www.ukrweekly.com 1NS1DE: ^ Ukraine marks solemn anniversary - page 3. " Plast U.S.A. holds biennial convention - page 5. e Organist from Ukraine goes on U.S. tour - page 15. THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association inc., a fraternal non-profit association vol. LXIX No. 49 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9,2001 fyvS2 in Ukraine 10th anniversary of independence vote Ukraine begins census of population by Roman Woronowycz which the country belonged at the time. is marked with little fanfare in Ukraine Kyiv. Press Bureau That count showed Ukraine with a popu- lation of 51.45 million. by Roman Woronowycz anniversary of the national plebiscite held a KYiv - Ukraine began a head count Experts generally acknowledge that of its citizens on December 5 - the first Kyiv Press Bureau decade ago in which 84 percent of the the population in the country has one undertaken since the country Ukrainian population took part and nearly declined since then, with the latest esti- KYiv -Ukraine celebrated the 10th achieved independence and one that 91 percent answered in the affirmative to mates of the State Committee on anniversary of a national referendum that could show that the number of inhabi- the question on whether Ukraine should be Statistics putting the number of assured the country's independence with tants of the country is up to 5 percent an independent state, it was a result that put Ukrainians at just under 49 million. surpri singly little fanfare on December 1. lower than has been estimated. the final nail in the coffin of the Soviet Oleksander Osaulenko, director of the Perhaps the country was still recovering On the same day, national democratic Union. Days later Soviet President Mikhail state agency, said the real numbers could from the weekiong series of events back in forces supporting Ukrainian language Gorbachev announced that at the stroke of show that Ukraine's population has August that led to the Ukrainian development rights criticized the struc- the New Year the empire would exist no dropped even more significantly than independence Day bash. More likely, how- more. ture of the nationwide census warning ever, the reason was that politicians were estimated and now stands as low as 47.5 No one in the offices of the two political that it could give a skewed view of the too deeply involved in final election cam- million. parties that were contacted could quite say language situation in the country. paign preparations and their own political "in censuses that have been taken in just what celebrations took place in Kyiv. At Government officials hope that after fates to take time out to remember one of other OS states, there is an error in the one Rukh Party uncertain representatives it is completed and analyzed, the census the key dates in contemporary Ukrainian population estimates generally of about shuttled a reporter back and forth via tele- will give the first clear demographic pic- history. 5 percent, and that could well be the phone with explanations that they "were not ture of the country in 12 years. The last The Ukrainian Weekly contacted several case in our country as well," explained quite sure." nationwide census was recorded in 1989 political parties to determine just what had within the framework of the larger gen- Mr. Osaulenko. taken place to commemorate the jubilee (Continued on page 17) era! census of the Soviet Union, to Unlike in the United States or Canada, where separate forms are mailed to individuals who fill them out and return them, Ukraine's 2001 census Executions at Bazar will rely exclusively on census-takers, for the most part students, pensioners and the unemployed - 250,000 in all - recalled 80 years later who will scour the country to make sure that all heads are counted. They will ask by Danylo Kulyniak (Continued on page 13) Special to The Ukrainian Weekly BAZAR, Ukraine - Eighty years ago, on November 21, 1921, in the city of Bazar in the Zhytomyr Oblast of Ukraine, Bolshevik troops executed 359 prisoners of war, members of the UNA General Assembly Ukrainian Army of the Ukrainian National -Republic who were part of the winter cam- meets at annual session paign against the Communist invaders. The Ukrainian soldiers chose death over a by Roma Hadzewycz compromise of their priniciples and beliefs, KERHONKSON, N.Y. - The Ukrainian and turned down a deal that would have saved National Association's General Assembly their lives by refusing to transfer to the ranks held its annual meeting here at the UNA of the Communists. resort, Soyuzivka, on November 30- The tragedy was remembered this December 2. November 21, at the site where the men were butchered, today marked by two large commu- A special focus of attention was nal graves ("bratski mohyly"), a large monu- Soyuzivka, which has been experiencing ment and several crosses. Eight decades later serious deficits for many years, and the some 1,000 Ukrainians who have not forgotten report of the General Assembly's Standing their heroes came by bus from cities across Committee on Soyuzivka, which delineated Ukraine - Kyiv, Odesa, Uzyn, Cherkasy, several options for the resort's continuing Zhytomyr, Lviv, Lutsk, Ternopil, Rivne, lvano- operation. Frankivsk and other cities - to pay their The assembly also discussed collabora- respects. tion with Ukrainian credit unions through- The monument was erected only last year out North America, a renewed proposal thanks to contributions by Ukrainians living in from the Ukrainian Fraternal Association Great Britain. The names of the 359 heroes are for a merger with the UNA; the future engraved in gold on the large black marker. direction of the UNA in general and its The moleben, attended by many young peo- activity in Canada in particular; and the ple as well as gray-haired veterans of past free- issuance of membership cards to all UNA dom campaigns, took place amidst a sea of members. blue-and-yellow and red-and-black flags. All The General Assembly, the UNA's high- 359 martyrs for independence were mentioned est decision-making body between the by name during the prayer service, but the organization's quadrennial conventions, moleben was for all who gave their lives over adopted a budget for 2002 that foresees the generations for an independent Ukraine. S5,625,000 in income and disbursements of І v. Krymchan From the perspective of history it is now S5,563,800. A memorial meeting at the site of a monument to the 359 Ukrainian Participants of the three-day meeting - (Continued on page 13) soldiers executed in 1921 at Bazar by Communist forces. (Continued on page 6) THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9,2001 No. 49 ANALYSIS Ukraine's independence vote Russia seeks to invest in Ukraine The contract must be implemented by May 2002. (RFE7RL Newsline) and the reality 10 years after MOSCOW - Speaking in Moscow at a meeting of the Russian-Ukrainian Ministry says it will protect journalists by Taras Kuzio Ukrainians would again vote for inde- intergovernmental Economic Commission KYiv - The newspaper Holos RFE1RL Newsline pendence, but that one-third would on December 4, Prime Minister Mikhail oppose it. This third of Ukrainians, Kasianov said Russia has a keen interest Ukrainy reported on December 1 that the On December 1, 1991, the fate of the according to a June poll, would support in taking part in major privatization proj- internal Affairs Ministry's directorate in USSR was sealed when 90.3 percent of Ukraine's unification with Russia and ects in Ukraine in "complete accordance Cherkasy Oblast has taken "unprecedent- Ukrainians voted in favor of confirming are probably the same who in a January with local legislation," Prime-TASS ed measures" to protect local journalists. the declaration of independence from the poll identified themselves as belonging reported, in addition to joint ventures in According to the Cherkasy police depart- USSR adopted by the Ukrainian to the "Soviet people." This two- the energy sector, Russia seeks to invest in ment, every editorial board and every Parliament on August 24. The failure of thirdsAme-third division has remained Ukrainian aviation, transport and agricul- local correspondent working for a nation- the badly organized hard-line putsch on consistent throughout the 1990s. tural machinery production, Mr. Kasianov al paper "will permanently be protected August 19 irrevocably weakened by the heads of the Ukrainian internal Ukrainian-language use overall has said, in response, his Ukrainian counter- unelected Soviet President Mikhail Affairs Ministry's directorate in increased over the past decade - not at part, Anatolii Kinakh, said Kyiv supports Gorbachev. At the same time, it bol- Cherkasy Oblast, the chief of the min- the expense of Russian, but by the creation of more joint financial and stered the importance within the collaps- istry's special services, and the ministry's Ukrainians becoming more bilingual industrial groups between the two coun- ing Soviet state of the Russian district^and city directors." Thirty-six outside the Donbas region and Crimea, tries. (RFE7RL Newsline) Federation and its president, Boris journalists in Cherkasy have already where Russian dominates, and western Yeltsin. received protective aerosol gases from Ukraine, where Ukrainian does. Russian Ukrainian, Croatian presidents meet The Russian Federation was the only law-enforcement agencies, while the has been squeezed out only in Galicia. republic of the USSR that failed to KYiv - Following talks in Kyiv on police department is pledging to issue Ukrainian-language education has made declare independence between August December 3, Ukrainian President Leonid permits that would allow members of the tremendous strides outside the Donbas and December 1991. Right up until the Kuchma and his Croatian counterpart, media to carry guns that fire rubber bul- and Crimea, especially in kindergartens fateful meeting at the Belaya vezha Stipe Mesic, confirmed their will to con- lets.