INSIDE: l Documentary on Ukrainian Canadian enlistment during WWII – page 4 l UNWLA to celebrate its 95th anniversary in virtual format – page 9 l Matthew Onyshko’s concussion case challenging NCAA – page 14 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXXVIII No. 48 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 $2.00 Choice for great state emblem Holodomor Descendants Network is formed of Ukraine draws criticism by Olya Soroka U.S. Holodomor Committee WASHINGTON – The U.S. Committee for Ukrainian Holodomor- Genocide Awareness (U.S. Holodomor Committee) announced the establish- ment of the Holodomor Descendants Network to bring together the descendants of the Soviet famine- genocide against the Ukrainian nation in 1932-1933. Its goal is to remember and share the personal family stories of this horror during which 10 million people, including children, died of starvation in the country known as “The Breadbasket of Europe.” “The Descendants Network is a natural evolution of the work of our organization, whose mission is to pro- mote and spread the truth about one of the least-known genocides in the world. I am pleased to announce that The family of Olya Soroka, the chairperson of Olya Soroka, a member of our com- the Holodomor Descendants Network: pic­ mittee, whose mother, grandparents tured in front row are Motria and Stefan and aunt survived the Holodomor, Holowchenko (grandparents); standing, from will chair the newly formed net- Ministry of Culture of Ukraine left, are Anna Holowchenko Karpluk (aunt) work,” commented Michael Sawkiw and Maria Holowchenko Soroka (mother). All The sketch by artist Oleksiy Kokhan that was chosen for Ukraine’s great state emblem. Jr., chairman of the U.S. Holodomor survived the Holodomor. Committee. “Trash,” one Facebook user commented. with family and friends in the quiet safety by Mark Raczkiewycz Impact of the genocide Another noted Archangel Michael is “wear- of their homes. Growing up, I listened to the KYIV – It percolated from grumbling on ing white socks.” Another commenter said, The Holodomor genocide has left life- whispers about the horrors of what my social media to controversy after a jury “it takes me back to childhood and makes long aftereffects on the survivors and per- mother’s family had to endure and I am panel of Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture on me want to start coloring it.” Others criti- haps their descendants; the results this committed to helping make sure the world November 19 selected the nation’s great cized the colors of the Ukrainian flag being trauma are currently being studied. not only knows about the Holodomor- state emblem – the constitutionally stipu- stepped on, while some noted the Kozak “While many of the survivors of the genocide, but never forgets. For me and lated coat of arms that never was designat- banner standing above a Christian figure. Holodomor have departed this life, their countless other Holodomor Descendants, ed after the country’s fundamental law was experience and suffering has been cap- the stories still cause pain,” said Ms. Soroka, ratified 24 years ago. (Continued on page 11) tured in the familial stories they shared chair of the Holodomor Descendants Network. Focus of work Canada’s Ukrainian community commemorates The Holodomor Descendants Network is a subcommittee of the U.S. Committee for the Holodomor in somber, national virtual event Ukrainian Holodomor-Genocide Awareness in alignment with the Ukrainian by Christopher Guly World Congress International Holodomor Special to The Ukrainian Weekly Committee. Efforts have been initiated to “identify descendants and create a person- OTTAWA – The late Stefania Krikun’s al and unending voice for those Holodomor memories assumed a quiet poignancy as victims that can no longer speak for them- part of this year’s somber National selves in order to ensure the story of the Holodomor Commemoration ceremony in Holodomor continues to be shared by Canada. future generations,” said Ms. Soroka. A video of the Edmonton woman, born The Holodomor Descendants Network on February 14, 1923, in the Ukrainian is based on the belief that the “descendants village of Hrynivtsi in the Zhytomyr of victims of the Holodomor have a unique region, has been online for the past seven opportunity to ensure their families’ suffer- years, but was again highlighted as part of ing is known so that no other political the Ukrainian Canadian Congress’s pan- regime ever imposes this horror as a way demic-prompted virtual commemoration to enforce their policies upon an unwilling on November 22 (https://www.youtube. nation,” stated U.S. Holodomor Committee com/watch?v=QKs9dHOUXY8). Chairman Sawkiw. Graphic announcing the virtual national commemoration in Canada of the 87th The Holodomor Descendants Network (Continued on page 10) anniversary of the Holodomor. (Continued on page 6) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 No. 48 ANALYSIS Fractured Moldova’s presidential election New ambassador to U.S. is nominated the New Year holidays, and also to prohibit mass events for Christmas and the New Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Year. “According to the current plan of the decided by European diaspora vote Dmytro Kuleba has confirmed that he pro- Health Ministry, the last weekend quaran- posed the candidacy of ex-Finance Minister and other Russophile forces. This pattern tine awaits us. Everyone who cannot work by Vladimir Socor Oksana Markarova for the post of Ukraine’s has been in evidence in Moldova from the under the conditions of coronavirus bans Eurasia Daily Monitor ambassador to the United States, but early 1990s onward (the blue color was and restrictions, is waiting for this. We are stressed that there were no complaints Moldova’s two-round presidential elec- talking about the creative economy and used most of the time for contrast to red). about current ambassador, Volodymyr tion, on November 1 and November 15, And it has grown more entrenched with tourism, and small and medium-sized busi- Yelchenko. “Facts, not confused rumors, nesses, and others,” Mr. Tkachenko wrote on was – above everything else – a clash of time. Russophile sentiment and corre- about the new ambassador of Ukraine to cultures. It pitted the incumbent Socialist, sponding voter constituencies predomi- social media. According to Mr. Tkachenko, in the United States. Firstly, the current recent days the daily number of people Russia-oriented President Igor Dodon, nate in Moldova’s north and south (and in ambassador of Ukraine to Washington, with his core electorate of aging and rural Transnistria, which plays a limited role in infected with COVID-19 has decreased, but Volodymyr Yelchenko, is a classic of the further developments could be predict- voters, against the Harvard-educated tech- Moldova’s elections), whereas pro-Europe Ukrainian diplomacy, and there are no nocrat Maia Sandu, the candidate of edu- (and, within this, pro-Romanian) senti- able. “My personal opinion is that the pre- complaints about his work, but no one can- dictable lockdown is better than long-term cated urban voters, the young and the ment and voters are predominant in celed the principle of rotation in diplomacy. Moldovan diaspora in Europe. With Moldova’s central districts. uncertainty. Therefore, I would suggest, Secondly, the minister of foreign affairs firstly, schedule a two-week lockdown tied Moldova itself evenly divided between two This presidential election has consecrat- submits the candidacy of a new ambassa- cultural matrixes, its diaspora voters in ed the new, Western dimension to to the New Year holidays. Surely the govern- dor for the president’s consideration. ment should help everyone who financially Europe tipped the balance. Moldova’s electoral geography. But it has Having weighed all the arguments, I pro- Ms. Sandu won the November 15 runoff closely adhered to the accustomed elector- suffers in the face of unemployment. posed the candidacy of Oksana Markarova,” Secondly, give up on Christmas and New by an unexpectedly heavy margin, 58 per- al geography in the home country. Ms. Mr. Kuleba wrote on his Facebook page on cent against Mr. Dodon’s 42 percent. Two Sandu carried all of the central districts in Year mass events and celebrate the holi- November 20. He added that the procedure days online, for example via Zoom. At least weeks earlier, she had outvoted Mr. Dodon the countryside by large margins. for her registration has already been in the first round narrowly, by 36 percent Additionally (and unprecedentedly) she there will be something to remember,” the launched, but it takes some time. “If minister said. (Interfax-Ukraine) to 33 percent. Most forecasts had projected carried all of Chisinau’s five inner-city bor- appointed, Ukraine for the first time will Ms. Sandu trailing Mr. Dodon in have an ambassador to Washington who is Two soldiers killed in Ukraine’s east the first round and standing an well-known both in the U.S. administration, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense reported even chance with him in the run- The diaspora is pulling in particular in the Department of State and on November 24 that in the previous 24 off. The turnout was 52 percent in the Department of Treasury, and in the hours one Ukrainian soldier was killed in over all; within that, it was high- the Moldovan boat slowly IMF [International Monetary Fund]. … The action. During that same 24-hour period, er in the European diaspora than fact that Markarova will be the first ever Westward with its votes. Russian-terrorist forces opened fire on in Moldova itself (Unimedia, madame ambassador of Ukraine to the Ukrainian positions on the Luhansk and November 1, 2, 16, 17). United States is also notable.” Mr. Kuleba Donetsk sectors of the front six times in The same candidates had noted. (Interfax-Ukraine) competed in the 2016 presidential election oughs, meaning that she received a sub- total.