www.ukrweekly.com Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc.. a fratrnal non-profit association rainianWee Vol. LVI No. 42 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1988 50 cents 20,000 in D.C. demand freedom for Churches in Ukraine Koiomayels Ukrainian Americans march past the Soviet Embassy, protesting the ongoing persecution of Ukrainian Churches in the Soviet Union, by Roma Hadzewycz The weekend also featured a rally which shape our character, and we must Committee. near the Washington Monument, an keep in mind that the religious heritage In her own brief remarks, Ms. Ko- WASHINGTON - Close to 20,000 ecumenical prayer service near the of any nation should not simply be a marnyckyj McConnell noted, "We Ukrainians marched down the streets of Taras Shevchenko monument, and written page in our history books." regret that the vice-president (George Washington, from the Washington three concerts at the DAR Constitu­ Bush) was also unable to join us. Monument past the Soviet Embassy, tion Hall. (For a story about the His message was read by Nadia Unfortunately, we were pot offered an demanding ''Freedom for Our ecumenical service, see page 3. Full Komarnyckyj-McConnell, one of the explanation why he could not be with us Churches" on the occasion of this year's coverage of the concerts will appear in masters of ceremonies for the rally and and, regrettably, we have no message or Millennium of the Christianization of next week's issue.) chairperson of the government relations greeting." Kievan Rus'. The rally near the Washington Mo­ committee of the National Millennium (Contmued on page 11) The Ukrainian Orthodox and Ukrai­ nument was marked by speeches deli­ nian Catholic Churches have been vered by representatives of the Reagan banned in the USSR since their liqui­ administration and members of Con­ Estonian National Independence Party dation, respectively, in the 1930s and gress. It was notable also for the absence the 1940s. In a letter delivered to the of representatives of both the Republi­ asks U.N. to discuss Baltic states Soviet Embassy, the National Com­ can and Democratic presidential cam­ mittee to Commemorate the Millen­ paigns - this, one month before the NEW YORK - Twenty-one mem­ in the removal of Soviet occupying nium of Christianity in Ukraine called national elections. bers of the newly founded Estonian forces and troops, direct world atten­ on General Secretary Mikhail Gorba­ Democratic candidate Michael Du­ National Independence Party signed an tion to the Tartu Peace Treaty of chev to allow these Churches to exist kakis did, however, send his regrets and appeal/proposal to the United Nations February 2, 1920, in which the Soviet and function openly. a brief greeting. to put Estonia and its sister republics. Union recognized for all time Estonian The demgnstration was part of a Gov. Dujkakis stated: "As you cele­ Latvia and Lithuania, on the General sovereignty and independence, super­ three-day celebration of the 1,000th brate the Ukrainian legacy, you cele­ Assembly's agenda for discussion. vise free elections after such withdrawal anniversary of Ukraine's Christianity brate a rich and bountiful history and The eight-page document, signed on of troops, give Estonia the opportunity held in the nation's capital on October the strength and courage of its people, September 17 in Pilistvere, Estonia, to become a member of the U.N., and 7-9 by the National Millennium Com­ and you must be very proud. We must reached the West on October 3. It is recommend that the USSR respect a mittee. not forget the traditions and values addressed to Secretary-General J. Perez nuclear-free zone in Estonia. de Cuellar and is also to be sent directly Coming in the wake of a dramatic to at least 26 members of the United Popular Front meeting in Tallinn, Town of Chornobyl to be razed Nations. Estonia on October 1-2, the Esto­ The party also asks that its appeal, nian party's proposal confirms the JERSEY GITY, N.J. - The town of eliminating Communist Party and complete with the actual signatures, be Chornobyl, near the site of the world's strong sentiment apparent among the government bodies in the area and distributed to members of the U.S. Estonian people for autonomy and worst nuclear accident in April 1986, is transferring seven villages to a neigh­ Congress, many of whom have been being razed, because local authorities outright independence from the USSR. boring region. "That will be the end to actively protesting Soviet violations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were claim the radiation-contaminated area the Chornobyl problem," the news­ human, religious and national rights in will be unsafe for human habitation for independent parliamentary democra­ paper stated. the Baltic states. cies and members of the League of decades, reported Pravda on Saturday, The Associated Press, which carried The first part of the document re­ October 9. Nations before the Soviet Union for­ this story on its Saturday wires, also counts the history of the Soviet occupa­ cibly annexed them in 1940 based on For a related story about unsafe stated that the Kombinat, an agency tion of Estonia and describes Soviet terms of the Hitler-Stalin Pact of 1939. conditions at the nuclear power plant in established after the nuclear disaster violations of international law. In a The United States and most Western Crimea and^public protests against and responsible for decontaminating seven-point proposal, the Estonian nations consider the annexation illegal. nuclear energy, see page 2. the zone around the Chornobyl nuclear National Independence Party requests Recent ethnic and national unrest The Moscow-based Communist plant, had set itself up as a "temporary that the U.N. declare null and void the throughout the USSR has included Party newspaper, objecting to this plan, government." The agency had taken Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939, many large demonstrations and bold noted that officials plan to erase the upon itself "the prerogative to resolve recognize the Baltic states as illegally demands for change and democratiza­ Chornobyl administrative region by (Continued on page 2) and forcefully occupied, aid and assist tion in the three Baltic republics. THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1988 No. 42 Town of ChornobyL. miles away from Chornobyl. A GLIMPSE OF SOVIET REALITY As of June, gamma background (Continued from page 1) radiation levels in Chornobyl were 0.1 the question of the town of Chornobyl milliroetitgen - equal to the natural itself," said Kiev writer Alexander radioactivity in mountainous areas and Crimea nuclear plant called unsafe; Levada, in Pravda. twice that of Kiev, located to the south. According to Mr. Levada, the fate of Mr. Levada, concerned about the protests resume against energy program the historic town of Chornobyl, which Chornobyl residents, stated that some in 1993 marks its 800th anniversary, houses may be destroyed because of by Dr. David Marples in the Soviet Union generated by must be discussed at "all levels" of state unsanitary conditions, but insisted that nuclear energy is scheduled to rise from and government authorities, and not by residents must be compensated and that On September 26, Radio Moscow the 1985 level of 10.8 percent to 21 a local, temporary agency, the Kombi- a possible relocation must take place announced the results of a review of a percent, and as high as 35.2 percent in nat, which has already burned one "gradually, without negligence and nuclear power plant that has been under the European part of the country. In house and bulldozed two streets of indifference." construction for several years in the certain republics, such as Lithuania and houses in the central district. "The Kombinat must not forget that Crimea. The station, which had only Ukraine, the percentages will be consi­ The Pravda article also expressed the Energy Ministry (now the Atomic recently been cut back from its original derably higher. This plan, however, concern for the 994 people who had Energy Ministry) has neither the moral two-stage program to one, was sche­ does not allow for stoppages and returned without official permission to nor legal right to neglect its guilt with duled to come on stream in the 1981- slowdowns as a result of public opposi­ the Ukrainian villages inside the 30- regard to the territory. It has no right to 1985 plan period. The revised plan tion. kilometer (18 mile) contaminated zone, wipe it out with a black cross," the foresaw its operation this year. From the summer of 1987 to the stating that the Kombinat's decision article said. The announcement follows "compre­ summer of 1988, the chief consequences flew in the face of current glasnost In recent developments, the public's hensive research" of the site of the plant of the protests were as follows. The policies. This spring, reports said that mistrust of nuclear power plants has by a commission headed by Vice- Armenian plant was shut down tempo­ 100 people had returned to Chornobyl made headlines throughout the Soviet President of the Academy of Sciences of rarily in 1986, ostensibly for moder­ itself, but, according to Pravda, they Union. The New York Times reported the USSR Yevgeni Velikhov. It stated nization. The Kostroma RBMK-1500 were given no consideration in the on October 12, that the Chornobyl that the original project had antici­ was converted into a VVER-1000. The decision to raze the town. Once home to disaster has been the catalyst of resis­ pated seismic activity on a scale of six Kiev cogenerational nuclear power and 10,000 people, the town was evacuated tance to nuclear plants, and according points in the area, but that the actual heating plant was converted into a after the nuclear catastrophe, which to correspondent Bill Keller, the stron­ seismicity was 10.