INSIDE:• Former Soviet political prisoner Vasyl Sichko dies — page 2. • New York community recalls Akcja Wisla — page 9. • Follow-up on Hillary Rodham Clinton’s visit to Lviv — centerfold. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXV HE No.KRAINIAN 49 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1997 EEKLY$1.25/$2 in Ukraine With state-owned collective farms now gone, T U World BankW to review direction Ukraine seeks to complete privatization of land of Ukraine’s battle with corruption by Roman Woronowycz in disagreements and arguments,” said Mr. by Roman Woronowycz others to leave it – by developing an anti- Kyiv Press Bureau Kulinych. He said also there have been Kyiv Press Bureau corruption program called “Clean Hands.” instances where farmers have had difficul- It is an effort to implement a system of KYIV — More than five years after ties receiving their parcels. KYIV — A World Bank representative accountability, government review, and private land ownership was legalized by As in most every aspect of Ukrainian said on December 3 that the organization checks and balances to reduce the ability of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s state- life, organized crime has made its pres- was not pleased with the results of a sympo- government bureaucrats to supplement their owned collective farms have finally been ence felt here. Racketeers have moved into sium on corruption that it co-sponsored incomes with bribes and blackmail. disassembled. Fledgling agro-enterprises several regions and forced landowners to with Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice, and will Mr. Omelianenko explained that the and private farms are emerging, but the give up their claims at dirt cheap prices. review its commitment to a Ukrainian gov- World Bank is not satisfied with the pace process is far from complete. Even where farmers are not pressured ernment anti-corruption program. and from of the anti-corruption effort. He “We can say today that the land reform to sell by organized rackets, land at times “We see that much wrongdoing goes said he agreed with a statement made to the that began with the giving of certificates to sells at bargain prices. Viktor Sinchenko, on,” said Volodymyr Omelianenko, eco- Toronto Globe and Mail by Peter Langseth, individuals and legal entities is practically head of the district administration of nomic development representative for the a World Bank anti-corruption specialist complete,” said Volodymyr Kulinych, Kaharlyk, in the Chernihiv region, said World Bank in Ukraine. “The government who attended the symposium, that the insti- deputy chairman of the Ukrainian State that pensioners have sold plots of land has admitted as much, but says it is under tution will decide whether to continue its Committee on Land Resources on worth $6,000-$7,000 per hectare for $100 control.” anti-corruption work in Ukraine based on December 4 at a roundtable on land priva- in his district. “Because of the serious eco- Although government officials continue the outcome of the conference. tization sponsored by the World Bank. nomic situation in Ukraine those who have to maintain that corruption in Ukraine is no “Ukraine must do more than express a Ukraine legalized the private ownership money are buying from those who need worse than elsewhere, a recent World Bank desire to work, it must follow the action of land in 1992, but only in August 1995, the money at very low prices,” said Mr. study identified Ukraine as one of the 10 plan,” said Mr. Omelianenko. “It depends when President Leonid Kuchma signed an Sinchenko. “Unfortunately, there are no most corrupt countries in the world. The on who is leading the effort. The committee edict on the procedure for delving out formal mechanisms for the buying and U.S. Embassy’s senior commercial officer, [on the fight against organized crime and shares of state collective farms to individ- selling of land.” Andrew Bihun, had told The Weekly in an corruption headed by Vasyl Durdynets] is uals and organizations, did the transfer of Today landowners can do one of four interview in the early fall that so many cer- currently working poorly; it is not serious.” state-owned land into private hands begin. things with their plots. They can sell them tificates and licenses are needed to begin a The World Bank official said that That act and one from November 1994, to others, work the land as individual business in Ukraine, whether by nationals Minister of Justice Suzanna Stanik was which initiated the privatization of agricul- farmers, rent the land or include it in a pri- or foreigners, that the atmosphere lends informed of the organization’s views at the tural lands, began putting land in the hands vate collective agricultural enterprise. itself to vast corruption. conference. “Mr. Langseth told the minister of the farmers who had worked it for years Oleksii Onyshchenko, agronomist at the The Ukrainian government has made an that the way Ukraine acts will have an for the Soviet state. Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, said that effort to tackle the problem – which has effect on how donor money continues to Since then, 8 million hectares of land made many foreign investors wary of enter- have been privatized through the issuance (Continued on page 5) ing the Ukrainian market and has prompted (Continued on page 5) of certificates to farmers in state collective farms. The average size of a plot of land redeemed for a certificate is 5 hectares. In the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine Ukrainian Cultural Research Center dedicated in Stamford some of the plots doled out were as large as by Irene Jarosewich 20 hectares, while in the western portions of the country certificates were redeemed STAMFORD, Conn. — More than six for as little as eight-tenths of a hectare. decades have passed since Bishop Constantine Mr. Kulinych said he still views the Bohachevsky of the Ukrainian Catholic process as one of transformation. “Today Diocese of Stamford first articulated his vision: it is important that we develop the markets to establish a Ukrainian educational center in and infrastructures that will allow this the United States for those who had left their effort to proceed to a true free market sys- homeland, and for their children and grandchil- tem,” said Mr. Kulinych. dren who were destined to be born in America. That process also has begun. Ukraine’s According to the bishop’s vision, the center State Property Fund has slated for privatiza- was to serve as a link between the New World tion in mid-December a large number of and historical legacy. The bishop understood agricultural storage silos. It is the beginning that true spiritual depth and integrity could only of a large-scale sell-off of the agro-industry come with knowing the past. by the government, which it hopes will be Though Bishop Bohachevsky began to the seed for a natural development of the assemble a collection in 1935, it was in 1937 infrastructure the industry requires. that the Ukrainian Museum and Library But problems remain, the most Complex of the Diocese of Stamford was for- notable of which is resistance by the Left mally established. It was a modest beginning in the Verkhovna Rada, specifically by of books and documents, folk art and religious Verkhovna Rada Chairman Oleksander artifacts. Sixty years later, on November 22, the Moroz. He has resisted the land privati- new, vastly expanded, renovated, and modern- zation effort and has said that he would ized Ukrainian Cultural Research Center, never allow foreigners to own Ukrainian which combines museum, library and archival land. The Parliament under his leader- photo and music collections, was formally ded- ship has not passed a single piece of leg- icated and opened in two large buildings on the islation in favor of land reform. campus of St. Basil College Seminary and the This, according to Mr. Kulinych, has diocesan center of Stamford. Irene Jarosewich led to a situation in which new landowners The renovated buildings that house the are not sure of their rights and responsibil- diocesan center, the educational center and Hennadii Udovenko (left) and Bishop Basil Losten cut the ribbon at the ities. “I must admit that there still are seri- front entrance of the library building, part of the recently dedicated ous problems with the ownership of land. (Continued on page 3) Ukrainian Cultural Research Center. Even at the village level this has resulted 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1997 No. 49 Ukraine-Russia treaty ratification expected Eastern Economist, RFE/RL Newsline Rada and Duma, and it will be obvious NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS that those who oppose the agreement do MOSCOW — Verkhovna Rada not support the political and economic Chairman Oleksander Moroz and Russian IMF approves two tranches of credit will result in a competition for influence in interests of both nations.” Duma Chairman Gennadii Selezniov the Transdniester between Moscow and The head of the Russian Communists KYIV — The IMF board of directors agreed on December 1 that ratification of Kyiv. Moldovan presidential adviser Anatol faction, Gennadii Zyuganov, said that if decided on November 27 to disburse two Taranu, who heads the Chisinau team in the Friendship, Cooperation and previously withheld tranches of Ukraine’s Partnership Treaty between Ukraine and more favorable conditions were created parleys with Tiraspol, said Moldova is for the Russian population in Ukraine, stand-by credit worth about $103 million ready to accept the Ukrainian contingent in Russia should go ahead this month. The (U.S.). The IMF board concluded that by treaty marked a thawing in relations when then the agreement would be supported order to “once more demonstrate its good by the Communists.