www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: • Ukraine’s premier foreign policy event in Yalta — page 3. • The Euro 2012: what’s ahead for Ukraine — page 10. • Soyuzivka’s first Ukrainian Film and Cultural Festival — centerfold. HE KRAINIAN EEKLY T PublishedU by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW association Vol. LXXV No. 29 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2007 $1/$2 in Ukraine Thousands gather at Soyuzivka for inaugural Ukrainian festival by Matthew Dubas sustaining operation that will sponsor children’s camps, cultural programs and KERHONKSON, N.Y. – Thousands other community projects. gathered for first Ukrainian Film and Guests were treated to the usual festi- Cultural Festival, held on July 11-15 here val features like vendors, food, refreshing at the Soyuzivka Heritage Center in the drinks and a packed stage program spot- picturesque setting of the Shawangunk lighting dancers, vocalists and musicians. Mountains. The festival was sponsored As an added bonus, for the first time at a by the Ukrainian National Foundation, Ukrainian festival, a variety of films by the charitable arm of the Ukrainian Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian filmmakers National Association, for the purpose of were screened, affording both the casual raising funds for the newly created movie watcher and the serious enthusiast Soyuzivka Heritage Foundation. a chance to see a broad range of film gen- A donor-based foundation, the res, to meet with some of the filmmakers Soyuzivka Heritage Foundation will and participate in discussions. enable Soyuzivka to become a true her- Opening ceremonies were kicked itage center, with the goal of promoting, off with uniformed members of the cultivating and preserving the unique Ukrainian American Youth Association culture and heritage of the Ukrainian (UAYA) and Plast Ukrainian Scouting immigration, and is part of an overall Christine Syzonenko plan to help Soyuzivka become a self- (Continued on page 11) Workshop dancers soar through the air during the Hopak at Soyuzivka’s festival. Train derailment near Lviv releases Ukraine looks to Canada toxic chemical, contaminating area for new nuclear technology by Zenon Zawada Situations workers, two law enforcement by Zenon Zawada enriched uranium as an inexpensive Kyiv Press Bureau officers and two railway workers. Kyiv Press Bureau source of fuel, have already been built in Scenes of local villagers wearing pro- Romania and are also under consideration KYIV – Thick clouds of burning toxic tective masks, firemen battling the furi- KYIV – Ukraine is considering investing by the Baltic states. chemicals permeated the sky outside ous blaze and children in hospital beds in Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) Other than nuclear fuel, the Ukrainian Lviv on July 16 after 15 railway tankers reminded Ukrainians of the Chornobyl nuclear reactors as an alternative energy and Canadian governments agreed to transporting yellow phosphorus derailed, nuclear disaster, though government offi- source, Ukrainian Minister of Foreign consider renewing government-spon- six of which ignited and began expelling cials confirmed two days later the derail- Affairs Arseniy Yatsenyuk told a July 18 sored scholarships for Ukrainian univer- plumes that contaminated a surrounding ment was nowhere near in magnitude to press conference during a visit by Canadian sity students to study in Canada as part of zone of 35 square miles. the 1986 catastrophe. Foreign Minister Peter MacKay. exchange programs. Government officials decided to evacu- An official cause of the accident has- “Ukraine can theoretically free itself of Simplifying and streamlining the visa ate 800 residents of six surrounding villages n’t been determined, though Lviv Oblast its dependence in purchasing nuclear fuel application process is also under consid- in the Buskyi District just east of Lviv, Procurator General Anatolii Pryshko from various countries,” Mr. Yatsenyuk eration, Mr. MacKay said, adding that while 145 residents were hospitalized, offered four possible reasons: negligence said. “There are certain internal problems this will require an examination of leg- including 43 children, reporting symptoms of the train crew, safety standards viola- with these reactors, but we are consider- islative limitations. from possible exposure to toxic chemicals. tions in transporting hazardous materials, ing this technology very seriously [as it Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko Among those hospitalized were 20 con- defective railroad tracks or “human inter- is] especially important for us.” firmed victims of the accident, including 10 CANDU reactors, which use non- (Continued on page 21) local residents, six Ministry of Emergency (Continued on page 21) Daughter, 12, of Ukrainian immigrants abducted, murdered in Washington state PARSIPPANY, N.J. – The daughter of nesses who recalled seeing a gray van in Ukrainian immigrants, Zina Linnik, a 12- the alley near the Linniks’ home before year-old girl who went missing on July 4, Zina vanished. was found dead on July 12 in Eatonville Immigration and Customs Enforcement near Silver Lake, Wash., approximately 25 officials said that the conviction of first- miles from her home in Tacoma, Wash. degree incest was the basis for Mr. The Linnik family came to the United Adhahn’s detention, which should have States 10 years ago from Kuznetsovsk, led to the man’s deportation. Further court Ukraine. Zina was one of eight children. documentation states that Mr. Adhahn Authorities apprehended Terapon underwent court-ordered psychological Adhahn, a 42-year-old immigrant from evaluation and was diagnosed with Thailand, who was convicted in 1990 for pedophilia as part of the case, the Tacoma News Tribune reported. Mr. Adhahn also the rape of a 16-year-old relative. faces the charge of failing to register as a Police reportedly located Mr. Adhahn Yurii Kalyniak/UNIAN sex offender. by running a computer check of his van Ministry of Emergency Situations workers attempt to extinguish burning yellow Police have obtained a search warrant phosphorus tanks on July 17 after cars derailed from a train in the Buskyi and matching the color, model and partial District of the Lviv Oblast. license plate, with the assistance of wit- (Continued on page 15) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2007 No. 29 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Yushchenko’s multi-vector election strategy Phosphorus spill under control received the title of “Righteous Gentile.” by Taras Kuzio had Mr. Akhmetov in mind when he praised Ukraine is in fourth place, after Poland, the KYIV – Emergency Situations Ministry those oligarchs and businessmen, such as Netherlands and France, in the number of Eurasia Daily Monitor spokesman Ihor Krol told Interfax on July Mr. Pinchuk, who had opted to separate persons recognized as Righteous. (Religious 18 that the situation in the area of the toxic On July 4 Ukrainian President Viktor business and politics. Mr. Yushchenko again Information Service of Ukraine) phosphorus spill in the Lviv Oblast has Yushchenko called a high-level meeting of called for the end of parliamentary immuni- been brought under control. Mr. Krol Our Ukraine party has new head oligarchs – the third such gathering in his ty to discourage businessmen from running announced that six children with symptoms presidency. The first took place in October for parliamentary seats to avoid prosecution. of injuries to their respiratory organs were KYIV – The political council of the 2005 after Yurii Yekhanurov replaced Yulia Mr. Yushchenko’s reasons for calling the hospitalized in Lviv, while 59 more chil- pro-presidential Our Ukraine People’s Tymoshenko as prime minister (see Eurasia meeting were spelled out in the package of dren have been sent to other health centers. Union Party on July 12 appointed Oleh Daily Monitor, October 28, 2005). accompanying documents prepared by the He added that rescue teams are continuing Humeniuk as the new head of the party’s Mr. Yushchenko has always maintained Presidential Secretariat. According to the to spray water on the damaged train tanks central executive committee, Interfax cordial relations with the moderate business papers, the aim is to “reach a mutual posi- and insulate them from exposure to the air reported. Mr. Humeniuk replaced Roman leaders who surrounded former President tion on cooperation between the authorities with foam. On July 16 a freight train carry- Bezsmertnyi, who handed in his resigna- Leonid Kuchma. Viktor Pinchuk and big business.” This was to be spelled ing poisonous yellow phosphorus in tanks tion and asked not to be included on Our (Interpipe), Ihor Kolomoiskyi (Pryvat hold- out in a memorandum that was never from Kazakhstan to Poland derailed near Ukraine’s election list in the forthcoming ings) and Serhii Taruta (Industrial Union of signed. Mr. Yushchenko outlined his plans the settlement of Ozhydiv in the Lviv elections. Prior to his appointment, Mr. the Donbas) aligned themselves with Mr. to hold quarterly meetings with oligarchs. Oblast, and several tanks caught fire after Humeniuk headed the party’s Ternopil Yushchenko after his election as president. How will this attempt to forge an alliance the phosphorus leaked out. Vice Prime regional branch and was a member of the At the July 4 meeting President with the oligarchs sit with Our Ukraine vot- Minister Oleksander Kuzmuk commented Our Ukraine caucus in the Verkhovna Yushchenko said, “Dear colleagues, I call ers? It runs contrary to efforts to repackage on July 16 that the accident was the most Rada. (RFE/RL Newsline)