Ukraine's Churches Take Symbolic Step Toward Reunifica
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INSIDE: • Ukraine seeks to expand diplomatic ties in Asia — page 2. • Multiculturalism policy in Canada is revisited — page 3. • Focus on Ukrainian Easter traditions — pages 9-11. HE KRAINI A N EEKLY T PublishedU by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW association Vol. LXV No. 17 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 1997 $1.25/$2 in Ukraine Ukraine’s Churches Eleven years after Chornobyl shook the world questions remain about nuclear fuel, contamination take symbolic step by Roman Woronowycz the fuel is still unstable, a nuclear reaction Kyiv Press Bureau could begin anew if sufficient mass devel- toward reunifica- opes. This has led experts to scuttle earlier by Roman Woronowycz KYIV – Eleven years after Chornobyl plans to cover the nuclear reactor in a rein- Kyiv Press Bureau blew skyward irradiating major portions of forced high-tech prophylactic and let the Ukraine and Belarus, the world still is try- KYIV – A small symbolic step toward a radiation waste away. ing to figure out how to remove the nuclear Carol Kessler, the head of the Western constructive dialogue on reunification of fuel buried below ruined reactor No. 4 and delegation visiting Kyiv, said both Kyiv several religious confessions of Ukraine what to do with it. Meanwhile radiation and the West had agreed on a plan to reduce finally was taken on April 16 when two keeps spreading outward, polluting more the threat caused by the unstable fuel. Orthodox patriarchates and the Greek- land around the zone. According to an RFE-RL Daily Report, she Catholic Church agreed to hold a joint ecu- As part of the whirlwind of activity that said the April 22-23 meetings had resulted menical service in August. centers on Chornobyl every year at the time in a plan to ensure the safety of the deterio- At a conference to promote discussion on of the anniversary, a group of Western rating concrete sarcophagus and on the problems among the three Orthodox experts met in Kyiv on April 22 to again removal of the nuclear fuel. Churches of Ukraine and the Ukrainian consider what should be done with the still Days earlier, on April 15, Ukraine’s Greek-Catholic Church (UGCC), which unstable radioactive mass beneath the crum- Minister of Chornobyl Affairs Valerii was sponsored by the Prosvita Society, the bling 10-year-old sarcophagus. Kalchenko announced that a nuclear-waste- participants agreed that one Ukrainian faith The group had discussions with processing complex would be built in the 30- is a key to a strong Ukrainian nation. Ukrainian Chornobyl experts to decide how kilometer Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. Initial “It is a telling fact: true bondage [of the to stabilize the 200 tons of fuel that remain plans call for a facility capable of processing Ukrainian people] began with spiritual covered by the sarcophagus, which was and burying 500,000 cubic meters of nuclear bondage, with the loss of an independent hastily erected after the reactor blew on waste whose decay period would not exceed Church,” stated an appeal released by the April 26, 1986, and which is now said to be 30 years. Bidding for the right to develop the conference. The statement went on to say leaking radiation and slowly crumbling. project, which is scheduled to be completed that the formation of a united “pomisna” The biggest problem thus far has been within three years, will be awarded by tender. (particular) Orthodox Church is not only obtaining accurate information on what is Ukraine has set aside 27 million hrv in 1997 historically proper but would also be a step going on inside the shelter. “Until now the sit- for initial costs. out of the economic-spiritual crisis in which uation has not been fully controlled and, there- Ukrainian society finds itself today. fore, we could not totally rely on the informa- Exclusion zone to be expanded Heeding a comment by the Rev. Serhii tion,” Valentyn Kupnyi, the Chornobyl facili- And while the various projects laggardly Prudko of the UGCC that “we begin gather- ty’s deputy director general in charge of the move forward, Ukraine has declared that ing in one Church and praying together for shelter, told reporters on April 16. guidance,” they decided the best first step The biggest threat has been that, because (Continued on page 8) to a beneficial discourse would be to hold a prayer service on Ukrainian Independence Day in August at the Cathedral of St. Sophia. U k r a i n e ’s environmental minister The participants, who included Patriarch Filaret of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – speaks on status of Chornobyl Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP), Patriarch Dymytrii of the Ukrainian Autocephalous The following is an interview with filled, will the Chornobyl station close. Orthodox Church (UAOC) and the Rev. Ukraine’s Minister of Environmental Among the requirements is the creation Prudko of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Protection and Nuclear Safety Yurii of energy sources to compensate for the Church, had little positive to say about the Kostenko. He agreed to discuss the cur - loss of Chornobyl’s resources. Ukraine’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Moscow rent status of the Chornobyl nuclear energy sector will not be able to bear the Patriarchate. Patriarch Filaret of the Kyiv power station and its future on the occa - loss of the Chornobyl station without Patriarchate went so far as to call the sion of the 11th anniversary of the explo - adequate alternate sources of energy. The Moscow Patriarchate, which is part of the sion of Chornobyl reactor No. 4 on April energy sector would collapse. Russian Orthodox Church headed by 26, 1986. The interview was conducted For instance, this past winter we main- Patriarch Aleksei, a “totalitarian sect.” by The Weekly’s Kyiv correspondent tained adequate energy supplies only due He said the Moscow Patriarchate will Roman Woronowycz on April 19. to the burden borne by our nuclear sta- work only for upheaval and discontent within tions. This winter they produced more the confessions of Ukraine because its goal is Will the Chornobyl nuclear power than 50 to 60 percent of our electrical one Ukrainian Church directed from station shut down by the year 2000 as energy needs. To shut down two huge Moscow. “I am convinced that we can do the memorandum signed in Moscow reactors that together produce 6 to 7 per- nothing with the Moscow Patriarchate. Their by Ukraine and the Group of Seven cent of our electricity and not replace arms and legs are so tied by decrees from industrialized states last year stipu- them with adequate alternatives could Moscow that they no longer think of an auto- lates? lead to the destruction of the power grid cephalous Ukrainian Church,” said Patriarch of Ukraine and result in the collapse of F i l a r e t . I can’t tell you that this will happen the economy. Last month the Russian Orthodox because it is not up to Ukraine alone. It Because of this, the memorandum Church excommunicated Patriarch Filaret, depends on whether the G-7, the signed by the G-7 and Ukraine specifi- even though he has not been associated European Commission as well as cally denotes that before the Chornobyl with the Church for several years. At one Ukraine stick to the program outlined in reactors are shut down reactors of equal time he was its Kyiv metropolitan. the memorandum on the closing of the capacity are to be put in place. The two Patriarch Filaret said that, on the other Chornobyl nuclear power station. The replacements, to which the G-7 agreed, hand, a dialogue with the Ukrainian Greek- program lays out a whole series of requirements and, only after they are ful- (Continued on page 8) (Continued on page 2) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 1997 No. 17 Westinghouse wins $10 million contract for improvements at Chornobyl station Kyiv, West agree on Chornobyl measures children since the accident at Chernobyl by Marco Levytsky missioning of all units at the site. continue to yield new findings,” Mr. Special to The Ukrainian Weekly The project is being funded by a grant KYIV – Carol Kessler, head of the Mangano wrote. “Although any increases in from the Nuclear Safety Account of the Western delegation to talks in Kyiv on the leukemia are likely to fall short of the sharp EDMONTON – Pittsburgh-based European Bank for Reconstruction and closure of the Chornobyl nuclear power Westinghouse Electric Corp. announced rises in thyroid cancer, possibly because Development. plant, said Ukraine and Western countries elements like cesium were released in on March 26 that it was awarded a $10 Charles W. Pryor, president of the have agreed on a plan to reduce the threat million contract to manage implementa- smaller quantities than iodine, more precise Westinghouse Energy Systems Business from the radioactive ruins of the facility. analysis should be pursued.” Mr. Mangano tion of $125 million in operational and Unit, said the contract is significant for a Ms. Kessler told journalists that the April safety improvements at the Chornobyl said his study covered 50 million people – a number of reasons. 22 meeting was “very successful” and that much larger sample than used in any nuclear power plant in Ukraine. “The work we and our subcontractors agreement was reached on a plan to ensure Under terms of the contract, European studies – and thus could be more will be undertaking is highly critical to the safety of the deteriorating concrete sar- reliable. (Reuters) Westinghouse and two subcontractors – Ukraine’s effort to improve both the cophagus entombing the reactor and the National Nuclear Corp. of the United safety and operational characteristics of removal of the remaining nuclear fuel Yeltsin due in Kyiv in June Kingdom and the Kyiv Design Institute Unit 3 and to prepare for the safe and inside.