www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: • A confession in the Gongadze murder case – page 3. • Vice-President Joe Biden’s speeches in Ukraine – page 5. • PHOTO REPORT: Soyuzivka’s Ukrainian Cultural Festival – centerfold. THEPublished U byKRAINIAN the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW associationEEKLY Vol. LXXVII No.30 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2009 $1/$2 in Ukraine Ruslana headlines Soyuzivka’s Vice-President Biden reaffirms 3rd Ukrainian Cultural Festival steadfast U.S. support for Ukraine by Zenon Zawada and Danylo Peleschuk Kyiv Press Bureau KYIV – U.S. attempts to bolster relations with the Russian Federation won’t come at Ukraine’s expense, said U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden during a July 20-22 visit to Kyiv, in which he underscored steadfast U.S. support for Ukraine’s Euro- Atlantic integration and energy sector reform. “We’re working, as you Zenon Zawada know, Mr. President, to reset U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden and Ukrainian our relationship with President Viktor Yushchenko address a press confer- Russia,” Mr. Biden told ence in the Chimeras Building on Bankova Street in Russ Chelak President Viktor Yushchenko Kyiv on July 21. Ruslana and her ensemble of dancers perform at the Ukrainian Cultural Festival. at a July 21 press confer- ence. “But I assure you and all the tial candidate Arseniy Yatsenyuk, before New York state. Ukrainian people that it will not come at leaving for Georgia on July 22 for a three- Three-day event Following her appearance – her first Ukraine’s expense. To the contrary, I day visit. festival performance in the United States believe it can actually benefit Ukraine.” In his public remarks, Mr. Biden indi- attracts 6,000-7,000 – Ruslana enthused: “Soyuzivka is truly a Mr. Biden flew to Kyiv two weeks after cated that his trip was aimed to reassure piece of Ukraine. It’s no longer just a U.S. President Barack Obama made his the two former Soviet republics – under by Roma Hadzewycz constant pressure from Russia to avoid word… it’s the 26th oblast of Ukraine.” first visit to Moscow in order to “reset” alliances with the West – that the U.S. will KERHONKSON, N.Y. – Between She added, “We are ready to come here relations between the two nations, which maintain support and cooperation in help- 6,000 and 7,000 visitors arrived at so far has mainly meant cooperation in again, again and again, and to sing for ing to achieve their Euro-Atlantic integra- Soyuzivka on July 17-19 for the third reducing nuclear arms and offering sup- you again and again.” tion goals. annual Ukrainian Cultural Festival, head- port to the U.S. war in Afghanistan. The greatest number of guests arrived “We do not recognize – and I want to lined by internationally known pop star The vice-president met with President on Saturday evening, July 18, in time for reiterate it – any sphere of influence,” Mr. Ruslana of Ukraine. It was perhaps the Yushchenko, Prime Minister Yulia the 6 p.m. outdoor stage concert showcas- Biden said. “We do not recognize anyone largest crowd ever to assemble here at the Tymoshenko, Verkhovna Rada Chair ing the Roma Pryma Bohachevsky else’s right to dictate to you or any other Ukrainian National Association’s heritage Volodymyr Lytvyn, opposition leader country what alliances you will seek to center in the Shawangunk Mountains of (Continued on page 15) Viktor Yanukovych and upstart presiden- belong to or what bilateral relationships you have.” President Yushchenko was eager to establish relations with the new U.S. Leo Mol, world-renowned sculptor, dies at age 94 administration and extended an invitation by Orysia Paszczak Tracz to President Barack Obama after he was elected. Special to The Ukrainian Weekly Instead, President Obama sent a strong WINNIPEG, Manitoba – World-renowned sculptor Leonid signal of his desire to reset relations with Molodoshanin – known as Leo Mol – died at the age of 94 of Moscow by making his visit to Russia the Alzheimer’s disease on July 4 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Among the top priority, bypassing all of the former sculptures for which he is best known is the monument to Taras Soviet states in the near term. Shevchenko erected 45 years ago in Washington. Nevertheless, the pro-Western Ukrainian Mr. Mol leaves behind his wife, Margareth, his grandniece, Olga government was eager to host Mr. Biden, and her family of Calgary, and his sister, Iryna, and family in with Mr. Yushchenko and the Presidential Irkutsk, Siberia. Secretariat extending its best efforts to The native of Polonne (near Zabolottia), Volodymyretskyi raion make his three-day visit as productive and of the Rivne Oblast, in the Ukrainian Polissia region, learned to cre- hospitable as possible. ate in clay at his potter father’s knee. Art was always on his mind, More than 4,000 Ukrainian police offi- and as a teenager he studied and worked with artists in Vienna. cers were deployed as security for the U.S. Later, in 1936-1940, he studied at and graduated from the now St. vice-president, whose entourage arrived Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts (at the time the Leningrad with its fleet of black Cadillacs with Academy). During World War II he was conscripted by the District of Columbia license plates. Germans and spent much of the war in Berlin. Traffic throughout central Kyiv was He and his wife Margareth left for The Netherlands, and then diverted to allow for Mr. Biden’s entou- emigrated to Canada after the war. Mr. Mol liked to tell the story rage to travel along streets decorated with that artists and sculptors were not on the desired immigration list, so U.S. flags. he arrived in Canada as a farmhand. Mr. Biden spent his two nights at the While his multilingual wife worked as a rural teacher, Mr. Mol luxurious Hyatt Regency Kyiv hotel, locat- quickly found work as an iconographer in Manitoba. Both by dili- ed on the Volodymyrskyi Passageway in gence and word of mouth, he built up a clientele among many the historic city center, situated between (Continued on page 4) Leo Mol with his sculpture of Patriarch Josyf Slipyj. (Continued on page 9) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2009 No. 30 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFS IMF confirms sharp contraction Biden, Yushchenko converse at pub economic system by supplementing the fund’s 186 member-countries’ foreign KYIV – Politics and energy apparently exchange reserves, an IMF press release in the economy of Ukraine weren’t the only topics of conversation reported on July 21. Ukraine will receive between Ukrainian President Viktor SDR 1.017 billion ($1.585 billion) under by Pavel Korduban rected its forecast for inflation from 16 Yushchenko and U.S. Vice-President Joe the current rate. (Ukrinform) Eurasia Daily Monitor percent to 13 percent (www.imf.org, July Biden, who is on an official visit to Kyiv. 10). The two men ended their discussion on Experts’ advice on dissolution of Rada The International Monetary Fund com- The revision of these forecasts was due July 21 in an Irish pub, where Biden pleted the second review of its stabiliza- to the negative developments in the first praised the beauty of Ukrainian women. KYIV – An expert from the Foreign tion program for Ukraine on July 10. A quarter of 2009, when the economic down- They also reportedly discussed their favor- Policy Institute of the Ukrainian Foreign visiting IMF delegation recommended that turn was more pronounced than expected, ite churches. Mr. Biden was overheard Affairs Ministry’s Diplomatic Academy, the IMF board grant Ukraine the third $3.3 as the IMF explained. Ukraine’s GDP fell saying: “I cannot believe that a Frenchman Oleksander Palii, has advised President billion tranche of the $16.4 billion stand- by 20.3 percent in the first quarter – the visiting Kyiv went back home and told his Viktor Yushchenko to dissolve Parliament by loan. Kyiv received the previous two worst contraction in the region and proba- colleagues he discovered something and by mid-August so that this does not affect tranches of the loan totaling $5.3 billion in bly the fastest quarterly contraction of the didn’t say he discovered the most beautiful the presidential election campaign, November 2008 and May 2009. national economy since 1991. women in the world.” It was unclear which Ukrinform reported on July 16, citing the Indeed, the results of the review were a The IMF’s forecast for GDP was its LIGA web publication. Mr. Palii said the setback for the government of Prime Frenchman Mr. Biden was referring to. most pessimistic so far. In late June a pool The two seem to have enjoyed the Verkhovna Rada currently is not a repre- Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Less money of local analysts forecast a 12.8 percent sentative body. “Statements by any of the will arrive than she expected. The third unscheduled stopover away from the cam- decline (Interfax-Ukraine, June 22). The eras. According to RFE/RL correspondent leaders are more important for political tranche, if approved by the IMF board European Bank for Reconstruction and forces, than the position of their voters, a later this summer, will be $500 million Brian Whitmore, who is traveling with Mr. Development (EBRD) said in early May Biden, the vice-president left the pub with certain region, plant and the entire coun- less than the $3.8 billion that she wanted. that it expected Ukraine’s GDP to contract try,” he noted. As previously reported, the Moreover, the IMF presented new con- his arm wrapped around Mr. Yushchenko’s by 10 percent in 2009. shoulder. But this friendly embrace should Verkhovna Rada failed to work for two ditions in addition to those that the govern- There has been more optimism concern- weeks due to a blockade by national depu- ment previously failed to meet, such as in no way be attributed to an excess of ing 2010, with the IMF and the World Irish ale; Vice-President Biden and his ties of the Party of Regions of Ukraine, pension reform and improving the man- Bank expecting 1 percent growth and the who demanded that the living wage, the agement of the state-owned oil and gas President Yushchenko reportedly stuck to EBRD forecasting zero growth.