www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE:• Soccer teams compete for annual Great Lakes Cup — page 9. • Yale conference examines Ukraine’s role in the 20th century — pages 10-11. • Ukrainian National Association Seniors mark 25th anniversary — centerfold. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXVII HE KRAINIANNo. 24 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 13, 1999 EEKLY$1.25/$2 in Ukraine Air Ukraine,T Uzbekistan AirwaysU New group to begin work Won Ukraine’s budget by Roman Woronowycz Parliament’s Budget Committee, Valerii members from the leftist factions; the Kyiv Press Bureau Khoroshkovskyi, a member of the faction holds a simple voting majority in agree to begin joint service National Democratic Party of Ukraine. Parliament, which gives them influence by Irene Jarosewich KYIV – In an effort to avoid the politi- “This committee is not formally asso- over the legislative process and as such cal squabbles and the inaccurate projec- P ARSIPPANY, N.J. – Air Ukraine and ciated with the Verkhovna Rada Budget the budget. However, Mr. tions that have been a hallmark of the Committee. It is an initiative committee,” Khoroshkovskyi said his group will make Uzbekistan Airways have signed an agreement country’s budget process in the last sever- to share air routes, including Air Ukraine’s tra- said Mr. Mitiukov. “We hope that it helps every effort to draw the Communists and al years, Ukraine’s Ministry of Finance the budget committee in its work to help Socialists into the effort. ditional New York to Kyiv route. Kyiv-bound and several members of Parliament flights now continue to Uzbekistan’s capital reach a consensus among the various Mr. Khoroshkovskyi said one of the announced on June 9 that they have political powers in the Verkhovna Rada group’s main objectives is finally to Tashkent. The two airlines will provide joint formed a joint working group to pre- service for the entire route. so that the budget process proceeds nor- develop a balanced budget for Ukraine. empt foreseeable political problems and mally.” That is a goal put forth also by the For several weeks in late March and early roadblocks in the formation of the 2000 April service to Ukraine was curtailed as the Mr. Khoroshkovskyi underscored, on International Monetary Fund, whose budget. the other hand, that the group is far from loans to Ukraine are used to cover budget transition to a joint service was made, however, The committee will attempt to the regular Tuesday, Friday schedule to Kyiv agreement on the details of the budget shortfalls. improve cooperation and communication package, and that the intent is not to gath- The biggest obstacle the budget has been fully resumed and additional flights between the Cabinet of Ministers and the on Sunday begin this month. er like-minded individuals for political process has faced in the last years is the various Parliament factions in the budget- According to Mykola Kravets, general man- strength. determination by the leftist majority to ary process, which often broke down ager for Air Ukraine USA, the agreement “Just because we are behind the same maintain an extensive system of subsi- over failures to meet preparation dead- table does not mean that we agree on signed on April 2 is very beneficial financially dies to nearly all segments of society dur- lines and over ideological differences in everything,” said Mr. Khoroshkovskyi. to the Ukrainian air carrier. Air Ukraine has air ing a time of very limited resources. The budget priorities. “It means that we want to reach an agree- rights to fly to JFK International Airport in leftists have shown little regard for Formed by a Cabinet of Ministers res- ment so that the process does not break New York, but does not have the appropriate Western-based ideas of balanced budgets olution of May 27, the working group is down again.” planes to fly into New York from Kyiv. In turn, and fiscal responsibility. headed by Minister of Finance Ihor The working group faces a major ini- Uzbekistan Airways owns aircraft, but does not Mitiukov and the secretary of the tial hurdle due to the fact that it has no (Continued on page 20) have air rights for flights into JFK. With the joint service agreement Air Ukraine now leases space on Uzbekistan Airway’s Boeing 767-300, while Uzbekistan Airways pays royalties to fly into New York. Visit to Lukianivska Prison reveals reforms in penal system Air Ukraine, which until recently had been by Roman Woronowycz tury, Volodymyr Vynnychenko and torture chamber and starvation flying older Soviet-made Iliushyn jets to New Kyiv Press Bureau Mykhailo Hrushevsky, who led the machine. York, decided to pull them from its New York short-lived Ukrainian National Today nearly 3,500 individuals are KYIV — The notorious Lukianivska route. According to Mr. Kravets, the planes are Republic, were held here. So were held at the Lukianivska Prison, now Prison, like Ukraine’s penal system as a technically solid and still very good, and will many of the academics and literary fig- known as the Kyiv Investigative whole, is slowly losing the vestiges of continue to be used on other Air Ukraine ures destroyed by the Stalinist purges of Confinement Facility. They are men, routes. However, the older Iliushyn planes con- its Soviet and Russian colonial legacy. the 1930s. In the 1970s, the Soviets women and teenagers awaiting criminal sume much more fuel than newer aircraft, Human rights abuses are, for the imprisoned the Ukrainian political dis- court proceedings on charges ranging therefore their use is not advantageous, envi- most part, a thing of the past, as are sident Mykola Horbal here. In the from petty larceny and racketeering to ronmentally and economically, for long-dis- political prisoners, who were incarcer- 1980s it was the undesired domicile of murder, or convicts who are serving out tance commercial flights. ated at Lukianivska Prison regularly Serhiy Naboka, one of the very last sentences. Mr. Kravets noted that Air Ukraine plans to and in large numbers almost from the political dissidents to be imprisoned. Although conditions are much obtain its own aircraft, also Boeing, by next time the prison was constructed in The current Lukianivska is far differ- improved and torture is no longer offi- spring, at which point, he says, the number of 1863. ent from what it was said to be under cially sanctioned as Ukraine begins to direct flights each week to Kyiv will increase. Two of Ukraine’s pre-eminent inde- Soviet and Russian rule, when it was Joint service between air carriers is common pendence leaders of the early 20th cen- widely known as a dark, dank and dirty (Continued on page 3) in the airline industry; several U.S. and European carriers have such agreements. However, the switch to joint service to New York is only part of the agreement between Air Ukraine and Uzbekistan Airways. While Uzbekistan Airways gains access to New York through Air Ukraine, Mr. Kravets notes that the real advantage for Air Ukraine is the foothold into the Central Asian and Far Eastern market that this agreement will give the airline. “This agreement is a long-term, strategic move for us,” he explained, “since Air Ukraine wants to fly to the Far East. We plan to eventu- ally service such destinations as Korea, Bangkok, Singapore and even Australia, which can be done through Tashkent. It is less expen- sive to do this jointly.” Ticket reservations for New York-Kyiv can be made through Air Ukraine or Uzbekistan Airways; ticket prices are the same and the two airlines split the number of seats each flight. Each airline sells tickets directly from its block of seats or through authorized travel agencies. To order tickets directly from Air Serhiy Naboka Ukraine, call (718) 632-6909 or (212) 599- Teen-age inmates of the Kyiv Investigative Confinement Facility in their prison cell. 0395, or fax requests to (718) 995-0270. 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 13, 1999 No. 24 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Tkachenko’s announcement Kuchma decries no-confidence discussion reported on June 3. (RFE/RL Newsline) SYMFEROPOL – President Leonid TV station complains of harassment leaves leftists more divided Kuchma said in Symferopol on June 4 that the Parliament’s decision to discuss on June K YIV – The STB television company, a by Jan Maksymiuk vote and facilitate Mr. Kuchma’s re-elec- popular private network set up in Ukraine RFE/RL Poland, Belarus and Ukraine Report tion. 16 a no-confidence vote in the government is a “political provocation,” Interfax report- in 1997, has complained of political pres- Before Mr. Tkachenko announced his sure that, it says, is part of a growing battle With Verkhovna Rada Chairman presidential bid, President Kuchma’s ed. “It suits some political forces to escalate Oleksander Tkachenko’s May 29 for control over the media during the presi- biggest challenge had appeared to be the situation in Ukraine yet again, five announcement of his intention to run in dential campaign. The Associated Press and preventing Mr. Moroz from reaching the months before presidential elections,” Mr. the October presidential elections, the Kuchma remarked. The debate was pro- Reuters reported that STB acting chairman second round of voting. Mr. Kuchma Dmytro Prykordonnyi told journalists on political climate in Ukraine has heated posed by Communist Party leader Petro seems to have succeed in reaching that June 8 that the government had ordered the up considerably. Some analysts believe Symonenko. On June 3 Mr. Symonenko goal, since Mr. Moroz has been unable to channel to stop broadcasting outside Kyiv that Mr. Tkachenko may be the most had demanded that the Verkhovna Rada reach an understanding with Ms.