvnia exchange rate - at for individuals to show their IDs ther worsen the problem of the bal- least, in public, and for more than a exchanging money. As a result, in ance of payments (BoP) and cur- year now, it’s counting on ever more the first nine months of 2012, the rency deficit. extravagant methods for the admin- volume of the purchase of foreign The inflow of capital did not istrative tightening of the screws currencies by banks from the pub- stop covering the needs of the cur- which are supposed to prevent the lic, constituted USD 11.3bn, the rent account simply because of the volume of sale – USD 17.6bn, a de- increased deficit of the latter. The crease of 23% and 29% accord- first two quarters of 2012 clearly in- The hryvnia exchange rate ingly in comparison to last year. dicate that investments and loans remains a political factor, The volume of the net sale of for- started to come to Ukraine at a eign currency to the public during much slower rate. And if the prob- making the economic this period constituted USD 6.3bn, lems with the trade balance situation in Ukraine a which is 37% less than in the pre- emerged as a result of the passivity vious year. However, at the same of the government, then the dynam- hostage of not only party, time, according to various evalua- ics of capital inflow – is the result of but also specific personal tions, the volume of shadow for- its single-minded actions, which eign currency circulation in- have led Ukraine to lose its invest- interests creased by at least 50%: foreign ment attractiveness in the eyes of collapse of the hryvnia rate. currency now passes through non-residents. Firstly, the NBU resorted to cre- banks less frequently and more of- So, the situation regarding for- ating an artificial deficit of hryvnias ten through shadow currency ex- eign currency inflow is very com- on the market, so that banks would change points. Thus, the scale of plicated. First of all, under an un- not be able to buy foreign currencies the currency issue is such, that changing hryvnia exchange rate, and instead were forced to sell US passports have not significantly the trade balance deficit will in- dollars and euros they got from changed the situation. crease. The national commodity loans and deposits. Having reduced Two more measures have re- producer will even lose his compet- refinancing volumes and increased cently been introduced to support itiveness on the domestic market. reserve standards, at a certain stage, the hryvnia – the restriction on And since the global economy is the NBU provoked a hryvnia deficit the withholding of foreign cur- heading towards recession, on the market and the sharp rise in rency earnings by exporters for a Ukraine will be feeling the effects its price on the interbank exchange period of 90 days and a share of of this to an even greater extent in market. Loans for enterprises be- 50% as well as the obligation to the near future. Secondly, the in- came significantly less accessible, sell currency earnings to private flow of capital will continue to de- and this could not help but impact individuals on the interbank cur- crease. The investment climate in the further folding of business activ- rency market in a volume of no Ukraine is extremely unfavourable. ity. Recently, individual credit rates less than UAH 150,000 per Thirdly, as previously indicated, exceeded crisis figures, posing a month. The first measure was № 19 (42) november 2012|the ukrainian week|27 economics|Currency Exchange Rate Policy By the end of the practiced in Ukraine several times government has decided to simply year, the hryvnia ex- market. At the same time, the gov- and was effective, to a certain ex- provoke people into the large-scale change rate on the ernment’s “foreign currency extent. But it should be understood, sale of foreign currency “prior to cash and interbank periments” will force small and foreign exchange that exporters, just like all other the introduction” of the tax, and markets will fluctu- medium-sized business into the enterprises, pay salaries and buy then either not actually introduce ate between shadow and choose the dollar as a raw material, so they cannot with- it, or cancel it. medium of exchange and measure hold a large amount of foreign UAH of value. Should this be the case, currency without reducing pro- What next? 8,20- not only will the hryvnia not gain, duction volumes. If there is a fall To a greater or lesser extent, all of but will even lose its existing posi- in production, the amount of the above-mentioned measures in 8,40/ tions in the Ukrainian economy money on accounts will be limited the battle with the currency deficit 1USD and risks repeating the fate of the to inventories (raw material and are temporary and one-off. Funda- coupon-karbovanets of the 1990s. finished production), which under mental factors prove that the for- In such an economy, only a select current volumes of export and fi- eign currency deficit under the cur- few will be able to ensure them- nancial proportions, will not yield rent exchange rate, and the pace of selves a worthy existence, and more than USD 5bn, but this will trade balance and BoP deficit there’s no point in even thinking not even be enough for three growth will only increase. The gov- about development, since people months. As for the second mea- ernment will have to consistently are very reluctant to invest in such sure, it is even less effective, after devise something new, but each a system and demand excessive all, most money transfers by mi- new measure will be less effective interest rates. grant workers to their Ukrainian each time. But taking into account Why does the government need beneficiaries, is directed towards the fact that within just under two this? The election is over and it can consumption, so is exchanged into years (as of the beginning of Octo- now duly respond to the challenge hryvnias. So only time will tell ber) the NBU has spent about USD of the economic situation. The gov- whether it will be possible to ob- 5bn to maintain reserves (accord- ernment could even benefit from tain at least several hundred mil- ing to unofficial information, they hryvnia devaluation because it lion dollars from this measure. are currently at a level of USD would manage to fill the budget And finally, the draft law on a 24bn, against USD 29.2bn as of the 15% tax for the sale of cash cur- end of September), the foreign currency. Prior to the implementation rency market will “swallow up” the The government’s “foreign of such measures, it is necessary to calming effect from even the most currency experiments” be aware that the economic system severe measures within a matter of generally finds means by which its weeks. force small and medium- currency flow evades most exces- Meanwhile, negative trends sized business to go into sive barriers. As a rule, part of the will gain pace: the growth of the shadow circulation of salaries will trade balance deficit, the de- the shadow transfer into the hryvnia, however creased competitiveness of Ukrai- with a larger amount of hryvnias, savings will continue to be made in nian producers on both the exter- albeit substantially depreciated foreign currency, particularly dur- nal and domestic markets and hryvnias, and plug the obvious ing a period, when the devaluation subsequently lay-offs and a holes in this year’s budget, and potential exceeds 15-20%. In addi- greater number of workers being most importantly – next year’s as tion, people often save for large sent on unpaid vacation, a reduc- well. The oligarchs, oriented to- purchases, which generally takes a tion in the consumption of goods wards the steel and agricultural long time. After all, it’s very likely and services and subsequently, business, would obtain far greater that this is the manner in which the further pressure on the domestic proceeds in the Ukrainian currency. After all, for a certain period, they would be able to halt the un- Inevitable devaluation justified high flow of imports and The analysis of the balance of payments (BoP) over the pa few years sugge s that the rapid growth of trade deficit and capital outflow from the banking the fall in the competitiveness of sy em have been offset by capital import comprised mo ly of fairly expensive and short-term loans. If the trend la s, Ukraine might face the Greek scenario in a few years domestic production, and thus, Components of Ukraine's BoP Current account Cash beyond banks** slow down the unemployment Capital import Change of NBU reserves** 9 growth rate under global economic crisis conditions. 6 Could this whole battle with the dollar domination be provoked by 3 the fact that the premier’s office is being prepared for the current Gov- 0 ernor of the NBU and “Family” representative, Serhiy Arbuzov, and the -3 collapse of the hryvnia prior to this appointment must be avoided at all -6 costs? In any case, the hryvnia exchange rate remains a political factor, making the economic situation -9 III III IV IIIIII IV IIIIII* 2010 2011 2012 in Ukraine a hostage of not only * Data for Q3'2012 is preliminary and capital import rate is e imated approximately party, but also specific personal in- **Negative numbers signal increasing amount of foreign currency cashbeyond banks and growing NBU reserves respeively Source: NBU data, USD bn terests. 28|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 Currency protests|economics Money Talks The use of money as social media goes back millennia

s money a good medium to scribed on coins, along with spread messages? At first symbolic images of various 2 Alexei Navalny, a Russian op- kinds. In the era before printing, Iposition activist and noted this was a very efficient way to blogger, was sceptical. But then project their image directly to he did the maths: if 5,000 Rus- the people. sians stamped 100 bills each, ev- But their subjects were also ery citizen would encounter at aware of the messaging power of least one of the altered notes as money, as the recently revamped they passed from person to per- exhibit on the history of money son. at the British Museum in London Members of Iran’s Green reveals. It includes a Roman coin Movement used this tactic in from 215AD, on which the Chris- 2009, writing slogans on tian “chi-rho” symbol has been banknotes during their anti-gov- scratched behind the emperor’s ernment protests. This prompted head; a French coin from 1855 a ruling that defaced notes would overstamped with an advertise- no longer be accepted by banks. ment for Pears Soap; and a 1903

Similarly, supporters of the Oc- British penny on which Edward 3 cupy movement have added slo- VII’s face has been stamped with gans and infographics about in- “Votes for women” by suffrag- come inequality to dollar bills. ettes. Navalny’s call for Russians And members of China’s Falun to stamp messages on banknotes Gong movement wrote messages is just the latest incarnation of a on banknotes attacking govern- centuries-old idea—a pioneering ment persecution. example of what we now call so- The use of money as a com- cial media. munications medium, distribut-

ing words and images as it passes 1 from hand to hand, is ancient. 200 hryvnia bills say "Get rid of the prisoner, Lutsk" The earliest coins, minted in Lydia (now part of Turkey) in the 2 th "Donate for a golden toilet and Me- 7 century BC, depicted the head zhyhiria for Yanukovych" of a lion, thought to have been a royal symbol. Later rulers had 3 "Putin is the leader of a party of their names and images in- crooks and thieves" № 19 (42) november 2012|the ukrainian week|29

investigation|Private armies Enhanced Security Oligarch-owned private “armies” are set to benefit from the new law on security activities

he Law On Security Activi- Author: and they will hire only profes- ties went into effect on No- Bohdan sionally trained and experienced vember 18, greatly expand- Butkevych personnel. Ting the rights of security However, there is also a psy- guards. In particular, privately- chological side to the issue. “If owned security firms duly li- you look at what has been hap- censed by the Interior Ministry pening between citizens and pri- now have the right to use billy vate security guards, the enforce- clubs, tear gas and service dogs, ment of the new law may have as well as detain and search peo- sad consequences,” Dorofieiev ple. Experts say that there has continues. “Considering that the long been a need for a law regu- authority of the latter has been lating the security business, but expanded, conflicts may rise to a the current redaction may well new level. In this context, it is lead to more bitter conflicts be- impossible to omit an important tween security guards and ordi- psychological factor: people be- nary citizens. Moreover, the law come irritated in confrontation; clearly benefits large business they generally despise uniform- owners who now have their own “armies” of guards and sorely want official permission for them MPs and other government to use weapons, even if they are officials will have a quieter non-lethal. life, while citizens, Pros and cons especially journalists, will “This document is innovative as far as legislation on privately- have limited, and definitely owned security firms is con- less safe, access to them cerned,” lawyer Oleh Dorofieiev says. “First, it clearly lays down wearing staff, especially those the requirements for security with the chevrons of private agencies. Second, it expands firms, and so on. All of this may their much debated authorities. lead to security guards applying From the purely legal standpoint, physical force more often, even if I can’t say that this law has an ex- not involving special equipment clusively negative effect. Security like non-lethal weapons. Another says. “The professional level of agencies must filter and upgrade negative consequence is that ordinary security guards protect- their personnel in order to meet from now MPs and other governing most establishments, such as the new licensing requirements. ment officials guarded by private supermarkets, stores and ware- In addition to this law, other reg- firms (they are a majority) will houses, is too low. Meanwhile, ulations must be passed to clearly have a quieter life, while citizens, true professionals will always define the use of special equip- especially journalists, will have find good, well-paid jobs on the ment and the application of limited, and definitely less safe, market as rich Ukrainians are in- Most guards earn physical force by security access to them.” creasingly building their private guards.” The law is clear on when UAH security structures.” these cannot be applied – against 1,500- An interim profession Serhiy Shabovta, president of the elderly, women showing signs 2,500 “The situation on the security the Ukrainian Federation of Se- of pregnancy and in crowded or around services market in Ukraine is curity Professionals NGO, said in places. Special equipment can USD 180- now ambiguous,” Serhiy Staro a comment for The Ukrainian only be used by security agencies 315 vytsky, a security expert and ex- Week: “The events in Luhansk licensed by the Interior Ministry, a month chief of a large security firm, (where supermarket security 30|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 Private armies|investigation фото: уніан фото:

guards killed a person – Ed.) Apart from wages and the turnover rate has The Ukrainian Week ran and in the Karavan shopping protection, been high. Shabovta says that an experiment. Oleksiy, an IT- centre (on September 26, a man oligarchs use even stable companies see 40-60 developer, was sent to find a job shot three guards and severely guards to solve per cent of their staff come and as a nighttime security guard. injured one at the Karavan shop- corporate go every year. There are 100 edu- His lack of any experience work- ping mall in Kyiv – Ed.) have conflicts and cation institutions of various lev- ing in law enforcement agencies proven that, unfortunately, a conduct raider els in Ukraine that are licensed or the military was no obstacle – attacks large number of guards are sim- by the Ministry of Education to he was hired by a small food store ply not up to the requirements train security guards. Their aver- in Kyiv. The only thing was that set for them.” He emphasizes age student quota is 40-50 per- he had to use a small lie and that security guard positions are sons. “Even if we multiply that claim he had an advanced level in not highly paid jobs in Ukraine: by 100, we will get 5,000 people combat sambo. No one asked him “Most guards earn UAH1,500- that all these institutions can to show any documentary proof. 2,500 or around USD 180-315 a train. But the security services “The main thing is that you month.” Understandably, the market has 450,000-500,000 have to watch things when drug profession has suffered from low jobs,” he adds. addicts enter,” the security chief № 19 (42) november 2012|the ukrainian week|31 investigation|Private armies instructed the newcomer. “These have the legal right to use non- so to speak, official security activ- bastards are always looking to lethal guns at the very least.” ities. Only large business owners steal something. If you have any Speaking on condition of an- know how much they spend on problems, press the red button by onymity, a manager with Rinat their private structures, but the the cash register right away, and Akhmetov’s Metinvest company figure is no doubt in the range of the police will come.” The two told The Ukrainian Week that hundreds of millions of dollars.” nights our “agent” worked there every top manager there has spe- The question of oligarchs’ pri- were pretty uneventful, apart from cial emergency telephone num- vate armies is shrouded in mystery. drunkards he had to stop as they bers to be called in case of any Their enterprises are ostensibly tried to make their way into the physical threat. A call will quickly protected by official security agen- store when cash was being col- bring a “powerful group” to the cies, and no-one says a word about lected to be taken to the bank. spot and it will solve all issues in any personal guards. “Each agency “Imagine that real criminals an urgent and extremely tough that provides protection to a high- came to rob the store. I wouldn't manner. ranking official or businessman has have had anything to counter Soon after the tragedy at the two levels,” Starovytsky explains. them with,” Oleksiy says. “First, I Karavan shopping mall in Kyiv, “The first, lower level is ordinary, have no special training, and sec- rumours surfaced that all these officially employed guards. The ond, no experience or education events had been inspired by the next level includes true profession- in this area. So my unprofes- security services lobby in an ef- als who may be officially listed as sional work did not cause any fort to prove that security guards consultants or coaches, rather than damages to the store only be- had to be given the right to carry guards. It is these people who are cause there were few customers weapons and use special equip- responsible for personal protection during my shift. The most shock- ment. “That’s a load of baloney,” of the clients and resolving any ing thing was the ease with which Starovytsky says. “The bill sensitive issues as part of protect- they hired me and then let me go. ing their interests. These are most I guess the owner views guards often former law enforcement offi- like dishwashers who can be re- The question of oligarchs’ cers, more specifically members of placed even day to day.” private armies is shrouded special-task units who begin to work for the rich after retirement VIP security guards in mystery or sometimes in pursuit of money The situation for security guards and a normal job. Moreover, this protecting oligarchs and large started being lobbied a year ago, option is viewed as the best contin- companies is the exact opposite. and its purpose is not to enable uation of a law enforcement ca- This is where privately-owned se- security guards in supermarkets reer.” curity companies hire only pro- to use tear gas. In fact, some of Experts say that the business fessionals. These companies have the main lobbyists were private empires of Ukrainian oligarchs received the lion’s share of au- agencies that provide services to essentially include entire armies thority under the new law. Their some serious people and are con- numbering up to 10,000-15,000 recruitment is based on a system cerned about their security in the people. They are used not only to of personal acquaintance. “If you increasingly dangerous socioeco- protect business entities or the want to be a security guard of a nomic situation. So they need oligarchs themselves but are also banker and you have no experi- their small armies to have every employed in corporate conflicts, ence of serving in special-task means to effectively protect their raider attacks, etc. Furthermore, forces, to say nothing of the The number of vari- clients.” bodyguards often carry out polit- army, it is almost unrealistic,” ous security entities The Interior Ministry also has ical tasks, according to some Starovytsky says. “This is a closed operating in Ukraine a stake in the law. With the much sources. In particular, during the officially is about market that is inaccessible to a tougher licensing requirements parliamentary election they man- person who walks in off the 5,000, set to security agencies, the po- aged “public order” and the pro- street. It was this market that de- lice receive countless new ways to tection of pro-government candi- with the market esti- manded getting official permis- mated at nearly earn money under the counter. dates on their campaign trail. sion to use special equipment. Of The simplest way is to receive They are also used for rallies and course, every truly rich person in USD bribes for extending or granting protests. For example, sources this country has, as is the custom 500mn licenses, turning a blind eye to tell The Ukrainian Week that elsewhere in the world, his own patent violations of regulations, people who work in security private security unit, loyal and etc. On the other hand, the police structures owned by one oligarch extremely professional. It is also also receive the official right to were present near the Verkhovna clear that such organizations monitor the activities of security Rada building in large numbers have for a long time been in pos- firms. while supporters of the Party of session of firearms de facto and The most cautious expert esti- Regions were blocking it when will use them if needed. But this mates of those solicited by The the law on languages was put to a situation needed to be legalized. Ukrainian Week put the num- vote in the first reading. And now with a crisis similar to ber of various security structures Consequently, some experts the one that struck Ukraine in in Ukraine at around 5,000. “The fear that further expansion of the 2008 again approaching, the rich size of the market is at least rights of privately-owned armies are beginning to take security $500mn,” Oleksiy K., chief of one and their use in political con- measures in advance. So they of the leading Odesa-based secu- frontations may lead to blood- need their security guards to rity agencies, says. “This covers, shed. 32|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 Does money stink?|Society Warm Relations

A donation from Dmytro Firtash to Ukrainian Catholic University, and recently established harmonious relations between its rector and the oligarch, raise complex ethical issues about the role and future of UCU

Photo: Ukrinform t the end of September, the Author: newspaper, The Ukrainian As his response to questions acting rector of Ukrainian Zenon Weekly, that he hopes the dona- about his greenhouse trip, Bishop Catholic University (UCU), Zawada, tion will not be the last from Gudziak said, “We accept dona- ABishopBorysGudziak, U.S. Firtash. tions, understanding our respon- joined Prime Minister MykolaAz- Yet the donation caused a rift sibility – before donors, as well as arov in dedicating among in the Ukrainian Diaspora in the the larger citizenry – to wisely use Ukraine’s largest greenhouse U.S. and Canada, which until our funds, which is why we don’t complexes, built by Dmytro- Firtash came along was the main ‘hide’ from any donor, since we Firtash in his native village in the source of financing for UCU. view such behavior simply dis- Ternopil Oblast. Not only does the Diaspora honest in our relations to our do- Bishop Gudziak was among a leadership look at Moscow with nor, as well as to everyone who is delegation of more than 20 Ukrai- disdain (justifiably so), but it is interested in UCU and supports nian Catholic priests who blessed not very fond of the Ukrainian oli- us.” the greenhouses with holy water, garchy that played a key role in Indeed it’s likely that Firtash as tradition. the 2010 victory of President Vik- won’t be introducing a class enti- At first glance, it would seem tor Yanukovych. tled “Economic Advantages of strange that Firtash’s green- The tension in the Diaspora is Ammonium Nitrate and Natural houses would interest the rector strong enough that some of Gas Transit Monopolies” anytime of a university. After all, UCU Bishop Gudziak’s close colleagues, soon at UCU. It was believable does not offer a biology or botany such as Dr. Lubomyr Hayda at the that UCU would remain indepen- major for students to have intern- Harvard Ukrainian Research In- dent of Firtash’s politics in ships at the greenhouses. UCU is stitute, refuse to communicate Ukraine. exclusively a liberal arts univer- with him now. After all, blessing a complex of sity, and one of the best in Ukraine greenhouses isn’t a moral wrong. at that. “The Cambridge Defense” Yet Bishop Gudziak’s trip from Yet any confusion is cleared As his response, Gudziak has of- Lviv to the depths of Ternopil up once taking into account that fered the example of Cambridge Oblast was the first indication Firtash made a USD 4.5mn dona- University, which received that what UCU insisted was a tion, almost a third of the cost of USD6.7mn from Firtash to launch clear black-and-white line be- the first phase construction of a Ukrainian studies program. tween business and charity could UCU’s Striyskiy Park campus, His “Cambridge Defense” is actually be a gray hazy streak. which will become the universi- based on the fact that Firtash That is cause for concern among ty’s main hub in a few years. doesn’t interfere with the academ- those who supported UCU since Bishop Gudziak said in an in- ics of Cambridge University and the 1990s when it was still a hum- terview published on Sept. 9 in hasn’t attempted to, according to ble theological academy on cozy the English-language Diaspora the bishop. Svyentsitskiy Street. № 19 (42) november 2012|the ukrainian week|33 Society|Does money stink? Firtash’s donation and Bishop In accepting Firtash’s dona- archal Cathedral on Kyiv’s Left Gudziak’snewfound rapport with tion, Bishop Gudziak associated- Bank, which has been under con- the oligarch (he was seated in the himself with one of the people struction for nearly a decade and second row of seats during Guz- who is at the root of those same not yet close to completion. diak’s Aug. 26 consecration as problems of Ukraine that he says Such facts dismantle the bishop, just behind his mother) UCU wants to remedy. “Cambridge defense” offered by raises complex ethical issues Let’s remember that Gudziak UCU’s leadership. UCU is not aboutthe role and future of UCU, was among the hundreds of thou- Cambridge University, which was as well as its acting rector. sands of Ukrainians participating established in 1231, has an en- UCU’s role in Ukrainian in the Orange revolts of 2004. dowment of 6.9 bn and is situated higher education was to introduce After accepting Firtash’s do- in a nation which had rule of law and maintain Western values and nation, it’s entirely reasonable to for at least three centuries. standards. Bishop Gudziak ex- ask what was Gudziak standing In that sea, Firtash’s influence plicitly stated that UCU’s mission for on the maidan, if not to pre- is that of a single tuna. It is hard was to give Ukrainians a quality vent such opaque, corrupt govern- to imagine the chancellor of Cam- education so that they wouldn’t ment schemes such as RosUkrEn- bridge University traveling 266 have to travel to the U.S., Ger- ergo, in which Firtash played a kilometers to bless the green- many or Great Britain. central role. houses of one of its millionaire UCU was founded as a non- donors. profit university, which envisions Firtash made a USD 4.5mn On the other hand, UCU was providing education as an end in established in 2000, has a budget itself, rather than a means to donation, almost a third of that is a fraction of the Cambridge profit, as almost all of Ukraine’s the cost of the first phase University budget and is situated higher education institutions op- in a nation that had a fragile demo- erate. construction of UCU’s cratic republic whose few remain- It’s supposed to be based on campus ing pillars of rule of law were dis- Christian values of honesty and mantled during the last two years integrity, rather than pragmatism What was Gudziak standing by people with close links to and materialism that have infor, if not to protect freedom of Firtash. fected Ukrainian society today. speech, freedom of the press and Only should a student’s perfor- freedom of assembly, all of which Why oligarchs sponsor mance determine his or her have been restricted by the same the intelligentsia grades, which could not be bought Yanukovych administration that The UCU leadership must have at UCU, let alone a diploma. Firtash has comfortable ties with. considered what motivated Firtash, on the other hand, The dilemma faced by Gud- Firtash to make his USD 4.5mn hasn’t demonstrated an interest in ziak is the dilemma faced by most donation. Several ideas come to Western values in Ukraine. Al- Westerners living in Ukraine – mind. though he is one of the few people whether to push the rock of Sysy- Yevhen Smahliuk, the head of who has the power to change life phus with your Western values Firtash’s press service, repeated the in Ukraine for the better for it is and suffer the whole way, perhaps line that Firtash has the wish to citizens, yet he has done next-to- even failing altogether, or to con- support the development of a Euro- nothing to promote the rule of law form to the nihilistic norms of the pean-quality university in Ukraine, in Ukraine, equality before the day and make those material which has a unique approach to law or individual rights such as gains that you want. teaching with Ukrainian tradition freedom of speech and assembly. The diaspora in North Ameri- and common human values. Firtash sponsored that same can refers to this phenomenon as Of course, there is the possi- World Newspaper Congress and “going native,” with its most fa- bility that Firtash simply wants World Editors Forum in Kyiv that mous victims being former First education in Lviv Oblast to blos- occurred in the format of white- Lady of Ukraine Kateryna Yush- som. Certainly. Yet other goals are washing Yanukovych’s image and chenko and former Justice Minis- possible. at which the president’s security ter Roman Zvarych. UCU could become a vehicle officers assaulted protesting Uk Somewhere down the road, for Firtash very much like Yalta rainian editors. Gudziak and his circle deter- Euopean Strategy is for Victor Instead he has been assem- mined that the modest donations Pinchuk and what the world’s bling his monopolies on natural from the Diaspora were not largest Jewish center, the recently gas transit and ammonia nitrate enough, and that being a small opened Menorah in Dnipropetro- production, among other indus- academy in a quaint 19th century vsk, is for Ihor Kolomoisky and tries. building, graduating a few dozen Hennady Boholyubov – an excel- He has aligned himself with students a year, wasn’t enough ei- lent public relations platform, a the administration of Viktor Yan- ther. platform for a popular base of ukovych, which threw the former Indeed throughout its various support among the local populace prime minister in prison, violated pursuits, the Ukrainian Catholic and a lever of influence on the her rights and the rights of former Church seems to take the ap- West. Internal Affairs Minister Yuriy proach of, “Build it first, find do- Then there’s the issue of re- Lutsenko, thereby damaging nors later.” Among the results of gional influence. Rinat Akhmetov Ukraine’s Euro-integration aspi- such an approach is the incom- has Donbas, Pryvat Group and rations for the near future. plete Christ’s Resurrection Patri- Victor Pinchuk share Dniprope- 34|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 Does money stink?|Society trovsk, Oleksandr Yaroslavskyi “Borya, kak dyela? I heard have no moral scruples when busi- has Kharkiv, Kostyantyn Zhevago that you’re attending the banquet ness, politics and religion overlap. has Poltava, Petro Poroshenko tomorrow night. Did you know But the Ukrainian Catholic has Vinnytsia, Ihor Yeremeyev that the EU Parliament’s chair of Church is supposed to be a far has Volyn, and now Firtash may the industry, research and energy higher standard of ethics and be laying his claim to Halychyna. committee will be there? Perhaps morality, given its heroic resis- He needs a positive image in you can mention that I’d like to a tance to Soviet Communism the West, where much of his busi- meeting with him this week. And (which the Moscow-centered Or- ness lies and is expanding. Spon- it wouldn’t hurt to mention the thodox Church largely capitu- soring the only Catholic univer- new academic wing we built at lated to) and commitment to sity in the post-Soviet sphere is a UCU, too.” Western values in Ukraine. good step in that direction. These ideals include the separa- Firtash could also be hoping UCU could become a vehicle tion of church and state, so that the for a helpful ally in Bishop Gudzi- state never becomes a sponsor or akin Brussels and Strasbourg. for Firtash very much like partner with any single church. It’s On July 23, the Vatican an- Yalta Euopean Strategy is these ideals that have created the nounced that its appointment of higher standard of living and qual- Bishop Gudziak as the apostolic for Victor Pinchuk – an ity of life that so many Ukrainians exarch of France, Benelux and excellent public relations aspire to through Euro-integration. Switzerland, which occurred Until recently, Bishop Gud- more than a year after Firtash’s platform ziak, and every Westerner in- donation was announced. But it volved in Ukrainian society was at was widely believed for years that As apostolic exarch of France, the forefront of a battle between Gudziak would be tapped to lead Benelux and Switzerland, Gud- Western values and the “Russian an eparchy, and Paris came as no ziak has the potential to become a World”… surprise with Gudziak’s predeces- better diplomatic asset and even Finally, it should be noted that sor there entering deep into his overshadow Foreign Minister the dedication of greenhouses was elderly years. Kostiantyn Hryshchenko and his scheduled on the same day as the Moreover, Gudziak told The diplomatic corps. village’s church holiday, which by Ukrainian Weekly that he will be While Hryshchenko is in- itself could not have been a suffi- “very much” and “explicitly” increasingly perceived as a Soviet- cient pretext for a university rec- volved in politics in France, Bene- era dinosaur with diminishing tor to visit a remote village. lux and Switzerland, which are credibility, Gudziak is a sophisti- The UCU leadership’s decision not only home to the European cated intellectual who earned his to accept the DF Group’s invita- Union’s governing organs, but Going Ph.D. from Harvard University. tionreflects that UCU is in a pain- also the World Council of native. UCU He can relate better to a euro-dip- ful transition phase which its Churches in Geneva, Switzerland. Rector Borys lomat than a Soviet-educated bu- leadership has not fully grasped. If Firtash has a personal rap- Gudziak and reaucrat can. In arranging for an interna- port with Gudziak (how else to ex- Dmytro Firtash Of course, Bishop Gudziak’s tionally recognized rector and have found plain the decision to bless the something defenders will correctly point out bishop to travel to a remote village greenhouses?), what is to stop in common that the leaders of the Ukrainian to bless a set of greenhouses – a Firtash from calling Gudziak on despite the Orthodox Church-Moscow Patri- job usually reserved for the local his next visit to Strasbourg and difference in archate are in frequent contact parish priest or head of the epar- asking, values with their oligarch sponsors and chy – UCU is still acting like a small academy instead of one of Ukraine’s top-tier institutions of higher education. The greenhouses are business, which is supposed to be an entirely separate matter from charity. There’s supposed to be a fine line to distinguish the two. Bishop Gudziak has built a reputation during his decade of leading UCU as a man of exceptional integrity and high morals. He draws respect from all corners of the global Catholic community. With the newly acquired big sponsors and with them, big re- sponsibilities, UCU’s leadership will need to more closely consider the ethical implications and political appropriateness of its decisions so that all that has been built remains intact and untar- nished. № 19 (42) november 2012|the ukrainian week|35 history|ancient people Terra Sudorum At one time scattered between the Neman and Western Bug Rivers, the Yotvingians contributed to the development of several Eastern European nations

The Ukrainian Week continues a series of articles the genesis of several nations in about ancient peoples that once populated the region: Lithuanians, Latvians, Ukrainian lands, leaving behind unique cultural Belarusians, Poles, and even heritage. Following articles about the Celts, the Ukrainians. Goths, the Alans and the Saka, this instalment focuses on the Yotvingians, Baltic tribes that left The intractable Balts their mark on Ukraine’s topography. Below, read Back in the 10th century A.D., why the Soviet special services made an attempt to artificially “revive” the Yotvingians in the late 1980s Yotvingians served in the armies and early 1990s. of Kyivan princes. In 945, a Yat- viag Hunarev travelled to Con- stantinople with other ambassa- Author: he Yotvingians were a Baltic dors of Kyivan Prince Ihor. Kostiantyn people that lived in what is The Poles and Rus’ wanted to Rakhno now Volyn, Ukrainian and conquer their lands, and in 983 TBelarusian Polissia, the Pod- Prince Volodymyr attacked and lachia region of Belarus and Po- subjugated them to Kyiv. Together land, and the Narew and Neman with his warriors, he sacrificed River basins. They were divided many captives and captured cattle into three tribes and populated a to pagan gods. In 1009, Bishop territory known as Yotvingia or Bruno of Querfurt, a German mis- Sudovia (“terra sudorum” in the sionary, tried to baptize the Yotvin- earliest Western sources). Their gians and convert them to Christi- language was close to Latvian, anity at the request of Polish King Lithuanian and the now-extinct Boleslaw the Brave and thus subju- chronicles claim that he did not Old Prussian. Chroniclers describe gate them to Poland, but he was capture their towns, unwilling to Yotvingians as being quick as ani- killed. In 1038, Yaroslav the Wise sacrifice his men to fight their forti- mals, fierce and extremely coura- was quite successful in fighting the fications. Instead, he seized a large geous. They spent most of their Yotvingians who were a nuisance number of cattle and other booty in lives fighting wars or hunting. to trade connections along the the countryside and returned Yotvingian tribes were involved in Western Bug River. However, home. As can be seen, living amid

The territory planned for the Yotvigian Republic in the early 1990s Slutsk A Yotvingian Chief from Slonim Baranovichi Bobruisk Salihorsk the KGB d r u s l a e How the communist special services tried to n Kobryn B Pinsk drive a wedge between Ukrainians and Bre

Belarusians by reviving a separate Yotvingian a Turaŭ Mazyr people in Western Polissia

l U Lublin Kovel k

Chelm Sarny he rapid rise of Ukrainian and Belaru- ects were launched to counter this trend. o Volodymyr- r Ovruch sian national identity during pere- These were based on the constructionist Volynskyi a stroika in the 1980s and the growing idea that a nation is an “imagined society” i n e

interest of these two peoples in their created by intellectuals. The thinking was P Novohrad- T Rivne Volynskyi Koro en native languages, history, ethnography and that it could be fragmented and new, loyal folklore made the KGB and the communist nations could be forged from it. One of the government nervous. Several political proj- most vivid, exotic and, at the same time, 36|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 ancient people|history The Tale of Ihor’s Campaign, likely written in 1185 by Volody- myr, the son of a Galician prince, mentions Yotvingia as a land hos- tile to Rus’. In 1196, Prince Roman Mstyslavovych also sent an expe- dition against the Yotvingians, who attacked the Podlachia region. While the Yotvingians hid away in Prussian forests and marches, the militant ruler of Galicia plundered their land. In response, the Lithuanians and Yotvingians ravaged Turiisk in Volhynia in 1205, and in 1227 Yotvingian forces advanced as far as Volodymyr but were eventually repelled. They also attacked regions around Pinsk and Brest in Belarus, Poland and the lands controlled by the Teutonic Order. In 1248, when the Yotvingians assaulted towns in the Chełm area, Prince Vasylko set out from Volodymyr and forced them to ilvanovich, 2002 S ilvanovich, y A liaksandr retreat. Their leaders, Borut and Skomond, were killed. The latter was known also as a priest who foretold the future by watching birds fly. The Rus’ warriors put otvingians with Boat b with Boat otvingians his head on a stake according to an ancient custom. In 1251, ainting: Y P princes Vasylko and Danylo, as well as the Polish Prince forests and marshes, the Yotvin- cian and Volhynian principalities Siemowit I of Masovia defeated gians had fortified towns which the picked up the baton in battling the the united Yotvingian-Prussian Rus’ armed forces were reluctant to Yotvingians. In 1112 and 1113, Vol- forces, and Prince Danylo of take by assault. Yaroslav made two hynian Prince Yaroslav Sviato- Galicia subjugated them com- more raids in 1040 and 1044. polkovych made two successful pletely in 1256. But the recalci- As the ancient Rus’ became in- raids against them, which are trant Balts continued to rebel on creasingly fragmented, the Gali- briefly mentioned in a chronicle. occasion.

The territory planned for the Yotvigian Republic in the early 1990s abhorrent actions was the revival of the ture of Ukrainian and Belarusian in which Slutsk Slonim Baranovichi “Yotvingian people” and the “Yotvingian brand new coinages predominated. It Bobruisk language” in the Ukrainian and Belarusian should be said that Sheliagovich’s initial ap- Salihorsk parts of Western Polissia. peals attracted the interest of Ukrainian intellectuals in the Polissia region. They were d r u s l a A political reincarnation ready to lend him a hand and act together. e Mikola Sheliagovich, poet, journalist, But once the Polisse Union was founded, it n Kobryn teacher at the Minsk Police Academy and a became clear that it sought separatism B Pinsk KGB agent, was the leader of this political rather than the promotion of folk culture, Bre movement. In April 1988, he set up the so the Ukrainians severed contacts with a Turaŭ Mazyr Polisse Cultural Union which promoted “the Sheliagovich. revival of the Western Polissian language The political mission of the self-styled and culture” and the recognition of resi- Yotvingians was completely pro-communist l U dents of Western Polissia as a distinct na- and pro-Russian. Their union received assis- Lublin Kovel k tion. He argued in the press that they were tance from government ministers and Be-

Chelm Sarny o not Belarusians but, rather, descendants of larusian MPs, party functionaries, CEOs of Volodymyr- r Ovruch Volynskyi a the Balts, “Yotvingians”, and had their own government organizations, directors of i n e “Yotvingian” language. leading factories and plants, newly rich

P Novohrad- Since 1989, the Zbudinne (Awakening) businessmen and the almighty KGB. This Rivne Volynskyi Koro en newspaper was published as an organ of handful of separatists were well-financed. the Yotvingian revival movement. It was a The chief of the “Yotvingians” made biweekly publication written in a weird mix- several claims: there was no Belarus; it № 19 (42) november 2012|the ukrainian week|37 history|ancient people Pagan dialects from Narva Martens in exchange for The history of the Yotvingian dictionary – purportedly lost – traces back to the summer of 1978 when crops Viacheslav Zinov, a young man from Brest who collected antiques, travelled the Białowieża Forest in search of items to add to his collection. When he inquired about antiques with an old man from a re- Chronicles not only contain a remote hamlet, the man showed him several items from his own home. One book, a compilation of cord of military events and the prayers in Latin with a few handwritten pages added to it, caught Zinov’s eye, and he purchased it. names of Yotvingian leaders Once home, he realized that the manuscript was older than the book itself and it was actually a dic- (known as Kunigas) – Nebr, tionary – a list of words in Polish and an unknown language. A note at the beginning of the dictionary Stegut Zebrovych, Nebiast, Komat, said “Pagan dialects from Narva”. Some letters in the manuscript had faded, so Viacheslav carefully Steikynt, Myntel, Mudeiko, Pe- copied them into a notebook to decipher the text. He translated Polish words easily, yet despite all of stylo, Shurpa, Shiutr, Mondunych, his efforts, he was unable to make sense of the strange unknown language. Ankad and Yundil ¬– but also tell us about their everyday lives and Before long, Viacheslav was enlisted in the army. While he was away, his parents who disliked his hobby went through his things and destroyed the icons and religious books out of fear that their son needs. In 1279, the Yotvingians might become religious himself. The Latin prayer book with the curious handwritten dictionary was sent ambassadors to Volodymyr- also destroyed. All that remained were the fragments that Viacheslav had copied into his notebook Volynskyi asking to be saved from before he left for the army. When his service was over, he continued to research his discovery. After starvation. They asked for crops in finding out that the Białowieża Forest had once been inhabited by pagan tribes that spoke a lan- exchange for which they were guage similar to Lithuanian, he contacted researchers at the University of Vilnius. The notes shocked happy to offer wax, silver and the them: they now had a dictionary of the lost Yotvingian language that preserved it for future genera- fur of squirrels, black martens and tions and revealed the culture and habits of this ancient people. beavers. Volodymyr Vasylkovych sent boats loaded with crops down Yotvingian words from Zinov’s notes trace borrowings from Gothic, Alan and Slavic languages. the Bug River. Phrases found in the chronicles of Hieronymus Meletius that date back to the mid-16th century and al- legedly stem from the Sudovians (a branch of Yotvingians often falsely attributed to Prussians) are The Yotvingians were perhaps also a blend of Baltic languages and Slavic elements. Baltic researchers are now using these frag- the last people of the region to still ments to recreate the Yotvingian-Sudovian language. Years prior, however, politicians attempted to hold on to their pagan faith. Ac- create a Slavic Yotvingian language. cording to Polish chronicler Win- centy Kadlubek, they believed that Area settled by Yotvingian tribes death was not to be feared because the soul would reincarnate in a Latvia more noble living being. Some would reincarnate as newborn Lithuania Russia children, others as beasts. Yotvingian chiefs were forced to accept Christianity after they were defeated. In the late 13th cen- Y Belarus o tury, northern Yotvingia came un- t der the control of the Teutonic Or- Poland v der. It was plundered and many lo- i n Germany g i cals moved to Lithuania. But after a n s the defeat of the Teutonic Knights at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410 Ukraine and the Treaty of Melno in 1422, Czech Republic Sudavia, the entire territory the

could not have one language and culture; pared for the event, so it was moved to Mikola Belarus did not and would not have intellec- Minsk. Some presentations were made in Sheliagovich, tuals or its own state; all things Belarusian “Yotvingian”. This gathering of separatists the "chieftain" were temporary, accidental and incom- was made to appear more authoritative of the Yotvingian plete, while nationalists were the main en- when it received welcoming addresses from people emy. His organization was effectively pro- Nikita Tolstoi, a leading Soviet Slavicist and moting the secession of Western Polissia specialist in the folk culture of Polissia, and from the republic. As a more radical option, his students Aleksandr Dulichenko from Sheliagovich suggested forming a Belaru- Tartu, Oleg Poliakov from Vilnius and Fyo- sian-Polissian federation. There were even dar Klimchuk from Minsk. Five years later, calls to set up checkpoints and a local na- Tolstoi participated in a congress of Ruthe- tional guard, but these remained on paper nian separatists in Slovakia where he wel- only. There were also territorial claims comed the codification of the “Carpatho- Zianon Pazniak, were very critical of Sheli- made against Ukraine. Ruthenian literary language”. He was agovich and his statements, correctly per- In April 1990, a Western Polissia joined there by Dulichenko, another ardent ceiving him as a KGB operative that threat- (Yotvingian) scholarly conference was held, advocate of the Ruthenians and the com- ened the territorial and national integrity declaring that the populations of the Brest piler of a two-volume dictionary of Russian of Belarus. Meanwhile, ethnographers and Pinsk regions of Belarus, the Volyn re- obscenities. proved that all Belarusians, rather than gion of Ukraine, and the Podlachia and one particular group, had Baltic roots. The Chełm regions of Poland had the right to From the “Yotvingian” Polisse Union gradually fell into decline, form an independent ethnic group. The con- language to Russification failing to drum up the support of Polissia ference was scheduled to take place in In contrast, some Belarusian public activ- residents themselves, who found the arti- Pinsk, but the city turned out to be unpre- ists and authors such as Nil Gilevich and ficial “Yotvingian” language foreign and 38|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 Fearless people “The Yotvingian people reside in the North, bordering with Mazovia, Rus and Lith- uania; has a language greatly similar to the language of Prussians and Litvins, and understandable to them. The tribes are wild and warlike, so hungry for glory and renown that a dozen of them fought with a hundred enemies encouraged only by the hope and knowledge that, after their death, their compatriots would honour them with songs of their heroic deeds. This character led to the demise of the Yotvingians, as small groups were defeated by more numerous units and virtually all were killed because of their inability to flee from such unequal battles.”

-Polish chronicler Jan Dlugosz (1415-1480)

The biggest Yotvingian kurgan complex in Suwałki

Yotvingians possessed, was incor- source of data about the language porated into the Grand Duchy of of this people, because all or almost Lithuania. They left a number of all Yotvingians had converted to traces in Ukraine such as in place Christianity by the 17th century and names: the village of Yatviahy in were assimilated by the Lithua- Lviv Oblast, Yatviahy and Yatviaz nians, Latvians, Belarusians, in Volyn and Yatvizh in Chernihiv northern Ukrainians and Masovian Oblast. The name of Lake Pulmo in Poles. One copy of a dictionary of Volyn is also thought to have the Yotvingian language survived, Yotvingian origin. Until recently, although the original was tragically place names were nearly the only lost. barely comprehensible. Only one As soon as Alexander Lukash- book – a chess handbook – was enko rose to power in Belarus and published in this language to date. forced Belarusian-language and bi- Attempts to create a Movement of lingual schools to teach in Russian, Western Polissia Residents, a the “Yotvingians” mysteriously dis- Yotvingian National Party and a appeared as if they had never ex- Western Polissian Regional Party all isted. Not one supporter of their idea fell through. or speaker of the “West-Polissian lit- In 1991-92, Sheliagovich still par- erary language” remained. It seems ticipated, with Tolstoi’s support, in they were all a mirage created by the congresses of Slavic cultures in Lju- KGB and the FSB in the first place. Lu- bljana as a representative of “Yotvin- kashenko once defended the Polisse gian culture”, while the odd Union against nationalists at a meet- Zbudinne newspaper, which experi- ing of the Belarusian Supreme Coun- mented with the Latin script, was still cil, but he recently claimed credit for available in newspaper kiosks in having prevented the division of the Brest Oblast and Minsk. Sheliagovich country and the creation of the Polis- later distanced himself from the sian Republic. The revival of the Yotvingian idea and became one of Yotvingians, aimed at dividing the the most successful businessmen in Belarusian and Ukrainian nations, Minsk. In 1994, he ran for president never came to pass. and later moved to Kaliningrad Oblast in the Russian Federation. Author: Kostiantyn Rakhno culture & arts|Ukraine at Cognac Literature Festival Ukraine Finds Its Place on the European Bookshelf Ukraine was a Guest of Honour at the Festival of European Literature held November 15-18 in Cognac, France t was a challenge. We though the venue was well at- local economy,” explains Nicolas, had to persuade a num- tended anyway. The festival had an executive at one of the local co- ber of people before obviously become an integral part gnac factories. Over the twenty “Ichoosing Ukraine.” said of the elegant old town long ago. years that the festival has been festival Director Sophie Jullien. The small town of Cognac has held, only two non-EU countries “Today, on the last day of the cele- a population of less than 20,000 have had a chance to present their bration I can say confidently: we but is known worldwide as the literature in Cognac: Ukraine and made the right choice.” birthplace of the famous liquor Norway. Featuring a book salon and con- that bears its name. Today, some ference, film screenings, concerts, top brands, such as Henessy, Mar- Insecure about fitting in debates, and a sampling of Ukrai- tell, Rémi-Martin, Camus and “Ukrainian literature is currently nian food from writer Maria Matios, Otard are produced in Cognac and like a child prodigy that can do the festival conceptually aims to distributed throughout the world. anything it likes,” said Yuriy An- place a specific culture into a com- Its reliable financial background drukhovych at a conference. “After mon European context. While last allows Cognac to fund numerous centuries of taboos, censorship and year’s guest of honour, Spain, and cultural initiatives, including Lit- bans, we are enjoying unlimited next year’s choice, Italy already be- tératures Européennes Cognac. freedom and feel wildly ecstatic long to the European cultural space, Why focus on European litera- about being allowed to do anything Ukraine is quite different—both in ture? “Because, before becoming a we want.” terms of stereotypes within Ukraine political project, the European “Why did you have to invite and the attitudes of EU citizens to- community had been a cultural him?” an executive from a Ukrai- ward Ukrainians. one,” says Jean-François Colosimo, nian publishing house lamented Chairman of the National Book quietly. “Literature means respon- Cognac and the arts Centre in France. “Because politi- sibility for the image of the coun- The warm autumn sun was the big- cian Jean Monnet who was one of try you represent before readers gest rival of Ukrainian writers at the inspirers and fathers of the EU, and the world.” Littératures Européennes Cognac. was born here,” notes Cognac Whereas Ukrainians listened “If it weren’t for this beautiful Mayor Michel Gourinchas. “Be- carefully to every word of their weather, many more people would cause visitors from European speakers to make sure that they have come”, organizers claimed, al- countries are a key element of the would not have to denounce or 40|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 Ukraine at Cognac Literature Festival|culture & arts justify anything later, the interna- about. I work at this festival every is moving ahead. The dubious ste- tional audience was more benevo- year and I can assure you that this reotypes fuelled by Ukraine’s oppo- lent. Most visitors were French year the festival attracted as many nents that used to mar anything from Cognac and the area who had people as it always has. For in- related to the country are disap- known little about Ukraine before stance, we know Spain much better pearing gradually, too. The fact the festival, eager to gain an over- than Ukraine but people are that a place like Cognac with its all background and less attentive equally interested in both coun- prestige and variety of cultural ini- to small details. tries. We just have much more tiatives has dedicated its festival of The list of Ukrainian writers in- Spanish literature available in European literature to the intro- vited to the festival was determined French. That’s the only difference.” duction of Ukraine creates many by whether their books had ever According to Artus, “Ukraini- new prospects for the nation. Let’s been translated into French. These ans have nothing to worry about face it: some people had no idea included novels by Andrey Kurkov, in terms of whether they fit into that the country existed before Yuri Andrukhovych, Liubko De- Europe. Ukraine is Europe by de- Euro 2012. Today, they have a resh, Maryna Levytska, Anna fault because we all belong to a chance to discover that an entire Shevchenko and Maryna and Ser- common European culture. The world, an entire life lies behind the hiy Diachenko, all published in issues raised in Liubko Deresh’s word ‘Ukraine’.” French. The international jury that Cult, for instance, are perfectly in Such were the first steps of voted on special prizes, as well as line with youth literature trends Ukrainian contemporary litera- professional literary critics from popular in Europe. The French au- ture in France. Some claimed that France who moderated the confer- dience received its psychological the festival “came too early” and ence had a chance to read them. tone very well, just as it does An- organizers should have waited for “I read books by all of the drey Kurkov with his political yet more Ukrainian books to be trans- Ukrainian writers who attended lyrical novels. Andrukhovych may lated into French. Others said that the festival,” said Hubert Artus, be emotional at times, but he’s such events are essentially the French critic and writer. “You’re also very poetic, in my opinion.” only places where publishers, asking how well the themes and the “Ukrainian discourse seems to writers and translators can meet. quality fit European tastes and be gradually rising,” said Raymond New meetings encourage new trends? Of course they fit in. In my Clarinard of Courrier International projects. Perhaps they will encour- opinion, Ukrainian literature is no in a comment for The Ukrainian age accomplishments and vibrant better or worse than American, Week. “There is a critical mass of art initiatives in the future. Mexican, Czech or any other litera- knowledge about Ukraine accumu- “It could have been better of ture. You have nothing to worry lating, and slowly, drop by drop, it course,” commented translator and literary history expert Iryna Dmy- tryshyn, Professor at the Paris Insti- tut National des Langues et Civilisa- Featuring a book salon and conference, film screenings, concerts and debates, the festival aims to place a specific culture into a common European context tions Orientales (National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civiliza- tions), who inspired Ukraine’s participation in the festival as the Guest of Honour. “But when you hear Sé- golène Royal quoting Ukrainian writer Vasyl Barka, and Chair of the French National Book Centre quoting Voltaire to say that “Ukraine had always wanted freedom”, you no longer need to prove that Ukrai- nian culture is becoming an integral component of the common Euro- pean legacy. We’ll know how effective the festival’s promotion is in a year or two, but this is precisely the right way to lay the groundwork for the promotion of a nation’s literature abroad.” № 19 (42) november 2012|the ukrainian week|41 culture & arts|Ukraine at Cognac Literature Festival Sophie Jullien: Ukrainian literature is rich, versatile and deserves to be known

Interviewers: UW: In 2011, France hosted a big Kateryna Koval, Alla Lazareva Ukrainian literature delegation at the Paris Book Fair (Salon du Livre ognac, the city in southwest de Paris). Has Ukrainian litera- France known for its drink, is ture become more interesting for also the birthplace of the “Fa- the French audience since then? Cther of Europe”, Jean Mon- Literature is one part of cultural net. The LITTERATURES EUROP- identity that gives use an idea about EENNES COGNAC, literature fes- countries and their cultures. It en- tival, was started in 1988 marking hances imagination, the experience 100 years since Monnet’s birth. of other cultures and countries, and The festival promotes European pushes the audience to open their literature and writers and give au- minds. Translators have an impor- thors and readers a chance to meet tant place in taking books across and talk. Each November, writers borders – geographic and cultural: from all over Europe flock to Co- they build bridges between cultures, gnac to meet, debate, and discuss hence between people. their writing together with the au- Ukrainian literature has not dience. In 1995, the Jean Monnet been translated much in France. Prize was established to reward a The few contemporary Ukrainian European writer for a novel or writers that are translated and short stories written or translated published in French include Yuri into French. Ever since, festival at- Andrukhovych, Igor Baranko, Ly- tendees have discovered significant ubko Deresh, and Andrey Kurkov. European writers, including Wil- In fact, it was very important liam Boyd, Claudio Magris, Danièle for the Ukrainian delegation to be Sallenave, Jorge Semprun, Antonio present at the Book Fair in Paris Tabucchi, and Sylvie Germain last when an Almanac presenting un- year. The Ukrainian Week talks published writers was compiled. to Sophie Jullien about this year’s Being present at that meeting and festival and Ukraine as its Guest of listening to the writers encouraged Honour. me to discover more Ukrainian literature and look forward to new UW: Why did you choose Ukraine translations. And I’m delighted to to be the central guest this year? know that some of them will be In 2011, Spain was the Guest of published in France. Honour. Now, we are discovering the East of Europe and a country UW: What Ukrainian writers were whose literature is little known in invited to the festival?W hat will France. Ukraine is the second larg- be its main theme? est country on the European conti- In his History of Charles XII, nent, and the biggest country Voltaire wrote: "Ukraine has always whose territory lies entirely within aspired to be free." So, we chose the Europe. So Ukraine is part of Eu- theme of Freedoms. We invited rope. The opportunity to explore Ukrainian writers from a variety of various themes with writers and genres, from novels and poetry to raise the issue of frontiers makes cartoons and children’s books, in-

our choice even more interesting. cluding Yuri Andrukhovych, Igor andriy lomakin photo: 42|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 Ukraine at Cognac Literature Festival|culture & arts Baranko, Kateryna Biletina, Lyubko Each European country has its launch consistent communication Deresh, Anton Kouchnir, Andrey own authentic literature, but com- with Ukrainian writers. Kurkov and Maria Matios, to name mon historical and literary refer- a few. And there were European ences show that all Europeans have UW: In your opinion, how does writers, such as French Hubert something in common in terms of festival promotion affect the- de Haddad and Gilles Rozier, Polish their culture. What we try to do velopment of literature and pro- Mariusz Sczcygieł, or Czech Jaro- with books is to ask questions. And motion of foreign writers in slav Rudiš. They had a chance to ex- as Umberto Eco said, “the language France? change ideas in meetings and at of Europe is translation”. The French have a good taste in roundtables. Such things are very books and they still need help in important as they encourage new UW: Ukraine is the second non-EU discovering new interesting writers cultural and literary projects, and Guest ofH onour at the festival. and seek advice. We’re trying to not boost creativity. Was it worth choosing Ukraine for only offer a book but understand the role this year? and decipher a given society. We UW: How popular are book fairs in We highlight the cultural and could see how Ukrainian writers in- France? What is the overall situa- geographical Europe, not politics. vited this year were responsive and tion with book reading there? Are When Iryna Dmytrychyn came enthusiastic to tell people about books giving way to digital media? here as the translator of Yuriy An- their country, not just about them- Book publishing is a very big drukhovych in 2009, she suggested selves or their books, and to meet cultural industry and book fairs are that we could invite Ukraine, and I writers from other countries. I be- very popular in France. Every week- enjoyed the idea. I’m really glad lieve that Ukrainian culture is very end, there is a book fair in some about the outcome today. We had deep and original, it’s worth being city. Digital books change reading so many visitors every day, and es- known in the world. And that recog- habits, of course. But the latest data pecially now they discovered nition comes through meeting new from the National Book Centre Ukrainian writers and it gave a bet- people, among other things. I hope shows that more and more books ter idea of the cultural Ukrainian that French publishers will continue are being sold, as are translated landscape. to translate Ukrainian books. In a books. Some may think that people way, a country does not exist with- tend to read less now, but I think it UW: Your audience is mostly lo- out translation, you know. is the practice of reading that has cal, isn’t it? changed. If people are encouraged The festival has existed for 20 UW: Some compare literature to to take a book and read it, they will. years now. The city has got used to wine. How about literature and What we have to do is to find some it and the locals really enjoy getting cognac? innovate ways to encourage read- to know other worlds. People came Just like with cognac, one ing. People are still willing to dis- from other cities of region Poitou- should savour all the different fla- cover and explore, and to share Charentes, and beyond. Some vours of any given book. It is a per- what they have read with others. come back every year, and each year we get new audience attracted Ukraine is at the UW: How can Ukrainian literature by different events we arrange all attractE uropean readers? Does it year long. crossroads of history and have something unique that sur- culture, a blend of prises them? UW: Spain was the guest last Ukraine is at the crossroads of year. Was the audience then dif- different cultures it history and culture, a blend of different from the one this year? offers an original ferent cultures. From what I’ve There were more people. Actu- read, I can see that Ukrainian litera- ally, we see every year that the perspective of society, ture is rich, versatile and deserves to seeds we plant into the soil grow humour and irony be known. In my opinion, it offers into beautiful flowers. Each year, an original perspective of society, the number of visitors has in fact fect blend of shape and style. And humour and irony, and historical increased. But we need time for just like cognac is made for future background. But the most impor- this seed to grow. People got inter- generations, literature goes tant aspect that leads a book to the ested in Ukrainian literature and through time, passing down knowl- foreign audience is translation. we have to keep encouraging this edge from generation to genera- There is still much to be done interest. Next year, Italy will be the tion. There is a beautiful French on the state level to create the image Guest of Honour. But the main expression: “la part des anges”, or of Ukrainian literature abroad and principle is to share experience and "the angels’ part" used for the part to open the country. For example, ideas and arrange meetings. We in- of alcohol that evaporates from li- France had the Year of Poland in vite several writers from one cul- quor. It’s the same with a book: 2004. Ever since, more and more ture, and other European writers. there is an angels’ part in it that af- Polish books have been translated You saw that we had people from fects us. I like the idea of the blend into French. Poland, Czech Republic, Russia, and transmission in cognac. A Catalonia last year… It gives us a novel, too, is a blend, an adventure, UW: What themes prevail in mod- chance to share ideas and not get a discovery. The difference is that ern European literature? Actually, frozen in just one vision. Next year, one can consume literature with- is there “European literature”, or we are planning to invite Serhiy out moderation. The main thing is is it rather a generalized theoreti- Zhadan as his book will be pub- that both cognac and literature are cal term? lished in French. Thus, we hope to something to enjoy and share. № 19 (42) november 2012|the ukrainian week|43 culture & arts|Ukrainian literature in Europe Anna Shevchenko: It’s important for me to show people that history tends to take revenge

ur interview with Anna UW: Are there many writers in the UW: Tell us about your Shevchenko, a Ukrainian- UK who write about anything grandfather, Fedir Shevchenko… born writer who now lives linked to Ukraine? He had a sad and difficult life, Oin Britain, took place at the I’d say that Ukraine mostly one typical of an intellectual in the European Books Festival of Cognac. comes up in political journalism. A 1970s. He was a historian and the Her debut thriller Bequest is about lot of research is published on director of the Archeology Institute. the British, Russian and Ukrainian Ukraine’s geopolitical choices. But He wrote the truth about Ukrainian intelligence services' hunt for Cos- these are not novels. An interesting historian and first president sack Hetman Pavlo Polubotok's book called Odessa Brides was re- Mykhailo Hrushevsky, but it was gold. The French translation of Be- cently published in English. It’s by prohibited; did research on Ukrai- quest has turned out to be a big hit. Janet Skeslien Charles from New nian Cossacks and edited the Soviet Anna Visitors kept interrupting the inter- Zealand. Janet presents a great Encyclopaedia. He was a versatile, Shevchenko's view to get an autograph or ask portrait of what was going on in talented man who was known in the debut thriller Anna who the hetmans were and Odesa between Perestroika and world. That’s what the authorities Bequest is whether or not it is safe to travel 1991 when Ukraine gained inde- didn’t like about him. Anonymous about the around Ukraine in a camping pendence, giving an extremely in- reports started coming in against British, Russian trailer, and whether or not she re- teresting perspective of Ukrainian him and his name was removed ev- and Ukrainian intelligence member the day Chornobyl ex- reality through a foreigner’s eyes. erywhere. That was in 1972. Then, services' hunt ploded. We also spoke with her Apart from that, Andrey Kurkov’s, literary critic and dissident Ivan for Cossack about trends in British literature, Maryna Levytska’s and my novels Dziuba was arrested and poet and Hetman Pavlo the responsibility of writers for the about modern Ukraine have been dissident Dmytro Pavluchko faced Polubotok's image of their nation and Western the only ones published in English, persecution. Worst of all, my grand- gold stereotypes about Ukrainians. as far as I know. father could have said so much and he never did. That was my major in- UW: Is Bequest your first novel? spiration. I wanted to finish his un- Yes, but I published two books finished work. After Perestroika, he with research on Ukrainian and was invited to speak about Hru- Russian mentality earlier. This was shevsky at the Academy of Sciences. where it all started. My first book So many people came that they was a brief guide on Ukraine from couldn’t fit into the auditorium and the perspective of Ukrainian men- they stood in the doorway. But the tality. It was published in 2005. I system had broken him and he did this because it would get could no longer speak the truth. Ukraine into a series of books about That was my worst pain. My grand- different countries. The actual re- parents inspired the characters in search cost me two-three times Bequest and this novel is dedicated more than the paycheck was. What to them. surprised me though was that I found absolutely nothing on Ukrai- UW: Do you see yourself as a nian mentality when I began to look writer of high or popular for contemporary research. After literature? Do you accept the the first two books were published, division? my grandmother gave me my I don’t think of myself as a grandfather’s diaries to read. He writer. I’m just a story teller. I see was a dissident and a professional things as if they were in a movie. I historian. It was really painful to use different stories from Ukraine to read his diaries. “Write a story about bring its history to a mass audience. all this if you want to leave the It’s not that I don’t respect highly in- memory of your grandfather,” my tellectual literature. It’s certainly granny told me. “Make it a novel very important. I’m just not sure to- this time.” I was pregnant at that day that I can do it. By the way, I point — expecting a child and “ex- was inspired to start writing books pecting” a novel. It took me 12 years by my neighbours' six-year old to research all the sources and com- daughter. I used to take her to plete the book. school with my daughter and she 44|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 Ukrainian literature in Europe|culture & arts would give me three words and I Conference and I accepted the invi- UW: So, you realize that people on had to make a story out of them ev- tation only because I had a chance the UK now partly see Ukraine ery day. I had just 20 minutes to do to tell something about Ukraine. through your eyes? that while driving the girls to school. Surprisingly, Ukraine was not I’d really like them to see And she would edit me all the time. mentioned once in the draft pro- Ukraine through more eyes than Then six months later she told me, gramme. just mine. But that’s what we have “Now you can really start thinking at this point. They see it through the about writing books.” UW: How similar are the themes eyes of Kurkov, Denysenko and in contemporary Ukrainian and other modern writers. And I’m UW: Still, you write historical British literature? grateful to the British audience for detectives, not children’s books… I would probably combine this finding my eyes helpful. The key message of my first, question with the theme of foot- second and maybe the two other ball, although it may surprise you. UW: Do you think writing, books I’m currently contemplating And I’m not talking about Euro literature and storytelling entails is to show that history tends to take 2012. There is a book called Dy- responsibility? revenge. Subsequent generations namo: Defending The Honour Of Definitely, yes. I feel 100% re- get to pay the price for treating his- Kiev by Andy Dougan. It’s about sponsible for what I do. The respon- tory carelessly. My next book is the Death Match of Kyiv Dynamo sibility is actually huge. about the secrets of the Yalta Con- during World War II. A film with ference, the documents we don’t many British celebrities, including UW: How do people in the UK see know about. I worked in the UK Gerard Butler, will be done on it Ukrainians? Do they know and American archives, Livadia soon. You may think that this has anything about Ukraine? palace in Crimea, and talked to nothing to do with the problems They know the three whales: many different people. And there Ukraine has now but the situation Chornobyl, Andriy Shevchenko and were some secrets there. The infor- actually reflects British mentality. mines. Sadly, that’s all. In summer, mation I will reveal in my book will The British like to support the los- a surge of negative media surfaced disturb some people. But not ing party. The concept of the losing before Euro 2012. The media often knowing it is even more dangerous. party getting victory in the end write about Ukraine’s endless politi- makes Ukraine much more closer cal problems. But the good thing is UW: Do you feel yourself a British to the UK than any common eco- or a Ukrainian writer? nomic or art events. That’s how For me, the plot, the shape and bridges are built – through football I use different stories from completeness of a story are the pri- and history. For me, that was an Ukraine to bring its history orities. This is what you can reach important example of how a story in any language. The point is what that had nothing to do with mod- to a mass audience you write about. ern time engaged Ukraine into the current trends in the UK. that people have finally realized that UW: Do you think festival Ukraine is a separate state. Ten promotion is effective for writers UW: What other trends are years ago, they would often not dis- and the nations they represent? popular in the UK today? What tinguish Ukraine from Russia. The Cognac literature festival Ukrainian writer could fit them? is very vibrant, lively. It attracts Maryna and Serhiy Diachenko, UW: Do you think Europe is finding people who have nothing in com- definitely. Their gloomy and weird Ukraine more and more mon with a given country but fantasy is something the British interesting despite all our want to know more about Ukrai- find extremely interesting. Black troubles? nian history and culture. The fes- detective stories also have a chance I think so. A lot of French people tival is not commercial and re- in the UK. Just look at all these came up to me at this festival asking veals new music, photos, litera- popular Scandinavian novels. not just about books, but about ture and art… All generations Kurkov fits in really well with his Ukraine and its history. Their ques- come here. Some people have irony, sarcasm and surrealism that tions ranged from Cossacks to Chor- been to Ukraine to study or just the Brits love and understand. nobyl. The 120-seat historical travel, but most have only heard roundtable was filled with the that the country exists. I think UW: Do your books build bridges? French, with all kinds of questions this festival is a great initiative. Do they contribute to creating the and comments coming from them. image of Ukraine in the West? These intelligent people wanted to UW: Are Ukrainian writers seen I think the Bequest contact has enrich their own culture. as something exotic in the West, worked. Its detective element or are they an integral element of helped. And the plot – the hunt for UW: Have your books been the common European image? gold is always interesting and every- translated into Ukrainian? Sadly, they’re definitely exotic. one is familiar with it. I wanted to No, the novels haven’t been I’ve experienced this myself. Ukrai- communicate Ukrainian history to translated yet. My first book Be- nian literature is viewed as some- the readers through this story. quest has been published in 12 thing new, an alien world. Re- When a British newspaper wrote countries so far. Perhaps it will ap- cently, I did a programme on trips that “Shevchenko compiled a brief pear in Ukraine next year. Of to Crimea, Russia and the Far East course on Ukrainian history,” I felt course, I would be happy to reach for the BBC. I was invited to talk that they got my message right. That out to Ukrainian readers with my about my second book on the Yalta was my goal. books. № 19 (42) november 2012|the ukrainian week|45 culture & arts|reviews and event calendar The Louvre Welcomes Johann Georg Pinsel

pening the exhibition of the works of Johann me about Johann Pinsel and showed me Pinsel, a master of Ukrainian baroque sculp- reproductions of his work...” ture, Guilhem Scherf, the commissioner of The Ukrainian Week tried to discover the Othe exhibition and Head of Department of name of the foreign benefactor from Scherf, but Sculptures at the Louvre explained that: “We are ex- failed. The Head of the Department of Sculptures hibiting the sculptures in the former royal chapel, hesitated for a moment, but refused: “I cannot do this which was built in the 17th century. The atmosphere without the approval of this person. And he is not and overall spirit of the premises ideally suit these looking for glory for himself.” wonderful sculptures. As a rule, we do not open the Oleh Pinchuk, sculptor and coordinator of windows during exhibitions: the bright sunshine can restorative work, willingly spoke with journalists. harm paintings, but this is not the case with “Just about all sculptures require restoration. This sculptures. This exceptional situation is only for the was very fine and demanding work, requiring best.” exceptional craftsmanship,” he said. The exhibition of the renowned Ukrainian artist The commissioner of the exhibition noted that in the Louvre is also an exception. This is the first “the cultural event would never have taken place cooperation between the museum that is well-known without the heroic efforts of Borys Voznytsky, who throughout the world and Ukraine. “This event has has been collecting and saving the masterpieces of been in the making for three years,” explained Johann Pinsel since the 1960s. The art critic and Scherf. “One of my friends, a French businessman, former Director of the Lviv Art Gallery died tragically who was working in Lviv at that time, visited me, told in a car accident in May, 2012. The exhibition was

Events 25 November, 7 p.m. 2 December, 7 p.m. 7-16 December The Beethoven Quartet Norma The International Jazz Bez 2012 festival National Philharmonic of National Opera House Ukraine (50, vul. Volodymyrska, Kyiv) Lviv Philharmonic, Picasso club (2, Volodymyrsky Uzviz, Kyiv) No-one who wants to see and hear and other spots in Lviv The Beethoven Quartet from Basel something wonderful will be left un- (7, vul. Tchaikovskoho; 88, vul. is getting ready to play a concert in moved by the lyrical two-act tragedy Zelena, Lviv) Ukraine with Antonio Nuñez on the by Italian composer Vincenzo Bellini. Winter will bring along exciting jazz first violin, Laurentius Bonitz on the The story takes place in Gaul, which festivals, sparking cities all over Ukraine second violin, Bahagn Aristakesyan had been conquered by the Roman and Poland with the energy of improvi- on the viola and Carlos Conrad on the Empire. Norma, the high-priestess sation. This year, over 100 international cello. Russian pianist, Alexey Liubimov of the Celts, sacrifices her life for her musicians, including Petras Vishniaus- and French bass violist, Botond lover. The Italian libretto by Felice kas, Eddie Henderson, Tomek Grochot, Kostyak, will join the quartet to Romani based on Norma, or The Jazz Pospolita and many more will take play a sextet for piano, string Infanticide tragedy combines perfectly to the stage. The Benito Gonzalez Trio quartet and bass viol called The with opera melo- will play the final chord Favourite City I Hate by contem- dies, making it ever with American jazz pia- porary Russian composer Pavel more dramatic and nist Benito Gonzalez, Karmanov and the Grand sextet emotional. The title Slovakian drummer in E-flat major by Mikhail Glinka. role is considered David Godek, and Ark The programme also features to be one of the Ovrutski, one of the String quartet No.1 by Suter and most difficult arias best bassists in Eastern String quartet by Jean-Jacques in the repertoire of Europe. Dünki. a soprano. 46|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 reviews and event calendar|culture & arts thus dedicated to his memory. Borys Voznytsky’s music daughter, Larysa, attended the opening of the exhibition. She left early, just after the arrival of Mykhaylo Kulyniak, the Minister of Culture of Ukraine, possibly because of the painful Strong Spirits circumstances. Kulyniak also liked the mention made by Scherf of the exception made to open the windows. He Absinthe is the final stated that “this will allow Pinsel to see the extent to part of the poetry and which the Louvre values his works”, and also alluded music trilogy, the first two to the window to Europe, which the Pinsel exhibition albums being Moonshine had carved out for Ukraine. and Cinnamon, started However, the next Ukrainian-French artistic over six years ago by poet event will only take place in two years. It will be in Yuri Andrukhovych and Marseilles, not the Louvre, and will be dedicated to Polish avant-garde band, the art of Odesa. It’s not as if Ukraine doesn’t have Karbido. The new album is anything with which to surprise the world. But as a fusion of jazz, jazz-rock Guilhem Scherf accurately stated: “Each art and ambient, flowing into exhibition is a chain of successful meetings”. In the folk in Sniper and I Won’t case of the Pinsel masterpieces, the chain has come Go to the Forest,and reg- together successfully, only time will tell if it will gae in J.P.’s Reggae. The continue to grow with future exhibitions. talented Karbido musi- Tibo Brutten, an employee of the Louvre’s cians maneuver through Promotion Department, told The Ukrainian Week the various genres, always that the museum plans to expand its collection of coming up with a delight- work from Central and Eastern Europe. “More ful creation. The project, specifically, we shall be buying orthodox icons – inspired by Andruk- Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian...” This project is in the hovych’s novel Perverzion, involves music, poetry, video art and theatrical early stages, but we don’t know when the new elements, to present a versatile myth about the poet, traveler and performer, collection will be ready for viewing. Stanislav Perfetsky. The audio part covers the most important episodes of Ukrainian windows are only beginning to be Perfestsky’s story that is more cinematographic by development and compo- found in the mass of Ukrainian masterpieces. These sition in the art performance than it is in the novel. Capturing the moments, first rays of light, attention and interest are still an details, symbols and moods, reflected accurately by all artistic means, it takes exception. A lot of work is needed for this exception an approach that requires the audience to be familiar with the original text. to become the norm for cultural cooperation, and in A bonus DVD compiles videos of concerts at the Kyiv Conservatory and Ivano- time, for the norm to become a positive, stable Frankivsk Philharmonic, played with VJ-group Cube. The secret of Absinthe is tradition. not just the integrity that was lacking in the previous albums of the trilogy. Its most exciting element is the great interpretation of the story of Perfetsky, Alla Lazareva who finds himself in a ghost town, facing his life, love and death alone.

8 December, 8 p.m. 10 December, 7.30 p.m. Through 12 December Warm Jazz Evenings Nino Katamadze The Beatles & INSIGHT M17 Contemporary Art Centre Officers’ House (102-104, vul. Horkoho, Kyiv) (30/1, vul. M. Hrushevskoho, Solomia Krushelnytska Opera Kyiv) and Ballet Theatre There is a special reason for joy The best Ukrainian jazz musicians (28, ProspectS vobody, Lviv) among all Beatles fans: Kyiv will be come together to present the Kyiv Georgian jazz will once again melt the hosting a photo exhibition by pho- audience with the world’s top jazz hits hearts of Ukrainian music-lovers. Nino tographer Astrid Kirchherr, dedicated by legendary composers such as Duke Katamadze and her Insight band will to the legendary Liverpool band until Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Sammy come to Lviv to present her new much mid-December. She was the one Nestico, Jerome Kern and George awaited album, Green. Just as in her who, in her time, defined the band’s Gershwin. Improvisation, swing and previous album, Red, Nino and her style: black leather jackets and stylish smooth jazz rhythms will embrace the musicians experiment with the voice, haircuts. The exhibition will feature audience in a world of instruments and 50 photographs, in- music. Dmytro Aleksan- arrangements. This cluding 30 portraits drov on saxophone, Olek- time, they experi- of the four Beatles, siy Saranchyn on piano, ment with traditional and the rest reveal- vocalist Ruslan Yehorov jazz and offer smart ing the character and Oleksandr Charkin on jazz remakes in a of Hamburg in the trombone will be playing, musical dialogue 1960s, with guitars, along with Den Adu on with the audience typical hairstyles, trumpet, Mykola Kisteniov in songs including dressed and ideas on double bass and Pavlo Gammai, Vahagn inspired by the Halytsky on drums. and English. legendary band. № 19 (42) november 2012|the ukrainian week|47 navigator|the routes of rebels In the Footsteps of Fallen Heroes The Ukrainian Week takes a drive to explore places where significant military campaigns had taken place

Nizhyn Konotop Bazar Koroen Pamiatne Sumy Memorial to UNR Army ﬁghters Bazar Pamiatne

(photo 6) Dnip Kruty Hero Commemoration

Lutsk ro memorial (photo 5) Rivne Malyn Ромни Novohrad-Volynsky Radomyshl Pliasheva KYIV O riv Zhytomyr Dnip Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky ro Hermanivka Obukhiv Revyna Hill is an archaeological, hi orical and natural Kholodnyi Yar (The Cold Ravine) Pliasheva site with a memorial (photo 3) Medvedivka features a monument “Cossack Graves” memorial Hermanivka Regional Gymnasium is a school Hermanivka to Cossack hetman Maksym Zalizniak, housed on the premises of a former two-grade school and a local ethnographic museum built around the wooden Zolotonosha St. Michael’s Church (photo 2) built in 1909 and designed by well-known Kyiv Bila Tserkva Melnyky has columns commemorating and St. George’s mausoleumТернопіль archite Volodymyr Nikolayev. Its yard is home Myronivka Cossacks, leaders of the Cold Ravine church to Ukraine’s only monument to Hetman Ivan Vyhovsky. haidamaky unit, and writer Полтава Nearby is a memorial site for Hermanivka commander O riv Dnip Yuriy Horlis-Horsky Monument to the Cossacks of Roman Chernushenko and his 99 Cossacks. Cherkasy ro Motrona Trinity Convent (photo 4) the Pryluky Regiment Cossack memorial site Sklyk – a Old one crosses over Vinnytsya Smila place for conventions and councils – Cossack graves (photo 1) is in the 41 quarter of the Kholodnyi Yar Kreselets State Fore (Cold Ravine) Buda Hamlet ho s the Wild Hamlet open-air museum and Maksym Uman Zalizniak’s oak tree

Author: mytro Harmash, a Kyiv- place. The most popular of these Pliasheva Dmytro based construction engi- include Chernihiv, Kaniv, We pass Zhytomyr, Rivne, and Malakov neer and musician, is Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky, Chyhy- Dubno, heading to Pliasheva, a Dhopelessly in love with ryn, Subotiv, Sedniv, Ostroh, village where a Cossack Grave history. He sometimes takes the Kozelets and Oster. The story be- memorial was founded in 1910- day off to drive to places where low reveals some of the lesser- 1914 to commemorate the tens of memorable events have taken known spots. thousands of Bohdan Khmel-

1 2

48|the ukrainian week|№ 19 (42) november 2012 the routes of rebels|navigator nytsky’s warriors killed in the Treaty of Hadiach at the Chorna The Cold Ravine devastating Battle of Berestechko Rada on 11 September 1659 are Kholodny Yar – the Cold Ravine with the Polish-Lithuanian Com- buried here,” states the plaque on – is a huge relict forest with ra- monwealth army in 1651. The me- the solitary steel cross. vines and spurs, streams and morial was designed by architect After the death of Bohdan springs, covering over 7,000 Volodymyr Maksymov around Khmelnytsky, Moscow increased hectares, and a symbol of na- two unique churches. The wooden its pressure on Ukraine ignoring tional resistance south of Cher- St. Michael’s Church was built in the 1654 Treaty of Pereyaslav. On kasy. People have lived there for 1650, renovated and brought to September 16, 1658, Hetman Ivan thousands of years. In recent Pliasheva from the nearby village Vyhovsky signed an agreement times, the pristine thicket of the of Ostriv a century ago. The St. with Poland in Hadiach consolidat- Cold Ravine was home and shel- George Mausoleum Church was ing a break with Moscow. In ter to several generations of decorated with oil frescos by Kyiv Ukraine, however, discord sparked Ukrainians who struggled for artist Ivan Yizhakevych 100 years between supporters of Ukraine’s freedom. ago. St. Michael’s is a traditional conflicting Russian and Western We turn west from the Cher- piece of Volyn architecture, while courses. This mounted after Ivan kasy-Chyhyryn road, past the Ti- St. George’s is Ukrainian Art Vyhovsky’s army defeated the Mos- asmyn River to the village of Med- Nouveau. The two churches are cow army at Konotop in summer connected by a vaulted under- 1659. In autumn, Cossack leaders ground passage with dozens of arrived for the Chorna Rada – the the Cold Ravine – is a huge Cossack skulls stored under glass Black Council – in Hermanivka to relict forest with ravines in a special chamber. They were decide whether Ukraine should collected on the vast battlefield. head east or west, a question that and spurs, streams and There is also a monument to the remains unresolved to this day. springs and a symbol of Cossacks of the Pryluky regiment Supporters of the Russian course in the village of Ostriv, and old prevailed, while the allies of Ivan national resistance south stone crosses on Cossack tombs Vyhovsky, Stepan Sulyma and of Cherkasy along the Pliasheva riverbank. Prokip Vereshchaka, were executed by their compatriots who were now vedivka with its monument to Hermanivka loyal to Moscow. Maksym Zalizniak, the leader of The old village of Hermanivka, first The only monument to Het- the Koliyivshchyna revolt . The lo- mentioned as Hermenych in man Ivan Vyhovsky in Ukraine is cal museum presents the history chronicles from 1096, is located in in the yard of Hermanivka County of the Cold Ravine and the sites Obukhiv County, south of Kyiv. Gymnasium, a school located on worth seeing. From there, we turn Over the Krasna River stands the the premises of a former two- to Melnyky – a village with col- Revyna Hill, an archaeological, his- grade school built in 1909 and de- umns honouring Cossacks and torical and natural site containing signed by well-known Kyiv archi- leaders of the Cold Ravine haida- a memorial to the past glory of this tect Volodymyr Nikolayev. Nearby maky, as well as writer Yuriy Hor- small village. “Cossack colonels Su- is a memorial site for Hermanivka lis-Horsky who wrote the novel lyma and Prokip Vereshchaka, commander Roman Chernush- Cold Ravine published in 1937 in slaughtered at the reading of the enko and his 99 Cossacks. Halychyna. Nearby is a monument

№ 19 (42) november 2012|the ukrainian week|49 navigator|the routes of rebels 4 over Ukraine – are more concerned about female church visitors adhering to the traditional dress-code (most often, hideous headscarves and long skirts) than about preserving the historical memory of this place. There is not a single monument to re- mind visitors of what transpired here long ago. Behind the convent fence one can find several ancient and more recent caves. Across the road from the convent gates, steep wooden stairs descend to the bottom of a wide ravine that stays cool even on hot days. The asphalt driveway takes us westward through a dense Kreselets State Forest to a roadside plaque commemorating the sklyk – or gathering. In Cossack times, this was the name of a huge cauldron hanging on an ancient oak tree and to poet Taras Shevchenko in- maky who fought in the Koliy- used as a bell to signal gatherings scribed with the prophetic words, ivshchyna had their weapons for councils. A few kilometres from “The new fire will come from the blessed there in 1768, followed here is Wild Hamlet, an open-air Cold Ravine.” by rebels fighting the Bolshevik ethnographic museum. Arranged Next is the Motrona Trinity government during the Ukrai- with Ukrainian hospitality and re- Convent, first mentioned in nian War of Independence in spect for the history of Cold Ravine, chronicles in 1198 and surviving 1917-1921. the hamlet houses a traditional alternating waves of prosperity The clergy of the Moscow Pa- Ukrainian baroque wooden church and devastation. It had once triarchate to which this shrine is for Saint Petro Kalnyshevsky, the been under the protectorate of now subject – as are many last otaman of the Zaporizhian Sich. Ukrainian Cossacks. The haida- churches and monasteries all A beautiful thousand-year old tree

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that inspired many legends, known killed in the battle. The railway as “Maksym Zalizniak’s Oak”, is an- platform with two short trains in other highlight. The restaurant of- front of it reflects the original fers traditional meals and features a scene. Old cargo and passenger machine gun standing between the train cars host a museum collec- tables, old weapons hanging on the tion telling the story of the 1918 walls, and framed portraits of the battle. heroes of the Cold Ravine Republic. Bazar Kruty In fall 1921, the Bolshevik govern- Some places are best visited in ment had not yet crushed the winter. One such place is the Ukrainian insurgent movement. Kruty railway station near Ni- The army of the UNR, the Ukrai- zhyn, a town in Chernihiv Oblast; nian People’s Republic, com- the other is the village of Bazar in manded by General Yurko Tiuti- Korosten County, Zhytomyr unnyk launched a military cam- Oblast. There, historical events paign in hopes of coordinating took place in winter, during the the separate insurgent groups Ukrainian War of Independence. and overthrowing the Soviet gov- On January 29, 1918, the Ca- ernment. The campaign failed det Corps of Bohdan Khmel- when the red cavalry led by Grig- nytsky Military School, Sich Rifle- ory Kotovsky encircled and took men student battalion, and nearly most UNR fighters hostage after a 200 haidamaky fought against fierce battle. On November 23, the Bolshevik army commanded 1921, 359 insurgents were exe- by ex-colonel of the Royal Army cuted near the town of Bazar. Mikhail Muravyov. The battle Today, it hosts a memorial to held back the Bolshevik attack on the UNR fighters who took part in Kyiv, which was an important po- the Second Winter Campaign. It litical contribution to the success- was built with support of the ful completion of the Treaty of Ukrainian Autocephalous Ortho- Brest-Litovsk. dox Church of the UK diaspora, A memorial commemorating the Great Britain Symon Petlura the Kruty Heroes was built near Foundation, the Association of the railway station as a branch of Former Ukrainian Fighters and the National Military History Mu- the Ukrainian Community of seum. Great Britain. The names of 359 A manmade mound is executed soldiers are carved on crowned with a red pillar and a the pillars crowned with the im- golden trident. Red stands for the age of the UNR Iron Cross characteristic colour of the Kyiv Knights Order, an inscription University building whose stu- stating “Eternal glory and mem- dents also took part in the Kruty ory to 359 knights” and a bundle Battle. Beside it are 27 symbolic of guelder rose berries, a sym- pillars commemorating the young bolic plant known in Ukraine as defenders of Ukrainian statehood kalyna.