The Ukrainian Weekly 2003, No.24
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www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE:• Hearing focuses on proposed Famine memorial in D.C. — page 3. • Help Us Help the Children project marks 10 years of activity — page 4. • Sportsline: Vitalii Klitschko to fight Lennox Lewis — page 9. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXI HE KRAINIANNo. 24 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 15, 2003 EEKLY$1/$2 in Ukraine Ukraine’s prime minister announces TNews media worldwideU report W goal of $1 billion in foreign investment on drive to revoke Duranty’s Pulitzer by Roman Woronowycz received. Whereas Estonia, Hungary and PARSIPPANY, N.J. – The cam- the 1932 award given to Duranty. UPI Kyiv Press Bureau the Czech Republic have had foreign paign to revoke Walter Duranty’s also cited The Weekly’s report that the investments totaling tens of billions of Pulitzer Prize received worldwide “confidential review by the 18-mem- KYIV – Prime Minister Viktor dollars, which comes to a couple of thou- publicity in the past two weeks with ber Pulitzer Prize board is intended to Yanukovych announced during a plenary sand dollars per individual on a per capi- the publication of news stories and seriously consider all relevant infor- meeting of the Ukrainian Investment ta basis, Ukraine’s per capita foreign broadcast reports on The Pulitzer Prize mation regarding Mr. Duranty’s Council on June 6 that Ukraine should investment stands at $116. Board’s announcement that it had award.” begin to attract at least $1 billion in for- While Mr. Yanukovych did not explain begun a review of the 1932 award. Mr. Sieff added: “The utter false- eign investment annually beginning this specifically how he was going to assure a (The story was first reported in The hood of Duranty’s claims that there year. flood of new direct foreign investment Ukrainian Weekly on May 25.) was no famine at all in the [sic] “The formation of favorable condi- into Ukraine, he said outside investment United Press International on June 2 Ukraine – a whopping lie that was tions for investment is a cornerstone of in the country had increased in 2002 by carried a commentary by its senior credulously swallowed unconditional- government policy, and it provides that $797 million, which was substantial news analyst Martin Sieff titled ly by the likes of George Bernard foreign investment should grow annually growth and logically led to expectations “Shame of Duranty’s Pulitzer.” Shaw, H.G. Wells and many others – and should reach $1 billion every year that the goal was attainable, especially “As the U.S. media still digests the has been documented and common beginning in 2003,” Mr. Yanukovych told given the continued strong growth of the shock and lessons of the Jayson Blair knowledge for decades. But neither the investment council, a gathering of Ukrainian economy. Thus far in 2003, affair at The New York Times, a far the Times nor the Pulitzer board ever Ukrainian and foreign businessmen and Ukraine’s GDP has stormed ahead by older and far worse journalistic wrong before steeled themselves to launch diplomats that is chaired by President another 7 percent on an annual basis, may soon be posthumously righted. such a ponderous, unprecedented – Leonid Kuchma. making its expansion since 2000 about The Pulitzer Prize board is reviewing and potentially immensely embarrass- The prime minister said that his gov- 21 percent. the award it gave to New York Times ing – procedure. Indeed, Gissler told ernment is working steadfastly to com- Mr. Yanukovych noted that investment Moscow correspondent Walter The Ukrainian Weekly that there are plete the overhaul of the tax system to from abroad continues to enter Ukraine Duranty more than 70 years ago for no written procedures regarding prize make it more transparent and favorable from many different countries – 114 in all his shamefully – and knowingly – revocation. There are no standards or for investment, which would finally draw – with the United States, Great Britain, false coverage of the great Ukrainian precedents for revoking the prize.” the many foreign businesses waiting to the Netherlands, Russia, Germany, famine,” wrote Mr. Sieff. The analyst then proceeded to lay set up shop in the country. Switzerland and Austria leading the pack He went on to cite The Weekly’s out the facts about the Famine of Ukraine has drawn $1.6 billion in total in that order in 2002 and accounting for Editor Andrew Nynka as reporting that 1932-1933, which he described as “the investments since the economy was three-quarters of all foreign investment. the Pulitzer Prize board had begun an opened up after state independence in He pointed out that the largest amounts of “appropriate and serious review” of (Continued on page 17) 1991 – a paltry sum when compared to what its neighbors to the west have (Continued on page 18) Dreams do come true: with a little help from diaspora, Kyiv prodigy gets his own violin by Roman Woronowycz lips. Kyiv Press Bureau The plight of the painfully shy, slight- ly built, 14-year-old violinist with a good KYIV – He was an unwilling recipient deal of talent, which came to light in an at first – an introverted young prodigy article on poverty in The Weekly issue of who could play his borrowed violin for March 30, evoked the compassion of hours on Kyiv’s touristy Andriivskyi many who read the story about the Uzviz, but found it too difficult to show teenager’s desire to have his own violin. up for a shopping excursion to buy him The teenager was featured in the story some badly needed clothing. He could excel at school, where he had been dou- after he became one of the prize winners ble promoted to the 10th grade, but could in a special street musicians’ festival held barely find the words to put together a in Kyiv this past winter, titled “Songs of sentence during a press conference. the Underground,” which was organized Today Ihor Lobok has the violin he by the Union of Humanists in Ukraine. wanted for so long and some small hope Almost immediately, several individu- that he will be able to achieve his als came forward and offered to pay for dreams. Hopefully, he also has gained the musical instrument of Ihor’s dreams. some sense that he is not alone, that there One woman, preparing for a trip to the are indeed people who are willing to sac- North Pole, which was to take place rifice time and money to help those who within a matter of days, said she was are less fortunate. ready to buy the violin. A person from Asked whether he was happy with the Palm Desert, Calif., contacted The Mykhailo Markiv/Kievskie Viedomosti turn of events that ended with Ukrainian Weekly’s press bureau in Kyiv to offer to Roman Woronowycz of The Ukrainian Weekly presents a violin to Ihor Lobok, 14. Americans financing his new violin, the help. Two others called the newspaper’s young virtuoso could only whisper, main office in Parsippany, N.J. Still oth- story is especially common in post- boy and his older sister. Things took a “Yes.” ers from the Detroit area collected $340 Soviet Ukraine, where some 50 percent turn for the worse three years ago when Asked by a reporter during a press from among themselves and friends. In of the country is considered to have a their mother fell ill with a terminal ill- conference on May 4 what he would like the end, these good hearts donated standard of living that falls below the ness. The young man then took on the to tell the benefactors of the instrument, $1,140 to pay for a violin and help the poverty line. role of breadwinner. With his musical he barely forced out, “I would like to say boy realize his dreams. Ihor’s father suffers from a chronic talent his only asset, he began to play a thank you,” tears streaming down his People sharing Ihor’s plight can be disease and is unemployed, which had violin on the streets of Kyiv. cheeks and the traces of a smile on his found in Detroit or New York, but his already made life difficult for the young (Continued on page 15) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 15, 2003 No. 24 ANALYSIS Fears grow that authorities NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Radio Liberty marks 50th anniversary week, the Verkhovna Rada endorsed the deployment of up to 1,800 Ukrainian will rig 2004 elections in Ukraine PRAGUE – Radio Free Europe/Radio peacekeepers for Iraq. Borys Andresiuk, Liberty commemorated the 50th anniver- deputy head of the parliamentary by Taras Kuzio Serhii Klochko, was accused of not prop- sary of broadcasts to the then-Soviet Committee for National Security and RFE/RL Newsline erly declaring a miniscule donation and Union with a series of events that culmi- Defense, said last week that Ukrainian mil- allegedly not providing a truthful biogra- nated in a conference, “On Liberty,” in the itary personnel in Iraq will be paid $1,000- To judge by the conduct of a recent phy. The Committee of Voters of Ukraine Czech capital on June 6. The discussion $1,500 per month. (RFE/RL Newsline) local election in Sumy in eastern described this decision as “politically focused on the relationship between liberty Ukraine, the authorities have refined and motivated.” and human rights, sovereignty, religion President confers with Rada leaders improved the tactics first used to influ- As in the case of Mr. Grach in 2002, and education, and the development of ence the outcome of last year’s parlia- when a decision is made to remove a civil society, the media and the Internet.