INSIDE: l Helsinki Commission writes to Yanukovych – page 7 l USCAK to host international soccer tournament – page 8 l “The Story of Plast” on exhibit in Winnipeg – page 11 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXI No. 5 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2013 $1/$2 in Ukraine Hundreds attend enthronement of Metropolitan Antony in Silver Spring, Md. SILVER SPRING, Md. – More than 500 people, including 70 clergymen, attended the enthronement of Metropolitan-Archbishop Antony on January 25-26 as the fourth metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A., during a ceremony at St. Andrew the First-Called Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral. Enthronement services began at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, January 25, with an all-night vigil served by the Rev. Anthony Perkins, who was joined by his parish choir from Holy Archangel Michael Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Woonsocket, R.I. Approximately 200 people were in atten- dance, following a winter storm that brought about four inches of snow to the area. On Saturday morning, hierarchs were led in procession from the parish residence to the cathedral. In attendance, representing the Orthodox faithful of North America were Archbishop Demetrios, exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarch and archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America; Metropolitan-Archbishop Yuriy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada; Bishop Daniel, president of Consistory and ruling hierarch of the Western Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A.; Bishop Andriy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada; Bishop Pankratiy of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Mexico; Bishop Nicholas of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian uocofusa.org Metropolitan-elect Antony (center) is flanked by Metropolitan Yuriy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada (Continued on page 4) (left) and Bishop Daniel of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. (right), with clergy and faithful. Pukach sentenced to life in Gongadze murder rattled the administration of former Ukrainian President They will tell you more,” he told reporters in later com- Leonid Kuchma. ments. In reading its verdict, the Kyiv district court that heard Gongadze was murdered on September 17, 2000, when the case for about a year and a half reached the conclusion Lt. Gen. Pukach and three police subordinates kidnapped that it was Mr. Pukach who wrapped and tightened a belt and drove him to a forest, where they beat and choked him around Gongadze’s throat like a noose, while ordering to death. Authorities found the journalist’s beheaded body another officer to kick him in the stomach until he stopped nearly two months later. breathing. The murder sparked outrage in Ukrainian society, pro- When asked whether he agreed with the verdict, Gen. viding the spark for the Ukraine Without Kuchma protests Pukach dropped a bombshell on the courtroom, declaring of 2001 that culminated in the Orange Revolution of 2004. that former President Kuchma and former Verkhovna Messrs. Kuchma and Lytvyn are widely suspected of Rada Chair Volodymyr Lytvyn were involved in ordering having ordered Gongadze’s murder, with incriminating evi- Gongadze’s murder. dence surfacing two months later in the form of the “I will agree with it when Kuchma and Lytvyn will be Melnychenko recordings, on which voices similar to theirs with me together in this cage,” Mr. Pukach blurted out to the discuss what to do with Gongadze. surprise, and relief, of court onlookers. Indeed, news reports The most incriminating dialogue involved the voice believed to be President Kuchma’s, talking to the voice said Mr. Pukach had identified Messrs. Kuchma and Lytvyn believed to be that of Yurii Kravchenko, the former internal in court testimony from 2011 as having ordered the murder. “Ask Kuchma and Lytvyn about motives and intentions. (Continued on page 13) Vladimir Gontar/UNIAN FOR THE RECORD: U.S. government Oleksii Pukach at the Pechersk District Court in Kyiv on January 29, when he was sentenced to life imprison- statement on sentence in Gongadze case ment for the Gongadze murder. Following is the text of the statement released on come development, and we hope that the Ukrainian by Zenon Zawada January 31 by the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. authorities continue to pursue this case in order to Special to The Ukrainian Weekly bring to justice those responsible for ordering Mr. We note the conviction and sentencing of Oleksii Gongadze’s abduction and murder. The U.S. govern- KYIV – Former police lieutenant Oleksii Pukach, 60, was Pukach for his role in the murder of Heorhii Gongadze, ment will continue to support journalists everywhere sentenced to life imprisonment on January 30, more than the courageous Ukrainian investigative journalist who who work to inform the public and expose corruption 12 years after he choked to death the enterprising journal- was kidnapped in Kyiv over 12 years ago. This is a wel- and injustice. ist Heorhii Gongadze, the Lviv native whose investigations 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2013 No. 5 ANALYSIS Will ‘reset’ in U.S.-Russia EU’s preliminary agenda for summit volunteers stopped the enemy’s offensive for two days and paid for that with their KYIV – The Council of the European lives. Later, the remains of the deceased relations continue? Union, as part of preparations for a bilater- were reburied at Askold’s Mound in Kyiv. al summit with Ukraine scheduled for After that, the Kruty heroes were forgotten by Andre de Nesnera the Chinese. And we have to try and take February 25, has discussed the agenda of advantage of that,” said Mr. Scowcroft. for more than 70 years, and their graves Voice of America the high-level meeting at a meeting of the were destroyed during the Soviet era. Disagreement on Syria Committee of Permanent Representatives Officially, Kruty Heroes Remembrance Day President Barack Obama has made bet- in the European Union (COREPER), which While there have been positive develop- was founded in 2007, by the presidential ter relations with Russia a cornerstone of was held in Brussels on January 24, a his foreign policy. ments on arms control, Afghanistan and decree “On the Commemoration of Kruty Iran, experts said Washington and Moscow senior European diplomat told Ukrinform. Heroes.” Memorial signs were mounted on During his first administration, the so- “The agenda of the summit will include a called “reset” in relations brought about remain divided on several key issues – the scene of their last fight. On this day, the few questions, but they are very important. concrete results, including a major strate- including how to deal with the crisis in Syria. authorities and the public lay flowers to the As for the question of political association, gic arms control treaty reducing the num- The Obama administration has called for Kruty heroes and attend memorial services it is planned to hold a discussion on the ber of long-range nuclear weapons. President Bashar al-Assad to step down. for the dead. Educational institutions, cul- state and prospects of the signing of the In another example of cooperation, ana- Moscow is against that and has vetoed sever- tural organizations and libraries organize EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. It is lysts point to Moscow’s tougher stance on al U.N. Security Council resolutions, several of various commemorative events, lessons, also planned to discuss economic integra- Iran. Russia voted at the United Nations to them imposing economic sanctions on Syria. expositions of archival documents, images impose stricter sanctions on Tehran over But recently, Moscow has distanced tion and cooperation, in particular, in the and works of literature. (Ukrinform) itself from Mr. Assad. A deputy foreign min- its alleged nuclear weapons program – a creation of a free trade area and the state of ister in Russia, Mikhail Bogdanov, said the Appeal against joining Customs Union policy advocated by the United States and the macroeconomic situation in Ukraine,” Syrian leader is losing more and more con- other Western nations. the diplomat said. There will also be a dis- KYIV – The People’s Committee to trol over the country, which could lead to a cussion on mobility, i.e., visa liberalization Protect Ukraine approved an open appeal to The former U.S. defense secretary in the victory for the opposition. Clinton administration, William Cohen, said between the sides. The participants in the President Viktor Yanukovych, in which it the international community must contin- Missile Shield remains contentious summit will also discuss some issues of takes a stand against Ukraine joining the ue to pressure the Iranians to give up their international policy, but this point has not Customs Union, and the committee has Another area of disagreement is the been completely defined. The diplomat nuclear weapons aspirations. Obama administration’s plan to deploy a begun gathering signatures on the docu- said that the most pressing questions “Otherwise we are going to continue to ballistic missile defense shield in Europe. ment. The coordinator of the Civil about the domestic situation in Ukraine see the kind of instability in the region and Washington and its allies say the shield is Movement Spilna Sprava (Common Cause) questions about whether or not there will be designed to protect Europe against a possible that currently concern the European side Oleksander Danyliuk said at a press confer- any kind of military action in the future,” Mr. missile strike by countries like Iran. Moscow would be discussed during the first ques- ence on January 28: “A site has been pre- Cohen said. “We hope that won’t take place, says the anti-missile system – when deployed tion on the summit’s agenda. (Ukrinform) pared on the Internet, following the text of an appeal and the available signatures are but I think all countries have an interest in – could neutralize its strategic missile force, Ukraine marks Kruty Heroes Day preventing it and I would say Russia and leaving Russia vulnerable to the West.