www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: l Chicago Ukrainians meet with Sen. Durbin – page 4 l Immigration dynamics of Ukrainians in U.S. – page 9 l Ukraine finishes fourth at 2012 Paralympics – page 10 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXX No. 38 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2012 $1/$2 in Ukraine Canada deploys Nostalgic for Soviet times? Not in Lviv! 500 observers by Zenon Zawada Special to The Ukrainian Weekly for Ukraine elections LVIV – The administration of President Viktor Yanukovych has not only revived KYIV – In its largest-ever deployment Soviet methods of governing, but also of election observers, the Canadian gov- embraced Soviet culture and traditions in ernment has funded Mission Canada to the process, sparking a wave of Soviet nos- support democracy in Ukraine. Mission talgia throughout most regions of Ukraine. Canada has already dispatched more It’s become politically correct to admire than 60 trained long-term observers Soviet culture in Ukraine. Soviet-style cafes throughout Ukraine ahead of the parlia- and hotels have sprung up in the biggest mentary elections on October 28. This cities, notebooks depicting Lenin and Stalin group will be followed by 365 short- went on sale for the new school year, and a term observers in October. Nostalgia television network has even In addition, Canada is sending 10 emerged to satisfy Soviet cravings 24 hours long-term and 60 short-term observers a day. attached to the multilateral mission Yet, among the places in Ukraine where organized by the Organization for you won’t find even the smallest hankering Security and Cooperation (OSCE) in for Soviet times is the western Ukrainian Europe. capital of Lviv. No matter what arguments Long-term observers (LTOs) will be are posed to Lviv residents about how stationed in each of Ukraine’s 24 great the good ol’ days were – free medi- oblasts, along with the two metropoli- cine, free housing, free education – they Zenon Zawada tan administrative areas of Kyiv and reject them all. Dmytro Shpak (left), who raised the first Ukrainian flag over a government building in Sevastopol, and to the Autonomous “Am I glad that we’re independent !?!,” Kyiv in 1990, and Oleh Petryk, who led the dismantling of Lviv’s Lenin statue in 1990, Republic of Crimea. Their assignment is Ihor Kopchyk, 67, asked in a startled voice. say they are happier living in an independent Ukraine and reject Soviet nostalgia. to observe whether all aspects of the “That’s like asking whether I’m glad to be election process adhere to both the elec- breathing! Of course I’m glad!” Vasylenko, 65. Rather than remembering ancestors who perished in the Holodomor tion laws of Ukraine and to internation- Lviv is the only major city in Ukraine how great the Soviet era was – which is are often prone to dismissing its devastat- ally accepted standards. that avoided the Stalinist genocides, having what often happens on the main squares of ing scale, or denying it altogether. The independent Canadian mission been situated within the borders of Poland Ukraine’s other major cities – they recalled Yet Mr. Vasylenko hasn’t forgotten the will be cooperating with various multi- during the 1930s. As a result, its residents all the misery that the Soviet system memory of his grandfather Pavlo, who lived lateral missions, while still manifesting have retained their ethnic consciousness imposed on them. in the Vinnytsia Oblast at the time of the a strong independent Canadian pres- and affinity for Western values. Mr. Vasylenko remembered serving in genocidal famine and refused to surrender ence in Ukrainian democratic develop- It’s the only major city where people the Soviet army and being forced to rise at his private farmstead to join a collective ment. All of Mission Canada’s long-term openly gather in the central Freedom 6 a.m. after having to paint Soviet slogans farm. He starved to death as a result. observers have been accredited by Square to sing songs of struggle and resis- until 3 a.m. the prior night. “With that, I “They even took the fodder beets,” he Ukraine’s Central Election Commission tance on Ukrainian Independence Day, thought to myself, ‘What kind of a stupid said, referring to the crops used to feed the (CEC). August 24. army is this?’” he said as Ukrainian patriot- livestock. “The fields were bare. I can’t “This large deployment is a reflection Among those gathering this year were ic songs filled the summer air around him. of the traditional special relationship two sculptors, Mr. Kopchyk and Fedir Those Ukrainian citizens who don’t have (Continued on page 13) Canada has always had with Ukraine and underscores our interest in assist- ing in any way possible to strengthen Ukrainian democratic processes and institutions,” said Canadian Ambassador Professor from Kharkiv is new director to Ukraine Troy Lulashnyk. Ann Szyptur, LTO coordinator of of Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies Mission Canada, noted: “Our observers, many of whom are from the Ukrainian- EDMONTON, Alberta – Volodymyr Prof. Kravchenko is also known as a pro- Canadian community and who bring an Kravchenko, a professor of history at the moter of Ukrainian studies. He is a founder impressive mix of languages, experience Vasyl N. Karazin National University of and chair of the Department of Ukrainian and other skills, will contribute inde- Kharkiv, has been chosen as the new direc- Studies at Kharkiv University, a founder pendent validation as to whether the tor of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian and editor-in-chief of the journal Skhid- electoral cycle and voting process has Studies at the University of Alberta. Zakhid (East-West), a member of the been free and fair. Each team of two has A well-known specialist in Ukrainian his- National Committee of Historians of a male and female member, and they toriography, he is the author of about 150 Ukraine, and director of the Kowalsky have been carefully vetted for language publications, including five monographs. Eastern Ukrainian Institute. abilities, and electoral and in-country Prof. Kravchenko taught history at universi- Prof. Kravchenko was appointed CIUS experience.” ties in Ukraine, Russia, Poland, the United director after an international search. His She added that an initial core group States and Canada, and supervised two doc- appointment was announced on September 6. has already been on the ground for tors and 12 candidates of historical scienc- The new director said he intends to pro- almost a month and has undertaken es. He is the current president of the mote modernization of Ukrainian studies in consultations with key stakeholders in International Association for the Humanities Dr. Volodymyr Kravchenko, the new the world, as well as to teach history and and participated in numerous international historiography of Eastern Europe at the (Continued on page 13) director of the Canadian Institute of scholarly projects. Ukrainian Studies. University of Alberta. 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2012 No. 38 ANALYSIS Ukrainian officials deny lying EU wants to see progress in Ukraine TVi’s reach falls by two-thirds KYIV – The European Union wants to KYIV – The National Council on about botched arms contract with Iraq see Ukraine’s progress in three areas: in Television and Radio Broadcasting is forc- fired as a scapegoat. improving its justice system, in holding ing cable operators to discontinue their by Oleg Varfolomeyev democratic parliamentary elections and broadcasts of TVi Channel in the regions Eurasia Daily Monitor Zerkalo Nedeli also warned that Ukrspetsexport, apart from the Iraqi and continuing reforms under the association during the election period, TVi Director Zerkalo Nedeli, an influential Ukrainian Chinese contracts, might be unable to deliv- agenda, EU High Representative for Foreign General Mykola Kniazhytsky said. “Since weekly, has accused Defense Minister er on contracts to sell BTRs worth $256 Affairs and Security Policy Catherine July 20, about 60 cable television operators Dmytro Salamatin of misinforming million and Oplot tanks worth $156 million Ashton told the European Parliament’s ple- have disconnected the TVi Channel… There President Viktor Yanukovych about a con- to Thailand, as well as T-72M tanks worth nary session on EU foreign policy in is a lot of evidence that this is happening on tract to deliver armored personnel carriers $137 million to Ethiopia. Strasbourg on September 12. Ms. Ashton the direct order of the national council or to Iraq. The Defense Ministry’s press service has noted that exactly these requirements Chairman [Volodymyr] Manzhosov,” Mr. Mr. Salamatin reportedly lied when he insisted that everything contained in Mr. remain the EU’s political conditions, com- Kniazhytsky said at the sitting of the wrote to Mr. Mr. Yanukovych last month, Salamatin’s letter to President Yanukovych pliance with which is necessary for the Verkhovna Rada. “It’s evident that this was citing Iraq’s ambassador to Kyiv as saying was true and condemned “a dirty cam- signing of the Association Agreement done in order to destroy our channel,” he that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki paign to discredit Mr. Salamatin” (mil.gov. between the EU and Ukraine. Speaking added. “As a result of these disconnections, had agreed to extend the contract, worth ua, September 1). Ukrspetsexport’s press about EU’s cooperation with the countries the ratings for our channel have fallen by some $450 million, which Ukraine failed to service on its website