www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE:• UCCLA concerned about missing Victoria Cross — page 3. • Paul Plishka receives honorary doctorate — page 4. • An extraordinary UPA-related postal issue — page 9. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXVII HE KRAINIANNo. 31 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 1999 EEKLY$1.25/$2 in Ukraine EuropeanT Union pledgesU more funds Legal statusW of Kyiv’s mayor for Chornobyl aid at summit with Ukraine in doubt as courts issue rulings by Stefan Korshak Ukraine and the G-7 made a decision it by Katya Gorchinskaya cantly affected” the results of the election, Special to The Ukrainian Weekly should be implemented and not dis- Special to The Ukrainian Weekly according to a 23-page ruling by Judge cussed,” the Associated Press quoted Oleh Kryvenda. The ruling came in KYIV – The European Union has President Kuchma as saying. KYIV – The legal status of Kyiv’s response to a lawsuit filed by Messrs. promised $210 million in new Foreigners have other ideas, however. mayor is, once again, in limbo. Citing Surkis and Hrabar. Chornobyl assistance, but Ukraine says Last month, standing firmly on the non- numerous violations of law, the local The two court decisions will not that’s not nearly enough to close the nuclear plank of the Green wing of his court in Vyshhorod on July 22 annulled change how the city is governed or how it nuclear energy plant by the end of the Social Democrat ruling coalition, the results of this spring’s election, only performs its major services, such as col- century. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to have the Supreme Court set aside the lecting trash, public transportation and EU officials announced the commit- visited Kyiv to try and have Rivne and lower court’s ruling four days later. supplying water. As head of the Kyiv City ment July 23 at the third EU-Ukraine The Vyshhorod court ruled that Mayor summit in Kyiv. Khmelnytskyi converted from nuclear to Administration appointed by President conventional fuel. Oleksander Omelchenko, who won the Leonid Kuchma, Mr. Omelchenko The cash will go toward patching up May 30 mayoral election by a landslide, the concrete and steel sarcophagus built Germany’s environmental minister, remains in charge of the city’s workforce Juergen Trittin, lobbied for brown coal- abused his authority in ways that unfairly and its 1.7 billion hrv. annual budget. around Chornobyl’s No. 4 reactor, site hurt the chances of defeated rivals of the world’s worst nuclear power acci- fired mini-power plants. Messrs. At this time, until the final ruling by Kuchma and Schroeder agreed the idea Hryhorii Surkis and Mykola Hrabar. the Supreme Court, nobody knows if and dent. The Supreme Court Judge Vitalii President Leonid Kuchma said at a merited study, but to date Mr. when a new election will be held. Schroeder’s visit has brought no Boiko, however, halted the ruling and Omelchenko forces vowed their man July 23 press conference that, although demanded all documents in the case so appreciated, the latest EU assistance Chornobyl-replacement money would win another contest. In the May Ukraine’s way. that the high court’s justices could decide election, the unaffiliated Mr. Omelchenko does not address the key aspect of the for themselves. Chornobyl equation: how to replace At last Friday’s press conference, soundly defeated his major rival, Mr. European Union spokesmen conceded The Vyshhorod court found that Mr. Surkis of the Social Democratic Party. Chornobyl’s energy output once the sole Omelchenko misused public funds during functioning reactor is turned off. the $210 million sarcophagus patch-up Mr. Omelchenko won 76 percent of the once again had sidestepped the the election campaign, illegally used the vote. “It [Chornobyl] will continue to run city administration’s TV channel to pro- until other sources of electricity can be Chornobyl electricity replacement ques- In reaction to the court’s ruling, mote his candidacy, and banned outdoor found,” President Kuchma told reporters tion. President Kuchma lined up squarely ads for his rivals while improperly using at Marininsky Palace. “We have no alter- The ball now bounces to the European behind Mr. Omelchenko. In what critics the city metro’s radio system to broadcast natives.” Bank for Reconstruction and Development, viewed as interference with the judicial his own ads. Shut off frequently for maintenance or (Continued on page 18) These violations and others “signifi- (Continued on page 18) due to safety warnings, Chornobyl reac- tor No. 3 churns out between 5 percent and 8 percent of Ukraine’s electricity. Greenpeace believes the amount is even smaller, more like 2 percent. Chicago’s Ukrainian National Museum receives $500,000 state grant Chornobyl’s management says it is high- CHICAGO – Illinois Gov. George H. er. Ryan presented a capital expansion Western countries want to get the grant of $500,000 to Chicago’s aging, dangerous plant turned off. But Ukrainian National Museum during the they have not contributed anywhere Ukrainian Day Celebration on July 24 close to the $1.4 billion needed, by many at the Executive Mansion in estimates, for alternative energy sources. Springfield. There is also disagreement in the West At a reception at the Governor’s about what those alternative sources of Mansion, a surprised and grateful muse- energy should be. um president, Dr. George Hrycelak, and Ukraine wants $1.2 billion to com- Executive Director Jaroslaw Hankewych plete construction of nuclear power sta- accepted the check from Gov. Ryan dur- tions in Rivne and Khmelnytskyi. ing activities relating to the officially Ukrainian and G-7 decision-makers proclaimed Ukrainian Day in Illinois. agreed in 1995 that the pair were Sponsors of the event included the gov- Chornobyl’s best possible replacements ernor, State Sen. Walter Dudycz, by the end of the century. Selfreliance Ukrainian Federal Credit Ukraine has committed $50 million as Union, and the Governor’s Office of its agreed contribution to the effort. But, Ethnic Affairs. so far, the G-7 leadership has dithered on how exactly to pick up the remainder of State Sen. Dudycz, a long-time a $1.15 billion tab. friend of Ukrainians and supporter of The West’s interim solution has been the museum in Chicago, had taken per- sonal interest in assuring the UNM to dribble payments to Ukraine for main- Gov. George Ryan of Illinois (left) presents check for $500,000 to Chicago’s became eligible to receive state funds tenance and report of Chornobyl’s sar- Ukrainian National Museum President Dr. George Hrycelak (right) and from the Public Museum Capital Grants cophagus. Ukraine will have received Executive Director Jaroslaw Hankewych (center). some $650 million of such payments Program. once the latest European Union commit- Gov. Ryan and Sen. Dudycz visited qualify for state funds earmarked to that carried a representative exhibit of ment is received. the UNM in Chicago last year, receiv- help ethnic and public museums the museum’s collections to the rotunda But, given the second thoughts in the ing a tour from Olha Kalymon. They statewide expand their facilities and of the Illinois State Capitol Building for West over supporting nuclear power in came away from the museum enamored create new exhibits. the International Museum Day celebra- Ukraine, nobody has come up with the by the institution and its potential. Mr. Hankewych, along with museum tion. This successful and informative cash necessary to make Rivne and Through the support of Sen. Dudycz, it staffers Natalka Semuschak and Erika Khmelnytskyi a reality. became possible for the museum to Homonyi on May 18 led a delegation (Continued on page 16) “They should be gentlemen ... If 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 1999 No. 31 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Zerkalo Nedeli debunks Ukrainian diplomacy myths Ukraine, Russia stage joint navy parade (Eastern Economist) by Jan Maksymiuk which still doubts the advantages offered SEVASTOPOL – Ukraine joined EU chief praises Ukrainian president RFE/RL Poland, Belarus and Ukraine Report by the Turkish route for Caspian oil. Russia’s annual celebration of Black Sea However, the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Fleet Day, July 25, for the first time since KYIV – “Let me take this opportunity PRAGUE – The July 17 issue of Ministry, according to Mr. Goncharenko, the country gained independence in 1991. to express my personal admiration for the “Zerkalo Nedeli,” a Kyiv-based Russian- does nothing to forge an oil supply deal Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and leadership of President [Leonid] Kuchma language weekly, published a lengthy arti- with Kazakstan to make the Odesa-Brody Moscow Mayor Yurii Luzhkov attended a and the concrete achievements of Ukraine cle by Sergei Goncharenko under the head- pipeline project realistic. Mr. Tarasyuk joint navy parade in Sevastopol. Mr. in the past five years,” Reuters quoted line “Ukrainian Diplomacy Myths.” The gives priority to developing Ukraine’s rela- Luzhkov stressed his view that Sevastopol Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen, article is an attack on Foreign Affairs tions within GUUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, belongs to Russia, adding that the issue who now presides over the European Minister Borys Tarasyuk, who, according Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Moldova). “sooner or later will be resolved as history Union, as saying in Kyiv on July 23. An to the author, “has exerted no influence on • GUUAM: There are no economic ben- and justice demands,” the Associated EU delegation led by Mr. Lipponen the adoption of [international] decisions efits for Ukraine from the GUUAM associ- Press reported. Following a meeting with signed agreements on oil transport and on that were important for Ukraine.” ation, according to Mr. Goncharenko. Its the Moscow mayor the same day, nuclear safety and research. Mr. Lipponen Mr. Goncharenko reviews a dozen members are economically weak partners President Kuchma said “Sevastopol is and pledged up to 150 million euros ($143 “Ukrainian diplomacy myths” that, in his that have no influence in international million U.S.) to strengthen Ukraine’s opinion, are groundlessly nurtured by Mr.