The Ukrainian Weekly 2008, No.39
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www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: • Askold Lozynskyj reflects on two terms leading UWC – page 3. • New film about Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky – page 9. • What’s a wedding without a “korovai”? – page 13 HE KRAINIAN EEKLY T PublishedU by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal Wnon-profit association Vol. LXXVI No. 39 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2008 $1/$2 in Ukraine UNA General Assembly Yushchenko least trusted politician meets at annual session in Ukraine, according to new poll by Roma Hadzewycz Groch, National Secretary Christine Kozak and Treasurer Roma Lisovich; Auditors KERHONKSON, N.Y. – Members of Slavko Tysiak and Wasyl Szeremeta; the Ukrainian National Association’s Advisors Maya Lew, Gloria Horbaty, General Assembly gathered at their annual Eugene Oscislawski, Olya Czerkas, Eugene meeting on September 12-14 were buoyed Serba and Lubov Streletsky; Honorary by the news of a rebound in the UNA’s Member Myron B. Kuropas; as well as the insurance business, thanks largely to over editor-in-chief of The Ukrainian Weekly $6 million in annuity sales during the first and Svoboda, Roma Hadzewycz. half of 2008, plus an overall increase in the The proceedings were opened, in accor- sales of life insurance policies during the dance with longstanding UNA tradition, past year. with the singing of the national anthems of Other topics discussed at the annual the United States, Canada and Ukraine, as meeting were developments at the well as Taras Shevchenko’s “Zapovit” Soyuzivka Heritage Center, the future of (Testament). Due to rain, the ceremony was UNA activity in Canada, fraternal programs held indoors, not at Soyuzivka’s monument and organizing efforts, and marketing and to Shevchenko, whom the UNA honors as advertising of the UNA’s two newspapers, its patron. (Later, when the weather Svoboda and The Ukrainian Weekly. improved, UNA General Assembly mem- Participating in the annual meeting held bers placed a floral tribute at the Shevchenko at Soyuzivka were: President Stefan monument, and the women of the assembly Official Website of Ukraine’s President UNIAN Kaczaraj, First Vice-President Zenon set flowers at the foot of the monument to Holubec, Second Vice-President Michael The least trusted politician in Ukraine, President Viktor Yushchenko (left), and Koziupa, Director for Canada Myron (Continued on page 5) the most trusted, Verkhovna Rada Acting Chair Arseniy Yatsenyuk. by Zenon Zawada said they don’t trust Mr. Yushchenko, Kyiv Press Bureau even surpassing Communist Party Chair Petro Symonenko who is distrusted by 68 KYIV – Despite his firm support for percent of the public, according to a poll Georgia against Russian aggression, conducted by the Sotsiovymir Center for President Viktor Yushchenko remains Sociological and Political Research led Ukraine’s most distrusted politician and by political expert Serhii Taran. most Ukrainians don’t want him to run “There was hope the president’s patri- for re-election next year, according to otism would improve his ratings,” Mr. recent polls. Taran said. “But the paradox is that noth- About 73 percent of respondents said ing happened. The president’s rating Mr. Yushchenko should not bother run- remained the same, as well as Our ning for the presidency again, according Ukraine’s rating of 7 percent.” to a poll by the Kyiv International About 8 percent of respondents sup- Institute of Sociology. Meanwhile, 69 percent of respondents (Continued on page 8) Ukrainian government proposes budget that provides minimum standard of living by Zenon Zawada mitted for parliamentary committee Roma Hadzewycz Kyiv Press Bureau review the day it was unveiled to the Members of the UNA General Assembly at Soyuzivka. public. KYIV – For the first time since inde- Among the biggest changes the budget pendence, the Ukrainian government is anticipates is a new, standard pay scale aiming to pay a minimum wage that for all government workers in all depart- House of Representatives passes equals the minimum standard of living ments, known as a tariff network. for workers. The annual average wage for govern- resolution recognizing Holodomor The government of Prime Minister ment workers is planned to increase by Yulia Tymoshenko on September 16 700 hrv ($138) to 2,500 hrv ($494). WASHINGTON – A resolution about the famine in Ukraine in an effort to break the unveiled its proposal for the 2009 budget As expected, the Tymoshenko budget Holodomor, Ukraine’s Famine-Genocide of nation’s resistance to collectivization and in which the minimum wage will be 770 plans for across-the-board hikes in social 1932-1933, was passed by the House of communist occupation.” hrv per month ($152 U.S.), which will payments. Representatives on September 23. The measure also cites the findings of the increase to 807 hrv ($159) by the year’s A significant increase in State Pension Sponsored by Rep. Sander Levin U.S. Commission on the Ukraine Famine end. Fund financing will boost pensions by 20 (D-Mich.), the resolution (H. Res. 1314) that the Holodomor’s victims were “starved “I believe the 2009 budget will be percent, said Serhii Kyseliov, an expert notes that “in 1932 and 1933, an estimated to death in a man-made famine” and that passed in a timely manner with a con- with the School of Political Analysis at 7 [million] to 10 million Ukrainian people “Joseph Stalin and those around him com- structive discussion in Parliament, and the National University of Kyiv Mohyla mitted genocide against Ukrainians in Academy. perished at the will of the totalitarian we will offer hope for serious economic 1932-1933.” It also refers to a 1934 resolu- Meanwhile, Ms. Tymoshenko plans to Stalinist government of the former Soviet improvement in the country,” said Ms. Union, which perpetrated a premeditated (Continued on page 18) Tymoshenko, who had the budget sub- (Continued on page 8) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2008 No. 39 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFS Ukraine, Vanco Energy Rice backs Ukraine’s NATO bid uncomfortable” for his party. If such a union is finally formed, “its basis will be NEW YORK – Meeting in New York the Party of Regions principles. We are not and the Russian mob with Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Minister going to change them,” Mr. Yanukovych Volodymyr Ohryzko, U.S. Secretary of by Myroslav Demydenko Satter also claims that Mr. Novitsky was stated. He emphasized that holding a State Condoleezza Rice pledged nationwide referendum on Ukraine’s Eurasia Daily Monitor present at a restaurant in Prague in 1995 Washington’s support for Ukraine’s bid to NATO accession and the usage of the where Sergei Mikhailov (“Mikhas”), one of join NATO. During the September 23 The saga of Houston-based Vanco the reputed leaders of the Solntsevo mob, Russian language are very principled meeting, held on the sidelines of the open- Energy Company’s conflict with the was present along with some 150 other issues for the PRU. However, there could ing of the United Nations General Ukrainian government over a shady pro- people to celebrate the birthday of Viktor be some compromises, for example, if the Assembly, Dr. Rice said the United States duction-sharing agreement (PSA) to Averin (“Avera”), also a reputed Solntsevo YTB agreed to adopt a law on the use of stands by the commitment it made at the explore the Black Sea shelf for oil and gas leader. Mr. Novitsky was allegedly held by the Russian language as a regional one, he NATO summit in Bucharest for Kyiv to has taken a new twist. the Czech police, who raided the party. He added. Mr. Yanukovych confirmed that his join the Membership Action Plan (MAP). Recently uncovered evidence suggests was fingerprinted and released. party is holding talks with the YTB. “We “We, of course, are, have been and will that one or more of Vanco Energy’s part- Mr. Satter wrote that the French daily Le do not have serious disagreements with the continue to be supportive of Ukraine’s ners in Vanco Prykerchenska Co. (VPC), a Monde had received confidential reports the Lytvyn Bloc and the Communists. trans-Atlantic ambitions. And of course, British Virgin Islands company formed in by the Russian Internal Affairs Ministry However, we are lacking votes to create a October 2007, which holds the rights to (MVD) and the Federal Security Service the U.S. position on MAP was very clear,” coalition with them. So, everything subsoil exploration on the Black Sea shelf, (FSB) that claimed that Mr. Novitsky, as said Dr. Rice. “I should just say the depends on the talks with the YTB,” Mr. might be linked to Russian organized president of Sistema, did not make any Bucharest declaration is also very clear,” Yanukovych stressed. (Ukrinform) she added. (Reuters) crime. decisions without consulting the Solntsevo YTB to consider OU-PSD proposal The four parity shareholder partners in criminal brotherhood. Coalition possible with compromise VPC are Vanco International (Bermuda), a Kommersant wrote on July 22, 1997, KYIV – The Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc subsidiary of Vanco Energy Co.; the that an unnamed official of the FBI had KYIV – The Party of Regions of will not give ultimatums and impose tough Donbas Fuel and Energy Company revealed the names of three individuals Ukraine (PRU) could form a coalition with conditions on the implementation of the (DTEK) owned by Ukrainian tycoon Rinat suspected of being “shadow bankers” for the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, if compro- bloc’s principles during the formation of a Akhmetov; Integrum Technologies of the Solntsevo mob, one of whom was Mr. mise is reached on the issues of NATO and new parliamentary coalition, Faction Austria; and Shadowlight Investments Ltd., Novitsky. the Russian language, PRU Chairman Leader Ivan Kyrylenko said on September owned by Russian businessman Evgeny The newspaper Russkiy Telegraf report- Viktor Yanukovych told the LOT TV 22.