INSIDE:• Election precincts for Ukrainian citizens in U.S. — page 3. • Community groups welcome Ukraine’s new envoy — page 10. • The language issue and elections in Ukraine — page 11. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXIV HE No.KRAINIAN 9 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2006 EEKLY$1/$2 in Ukraine U.TS. grantsU Ukraine Massive realW estate scam market economy status uncovered in Ukraine’s capital by Zenon Zawada face less stringent anti-dumping criteria, by Zenon Zawada invested most, if not all, of their savings Kyiv Press Bureau an improved international credit rating Kyiv Press Bureau with Elite-Center, a real estate develop- and lower borrowing costs, said Borys ment company that claimed to have been KYIV – The U.S. government on Tarasyuk, Ukraine’s minister of foreign KYIV – A massive real estate scam working on seven simultaneous construc- February 17 announced it had granted affairs. that snared thousands of Kyiv apartment tion projects in Kyiv. Ukraine market economy status, thereby It will also help to repeal the Jackson- investors has unraveled in recent weeks, Instead, Elite-Center’s business partners sharply improving the country’s chances Vanik amendment, a law passed by the causing public outrage and revealing the conducted construction at one site while for World Trade Organization (WTO) U.S. Congress in 1974 placing trade instability of Ukraine’s precarious invest- collecting money for others, in some cases membership this year. restrictions on the Soviet Union because ment climate. selling the same apartment as many as five Ukraine earned the status on February it forbid Jews from emigrating. With the hope of obtaining a brand (Continued on page 15) 1, said David Sampson, U.S. deputy In granting Ukraine market economy new apartment, average Ukrainians secreary of commerce, who was in Kyiv status the U.S. Commerce Department for meetings with Ukrainian government considered six primary criteria: the extent officials regarding bilateral trade and of currency convertibility, free bargain- investment relations. ing for wage rates, foreign investment, “This determination reflects the government ownership or control of pro- impressive economic developments that duction and government control over the have occurred in Ukraine over the past allocation of resources and other appro- several years,” Mr. Sampson said. priate factors. “We are committed to working togeth- “While there is no direct link between er to achieve Ukraine’s accession to the receiving market economy status and WTO,” he said. “As a member of WTO, entering the WTO, this is evidence that Ukraine would become partners in an Ukraine is moving closer to that goal,” ever-expanding group of nations that said Mr. Tarasyuk. favor democratic and free-market eco- WTO membership would create nomic values. This would open up “potentially vast opportunities for local potentially vast opportunities for local businesses and attract major industrial businesses, and would attract major players,” Mr. Sampson said. industrial players.” Along with the status, Ukraine will (Continued on page 14) Zenon Zawada Yulia Tymoshenko supporters hold a sign that says, "Omelchenko, Answer For This!" in front of the Kyiv City Council building on February 17 as part of a protest Ukraine’sPARSIPPANY, N.J. –ice Ukrainian dancers ice ing the second earn week of bronzeOlympic competi- against conditions that allowed thousands to become victims of a multi-million-dollar dancers Elena Grushina and Ruslan tion included: an eighth-place finish in real estate scam. Goncharov won the bronze medal at the the cross-country skiing’s 4x5-kilometer Winter Olympics on Monday, February relay earned by the women’s team of 20, becoming the first ice dancers from Kateryna Grygorenko, Tatjana Zavalij, Ukraine to win an Olympic medal. Vita Jakimchuk and Valentyna They were bested by the Russian pair Shevchenko; and a seventh-place finish in 450 attend Bishop Chomnycky’s of Tatyana Navka, a native of Ukraine, biathlon’s 4x7.5-kilometer relay earned and Roman Kostomarov, who won the by the men’s foursome of Olexander installation as Stamford eparch gold medal; and Americans Tanith Belbin Bilanenko, Andriy Deryzemlya, Alexei by Irene Jarosewich desire to graciously and warmly welcome and Benjamin Agosto, who took silver. Korobeynikov and Ruslan Lysenko. a new Church leader, as well. The husband-and-wife duo of Ms. (For complete Olympic results, see STAMFORD, Conn. – The chapel Besides Cardinal Husar, the two other Grushina, 31, and Mr. Goncharov, 33, page 9.) inside St. Basil’s Ukrainian Catholic cardinals attending the enthronement serv- who hail from Odesa, were congratulated Also of interest to Ukrainians around College Seminary, as well as a nearby ice were Cardinal Edward Egan of New by President Viktor Yushchenko. The the globe is the performance of U.S. fig- auditorium, were overflowing as more York City and Cardinal Justin Rigali of couple began ice dancing together in ure skater Sasha Cohen, 21, a native of than 450 people attended the installation Philadelphia. Also present were 19 Latin- 1990. At the 2002 Winter Olympics in California whose Odesa-born mother, of the new leader of the Ukrainian Rite Catholic bishops from Maine to Salt Lake City they placed ninth. Galina, emigrated to the United States Catholic Eparchy of Stamford, Paul Maryland and 18 bishops from Byzantine- Earlier President Yushchenko had with her parents in the 1970s. Patrick Chomnycky, OSBM, at the rite Churches worldwide, including the offered his congratulations to Ukraine’s After the short program on February eparchy’s estate on February 20. Ukrainian, Armenian, Romanian and first medalist at the Games, Lilia 21, Ms. Cohen was in first place, leading “What kind of people are you,” Carpatho-Rusyn Churches, as well as Efremova, who earned a bronze in the by three-hundredths of a point over Irina exclaimed one astounded Latin-rite Archbishop Antony of the Ukrainian women’s 7.5-kilometer sprint of biathlon. Slutskaya of Russia. Ms. Cohen skated Catholic attending the service for the Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. A resident of Sumy, Ms. Efremova, 28, is her short program to the music of the new eparch of Stamford, “that you can More than a hundred clergy, nuns, Ukraine’s 2005 champion in biathlon. Russian folk song “Dark Eyes.” The long bring together three cardinals and more monks and seminarians also came to wel- According to Ukrinform, in his mes- program of the competition was sched- than 40 bishops for the installation a new come the new bishop of Stamford. sage to Ms. Efremova Mr. Yushchenko uled for February 23. bishop?” Joining them were representatives of expressed his hope that her medal-win- Ms. Cohen is known in the Ukrainian And indeed it was an impressive and Ukrainian community organizations, ning performance on February 16 would community for her participation in a 2001 powerful gathering of spiritual leaders – including Ukrainian National Association serve as a good beginning for further figure-skating show benefiting the Children a testament not only to the immense loy- President Stefan Kaczaraj, Ukrainian achievements by Team Ukraine in Torino. of Chornobyl Relief Fund (today known as alty and deep respect former Stamford World Congress President Askold Ms. Efremova also competed in the the Children of Chornobyl Relief and Eparch Bishop Basil Losten and current Lozynskyj, Ukrainian Congress 10-kilometer pursuit of biathlon, placing Development Fund) that was organized by Patriarch of Kyiv-Halych and Cardinal Committee of America President Michael eighth. Olympic and World figure skating champi- Lubomyr Husar receive from their broth- Other top-10 finishers for Ukraine dur- on Viktor Petrenko of Ukraine. ers-in-Christ, but a reflection of the (Continued on page 8) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2006 No. 9 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Vladimir Putin’s former colleagues Yushchenko on Ukrainian language Volodymyr Filenko. Prime Minister Yekhanurov, on a visit to Poland, has con- are Russia’s energy strategy “team” KYIV – President Viktor Yushchenko firmed that Mr. Pynzenyk is on holiday congratulated Ukraine’s citizens on the leave. (Ukrinform) by Roman Kupchinsky in partnership with the state. occasion of International Mother RFE/RL Newsline Mr. Putin formulated most of his ener- Language Day on February 21, the presi- Poland acts on pipeline project gy views while working in the St. dential press service reported. The presi- For a glimpse into Russian President Petersburg Mayor’s Office, where he dent said in his address to the nation that WARSAW – Polish Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s views on energy and for- headed the Foreign Economic Relations the Ukrainian language is re-emerging as Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz and his eign policy, one need look no further than Department. His colleagues in that office the language of a big European nation. Ukrainian counterpart, Yurii Yekhanurov, his years in St. Petersburg in the 1990s. included: Aleksei Miller, now chief exec- “The Ukrainian word is spoken with dig- on February 16 in Warsaw signed a joint The key players in Russia’s energy indus- utive of the state-controlled Gazprom nity and on the world’s highest rostrums. declaration on government assistance to try today, in fact, are Mr. Putin’s former monopoly; Dmitry Medvedev, the head of It is admired and worshipped,” he the Odesa-Brody-Plock pipeline project, colleagues and mentor from that time. the presidential administration, a deputy remarked. “I am convinced that a nation Interfax reported. Mr. Marcinkiewicz Mr. Putin, who had already spent more prime minister, and chairman of the board respecting its language can respectfully said the project will be a part of Poland’s than 15 years as a Federal Security Service of directors at Gazprom; and Igor Sechin, treat the languages of their neighbors. energy security strategy and that within (FSB) agent, returned to school, studying a man with ties to the former KGB, who Ukraine has become a home to many the next two months the Polish govern- at the St.