www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: l Holodomor memorial gets final design approval – page 6 l Entrepreneur launches Baba’s Borsch company – page 9 l Excavations of Hetman Mazepa’s court – pages 10-11 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXX No. 41 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2012 $1/$2 in Ukraine Famed Pikkardiyska Tertsiya UKRAINE’S PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS celebrates 20th anniversary Canadian observers report irregularities, by Zenon Zawada reached over her forehead, almost covering her eyes.She shaved the back and sides of Special to The Ukrainian Weekly limitations on freedom of expression her head, tying her remaining lengthy black KYIV – Pikkardiyska Tertsiya, Lviv’s locks into a ponytail, with its knot at the world-renowned a cappella sensation, cele- very center of her head. The braid bounced brated the 20th year anniversary of its along the right side of her head. founding with enough songs packed into Tertsiya tenor Andriy Karpal held three hours to satisfy perhaps even the Ruslana by her right hand as she perched most insatiable fans. The gala concert on herself on 10-inch heels that appeared to September 29 filled the 3,000-plus seats at be a difficult balancing act. the Ukrayina National Arts Palace in Kyiv. Together they performed “Oh, Letily The sextet premiered 10 new songs, Dyki Husy” (Oh, the Wild Geese Flew), a performed its hits alongside other singing contemporary Ukrainian pop classic that talents and offered renditions of classic Ruslana sang to win the Slovianskyi Bazaar tunes that launched them on their path to a contest in Vitebsk, Belarus, in 1996, which cappella stardom. put her on the pop music map. The song was Among the guest performers was pop originally performed by Nina Matviyenko star Ruslana, who studied with the group and was remade by Ruslana’s husband/ at the Lviv Conservatory, now known as the producer Oleksander Ksenofontov. Lysenko National Music Academy. In her The blond hair shell was Ruslana’s per- Mission Canada congratulations, Ruslana mentioned how sonal tribute to Terstiya artistic director and vocalist Volodymyr Yakymets, who Speaking on October 2 at a press conference in Kyiv are Anna Szyptur (right), Mission “a large part of my life” was devoted to Canada’s long-term observer coordinator, and Michael Bociurkiw, media officer. Lviv’s tightly knit music scene in the early earned the nickname Donald for his blond locks and face resembling a duck bill, both 1990s. KYIV – Preparations for Ukraine’s parlia- sending 10 long-term and 60 short-term “We went down a very long road togeth- of which are reminiscent of Donald Duck, The Weekly learned from those familiar mentary elections on October 28 are taking observers attached to the multilateral mis- er,” said Ruslana, who served as one of place in an environment of procedural sion organized by the Organization for three sound producers on Tertsiya’s first with the ensemble. Of Tertsiya’s 300 original works, Mr. irregularities, widespread vote-buying, lim- Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). album in 1996, “Sad Anhelskykh Pisen” Yakymets wrote the music for a third of itations on freedom of speech, and a lack of The elections for the 450-member (The Garden of Angelic Songs). them and did 70 percent of the vocal effective consideration of election disputes. Verkhovna Rada are being held under a Ruslana was the first co-performer to arrangements. These are the main findings in an inter- mixed electoral system (50 percent propor- greet the sextet on stage after their first The name Pikkardiyska Tertsiya refers im report released on October 2 by Mission tionally from party lists, 50 percent from two numbers – their classics “Spomyn. to a term coined by Ukrainian composer Canada after a month of intensive monitor- single-mandate districts), where deputies Shaliala” (Reminiscence. Shaliala) and Anatolii Kos-Anatolskyi to describe a joyful ing by 65 trained observers in all oblasts of will gain seats for five years. “Kapeliukh.” end to a sad musical composition. Picardy Ukraine. The mission represents the In its interim report, Mission Canada She delivered a shock that would go is a northern region in France. Canadian government’s largest-ever documented several examples of irregulari- unsurpassed that evening when walking The group’s success was built on its har- deployment of election observers. ties that could taint the outcome of the onto the stage with a hairdo that can be monious a cappella tunes reminiscent of The team already in place will be joined October polls. They included the following: described as six-inch blond bangs, hair- by 365 short-term observers two weeks sprayed into a solid shell of hair that (Continued on page 4) ahead of election day. In addition, Canada is (Continued on page 3) The voting potential of Ukrainians in the United States by Oleh Wolowyna atic collection and analysis of statistical data on In 2008 there were 650,600 Ukrainians in the U.S. The objective is two-fold: a) to facil- In recent years, more and more elections in the United itate socio-economic research on Ukrainians in the U.S., States have been won by a small difference in the number potential voters of Ukrai- which is practically non-existent in the academic area of of votes. A prime example is the national presidential nian ancestry in the United ethnic studies in the U.S.; and b) to present objective anal- election of 2000. Experience has shown that a small num- yses of the community, its problems and potential, in ber of well-organized voters can make a difference in the States. …In states with large order to provide solid input for informed decision-mak- outcome of an election. numbers of Ukrainians, the ing for our community leaders. One of the best ways for an ethnic community to help One of the results of these analyses is estimation of the its mother country is to be able to influence the policies of number of potential voters is voting potential of Ukrainians in the United States. their own country towards their ancestral homeland. Also, substantial. Ukrainians are defined as persons who have stated in as citizens of the United States we have the right to lobby censuses and official surveys, like the American both the government and the private sector for policies Community Survey, that their single, first or second that can help our ethnic communities, from different types the political process and demonstrating that, in spite of ancestry is Ukrainian (respondents had the option of pro- of support for our organizations and cultural activities, to our relatively small numbers, we can have an impact on viding one or two ancestries). Potential voters are mustering a strong defense when our history, culture or the outcome of elections at the subnational level. defined as U.S. citizens (native-born or naturalized) and reputation are being smeared. (In both instances the The Center for Demographic and Socio-Economic 18 years of age or older. Ukrainian community in Canada is a good example of how Research on Ukrainians in the U.S. at the Shevchenko to do this effectively). This requires active participation in Scientific Society in New York is implementing a system- (Continued on page 8) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2012 No. 41 ANALYSIS Kyiv claims U.S. Senate resolution Rada scraps bill criminalizing defamation al’s investigative department for high-pro- file cases, but several years ago he had KYIV – Ukrainian legislators decided on asked to be transferred to another position. October 2 to scrap a bill criminalizing defa- on Tymoshenko is not serious (RFE/RL, based on reporting by UNIAN, mation. The decision came after days of follow the recommendations. Mr. Voloshyn pravda.com.ua, and segodnya.ua) by Oleg Varfolomeyev protests in Ukraine by journalists and also cited U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Eurasia Daily Monitor media activists. The bill, backed by the rul- Philip Gordon as saying at a conference Ukraine, Poland leaders unveil memorial ing Party of Regions, was given preliminary A U.S. Senate resolution calling for visa last week that his administration would approval by Parliament in a first reading KYIV – The presidents of Ukraine and sanctions against Ukrainian officials for prefer dialogue to sanctions in relations last month. It called for toughened punish- Poland on September 21 unveiled a memo- jailing former Prime Minister Yulia with Ukraine (TVi, September 20). ment for defamation, including prison rial dedicated to the victims of Stalinist-era As a matter of fact, the ministry misin- Tymoshenko last October has caused terms of up to five years. But the bill was repressions. Presidents Viktor Yanukovych terpreted the U.S. position; Secretary of great controversy in Kyiv. Ms. then put on hold after the opposition and and Bronislaw Komorowski laid flowers at State Hillary Clinton demanded Ms. Tymoshenko’s opposition party, independent media denounced it as part of the monument, which is part of a com- Tymoshenko’s release early this year, so Batkivshchyna, welcomed the resolution, a crackdown on freedom of speech in the memorative site in Bykivnia outside the the resolution reflects the views of the describing it as an important warning to run-up to parliamentary elections on Ukrainian capital that contains the graves Obama administration and not only the President Viktor Yanukovych, whom they October 28. More than 100 journalists pro- of some 120,000 Ukrainians, Poles, and views of its authors (Interfax, January 20). hold responsible for Ms. Tymoshenko’s tested against the bill outside the others executed by the Soviet secret police Kyiv hoped that the Senate would have imprisonment.