www.ukrweekly.com СВОБОДА JglSVOBODOBODA І І УКРАЇНСЬКИЙ ЩОДЕННИК А І N І AN D ЛІ IV Щ Щ ГОІПІОENGLISH^ LANGUAGПE WEEKL Y WeekEDITION ! у VOL. LXXXV No. 246 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12,1978 25 CENTS The greatest birthday gift Nadia Svitlychna arrives in the United States Story and photos by Ihor Dlaboha NEW YORK, N.Y. - Nadia Svit­ At that point, the Ukrainians present, lychna, a former Ukrainian political who represented many of the leading prisoner, began a new life of freedom on Ukrainian community organizations, her birthday, Wednesday/November 8, welcomed her by singing "Mnohaya when she arrived with her two sons at Lita." Kennedy Airport literally into the arms A modest woman of 42, Svitlychna of some 100 emotional Ukrainian described the sorrow that she felt when Americans. she was forced to leave her homeland. Svitlychna is the first woman Ukrain­ "Those of you who had to leave the ian political prisoner to be allowed to native land understand what I am emigrate to the West. She arrived here saying, moreover, I left not of my own at 5:30 p.m. aboard an Alitalia flight free will," she said at the press con­ from Rome, Italy, where she has been ference arranged by the Ukrainian since emigrating from the Soviet Union Congress Committee of America in the on October 12. International Arrivals Building. Svitlychna expressed her gratitude to Fighting back tears, Svitlychna told the Ukrainian community in the free the crowd greeting her that through her world for their "strong efforts" on they are greeting a "part of Ukraine." behalf of all Ukrainian political pri­ "I want to believe that you are not soners. She said that the list of political greeting me, but through me a part of prisoners who want to emigrate is "endless." The few that she mentioned Ukraine and those who have suffered included: Stefania Shabatura, with more and continue to suffer until this whom she was incarcerated, Vitaliy very day," said Svitlychna. Kalynychenko and Ivan Kandyba, The former Ukrainian political pri­ members of the Ukrainian Helsinki soner, who has been involved in the monitoring group, and Yosyp Terelia, Ukrainian human rights movement who she said, was incarcerated in a since the mid-1960s, said that it was psychiatric asylum for seeking emi­ "symbolic and significant" that she gration. arrived in the United States with her Svitlychna said that she spoke by two sons, Yarema, 9, and Ivan, six telephone with her brother Ivan Svit- months old, to begin a new life on her A happy Nadia Svitlychna arrives in New York City with her children. In her arms birthday. (Continued on page 2) is six-month-old Ivan, and standing beside her is nine-year-old Yarema. Press conference marks 10th anniversary of Harvard project . CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - A press decade, taking into account the deve­ ian language chair were unsuccessful. conference-seminar was held here at the lopment of the Ukrainian studies pro­ Prof. Pritsak also emphasized that Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute gram, the education of specialists in the cooperation of all Ukrainian scho­ in observance of the 10th anniversary of Ukrainian studies, the value of the larly institutions, HURI, the Canadian the establishment of Ukrainian studies Harvard project for Ukrainians in Institute of Ukrainian Studies, the at Harvard University. North America and the effect it has had Shevchenko Scientific Society and the Representatives of HURI and the on events in Ukraine. Ukrainian Free Academy of Sciences is Ukrainian Studies Fund reported on He pointed out that there are 20 crucial. their work during the past decade and young doctoral candidates affiliated The second category can be referred on future plans. Some 25 persons with the Harvard center, but that their to as the internationalization of Uk­ attended the conference future is unsure because employment in rainian studies, said the HURI director. Dr. Adrian Slywotzky, a member of the field of Ukrainian studies is scarce, This includes establishing contacts with the executive board of the USF, opened and the institute does not have sufficient prominent foreign scholars and en­ the press conference saying that "with­ funds to hire them for research work. couraging their interest in Ukrainian out the mediation of the Ukrainian Prof. Omeljan Pritsak, HURI di­ studies, the creation of groups in foreign press between the institute and our rector, discussed plans for the second countries to cooperate with the institute community, the success of our project decade, dividing them into four cate­ and develop Ukrainian themes for would have been impossible." He also gories. study, the sponsorship of international noted that the complex Ukrainian Plans in the first category, that of conferences of scholars of Ucrainica, studies project at Harvard is under­ internal stabilization, he said, include and the publication of works presenting stood by the press and can be trans­ finding a successor to head HURI and Ukrainian topics without isolating them mitted by it to the Ukrainian com­ someone to devote himself to the from other similar events around the munity. Ukrainian language chain Dr. Pritsak world. Photos by Oleh Ilnytzky Dr. Franko Sysyn spoke about the explained that during first decade, . Contacts with Ukraine and the entire Dr. Omeljan Pritsak successes and failures during the past efforts to find a person for the Ukrain­ (Continued on page 3) THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12,1978 No. 246 Nadia Svitlychria... Nadia Svitlychha (Continued from page 1) lychny, who is serving his exile sentence The following biography of Nadia Svitlychna was prepared by the Ukrai­ in Altai. She said that he is physically nian Congress Committee of America. weak, but spiritually "as always, stong." Svitlychna said that she has not aban­ Nadia Svitlychna was born on doned hope of seeing her brother in the ' November 8, 1936, in the Donbas West, but added that "no one is allowed region of eastern Ukraine. A sister of to emigrate while in exile, especially Ivan Svitlychny, Ukrainian literary Ukrainians." critic, who was sentenced in 1972 to 10 years of imprisonment and five Her prime objective right now is to years of exile, she was a member of "rest and relax" before she resumes her the Komsomol and holds a degree in activity and work. philology from Kiev State Univer­ sity. As she entered the pressroom after Until 1968, she worked at a Kiev clearing customs, Svitlychna was offi­ radio station, and, until 1969, as a cially welcomed to the United States by librarian. Mrs. Slava Rubel, UCCA Vice-Presi- After the arrest of her brother Ivan dent for Youth Affairs. In her welcome, in 1965, Nadia took actions in his Mrs. Rubel also invited Svitlychna to be defense. In 1966, she wrote a letter to an honorary guest at the Third World the procurator of the Ukrainian Congress of Free Ukrainians. SSR, and one to the presidium of the 23rd. Congress of the CPSU, pro­ She was also greeted by Gen. Petro testing the illegality of mass arrests in Grigorenko, who extended to her feli­ Ukraine and other republics of the citations on behalf of the Kiev group, of USSR. In 1967, she attended the trial which he is a member and its Western of Vyacheslav. Chornovil in Lviv. spokesman. Early in 1968, along with her brother Ivan, Ivan Dziuba, another Ukrai­ Also fighting back tears, Gen. Grigo­ nian writer, and poetess Lina Kos- prisoners in the Mordovian ASSR. renko said that he never met Svitlychna Yarema, confused, but probably feeling tenko, Svitlychna signed an appeal to On March 28, 1969, her apartment in the Soviet Union. safe and relieved. Petro Shelest, First Secretary of the was searched, and the police con­ Communist Party of Ukraine, pro­ fiscated her papers, books and a part "When Nadia was free, I was in testing the procedural violations and of A. Avtorkhanov's book, "The prison, and when I was released, she was Also extending a welcome to her and discrepancy between the verdict and Technology of Power" (its author, imprisoned," said Gen. Grigorenko. her family were: Mrs. Kowalsky, World the evidence at the Chornovil trial. Abdurakhman Avtorkhanov teaches "Since we are here, we will continue to Congress of Free Ukrainians; Dr. John Copies of the appeal were also sent to the history of the USSR at the U.S. work for our native land." O. Flis, Supreme President of the V. F. Nikitchenko, head of the KGB Army Russian Institute in West Ukrainian National Association; the in Ukraine, O. T. Honchar, V. I. Germany). Gen. Grigorenko concluded by com­ Very Rev. Franko Estocin and Mrs. Kasiyan, D. S. Korotchenko, A. On November 28, 1970, Svitlych­ mending Sophia and Titus Hewryk, the Nastia Hrabowych, representatives of Zlenko, S. V. Stefanyk and M. Kikh, na's close friend, painter Alia Hors- Ukrainian couple from Philadelphia, Metropolitan Mstyslav, as well as repre­ all high officials in the government ka, was murdered in her hometown Pa., who sponsored Svitlychna's emi­ sentatives of the Ukrainian National and party apparatus. of Vasylkiv, not far from Kiev. gration to the United States. Women's League of America, the In June 1968, she was dismissed Ukrainian dissidents ascribe her United Ukrainian American Organi­ from her job at the radio station, death to the KGB, because Horska Though tired from her flight from zations of Greater New York, the Rome, Svitlychna patiently replied to perhaps for signing the appeal to was a member of the Ukrainian Ukrainian Gold. Cross, the Women's Shelest or for disobeying an official dissident elite. questions from reporters and the Association for the Defense of Four audience, and posed with her children order by attending on May 22, 1968, Finally, in April 1972, amid mass Freedoms for Ukraine; the United a rally at the Shevchenko monument KGB arrests throughout Ukraine, for photographers.