ІіЯіесІ by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association rainianWeekl У Vol. LIX ШMo. 35 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1991 50 cents Ukraine declares independence ----- - ^-.^K^^.^,,^ тамшшшшта.мІСІгйпа Lapychak A huge blue and yellow Ukrainian flag is the focus of the scene outside the Ukrainian Parliament on the day Ukrate, 's independence was declared. (View is from a window inside the Supreme Soviet building.) U.N. Mission stresses Act of Declaration of the Independence of Ukraine | Ukraine, Russia sign statehood of Ukraine In view of the mortal danger surrounding Ukraine in connection interim bilateral pact by Marta Kolomayets with the state coup in the USSR on August 19, 1991, 9 continuing the thousand-year tradition of state building in Ukraine, by Chrystyna Lapychak UNITED NATIONS - Ukrainian 9 based on the right of a nation to self-determination in accordance Kiev Press Bureau Ambassador to the United Nations with the Charter of the United Nations and other international legal Gennadi Udovenko informed the office documents, and KIEV — In an overwhelming vote of the Secretary General of the United 9 realizing the Declaration on State Sovereignty of Ukraine, the Supreme that stunned the majority of the people Nations that his permanent mission to Soviet solemnly of Ukraine, the Supreme Soviet of this international assembly will be DECLARES Ukraine declared the republic's inde­ officially designated as representing THE INDEPENDENCE OF UKRAINE AND THE CREATION OF pendence from the Soviet Union on Ukraine, effective August 24. AN INDEPENDENT UKRAINIAN STATE August 24 and in the days that followed Mr. Udovenko notified the U.N. of - UKRAINE. began to take its first steps toward this action on Monday morning, Au­ building an independent democratic The territory of Ukraine is indivisible and inviolable. state. gust 26, a consequence of the Ukrainian From this day forward, on the territory of Ukraine only the Constitution Parliament's proclamation of indepen­ and laws of Ukraine are valid. Among their first moves, leaders of dence of Ukraine, a founding member This act becomes effective at the moment of its approval. the Ukrainian Parliament reached a of the United Nations. temporary economic and military agree­ During a press conference, held at the SUPREME SOVIET OF UKRAINE ment with a delegation of leaders of the United Nations headquarters on Wed- (Translated by The Ukrainian Weekly) August 24, 1991 Russian Parliament during their im- (Continued on page 11) (Continued on page 8) THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1991 No. 35 A GLIMPSE OF SOVIET REALITY Kravchuk and the coup by Dr. Rinnan Solchanyk The Communist Party has been RFE/RL Research Institute disgraced as an institution and some of its leaders are likely to face criminal The attempted coup d'etat of August charges for promoting the failed coup in 18-19, which appears to have been the republic. primarily if not exclusively aimed at Among the many questions that have preventing the territorial disintegration yet to be answered is the eventual fate of of the Soviet Union, has achieved the Leonid Kravchuk, chairman of the exact opposite. On August 24, the Ukrainian Supreme Soviet, who has Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR, cautiously steered a middle course in direct consequence of the failed coup, between the opposition and the Com­ adopted a declaration on the indepen­ munist-backed majority in Parliament, dence of Ukraine. Earlier, Latvia and and who, at least prior to the failed Estonia declared themselves indepen­ coup, was the leading candidate in the dent; Ukraine, Byelorussia and Mol­ republican presidential elections sche­ dova followed suit. duled for December 1. Ukrainian independence and the Questions about Mr. Kravchuk's temporary suspension of the activities political future have been raised in of the Communist Party of Ukraine, connection with his initial reaction to which has been the main force in the the developments in Moscow. His first , Chrystyna Lapychak public statement, at 4 p.m. on August 19 republic acting to preserve the Soviet At the podium in the Parliament: Stanislav Hurenko, leader of the Communist on republican television and radio, Union as a "renewed federation," have Party of Ukraine, gestures during his speech on August 24. To his right is neither supported nor condemned the dramatically and quite suddenly trans­ Parliament Chairman Leonid Kravchuk. formed the political situation in U- coup. The Ukrainian leader called on kraine. The balance of power has citizens to remain "calm and patient," Soviet and the Supreme Soviet itself. In Later, at a press conference for shifted in favor of the democratic saying that the Supreme Soviet had thus such extraordinarily serious political foreign journalists on August 22, Mr. opposition, which, although differing in far not received any official documents matters, he maintained, one should not Kravchuk explained that the broadcast its tactics, Ьаь been united on the from Moscow and that in due course an be "in a hurry with appraisals," which was heavily censored to remove any fundamental question of state indepen­ evaluation of the situation would be in any case should be undertaken by criticfsm of the coup leaders. He also dence. made by the Presidium of the Supreme "the collective organ elected by the revealed that Boris Yeltsin had called people." him on the morning of August 19 and At the same time, he added, there that he had told the Russian president, could be no doubt that in a law-based "I will never recognize this committee Newsbriefs state everything, including the introduc­ tState Committee on the State of tion of a state of emergency, must be Emergency in the USSRj and Yeltsin from Ukraine done on the basis of the law. Mr. thanked me for this." Western journa­ Kravchuk noted that a state of emer­ lists later reported that Mr. Yeltsin had gency had not been introduced in indeed stated that Mr. Kravchuk and Ukraine and emphasized that all legally Kazakh President Nursultan Nazar- і KIEV - The Presidium of the cutive committee of the Kiev City elected state organs were functioning bayev had backed the Russian leader's Ukrainian Supreme Soviet issued a Council decided to rename October throughout the republic. strike call, although a joint statement by declaration announcing a "new era" in Revolution Square as Independence It was only towards the end of his the leaders of the three largest republics, the development of inter-nationality Square, as it has been popularly known address that Mr. Kravchuk hinted at the which had been expected, never ma­ relations in Ukraine in connection with since October of 1990. The statue of illegality of the coup. Appealing for terialized. its declaration of independence. Broad­ Lenin that stands in the plaza will be unity "in the name of democracy," Mr. Kravchuk was afforded another cast by Radio Kiev on August 28, the demolished as soon as a safe method Kravchuk said: "It is precisely our opportunity to publicly air his views on declaration states that the Presidium that does not harm the Metro station unity that will guarantee the failure of developments in an interview with has assumed the responsibility of gua­ underneath is devised. However, im­ attempts of whatever kind by whom­ correspondents for republican televi­ ranteeing that the republic's indepen­ patient Kievans began to destroy the ever to act outside of the Constitution, sion and radio on the evening of August dence would in no way result in the enormous statue on their own after a to return society to the kinds of ruling or 20, directly after the Presidium of the meeting at the plaza on August 28. The violation of the human rights of any­ other structures, both in the center and Supreme Soviet adopted a declaration monument has also been defaced with one irrespective of nationality. locally, which could stand above the on the situation. In the course of the graffitti. (RFE/RL Daily Report) law." interview, he repeated his argument ^ KIEV - The Presidium of the Permission from the Monument Much more compromising was Mr. from the previous evening — i.e., that Ukrainian Supreme Soviet issued a Preservation Society must be given Kravchuk's appearance that evening on the center could not manage the situa­ declaration in answer to a statement by before another monument of Lenin central television's main news pro­ tion, but that nonetheless it did not Russian President Boris Yeltsin's press located on Taras Shevchenko Boule­ gram "Vremya," where he said that want to hand over power to the repub­ secretary on the Russian SFSR's right vard at its intersection with the Kh- "that which has happened should have lics. At the same time, he suggested that to raise border questions with republics reshchatyk can be demolished, as that happened," adding that perhaps it could the announcement by the coup leaders that declare independence, including statue is considered to be of historical have taken other forms, The main of Mikhail Gorbachev's illness was Ukraine. The declaration states that value. (Respublika) problem, he argued, was that the center unconvincing and that he would de- territorial questions were settled be­ was incapable of governing. (Continued on page 10) tween Ukraine and Russia in November : LVIV — Applications for service 1990, when a bilateral treaty was signed. in Ukraine's newly proclaimed national According to that treaty, borders be­ guard are being accepted in this western tween the two republics are inviolable. Ukrainian city. On August 28, more Ukrainian Supreme Soviet Chairman than 200,000 Lviv city and oblast FOUNDED 1933 Leonid Kravchuk said that "territorial residents declared their readiness to Ukrainian Weelcli serve in the national guard. Among claims are very dangerous"and that Mr.