INSIDE: • Mobilization of medical aid for Ukraine – page 4. • Ukrainian American Veterans hold convention – page 9. • A look at Harvard’s Ukrainian Summer Institute – page 13. THEPublished U byKRAINIAN the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW associationEEKLY Vol. LXXVII No.46 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2009 $1/$2 in Ukraine UNA reports successful year, Flu continues to spread in Ukraine despite economic downturn Over 1.2 M ill from flu, respiratory infections by Roma Hadzewycz Presentations by the three full-time UNA executives – the president, national secretary KERHONKSON, N.Y. – The Ukrainian and treasurer dominated the sessions. National Association had a very successful President Stefan Kaczaraj reported in year, the fraternal organization’s executive detail about the improved financial condi- officers reported at the 2009 annual meeting tion of the organization. The year 2010 of the UNA General Assembly, despite the should see continued growth as a marketing economic downturn in the United States. consultant at the UNA Home Office has “We are pleased to report that it has been recently been hired to work on advertising, a record-breaking year for the UNA,” marketing and promotion of UNA products President Stefan Kaczaraj announced as he and fraternal benefits – Soyuzivka, Svoboda began the start of this year’s annual session. and The Ukrainian Weekly. An expense-cut- “Premium income has soared to a record of ting measure that will help to contain costs over $20 million, as over 100 independent is the UNA’s newspapers’ upcoming switch and home office agents successfully sell to a new print shop that will result in a sub- UNA products; total assets grew to the high- stantial savings on printing expenses – an est level in the UNA’s history to just under estimated $35,000 to $40,000 per year. $100 million; and the surplus grew to over In turn, Ms. Kozak pointed that UNA’s $5 million, in an environment when most excellent performance was primarily due to insurers and 83 percent of fraternal societies the significant increase in annuities sales saw surplus erode,” Mr. Kaczaraj reported. with over $20 million in new business “The UNA continues to move in the right income during the first nine months of 2009, direction, with income increasing and as compared to $11.4 million for all of 2008. Web-Portal of the Ukrainian Government expenses declining. ” “There is more good news as the strategy of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko during a working visit on November 10 to the Members of the General Assembly gath- having annuities lead to other sales opportu- Vinnytsia region, where she visited local hospitals to see how they are faring in ered at Soyuzivka on Friday through nities is working,” Ms. Kozak said. “Agents treating children and adults affected by the outbreak of influenza and acute Sunday, November 6-8, to review UNA are now beginning to sell UNA life insur- respiratory viral infections. activity as of the end of 2008 and the first ance products as well and, as a result, sales three quarters of 2009. The reports covered of life insurance also is exhibiting a higher by Zenon Zawada continued to describe it as a simultaneous the UNA’s core business, life insurance, and rate of growth in comparison with the same Kyiv Press Bureau occurrence of two seasonal flu strains and its fraternal activities, including develop- period last year. ” H1N1. Ukraine had 32 confirmed H1N1 ments related to the Ukrainian Heritage KYIV – Ukraine’s flu epidemic spread The national secretary reported that the cases by November 6, said the Health Center at Soyuzivka and the UNA’s two like a wave towards the central and east- UNA now has 169 branches organized into Ministry. newspapers, The Ukrainian Weekly and ern oblasts, claiming 213 deaths national- 23 districts across the United States and Despite the ongoing health threat, Svoboda. ly – a 120 percent increase from the prior Canada. She noted also that the UNA is some Ukrainians have begun letting down week – or about 117 casualties between their guard, with the result that children Reports of UNA executive officers working on expanding benefits to its mem- November 5 and 12. bers, both in the U.S. and Canada. For accounting for a quarter of those hospital- Reports of all UNA officers, auditors and More than 1.2 million Ukrainians are example, by partnering with High Point ized with influenza and acute respiratory advisors, as well as separate reports about infected with influenza or acute respirato- Auto Insurance, the UNA is now offering its the work of Soyuzivka and the UNA’s news- ry virus infection (ARVI), as authorities (Continued on page 16) papers were distributed to all participants. (Continued on page 5) Increases in wages and pensions push Ukraine toward fiscal collapse by Zenon Zawada itable economic collapse,” said Volodymyr Kyiv Press Bureau Horbach, political analyst at the Institute for Euroatlantic Cooperation in Kyiv. “All the KYIV – Opponents of Prime Minister barriers have long been breached, and the Yulia Tymoshenko are pushing her govern- socio-economic situation could lead to enor- ment toward fiscal collapse by approving mous inflation.” legislation that forces wage and pension Ms. Tymoshenko said she will ignore the increases starting November 1, at a time law because her government can’t finance when the government is on the brink of the increases, which could require printing insolvency. as much as 100 billion additional hryvni On October 30 President Viktor ($12.3 billion U.S.). In response, President Yushchenko signed legislation passed by Yushchenko claimed the budget indeed has the Verkhovna Rada to increase wages and the funds. pensions gradually during the next year. On the basis that the Constitutional Court Four of the five factions supported the bill, may overturn the legislation, the prime min- marking the first time the Communists and ister asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to consider offering her government a the president backed the same legislation. desperately needed fourth tranche of $3.8 The Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc was opposed billion. During a November 11 meeting with Roma Hadzewycz to the measure. European ambassadors and European UNA General Assembly members at the opening of their 2009 annual meeting at “It’s not about keeping the economic situ- Soyuzivka. ation stable, but whom to blame for an inev- (Continued on page 16) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2009 No. 46 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFS Experts downplay fears Fragment of Berlin Wall in Kyiv in 14 regions of Ukraine. In addition, 11 regions, Crimea and Sevastopol are over Ukraine-Russia gas crisis KYIV – A portion of the Berlin Wall, approaching the epidemic threshold. which was destroyed 20 years ago, was (Ukrinform) by Gregory Feifer government] prints money to pay for gas, put up in front of the German Embassy in RFE/RL and won’t give it up.” Ukraine on November 9. German Flu and ARVI cases exceed 1M Most analysts expected Kyiv to avert a Ambassador to Ukraine Hans-Jurgen It’s becoming an annual rite: with win- Heimsoeth, who initiated the erection of KYIV – The number of persons suffer- standoff with Moscow this month by ing from influenza and acute respiratory ter fast approaching, Russia is threatening coming up with a way to pay its gas bill. this symbolic monument in Kyiv, said to cut off natural-gas supplies to Ukraine that “a symbol of freedom should also virus infection (ARVI) since the start of But there’s another potential problem. epidemic has reached 1.31 million as of if Kyiv doesn’t pay the fees it’s demand- Mr. Yushchenko wants to revisit Kyiv’s arrive in Kyiv,” as Ukrainians are free- ing. dom-loving people. He said that the mon- November 9. Out of this number 52,000 gas contract with Russia, arguing the were hospitalized. Since the start of the The barbs are raising worries over a global financial crisis has caused ument symbolizes the fact of overcoming possible new gas crisis this winter. a split of the European continent. “While epidemic, 13,000 persons have been dis- Ukraine’s gas demand to fall more than charged from hospitals. These data were Moscow’s shutoff last winter left millions Kyiv is obliged to buy next year. the process of uniting Europe is continu- of Europeans without heat in the bitter ing, our goal is to continue this process,” published by the Health Ministry on its Ms. Tymoshenko on November 3 said official website. (Ukrinform) cold, but observers say they doubt there both sides had worked out a preliminary Mr. Heimsoeth said. As reported, a num- will be a repeat this year. new contract. But if a final deal isn’t ber of events will be held in Ukraine as Sixteen countries send aid This time, Prime Minister Vladimir reached by the end of the year, another part of the 20th anniversary of the fall of Putin is directing some of his legendary crisis would coincide with next year’s the Berlin Wall. (RFE/RL) KYIV – In response to the current flu ire at the European Union. On November presidential election. epidemic, as of November 9 Ukraine has Melange disposal project to begin 2 he said the EU should come up with at Volodymyr Fesenko of Kyiv’s Penta received humanitarian aid worth over $1.5 million (U.S.) from 16 countries of least $1 billion to help Ukraine pay for center for political studies says he’s opti- KYIV – A joint project of the the world, said the Foreign Affairs Russian gas this year. mistic that won’t happen. “I believe the Organization for Security and Ministry’s headquarters for prevention of “Why are they being so stingy?” he majority of politicians in Ukraine and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the epidemic.