1NS1DE: 9 Ukrainian Parliament suspends privatization - page 2. ^ Rediscovering the humanities in Ukraine - page 7. ^ Kharkiv and Ukraine through a young diasporan's eyes - page 9. -У THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association inc., a fraternal non-profit association vol. LXII No. 32 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST J, 1994 75 cents Administration opposes aid provisionsU.S . vice-president promises Kyyiv for Central and East European states 'new intensity' in bilateral relations WASHINGTON (UNAW) - During American Hungarians, Polish American the July 28 House-Senate conference on Congress, Slovak World Congress, the Foreign Assistance Appropriations Ukrainian Congress Committee of America Act (HR 4426), the Clinton administra– inc., and the U.S.-Baltic Foundation. tion came out in opposition to virtually NATO cooperation all the Senate-passed initiatives dealing with Central and Eastern Europe. The One of the early issues the conference administration began lobbying House considered during its 12-hour session was and Senate conferees even before the the Senate amendment making Poland, Senate had completed consideration of Hungary and the Czech Republic eligible the bill two weeks earlier. for allied defense cooperation with NATO Prior to the conference, the Ukrainian countries, sponsored by Sens. Hank National Association (UNA) and the Brown (R-Colo.) and Paul Simon (D-11L). Central and East Europe Coalition Though the amendment did not mandate (CEEC) had strongly lobbied the confer– presidential action, it empowered the pres– ees and other members of the House and ident to provide the three countries with Senate in support of provisions affecting U.S. excess defense articles as the first Central and Eastern Europe. step in establishing "increased standard– Besides the UNA, the other members of ization and enhanced interoperability of the coalition of national ethnic organiza– equipment and weapons systems" for tions includes the American Latvian NATO membership. Marta Kolomayets Association, Armenian Assembly of Though the administration had strong– vice-President Al Gore speaks at Boryspil Airport after arriving aboard Air America, Belarusian Congress Committee ly opposed the amendment during Senate Force, Two. of America, Bulgarian institute for consideration, the Senate passed the mea– Research and Analysis, Congress of sure by a vote of 76 to 22 on July 14. by Marta Kolomayets to the mutual effort to improve the bilater– Romanian Americans, Czecho-Slovak The senators voting against the provi– Kyyiv Press Bureau al relationship between the two countries. Council of America, Estonian World sion were Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), A strong and prosperous and independent KYYiv - Bounding off Air Force Council inc., Hungarian American Joseph Biden (D-Del.), Barbara Boxer CD- Ukraine is a stabilizing force for peace in Two at Boryspil Airport on Tuesday Coalition, Joint Baltic American National Central Europe, and throughout the entire Calif.), Kent Conrad (D-S.D.), Byron afternoon, August 2, U.S. vice-President Committee, Lithuanian-American Com– region," he told reporters during a 30- Al Gore Jr. began a six-hour visit to munity inc., National Federation of (Continued on page 8) minute news conference at Kyyiv's Ukraine, a country of 52 million that has America House, the cultural arm of the become "an extremely important priority U.S. Embassy. for the United States." "As 1 told the president and the Rada An "amerykanets" in Ukraine The vice-president arrived prepared to (Supreme Council) members, we in the discuss economic aid to Ukraine from the U.S. are committed to the idea that a West and review the progress on imple– democratic, prosperous independent Mike Semko's homecoming menting the historic tripartite nuclear dis– Ukraine is in America's national interest, armament agreement. He also delivered by Marta Kolomayets where his father settled in the late as well as in the interest of the region at an invitation from President Bill Clinton Kyyiv Press Bureau 1910s to secure a prosperous future for large and of the world," he added. his family, working in the coal mines. to President Kuchma, asking Ukraine's newly elected president to come to Citing a "dramatic improvement" in PETRYCH1, Ukraine - When But fate played a dirty trick on the Washington on November 29 for an offi– relations between the two countries, Mr. Mykhailo Semko was growing up in this Semko family, which by 1928 includ– small village in the Lviv region, all of cial visit. Mr. Kuchma accepted the offer. Gore said that the U.S. "is committed to ed Mike, his brother, John, and sister, continuing our close cooperation and his friends called him "Mayk" (Mike). Arriving from Warsaw on the invita– Mary. Their mother, Helen Sokola, support for Ukraine's transition to "My brother and 1, we were known tion of President Leonid Kuchma, Mr. died that year, and Mr. Semko was left democracy and market economy." He as the 'amerykantsi' in our village," Gore became the first Western govern– a widower to care for his youngsters. said that a high-level delegation would recalls Mr. Semko, 74, who has waited ment leader to visit Ukraine after the They all returned to what was then be visiting Ukraine next week to discuss over 65 years to come home to recent elections, just two weeks after Poland to live with relatives; their Nunn-Lugar disarmament funds and fol– Ormrod, Pa. He boasts of his U.S. President Kuchma's inauguration. father made it back to the United low up on discussions he had in Kyyiv. roots, proudly reciting his vocabulary States as did their sister, but Mike and "1 am here to extend on behalf of This would be followed by another high- of five to 10 English words, among John stayed behind. President Clinton and the American peo– ranking delegation in September. them "ays krim" (ice cream). War broke out, and Mr. Semko ple warm congratulations to my friend, But little else of his U.S. origins is recalls that he spent time in a Nazi con– President Kuchma, on his recent election Policy shift visible. An aging, red-faced Ukrainian and to affirm America's interest in con– centration camp, whence he escaped This new attitude on U.S.-Ukraine peasant who spent his life working to only to be drafted by the Soviet Army. tinuing to build a vigorous and broad relations is quite a shift from the kind of feed a family of five and build a brick bilateral relationship with Ukraine," he After the war, both he and his policy nurtured during the early days of house in his village, he says that he said, delivering a brief statement upon brother attempted to return to the the Clinton administration. Relations was always watched by the militia arriving at the airport. United States; their father made vari– have been rocky and tense since Ukraine after the war because he was an ous inquires, but to no avail, during Met by Prime Minister vitaliy Masol, declared its independence three years ago, American. As late as 1981, he says, the Cold War. He recalls that he was Presidential Chief of Staff Dmytro as the United States first viewed Ukraine documents attesting to his U.S. citi– beaten, jailed and called a spy. Tabachnyk, Foreign Minister Anatoliy through the prism of Moscow and later zenship were confiscated by the local in 1991, Mike's brother, John, died. Zlenko, as well as U.S. Ambassador to attempted to strong-arm Ukraine to give militia in the Lviv region. Ukraine William Miller and a members A few months later, in the summer of up its nuclear weapons, but could not pro- of his staff, Mr. Gore expressed strong Finally, on August 9, he will board 1992, a joint U.S.-Russian commission vide financial or security guarantees. U.S. support for the adoption of a "com– a U.S.-bound flight with his daughter, formed to look for any U.S. prisoners But, since the signing of a tripartite Teodozia Paprotska, 42, and visit the prehensive economic reform plan" in agreement between Ukraine, the United Lehigh Yalley region of Pennsylvania, (Continued on page 8) Ukraine. "There is a new intensity being brought (Continued on page 3) THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST 7,1994 No. 32 Parliament suspends privatization by Marta Kolomayets Mr. Moroz has stressed that all pro– Kyyiv Press Bureau jects in progress will not be suspended, and other deputies have underscored that Baltic-Black Sea League proposed NATO is a military bloc and thus cannot KYYiv - The Ukrainian Parliament this suspension does not apply to small be considered a peacekeeping force. KYYiv– At a briefing here on July 26, decided to suspend privatization by a and medium businesses, nor does it apply (RFE7RL Daily Report) representatives of Ukraine's Republican, vote of 180-62, on Friday evening, July to housing. Democratic and Green parties announced Belarus not ready for monetary union 29, virtually freezing this process for at "This decision won't stop privatization. least 45 days and throwing a monkey the impending holding of an international But it continues to rob state property. conference in Kyyiv to establish a League M1NSK— Following his August 3 wrench into the reform works of newly With each passing day the citizens of meeting with Russian President Boris elected President Leonid Kuchma. of Parties of the Baltic-Black Sea region, Ukraine have increasingly less chances to UN1AN reported. The organizers expect Yeltsin, Belarusian President Aleksander Adopted during the last hours of the become owners of property, whose values Lukashenko announced that the two sides last day of this new parliament's first ses– representatives of 22 parties from Ukraine, are depreciating by the hour," said viktor the Baltic states, Poland, Belarus, Moldova, had agreed that Belarus was not ready for sion, the resolution, "On Streamlining Pynzenyk, a deputy and chairman of the monetary union with Russia, various agen– the Mechanism of Privatization in Romania and Bulgaria to attend.