The Ukrainian Weekly 2002, No.5

by Dr. Orest Popovych

HOWELL, N.J. – RuslanPonomaryov, 18, of Kramatorsk onJanuary 23 became the new chesschampion of the world, after defeatinghis countryman, Vasyl Ivanchuk ofLviv, by a score of 4 1/2:2 1/2 in thefinal match of the world championship,staged by the International ChessFederation FIDE in Moscow.

The winner went undefeated, postinga record of two wins and five draws.Mr. Ponomaryov is the first Ukrainianand the youngest player ever to capturethe world title.

Immediately following his victory,the 16th world champion was congratu-lated in person by FIDE PresidentKirsan Ilyumzhinov and, via telephone,by Ukraine’s president Leonid Kuchma.President Kuchma issued a decreebestowing upon Ruslan Ponomaryovthe Order of Yaroslav the Wise, fifthdegree. Vasyl Ivanchuk has been hon-ored with the presidential Order ofMerit (“Za Zasluhy”), second degree.Mr. Ponomaryov and Mr. Ivanchukhave received cash prizes of $400,000and $200,000, respectively.

The world championship matchbetween Ukraine’s top two grandmas-ters, which had been described as anevent of epic significance for Ukrainianchess, was not as lopsided as the scorewould suggest. In two of the games Mr.Ivanchuk had achieved technically wonpositions, only to blunder them away

later on. Commentators have attributed this to

time pressure and a case of nerves, aproblem that has plagued the 32-year-oldMr. Ivanchuk sporadically throughout hiscareer. In contrast, his young opponentwas a model of confidence and coolnessunder pressure. No doubt, his decisivewin in game one had a great psychologi-cal impact on the rest of the match.

Nevertheless, it is hard to reconcilethis result with Mr. Ivanchuk’s enor-mous advantage in experience over hisopponent. Mr. Ivanchuk, born onMarch 18, 1969, in Berezhany, western

Ukraine, has been Ukraine’s premierechess player since the late 1980s. Hewon a string of powerful internationaltournaments, among them New York(1988), Linares, Spain (1989, 1991,1995), Wijk aan Zee, Holland (1996)and Lviv (2000), and has been theperennial top board of Ukraine in inter-national team competition.

Mr. Ponomaryov was born onOctober 11, 1983,in the city ofHorlivka in the Donbas region ofUkraine. He learned chess moves at age7 and since the age of 12 has been liv-

Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association

$1/$2 in UkraineVol. LXX No. 5 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2002

Ukrainian becomes youngest world chess champion

by Andrew Nynka

PARSIPPANY, N.J. – When TeamUkraine parades into the opening cere-monies of the 19th Winter OlympicGames in Salt Lake City on February 8, itwill mark the country’s third Winterappearance competing under its ownnational banner (in 1992 Ukraine’s ath-letes competed under the guise of theEquipe Unifiée/Unified Team).

But this time things are a bit different.According to the National OlympicCommittee of Ukraine (NOC-U), the dele-gation will consist of 70 athletes – 14more athletes than competed in Nagano,Japan, in 1998 and 33 more athletes thanin Lillehammer, Norway, in 1994.

With a strong showing by the delega-tion’s odds-on medal favorite OlenaZubrylova in the biathlon event, TeamUkraine can begin its medals hunt early inthe two-and-a-half week Olympic compe-tition. Ms. Zubrylova, who currently issecond in the World Cup Biathlon stand-ings behind Magdalena Forsberg of

Sweden, has looked especially strong asof late in the 15-kilometer event leadingup to the Games.

Along with Ms. Zubrylova, fans shouldpay close attention to the biathlon relaysquad of Olena Petrova, Nina Lemesh,Tetyiana Vodopianova and Ms. Zubrylovawhose World Cup third place, as well asMs. Zubrylova’s personal bronze in the15-kilometer course, in Pokljuka,Slovenia, on December 14, 2001, could bea strong indicator of the group’s prospectsfor the 2002 Games.

At the 18th Winter Olympic Games inNagano, Ms. Petrova took second in the15-kilometer race while the biathlon teamtook fifth in the 4 by 7.5-kilometer relay.Ms. Zubrylova also took gold medals inthe 15-kilometer race, mass start and pur-suit during the 1999 WorldChampionships.

The group of 70, recently trimmeddown from 87 due to economic concerns,will compete in 11 of the 15 Olympic win-

Ukraine sends 70 athletesto Winter Olympic Games

by Roman WoronowyczKyiv Press Bureau

KYIV – Ukraine’s Central ElectionCommission reported that 13 politicalblocs and 23 parties had managed to reg-ister for elections to the Verkhovna Radaand to submit their candidate lists beforethe January 29 deadline stipulated byUkrainian law. The CEC is still consider-ing 14 applications, some of which wereresubmitted under appeal after initialproblems.

And while officially the campaign sea-son will only begin on February 9, dirtytricks and mudslinging have alreadymarred another Ukrainian election and setthe tone for this year.

The registration procedure is the firstmajor step in the process to pick 450national deputies to Ukraine’s Parliamentin elections that are scheduled for March31. The process was greatly simplified ina new law passed late last year, which nolonger requires a candidate to gather vot-ers’ signatures.

Candidates are required to pay a regis-tration fee to run for a parliamentary seat– 1,020 hrv, or about $200, per candidatein the single mandate districts; while apolitical party or bloc must pay 225,000hrv, or $43,000 to put up its slate.

The new law also stipulates that law-makers are elected in a mixed system,with half the 450 parliamentary seatsawarded to political organizations thatattain at least 4 percent voter support andthe other 50 percent awarded to individu-als who take a majority of votes in each ofthe 225 single-mandate electoral districtsof Ukraine

The CEC said on January 30 that2,765 individuals had registered as candi-dates from party slates, while another1,160 hopefuls had filed in single-man-date districts, which works out to an aver-age of 12 candidates per Verkhovna Radaseat.

All the candidates will have to dealwith the fact that the campaign seasonwill be hot and controversial, and thatmany contests will be fierce and some rununethically. With the official onset ofactual campaigning still days away,maneuvering for political advantage byusing smear tactics in an attempt to dis-credit the competition already has beenwell-established.

The main target thus far has beenViktor Yuschenko, the ex-prime ministerand former head of the National Bank ofUkraine, who heads the political bloccalled Our Ukraine. The political bloc

Central Election Commission reportsregistration of 23 parties, 13 political blocs


KYIV – Ukraine’s economy expandedat a 9 percent clip in 2001, making it thesecond fastest growing economy in theCIS region after Kazakstan.

Numbers released by the Ministry ofStatistics and published in the governmentnewspaper, Uriadovyi Kurier, on January24 show that Ukraine’s industrial andagricultural production were sharply up in2001 over the previous year. OnlyKazakstan’s economy, with 12 percentGDP growth, grew more quickly. Bycomparison, Russia, Ukraine’s northeast-ern neighbor and the largest economy ofthe region, experienced growth at about a6 percent rate.

The strong rise in economic indicatorscoupled with an inflation rate for 2001 of

Ukraine’s economyrecords major growth

(Continued on page 10)

INSIDE:• Filmmaker tells story of Bereza Kartuzka concentration camp — page 9.• Ukraine’s Olympic hockey team: a preview — page 11.• The Ukrainian Hopak at the Salt Lake City Olympics — page 12.

THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY

Ukrainians Ruslan Ponomaryov (right) and Vasyl Ivanchuk during the World Chess Championship in Moscow.




AP/Ivan Sekretarev

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THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 20022 No. 5

Pro-presidential bloc to become party

KYIV – Volodymyr Lytvyn, the headof the presidential administration and theFor a United Ukraine election bloc, saidon January 29 that his bloc will trans-form itself into a party. “All members ofthe [For a United Ukraine] coordinationboard [have concluded] that we have toimplement in practice the idea of settingup a political structure. We will tacklethis in parallel with the election. Sincewe are associated with the party ofpower, think of it as a pro-presidential orpresidential party,” Ukrainian Televisionquoted Mr. Lytvyn as saying. The For aUnited Ukraine bloc consists of theAgrarian Party, the National DemocraticParty, the Labor Ukraine Party, the Partyof the Regions, and the Party ofIndustrialists and Entrepreneurs.(RFE/RL Newsline)Tymoshenko hospitalized after car crash

KYIV – Yulia Tymoshenko, the leaderof the anti-presidential National SalvationForum and the election bloc bearing hername, was hospitalized with head andchest injuries after her automobile collidedwith another in Kyiv on January 29,Interfax reported. The accident occurredwhen Ms. Tymoshenko was on her way tothe Kyiv Appeals Court. OleksanderTurchynov, a leader of the YuliaTymoshenko Bloc, told UNIAN that,according to doctors, Ms. Tymoshenko’scondition is “serious.” (RFE/RL Newsline)Court restricts Tymoshenko’s movement

KYIV – The Kyiv Appeals Court onJanuary 29 rescinded a previous decisionby the Pecherskyi District Court in Kyiv,which ruled that law enforcement bodiesmay not take any actions against Ms.Tymoshenko that would violate a deputy’simmunity. This ruling allowed Ms.Tymoshenko to defy her former writtenpledge to the Procurator General’s Officenot to leave Kyiv, and to make electioncampaign trips to outlying areas. Thecourt’s decision restored the restriction onher freedom of movement as well as legalproceedings in connection with a corrup-tion case against her. (RFE/RL Newsline)Melnychenko threatened with arrest

KYIV – Deputy Procurator GeneralOleksii Bahanets said on January 24 thatformer presidential bodyguard MykolaMelnychenko will be arrested if hereturns to Ukraine from his asylum in theU.S. to participate in the parliamentaryelection campaign, Interfax reported. Mr.Melnychenko was proposed as a candi-date on the Socialist Party’s election list.

Mr. Bahanets noted that prosecutors areconducting a criminal investigationagainst Mr. Melnychenko, who ischarged with abusing his office when heserved as President Leonid Kuchma’ssecurity officer, and with divulging statesecrets. Mr. Bahanets added that if Mr.Melnychenko is elected to the VerkhovnaRada, the Procurator General’s Officewill appeal to the Verkhovna Rada tostrip him of his legislative immunity.(RFE/RL Newsline)CEC refuses to register Melnychenko

KYIV – The Central ElectionCommission has refused to register for-mer presidential bodyguard MykolaMelnychenko as a candidate on theSocialist Party’s election list, Ukrainianmedia reported on January 26. The com-mission said Mr. Melnychenko, who iscurrently residing in the U.S., cannot beviewed as a permanent resident ofUkraine, which is a requirement of theelection law for parliamentary candidates.Yosyp Vinskyi of the Socialist Party dis-agreed with the ruling, saying that theelection law allows anybody stayingabroad under Ukraine’s internationalagreements to become a parliamentarycandidate. He recalled that in 1998 theCentral Election Commission registeredbusinessman Yukhym Zviahilskyi, whohad lived in Israel for more than twoyears. “The Central Election Commissioninterprets this provision differently for dif-ferent people. I see this as an element ofpolitical persecution against our candidatewho is running for parliament on the listof the Socialist Party,” Mr. Vinskyi said.(RFE/RL Newsline)Melnychenko: officials afraid of my return

KYIV – Former presidential body-guard Mykola Melnychenko said onJanuary 28 that the Central ElectionCommission (CEC) refused to registerhim as a parliamentary candidate becauseCEC Chairman Mykhailo Riabets,President Leonid Kuchma, presidentialChief of Staff Volodymyr Lytvyn andothers are “terribly afraid” that he willreturn to Ukraine having parliamentaryimmunity, UNIAN reported. Mr.Melnychenko added that if he were toarrive in Ukraine with parliamentaryimmunity, the Procurator General’sOffice would have to launch a criminalinvestigation of the above-mentionedindividuals regarding the case of mur-dered journalist Heorhii Gongadze, aswell as other corruption cases. (RFE/RLNewsline)


NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS

by Taras KuzioRFE/RL Newsline

Preparations for Ukraine’s parliamentaryelections on March 31 are being keenly fol-lowed not only in the West but also inMoscow. Russia is keen to capitalize uponits success over the past two years in reori-enting Ukraine’s multi-vectored foreignpolicy eastward. The main threat to theconsolidation of this eastward orientationand Russia’s increasing influence inUkraine is Viktor Yuschenko and his OurUkraine bloc.

In Ukraine, as in other post-Communiststates, support for the pursuit of reform,reviving national identity and an orientationtoward Europe are closely tied together. TheWest is seeking to support this package ofpolicies by encouraging reform and freeelections, as exemplified by U.S. training of25,000 local election commissions and$200,000 in support for the regional mediain Ukraine. In contrast, Russia’s primaryconcern is to reassert its influence withinUkraine, regardless of who is in power inthat country (as in Belarus).

During the last two years, Russophileoligarch clans and their media outlets inUkraine have increasingly given credenceto a “Brzezinski plan” conspiracy that wasfirst aired by Russian sources close toPresident Vladimir Putin. The “Brzezinskiplan” is supposedly an elaborate plan con-cocted by a group of U.S. policy-makers tooverthrow President Leonid Kuchma andreplace him with Mr. Yuschenko in a“bloodless revolution.” An analogy isdrawn with the overthrow of SlobodanMilosevic in Serbia in October 2000. Mr.Yuschenko’s alleged allies in this plot arethe two wings of the radical anti-Kuchmaopposition, Yulia Tymoshenko (his formervice prime minister) and Socialist leaderOleksander Moroz.

The “Brzezinski plan” was allegedlybehind the “Kuchmagate” scandal thatbroke in November 2000, when incriminat-ing tapes illicitly made in PresidentKuchma’s office were released, leading toUkraine’s largest opposition demonstra-tions. The “Brzezinski plan,” therefore,played a classic disinformation role inseeking to deflect attention from possibleRussian involvement in the scandal (incahoots with a Ukrainian oligarch group)by laying blame on the West.

After Mr. Kuchma survived calls for hisouster in 2000-2001, the conspiracy wasquietly forgotten, but it was again revivedin November of last year by KievskiyeVedomosti, a newspaper owned by theSocial Democratic Party (United) [SDPU].

Controversial Kremlin strategist andPutin imagemakers Gleb Pavlovskii andMerat Gelman, who are joint owners of theFund for Effective Politics (FEP), havegiven maximum publicity to the“Brzezinski plan” conspiracy. The FEP isseeking to continue other shadowy PRactivities in the Ukrainian elections togetherwith the SDPU. Its main target, not surpris-ingly is Mr. Yuschenko, who is the archene-my of SDPU leader Viktor Medvedchuk.

In a recent survey of attitudes on foreignpolicy by political parties undertaken bythe Analytical Centers of Ukraine Network(http://www.intellect.org.ua), only theSDPU, apart from the Communists, sup-ported Ukraine’s membership in theRussia-Belarus Union. The SDPU alsorecently raised the question of changing the

1989 Law on Languages by addingRussian as a second “official language.”This Russophile populism did not preventthe SDPU from including the “nationalist”and pro-NATO former President LeonidKravchuk among its top five candidates forelection.

The SDPU is also the main backer of theextreme nationalist, anti-Western, and pro-Kuchma Rukh for Unity (NRU-Ye) splin-ter group led by Bohdan Boiko, which wassuspiciously created only three days beforethe Kuchmagate scandal began. The NRU-Ye and the Progressive Socialists play therole of “radical opposition” parties on theleft and right controlled by the executive, ina manner similar to Vladimir Zhirinovsky’sLiberal Democratic Party of Russia. TheNRU-Ye controls the Ternopil-basedTryzub paramilitaries led by Col. YevhenFil, who orchestrated the violence at theMarch 9, 2001, demonstration in order todiscredit the anti-Kuchma opposition.

The SDPU has also duplicated some ofthe shadowy PR activities that the FEP ear-lier successfully used in Russia. Thisincludes attempting to blacken Mr.Yuschenko’s character, which unlike that ofthe majority of other politicians, remainsbeyond reproach. The FEP has an agree-ment with the SDPU to provide “campaignadvice,” and 10 of its associates are work-ing on this campaign. This has includedcreating a fake Yuschenko websitewww.yuschenko.com, an action that theFEP undertook also in the 1999 Russianparliamentary elections against MoscowMayor Yurii Luzhkov and then-ForeignMinister Yevgenii Primakov.

The FEP and its SDPU allies were veryprobably behind Ukraine’s second tapingscandal, that of Mr. Yuschenko and KyivMayor Oleksander Omelchenko in earlyJanuary. As Serhii Sobolev, vice-chairmanof the pro-Yuschenko Reforms and OrderParty, said, this latest scandal “is a freshpointer to those who organized the tapescandal” in Mr. Kuchma’s office. This isapparently because of the similarity inadvanced technology used in both cases.Mr. Sobolev had in mind the suspicion –first voiced by RFE/RL Newsline inDecember – that the SDPU (with Russia)was behind the taping of the president’soffice.

The latest tape was released by thenewly organized civic group ForTrustworthiness in Politics, which is close-ly linked to the SDPU and the NRU-Ye. Itaimed to discredit Mr. Yuschenko by creat-ing the impression that he conspired withMr. Omelchenko to remove Mr.Medvedchuk as vice-chairman of theVerkhovna Rada. The latest taping wascondemned by the majority of political par-ties and Mr. Omelchenko has taken thematter to court. Mr. Omelchenko, whoseson is a member of the Yuschenko bloc andis himself a strong opponent of the SDPU,also accused Mr. Pavlovskii and the FEP ofunderhand practice by “humiliatingUkrainian national dignity.”

The Ukrainian elections are the scene ofa fierce geopolitical competition over thefuture direction of Ukraine, and yet thereare only two choices open to Ukraine:either it can continue to muddle along and“rejoin Europe together with Russia,” thepreferred option of President Kuchma andthe oligarchs, which postpones integratinginto Europe indefinitely and ties Ukraine’sfate to Russia’s; or it can revitalize itsreform and nation-building policies andintegrate into Europe regardless of Russia,the option promoted by Mr. Yuschenko andhis allies.

Russia keenly interestedin Ukraine’s March elections

ANALYSIS

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The Ukrainian Weekly, February 3, 2002, No. 5, Vol. LXXCopyright © 2002 The Ukrainian Weekly

Taras Kuzio is a research associate atthe Center for Russian and EastEuropean Studies, University of Toronto.

6.1 percent – the first time in a decadethat inflation was held to single digits –may have given Ukraine the economicturnaround it has long awaited. In fact J.P.Morgan, the respected banking andinvestment house, announced on January8 that Ukraine was among the mostinvestment-attractive countries in 2001,having returned a 57.1 percent profit forinvestors, reported Interfax-Ukraine.

Economic performance in theUkrainian manufacturing sector was par-ticularly strong in 2001. The sector wit-nessed an upturn of 14.2 percent, withgrowth especially vibrant in the first sixmonths, when industry expanded at a 17.4percent rate. It was the second straightyear of strong industrial expansion for thecountry, which experienced 12.4 percentindustrial growth in 2000.

Slowed global economic growth in thesecond half of 2001, and especially afterthe events of September 11, affected thefinal industrial production numbers inUkraine and resulted in second-halfexpansion diminishing to 9.5 percent.Fourth-quarter growth was particularlyweak, but within expected projections,with the November numbers showing 7.8percent growth and the December rateslipping to 1.8 percent.

The furniture industry led the way inthe manufacturing sector with an increaseof 28 percent. Machine building, whichsaw an 18.8 gain in production, came sec-ond, followed by the paper industry,which rose by 18.2 percent. Next camefood production at 18.2 percent, followedby consumer goods manufacturing at 13.8percent.

Metal manufacturing increased slightly,at 4.9 percent, but showed a markeddecline in the second half of the year. Thecoal industry realized a 3.3 percent netgain in production for the year.

The agricultural sector had its strongestyear in at least a decade and some say in20 years, experiencing an overall 9.9 per-cent surge in production. Agriculturalexperts attribute the increases to a 7.7 per-cent increase in yields per hectare, due inpart to ideal weather conditions last year.

The grain harvest was the strongestsince independence, with Ukrainian farm-ers collecting 39.7 million tons – anincrease of more than 62 percent over2000. The wheat harvest more than dou-bled over 2000, while the barley yield wasup by 48 percent and oats by 26.6 percent.Only the corn crop was a disappointment,showing a 5.5 percent yield reduction.

In non-grain related agricultural pro-duction, tobacco topped the list with an 18percent increase over 2000 with sugarbeets following at 17 percent.

While dairy production saw a 6 percentincrease, the meat sector fell by 11 per-cent, which experts said was caused by adepletion of cattle stocks in the country.Poultry was in much better shape andexperienced 10 percent growth.

Over all, the number of private farmsin the country grew by 3,200 givingUkraine a total of 41,600 by the end of theyear. Each farm averaged 62 hectares ofland.

The state of Ukraine’s ever morehealthy economy may also finally havebecome more evident to average citizens,who still complain that, while the num-bers look good on paper, few see tangibleevidence of the improvement in theirdaily lives. Ukraine’s Vice Prime Ministerof the Economy Vasyl Rohovyi said onJanuary 18 that the real income ofUkrainians increased in 2001, which heexplained was the result of the improvedeconomic performance that allowed thegovernment to increase the amount ofwages and salaries paid out in 2001 byabout 25 percent.

THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2002 3No. 5

KYIV – President Leonid Kuchma along with Kyiv Mayor Oleksander Omelchenko and Verkhovna Rada Chairman IvanPliusch gaze upon the memorial in Ukraine’s capital city to Mykhailo Hrushevsky, Ukraine’s first president, before placingwreaths at the base of the statue on “Den Sobornosty.” Hrushevsky led the country after Ukraine proclaimed independence83 years ago on January 22, 1918.

KYIV – The Prosvita Ukrainian Language Society organized a commemorativeprayer service on January 29, the 84th anniversary of the Battle of Kruty. Some300 Kyivan high school and college students perished near the railroad station atKruty, a town located outside the capital city, during a confrontation with the SovietRed Army in 1918. The Bolsheviks had invaded Ukraine after consolidating theirpower in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The commemoration was held at AskoldovaMohyla in Kyiv at the site of St. Nicholas Greek-Catholic Church. The cross at leftis the only memorial in the capital to the 300 young students, who are considerednational heroes by national democratic forces. The remains of 30 of the studentswere re-interred at the site when it was built two years ago.

Associated Press

Associated Press

(Continued from page 1)Ukraine’s economy...


KYIV – Comments by Ukraine’sDeputy Procurator General OleksanderBahanets that the Council of Europe hadchanged its stance on the creation of aninternational commission to investigate themurder of journalist Heorhii Gongadzebrought a critical response from ReportersWithout Borders on January 28.

The remarks by Mr. Bahanets, made inan interview with Interfax-Ukraine onJanuary 25, were among several regardingthe investigation into the murder of HeorhiiGongadze, the controversial Ukrainianjournalist who founded one of the coun-try’s first Internet newspapers before hedisappeared in September 2000, that didnot hold up to closer scrutiny.

Mr. Bahanets told the Ukrainian newsagency that the Parliamentary Assembly ofthe Council of Europe (PACE), which hasbeen calling for the formation of an inde-pendent body to investigate what happenedto Mr. Gongadze, had ultimately decidedthat there was no basis for establishingsuch a commission.

In a statement released to the press,Reporters Without Borders, a human rightsgroup that monitors press freedoms, saidthat Mr. Bahanets’ assertions were erro-neous and baseless.

“Reporters Without Borders believesthat such an assertion is nothing more thana strategy to which Ukrainian authoritiesever more often submit in order to delayestablishing the murderer of HeorhiiGongadze,” explained the statement.

It said that while Latvian ForeignMinister Antanas Valionis, the head of theCommittee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope, had made a statement that Ukrainelacks the legal basis that would allow foran international investigative committee towork in Ukraine, three Ukrainian lawmak-ers will shortly introduce the needed legis-lation.

Reporters Without Borders also notedthat on January 27, during its quarterly ses-sion, PACE officially turned to the Cabinetof Ministers of the Council of Europe to dothe administrative work necessary to createthe commission.

Mr. Bahanets also seemed to havemissed the mark when he told Interfax-

Kyivans recall sacrifices of the Battle of Kruty

Ukrainian officials commemorate 1918 independence

Ukraine that the Procurator General’sOffice had ordered that a German firm con-duct a third independent examination of theremains of the body found in November2000 near the town of Tarascha outsideKyiv that are thought to be those of Mr.Gongadze.

He said that the new examination was inresponse to persistent requests for anotherforensic examination by the journalist’smother, Lesia, and his wife, Myroslava,and a desire to appease the Council ofEurope. He explained, according toInterfax-Ukraine, that the German experts,who were yet to be chosen, and Ukraine’sdirector of the Bureau of Forensic

Examinations would do the tests jointly. Headded that afterwards the German sidecould take evidence to Germany for furtherstudy.

However, as Interfax-Ukraine laternoted, German officials could not verifythat they had received a request fromUkraine on the matter.

“One of the conditions for sending aGerman expert for a forensic study in acriminal investigation in Ukraine would bean official request for legal aid from theUkrainian side on the basis of the 1959European Convention on Mutual

Comments by deputy prosecutor muddy the waters of Gongadze case



by Marta Baczynsky

NEW YORK – Construction of a newhome for The Ukrainian Museum in NewYork City has begun. The first sign ofactivity on the designated site at 222 E.Sixth St., between Second and Thirdavenues in the East Village section ofManhattan, is recently erected scaffold-ing that surrounds the existing structure,a former meatpacking warehouse. Thatbuilding is destined to come down short-ly to make way for a modern three-storymuseum facility.

Although not evident from the street,there is plenty of activity inside the oldwarehouse, according to AndreyHankevych, chair of the BuildingCommittee on the museum’s board oftrustees. “The initial demolition, excava-tion and preparatory work is being donefrom the inside of the building,” henoted. He explained that prior to demoli-tion and before the laying of the founda-tion can begin, the existing walls andfoundations of the adjoining residentialbuildings must be supported through theunderpinning process.

Once that has been accomplished, hewent on to say that, “the foundation ofour new building will be excavated andpoured, and then we will proceed with

the demolition of the existing structure tomake way for the construction of the newbuilding.”

Mr. Hankevych said work on thebuilding project is on schedule. Weeklymeetings between the representatives ofthe construction management firm, S.DiGiacomo & Son, the project architect,George Sawicki of the firmSawickiTarella Architecture+Design PC,and representatives of the museum areheld to discuss the status and progress ofthe building project.

Mr. Sawicki said he is happy that theconstruction phase of the project hasbegun after many years of preparation.“After all the waiting, after all the plan-ning, we have finally started the last butmost important phase of this project. Forme, both professionally and personally,”he explained, “this is a most gratifyingand welcoming conclusion to a longprocess, while at the same time, it alsobrings forth a feeling of optimism andconfidence in a project of such great sig-nificance to our community.”

“Once completed and opened, I haveno doubt that all the work and waitingwill have been well justified, and thatThe Ukrainian Museum will offer futuregenerations of Ukrainian Americans a fit-

ting testament to their heritage, and a tan-gible symbol of their identity,” added Mr.Sawicki.

The new building, which will have 75square feet of frontage and offer 25,000square feet of space, will be constructedat a cost of $7.6 million. The UkrainianMuseum, which has been in operation atits present location, 203 Second Ave., for25 years, has been conducting a capitalfund-raising campaign for more than adecade in support of this project. Themuseum has experienced growth andexpansion in recent years in all aspects ofits operations. The new building will sat-isfy the needs and requirements of themuseum by providing large exhibitiongalleries, proper storage for its collec-tions, and spacious facilities to conductits programs.

Olha Hnateyko, president of the boardof trustees, explained that intensive fund-raising continues and will continue toprovide funding for the following: com-pletion of the building project withoutthe need for outside financing; furnishingthe new museum facility; bringing thenew building to a full operational state(expanding the professional staff); organ-izing and mounting representative exhi-bitions for the grand opening.

She emphasized that the Ukrainiancommunity in the United States andCanada has been extremely generous andbecause of this support the new buildingproject is being realized.

Fund-raising is also focused on thefinancial future of the institution, sheexplained. It is important to strive now tobuild a strong financial foundation, sothat the museum can function effectivelyin the years to come. This financial secu-rity will be dependent on the futuregrowth of the museum’s endowment pro-gram. Toward this end the museum islooking to substantially raise its endow-ment funds base within the next fiveyears. The board of trustees hopes thatthe Ukrainian community will continueto generously support this program,thereby guaranteeing the financial securi-ty of The Ukrainian Museum.

To support the building project andhelp build a strong financial future forThe Ukrainian Museum, donations maybe sent to: The Ukrainian Museum 203Second Ave., New York, NY 10003. Forfurther information: phone (212) 228-0110; fax (212) 228-1947; [email protected] or visit themuseum’s webpage at www.ukrainian-museum.org.

Construction begins of new Ukrainian Museum building

ESSENDON, Australia – The chairmanof the Australian Federation of UkrainianOrganizations Stefan Romaniw, returnedfrom a nine-day visit to Ukraine, where hehad a series of meetings to promoteAustralia as a business, investment, touristand migration destination. A further reasonfor the visit was to call on the Australiangovernment to show a greater interest inAustralian-Ukrainian relations.

The Ukrainian Australian communityleader had over 30 meetings with political,business, community and departmentalleaders during his trip, which lasted fromNovember 28 to December 6. Amongthem was an official meeting withVerkhovna Rada Vice-Chairman StephanHawrysz. The meeting was attended alsoby National Deputy Pavlo Movchan.

During the one-hour meeting, issues ofUkrainian Australian relations were dis-cussed. Mr. Hawrysz suggested that anofficial Parliamentary Group would visitAustralia in 2002, and a formal letter tothe Australian government was sent afterthe meeting to reflect this. Issues of busi-ness, investment, exchanges and supportfor the Australian Ukrainian communityalso were discussed.

“Today’s Ukraine is a developingUkraine. There are many positive aspectsand attributes in Ukraine of 2001,” Mr.Romaniw said after the meeting.

“It is developing economically at afaster rate than the U.S. or the U.K. Itsstrength is in its people. Governmentneeds to recognize this and create the pathfor strong, transparent leadership focusingon the national needs and aspirations ofthe Ukrainian nation,” he added.

“Today’s Ukraine is made up of manyethnic minorities. The Australian multi-culturalism model is one Ukraine shouldlook at closely,” Mr Romaniw said. “Allethnic groups must have commitment toUkraine and the national language beingUkrainian. Government policies encour-age cultural and linguistic maintenanceand in this environment all ethnic minori-ties should aspire to seeing Ukraine devel-op as a nation.”

A Ukraine-Australia House (UAH) hasbeen established in Kyiv. The center willbe the hub for promotional activities thatwill showcase Australia. “This is a greatinitiative and again shows the supportAustralia has from many circles inUkraine,” Mr. Romaniw explained.

Mr. Movchan, chairman of the UAHboard, and Halina Lemets, executivedirector, together with National DeputyIhor Ostash and others are keen tostrengthen links with Australia. At a din-ner attended by Mr. Movchan, Ms.Lemets, Australia’s Honorary Consul Dr.Serhi Berezovenko and representatives ofUkraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairsplans for expanding UAH activities.

During Mr. Romaniw’s meeting withsenior officials from the Ministry ofForeign Affairs Australian-Ukrainian rela-tions and strategies were discussed.

An interesting concept that was raisedand is now receiving consideration fromthe ministry is the link Australia couldplay for Ukraine in its alliances and eco-nomic policies in the Eurasia region.“There is no doubt that closer linksbetween Australia and Ukraine can bringbilateral opportunities and benefits. Thiscan be a win-win situation,” Mr. Romaniwsaid.

Meetings with business leaders in Kyiv,Lviv and Ternopil have seen Australian-Ukrainian business links already a reality.

Mr. Romaniw engaged in a range ofmeetings with the Lviv Chamber of

Commerce and Industry, representativesof a consortium of businesspeople, legaland cultural representatives, and academ-ics.

He met also with the Lviv OblastAdministration and discussed the possibil-ity of preparing and signing memorandaof understanding between Lviv and statedepartments in Australia to promote lan-guage and cultural exchanges.

“We sense the strong support for coop-eration from Ukraine in developing soundgovernment-to-government relations. Weare entering a new era. Community organ-izations such as the AFUO can facilitate,but agreements, accords, memoranda ofunderstanding which fix in concrete rela-tions must be done on the governmentlevel,” Mr Romaniw said.

Meetings with tourist operators resultedin the development of the concept of ayouth tourist group from Australia visitingUkraine under a program dubbedFollowing the Paths of My Forebears.”The program will encourage young peopleto trek through Ukraine visiting importanthistorical attractions and, most importantly,visiting the regions where their parents and

Ukrainian Australian leader visits Ukraine to promote bilateral relations

Scaffolding in front of existing structure heralds the beginning of construction of the new home for The Ukrainian Museum.

Interior view of existing structure where “underpinning” is in progress in the construction process of a new Ukrainian Museum building.


YYoouunngg UUNNAA’’eerrss


THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM

Nicholas T. Iverson, son of Motria andGlenn Iverson, is a new member ofUNA Branch 66 in New York. He wasenrolled by his great-grandmotherMaria Kryzaniwsky.

Aleksander R. and his younger sisterAnastasia U. Walters, children of Romaand Timothy Walters, are new mem-bers of UNA Branch 66 in New York.They were enrolled by their great-grandmother Maria Kryzaniwsky.

Maxim Zarycky, son of George and PeiZarycky, currently residing in Kyiv, isa new member of UNA Branch 327 inHempstead, N.Y., thanks to his grand-mother Zenovia Zarycky, former long-time branch secretary. Maxim’s fatheris a former member of The UkrainianWeekly’s editorial staff.

Natalie Anna Chapp, daughter ofKristina and Robert Chapp, is a newmember of UNA Branch 175. She wasenrolled by her grandparents Romanand Victoria Maksymowich ofWarren, Mich.

Youngstown District holds Christmas party

Woonsocket UNA’erswelcome St. NicholasWOONSOCKET, R.I. – The presentationof the Nativity scene and the visit from St.Nicholas took place on December 9,2001, in the parish hall of St. MichaelUkrainian Catholic Church inWoonsocket, R.I. The event was spon-sored by Ukrainian National AssociationBranch 241 represented by Janet Bardell,secretary, and Teodor Klowan, president.Msgr. Roman Golemba greeted the audi-ence. Program participants were SofiaBobiak, Zenon Ruzycky, Dr. Lydia Klufas-Tkach and Dr. Michael Klufas. In theNativity scene Camilla Bobiak represent-ed Mary, Michael Ruzycky played St.Joseph; the three kings were MarkoTkach, Stefko Ruzycky and AndriykoKlufas; Heather Nikolyshyn and Julia Hullwere angels, and Johnathan Nikolyshynwas a shepherd. John Tkach playedChristmas music and Dmytro Wolanskydecorated the stage. Program organizerswere Ivanna Hanushevsky, Nina Koropey,Anna Ruzycky and Ms. Bardell. Giftswere distributed by St. Nicholas andrefreshments served, and the programended with singing of Christmas carols.

BOARDMAN, Ohio – Members of the Youngstown District Committee of theUkrainian National Association celebrated Christmas at a party on December 16,2001, at the Holiday Inn in Boardman, Ohio. Over 60 people in attendanceenjoyed dinner to the music of the Bandurists’ Christmas album. The assembledwere greeted by Estelle Woloshyn, district chair, who introduced Msgr. GeorgeAppleyard, the Rev. Andrew Marko from St. Anne’s Church and the Rev. CharlesBaxter from Ss. Peter and Paul Church. After dinner, the guests were treated tovarious prizes provided by the Youngstown District. Members of the committeeincluded Estelle and Gene Woloshyn, Annabelle Borovitsky, Dan Hlywa, HelenKozlow, Helene Senedak and Kathy Martynyzyn. Seen in the photo above (fromleft) are: Mr. Hlywa, Mrs. Woloshyn, Mr. Woloshyn and Ms. Borovitsky; below: Mr.and Mrs. Nick Cooper, Steve Bury, Mr. Kozlow, Sonya Hlywa and Mr. Hlywa.


Four years ago, Ukraine fielded its third Winter Olympic teamsince independence – the second with its own independent team(as Ukraine’s team had been forced by circumstance to competein 1992 under the aegis of the Unified Team).

On February 6, 1998, 56 of Ukraine’s athletes and coaches, trainers and officials filedinto Minami Stadium in Nagano, Japan, led by Andriy Deryzemlia, world champion in thebiathlon, junior division, who carried the Ukrainian flag during the opening ceremonies.

Ukraine’s athletes competed in 10 of the 14 Olympic winter events in Nagano. The headof the delegation, the president of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, ValeriiBorzov, told The Weekly in 1998 that the team would be happy with a couple of medals.

“Ukraine’s potential and traditions in the Summer and Winter Olympics are different.The winter climate in Ukraine is such that it does not allow athletes to realize their fullpotential in those types of sports,” said Mr. Borzov. A former Summer Olympics multiplegold medalist, he said Ukraine nonetheless had medal potential in several events, includingfigure skating, free-style acrobatic skiing, the luge and Nordic combination (biathlon), buthe refrained from naming individual potential medalists.

“Every athlete who goes to the Olympics believes he or she can win the gold. It is not forme to somehow discourage that hope. In the end it is the individual’s determination thatmatters,” said Mr. Borzov.

Ukraine’s first medal in Nagano came on February 8 courtesy of Olena Petrova, whotook silver in the 15-kilometer biathlon.

Sources: “Team Ukraine leaves for Winter Olympics in Nagano” by RomanWoronowycz, The Ukrainian Weekly, February 1, 1998, Vol. LXVI, No. 5; “TeamUkraine at Nagano Games: biathlete earns first medal, a silver” by Andrij KudlaWynnyckyj, The Ukrainian Weekly, February 15, 1998, Vol. LXVI, No. 7.

Feb.

61998

Turning the pages back...

Ukrainian elections have never been orderly, clean or totally transparent, and thisyear’s Verkhovna Rada balloting should be no different, given recent developments.

There are politicians in the country who believe that elections, are a no-holds-barred affair and that it is okay to employ unethical and downright dirty tactics tomanipulate events and voter sympathies for one’s political benefit. The methodsalready used in an attempt to derail the election campaigns of Viktor Yuschenko, theex-prime minister and former chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine, and theeffort by state authorities to limit the physical movement of Yulia Tymoshenko, whoseelection bloc is a favorite with the anti-Kuchma forces, do not bode well for this year’sUkrainian parliamentary elections scheduled for March 31.

Never mind that President Leonid Kuchma has made it plain that he will not allowelection day irregularities to take place and that the leaders of the largest parties andelection blocs have pledged to the world that the vote will be the cleanest and mosttransparent in the history of independent Ukraine. The political positioning, mudsling-ing and bloodletting started even before the campaign officially begins on February 9.

Mr. Yuschenko, who leads in most polls with anywhere from 15 to 21 percent votersupport, has already taken two major political hits. First, his integrity and sinceritywere questioned by the release of phone conversations, recorded by someone withouthis knowledge, in which he and Kyiv Mayor Oleksander Omelchenko were heardtalking about ousting Rada Vice-Chairman Viktor Medvedchuk from his post. Insteadof undermining Mr. Yuschenko’s image as an honest and straightforward politician,the tapes tended to tarnish Mr. Omelchenko’s reputation as a level-headed leader.

In the second attack, businessman and politician Oleksander Rzhavskyi, a rathernondescript lawmaker who achieved some fame when he ran unsuccessfully for thepresidency in 1999 only to slip back into obscurity afterwards, tried to usurp theYuschenko name and reputation either to besmirch it or to ride it to victory by incor-porating it into the name of his election bloc, the For Yuschenko Bloc.

Ms. Tymoshenko has been the object of several vicious political attacks from thehighest levels of government in an unsuccessful effort not only to smear her but alsoto wipe her off the political map. In the latest flap, an appeals court set aside a rulingby a lower court that had cleared Ms. Tymoshenko of money-laundering charges andreinstated an order by the Procurator General’s Office not allowing her to leave Kyiv.The decision has drawn much controversy because it was handed down without eitherthe defendant or her attorney being present. Most political observers believe the courtproceeding was obviously rigged against Ms. Tymoshenko. Ukrainian law states that adefendant can miss two court appearances before a court can rule on the case withouthim or her present. No one was in attendance for the ruling because Ms. Tymoshenkowas injured in an automobile accident on her way to the court proceeding.

Obviously someone is trying to do as much damage to Mr. Yuschenko and Ms.Tymoshenko as possible. Particularly in the case of Mr. Yuschenko, determining whois behind the efforts is not easy. However, he himself has noted that two political enti-ties brought down his government and those are the two power centers with which hecannot cooperate politically. One is the For a United Ukraine bloc, headed byVolodymyr Lytvyn, who happens to be President Kuchma’s chief of staff; the other isMr. Medvedchuk’s Social Democratic Party (United).

But in the end maybe this sort of dirty gamesmanship truly benefits those who arethe subjects of the attacks. Mr. Yuschenko’s even-handed demeanor and restrainedreaction have to an extent boomeranged on those who would have the young politi-cian covered in mud and sinking into political obscurity. Likewise, earlier attempts todiscredit Ms. Tymoshenko backfired, in part because like a good judoist she wardedoff the attacks and used her considerable public relations talents to turn them to heradvantage. Many in Ukraine today see her as a sort of political Joan of Arc.

It’s a sure thing that there will be more such attacks and smear tactics as candidatesand parties become fully engaged in the campaign. Unfortunately for the Ukrainiannation, this has become a sad tradition of Ukrainian electoral politics.

Dirty politics, as usualTHE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY

by Dr. Bohdan Hawrylyshyn

I will deal with the subject ofUkraine’s transformation under five head-ings that pose the following questions.

• Why should Ukraine transform itselfon the European model.

• What are the special attractions ofthe European model for Ukraine.

• Is such a transformation feasible?• How can the U.S. help?• Will the U.S. help?Why should Ukraine transform itself

on the European model?The first reason is geography: Ukraine

belongs to Europe geographically; it isclose to its geographic heart.

History also provides a reason.Already in the 11th century there werefamily links between the rulers of Rus’-Ukraine and European royal courts. Fourchildren of Prince Yaroslav the Wisewere married with royal families of west-ern Europe. One of them, AnnaYaroslavna, became the queen of France,known as Anne de Kiev. She rose to suchprominence not because of her looks, butbecause she was the only truly literateperson in the court and her wisdom wasadmired.

Further for transformation based onthe European model are found in both thepresent and the future.

In terms of economics, the brik ofUkraine’s trade will be with EuropeanUnion countries. Much of the investmenthad come and also may continued fromthose countries.

As for the political sphere, harmoniza-tion of legislation with European Unionstandards will pull Ukraine towards full-fledged contemporary democracy. Yet thefact that western European countriesrange in their political systems from con-stitutional monarchies through presiden-tial regimes to more parliamentary typeswould allow Ukraine to develop its ownpolitical architecture best suited to its tra-ditions and current particularities. SinceSwitzerland is likely to join the EuropeanUnion, Ukraine will be able to draw onthat experience, which is of particularuse for multi-ethnic countries.

As regards security, membership inthe EU would provide military securityand, even more importantly, permitUkraine to safeguard its cultural, linguis-tic and political autonomy in the interde-pendent political constellation in whichthe EU now finds itself.

***What are the special attractions of the

European model?It offers a vision called the “idea of

societal order”. The experience of somemember-countries of the European Unionshows that it is possible to reconcile theobjectives of contemporary societies withthe aspirations of people.

These objectives/aspirations include:political freedom (true democracy); eco-nomic effectiveness through innovation,competitiveness, which assures a highlevel of GDP; social justice (there isroom in such societies for very wealthy

people but there are no really poor peo-ple); co-existence with nature (ecologicalhealth, sustainability).

For Ukraine, the development of sucha societal order is almost imperative inorder to maintain political and socialcohesion. At present there are some verywealthy oligarchs and millions of poorpeople in Ukraine . This is not tenableover a long period.

While communism has not deliveredequality, the aspiration for a more equi-table distribution of wealth is deeplyrooted in society. There is even muchnostalgia now for the ”good old days”among the majority of the older popula-tion which did not experienced the massterror of Stalinist days and led pre-dictable lives, had assured retirementpensions, free medical care etc.

The second attraction of the Europeanmodel is a so-called “social contract.”This essentially means extending demo-cratic rights to the work place and notjust keeping it in the political arena, i.e.,in various kinds of elections. The experi-ence of countries as different as Swedenand Switzerland starting in 1937 andlasting over half a century shows that itis possible to have a broad consensustype of agreement between labor man-agement and government on how toassure profitability of enterprises and yetachieve good working conditions, protec-tion against actions by owners, man-agers.

Having work representatives on theboards of directors adds to stability bothat enterprise and national levels ratherthan incapacitating the companies. Evenco-determination law providing for evenrepresentation of owners and labor on theboards of directors, on the supervisoryboards imposed on Germany by theUnited States to prevent the re-emer-gence of huge companies assured theirgood development, the internationalcompetitiveness of the German economy,and the country’s high prosperity. Othercountries, like Austria and Holland, thathave additional legislation testify to thepositive aspects of such social contracts.

A key policy instrument of theEuropean Union is the Structural Fund.Currently there is about $100 billion inthat fund, which is available for distribu-tion over the next five years to poorermembers and particularly new candidatecountries to enable them to go throughnecessary structural reforms and developtheir economies in keeping with higherWestern/North European standards.

Richer countries contribute to thisfund and poor countries draw on it. Thisis how Greece, Spain and Portugal maderapid economic advances. Ireland is anoutstanding example of a country thatmoved from economic backwardness tobeing in the avant-garde of developedcountries.

***Is such a transformation of Ukraine

feasible?One can rephrase the question by pos-

ing it in a more direct manner: is ultimateaccession to the European Union possi-ble? The European Union did not seemto want Ukraine in its midst until now.The EU did not even want Ukraine tocall itself a potential candidate country.But things seem to be changing.

Ukraine’s economic performance overthe last few years reduces the worry thatUkraine, due to its low GDP per capita

Ukraine’s transformation on the European model:how the United States can assist the process

NEWS AND VIEWS


Dr. Bohdan Hawrylyshyn is chairmanof the International Center for PolicyStudies, International ManagementInstitute, Kyiv; and advisor to the chair-man of the Verkhovna Rada and theprime minister of Ukraine. The articleabove is based on the keynote address hedelivered on November 1, 2001, at theconference “Ukraine’s Quest for MatureNation Statehood” held in Washington.


As most good UNA’ers know, the nextquadrennial convention of the UkrainianNational Association will be held inChicago on May 24 through 28 at theMarriott O’Hare Hotel.

The local convention committee hasbeen preparing for this important conclave,working with the UNA Home Office, aswell as the Chicago Convention Bureau, tomake this the best UNA convention ever.

This is only the second time in 108 yearsthat a UNA convention is being held inChicago. To mark the occasion the Chicagoconvention committee has adopted the slo-gan “Together We Will,” a modification ofthe motto of the City of Chicago, “I Will.”

The reader might well ask, “will what?Although the answer is simple enough –“we will turn the UNA around” – doing thatis not. It’s no secret that the UNA, likealmost every other fraternal benefit societyin the United States, has declined in recentyears. So has practically every otherUkrainian institution, including our main-line Churches. Only our federal creditunions appear to be thriving.

The most momentous question thatUNA delegates will need to address in Maywill be “how?” How do we turn thingsaround? Much is at stake. The future ofSoyuzivka, The Ukrainian Weekly andSvoboda depend on the answer. Without theUNA, these three community-wide institu-tions will probably disappear.

Of special interest have been the writtenreports of the younger members of theUNA General Assembly as presented at ourmeeting last December. Taras G. SzmagalaJr., for example, believes that the “underly-ing issue of our association – “why be amember” – has gone unaddressed and thereis no indication of that changing in thefuture.”

Echoing Mr. Szmagala’s sentiments wasDr. Wasyl Szeremta, who wrote: “For theUNA to survive, we need to decide whatbusiness we are running. Are we an insur-ance company? Are we a resort provider?Are we a publisher? Are we a multi-factedorganization with separate subsidiaries? It isclear from the financial reports that we can-not do everything as a principal business.”

Mr. Szmagala expressed disappointmentthat the UNA delegates did not vote tochange the structure of the UNA from itspresent form to a corporate structure inwhich the convention elects a board ofdirectors which, in turn, has the power tohire (and fire) the working executive. Mr.Szmagala worked long and hard on fine-tuning this proposal, so his letdown isunderstandable. The proposal was defeatedin a mail-in ballot because two-thirds of thedelegates did not approve the by-lawschange.

Why was the proposal defeated? StefkoKuropas argued that the pros and cons ofthe idea were never adequately presented tothe delegates. “I believe,” he wrote, “thatmost delegates would agree that the mail-inballot is not something that is well-suitedfor the our organization.” Al Kachkowskiseemed to agree. “It is normal that such amajor step be approached with a degree ofcaution by delegates, especially when theydo not have an opportunity to hear the pro-posal presented and debated on a conven-tion floor. It is my hope that our next con-vention will make room for such debate.”

UNA conventions are important deci-sion-making bodies. In researching the his-tory of the UNA, I discovered that therewas a time when all UNA members, notjust executives, assembly members and del-

egates could freely voice their opinions andhave them published in Svoboda. Theprecedent was set prior to the 1914 UNAconvention. The discussion on the pages ofSvoboda began on July 2 and ended onSeptember 5 with a total of 138 individualsparticipating.

What amazed me was that some recom-mendations are being echoed today – some85 years later. The August 4, 1917, issue ofSvoboda, for example, published a letterfrom Father Dmytro Khomiak demandingthat the entire UNA membership receive allconvention reports prior to the elections ofdelegates so that they would be “familiarwith the way the organization was man-gaged during the past three years. Only inthis way can delegates decide if supremeexecutives are worthy of further support”.On August 30, Ivan Kashtaniuk complainedthat local UNA branches were no longerviewed as important by UNA national exec-utives. That same year Gregory Geba wrotethat the UNA shouldn’t belong to any politi-cal organization “because it creates realproblems in the organizing of new mem-bers.”

In a September 11, 1920, Svoboda pro-posal titled “Stop, Look and Listen,” thevenerable Father Volodymyr Spolitakewyczwrote: “In order for the UN Soyuz conven-tion to be life-giving and beneficial, wemust not be narrow-minded, one-sided orselfish, wishing only that ‘good’ which webelieve is good. Our goal must be the orga-nizational good, a good that is apparent toall delegates and members of the UNSoyuz... The convention of the UNA is nota political gathering, a party meeting, or areligious synod, and for that reason there isno room for political, party or religiousfights.”

Following heated discussions, delegatesto the 1925 UNA convention voted to cur-tail recommendations from individual UNAmembers. In the future only those proposalswhich were approved during a UNA branchmeeting would be published in Svoboda.This was amended by the 1970 UNA con-vention, which ruled that only proposalsapproved at district committee meetingswould be published.

Even this was too much for some UNAexecutives. On May 1, 1974, Svobodapromulgated the following dictate:“Paragraph 17 of the UNA By-Lawsdefines the duties of various conventioncommittees. The By-Laws Committee isobligated to review all pre-convention rec-ommendations for the development andwell-being of Soyuz which are made bybranches after they have been approved oramended by the supreme executive whichthen proposes a course of action to be takenby the convention. There is nothing in theBy-Laws that obligates the publication ofthese recommendations in Svoboda, theofficial organ of the UNA. Inasmuch as thepublication of such recommendations hasbecome part of our tradition, however,Svoboda will continue to publish them, butonly in the form in which they are receivedfrom the Supreme Executive.”

For 60 years recommendations from theUNA membership were published freely inthe UNA press. This fraternal and demo-cratic practice was quashed in 1974. I don’tbelieve it is mere coincidence that that sameyear the UNA began a decline that contin-ues until today.

FFaacceess aanndd PPllaacceessby Myron B. Kuropas

Myron Kuropas’ e-mail address is:[email protected].

“Together we will”

Dear Editor:This is to thank you for publishing my

article on “Recent legal and tax changes inU.S. facilitate adoption from Ukraine,” inyour December 30, 2001, issue. Of course,it is always a pleasure to see one’s name inprint! Also, I was afraid the article would bequite long by many newspaper standards,and you thought it useful enough to publishin its entirety. Hopefully it will encouragesome would-be parents to go ahead withwhat is a difficult – but certainly doable –undertaking.

My wife Marlies and I both enjoy TheWeekly very much. We find it very inform-ative. Often the specialized press of any sortfeels it always has to defend its particularinterest. But you publish articles and com-mentaries expressing all possible views ondevelopments in Ukraine, a country thatneeds not only fair coverage but alsoencouragement to keep moving in the rightdirection.

Such an attitude on the part of the pressis much appreciated by the ordinary reader.Through The Ukrainian Weekly we get awell-rounded view of events in that coun-try.

Patrick W. MurphyBethesda, Md.

The Weekly provides a well-rounded view

Dear Editor:I read Andrij Wowk’s recent article

“Where have the young professionalsgone?” with interest and laud his and theUkrainian Engineers’ Society’s efforts toorganize an effort to re-engage young pro-fessionals in Ukrainian American organiza-tions.

Mr. Wowk is correct that “there shouldbe a second level of community involve-ment, into which young people can step asthey leave the collegiate world.” While anumber of professionally affiliated organi-zations continue to exist in the UkrainianAmerican community in varying degrees ofvibrancy, it seems that many of the profes-sional and business associations (Ps&Bs)that were active in the 1980s and early1990s and provided that second level ofcommunity involvement continue to existon paper only. Some of the reasons for theirdemise are pertinent to efforts at revitaliza-tion.

While networking – one Ukrainian pro-fessional putting another in contact with“the right person” – is a worthwhile goal,this is not enough to sustain an organiza-tion. Simply put, once interested profes-sionals from a given geographic location ata given point in time all meet each other,the organization quickly devolves into asocial group. While the importance ofsocializing to the continued vitality ofUkrainian American organizations cannotbe overemphasized, it alone is not enoughto develop and grow an organization, par-ticularly as members move away, undergochanges in lifestyle, etc. and membersbegin to question the purpose of the organi-zation. The loss of momentum thatinevitably ensues also dooms recruitment ofnew members. This devolution, it seems tome, was largely responsible for the demiseof a number of Ps&Bs groups.

Furthermore, while organizing by pro-fessional pursuit also can be worthwhile, atthe same time such affiliations may notmeet the needs of professionals in today’sworld. Simply put, Ukrainian Americanprofessional societies cannot begin to hopeto provide the range of services or profes-sional information that their Americancounterparts can. While some professionalsocieties seem to have overcome this obsta-cle, many have not.

Nonetheless, I believe there can beviable Ukrainian American professionalsocieties if a number of factors are takeninto consideration.

First, while this may be stating the obvi-ous, members are drawn to these affiliationsbecause they do want to associate withother Ukrainian Americans.

Second, such societies can develop andgrow if they provide a mix of activities andinterests – in other words, there should beprojects with goals that encourage membersto participate and to invite others to jointhem. Not only should there be social andcultural activities, but also volunteer activi-ties for the betterment of the entire commu-nity should be considered.

For example, the aging UkrainianAmerican population would benefittremendously from volunteer (or partly vol-unteer) efforts that younger professionalscould provide by specialty or interest, suchas basic medical services, estate planning oreven the collection of oral histories.

There is also the potential for projectsinvolving Ukraine, collaboration with theFourth Wave of immigrants, or joint effortswith other organizations in the largerAmerican society.

Is this too difficult? There are a numberof organizations which by recognizing theneed for Ukrainian American professionals

Ps & Bs groups needpurposeful environment

to congregate in a purposeful environmenthave enjoyed continued vitality and suc-cess. I wish Mr. Wowk, the UkrainianEngineers’ Society of America, and the oth-ers involved in their revitalization effort thebest of success and hope to see concretesteps taken as a result of the informal sum-mit they are planning

Olena W. SterchoWayne, Pa.

Dear Editor:I wanted to thank Myron B. Kuropas,

through your Weekly, for his excellent, eru-dite article titled “Canada’s barbed wirefence” (January 20). To me, the first para-graph was particularly meaningful andpoignant.

My parents came from Bukovyna; mydad served in the Austro-Hungarian army.Both parents were illiterate because therewere no schools in their vicinity duringtheir school-age years, and they were poor.However, an opportunity arose and theytook it. They immigrated to Canada andhomesteaded in the area of Kamsack,Saskatchewan, along with hundreds ofother Ukrainians. They overcame many ahardship and with hard work and communi-ty cooperation led a fairly comfortable life.

The most important result of all this, as itpertains to me, is that they encouraged thechildren to obtain an education – somethingthey never had an opportunity to experi-ence.

I have copied this column by Dr.Kuropas and sent it to each of our threechildren, so that they and our nine grand-children could get a glimpse of some of thehardships that the Ukrainian pioneersendured in order to give us all a much betterlife.

It is truly something to cherish, and wemust never forget our forefathers and theirdetermined efforts to succeed. I am eternal-ly grateful!

Michael E. Sasynuik, B.Sc. M.D.Bellevue, Wash.

Thanks to Kuropasfor column on pioneers

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR


The use of mail sorting codes to expe-ditiously handle large volumes of mail isnot a new idea. The first true postal codes,today known as zip codes, date to the firsthalf of the 20th century, and the first coun-try to introduce them was Ukraine.

Setting up the indexA sophisticated, three-part postal code

system (referred to as an “index”) wasfirst introduced in December 1932. Thisprogram was not a brief experimentalventure limited to a small region of thecountry, but instead was a fully supportedgovernmental effort that extended to allcorners of interwar Ukraine (then part ofthe USSR) until it was abruptly discon-tinued in 1939 (Figure 1). Four differentinformational postal cards were preparedin 1932 to announce the new index pro-gram (Nos. 176 and 184-186). Their textsare all different, but the messages aresimilar.

Postal card No. 186 (Figure 2) dis-plays a typical announcement-exhorta-tion. It shows an envelope with deliveryand return addresses that each contain thenew index (for the cities of Olevsk andKyiv, 101 Y 1 and 11 Y 15, respectively).The Ukrainian text reads: “A convention-al indication “index” has been assignedto every populated point in Ukraine. Thepresence of such a conventional designa-tion on a letter guarantees correct send-ing and timely reception! Information atthe post office!”

It was at post offices that a 268-pagebook was made available to patrons. Itslengthy title was self-explanatory:Listing of the Postal Establishments,Railway Stations, Towns, Villages andRural Councils of Ukraine With TheirDesignated Postal Codes. Published in1932 in Kharkiv (the Ukrainian capital atthe time), the volume was divided intotwo sections. The first half presented allthe locales in Ukraine in alphabeticalorder followed by their new postal code.The second half listed all the postal codesof the country in sequence (starting with1 Y 1 and ending with 486 Y 53) fol-lowed by the place name. So, either wayone looked up some information, it couldbe readily tracked down.

How the index workedEvery index was composed of a num-

ber-letter-number series. The centralCyrillic “Y” (pronounced “oo,” as inboot) of an Index designation stood for(Y)Íð‡ªÌ‡ (Ukraine) and so immediatelyidentified mails destined for this republicof the Soviet Union. The first number(the fore-number) designated the impor-tance and size of a location. Numbers 1to 10 were assigned to the capital city ofKharkiv (1 through 7 allocated to majordistrict (raion) postal centers in the city,but 8 to 10 held in reserve).

Remaining two-digit numbers indicat-ed other major cities. So, 11 to 20 speci-fied Kyiv (Nos. 11 to 14 allocated,remainder in reserve), 21 to 29 Odesa(five numbers allocated), 30 to 33Mykolaiv (only one allocated), 34 to 39Dnipropetrovsk (four numbers allocated),40 to 44 Zaporizhia (all five numbersallocated), 45 to 48 Stalino (presentlyDonetsk, four numbers allocated), 49 to51 Mariupil (one number allocated), andso on to 89 to 91 for Kherson (one num-ber allocated). Numbers 92 to 100 werekept in reserve.

Three-digit fore-numbers indicatedraions of lesser importance in the coun-try. So, 101 stood for the Oliev district(in Zhytomyr province) and this districtwas subdivided into 39 smaller postaldrop-off and pick-up points, mostly vil-lage post offices. These raion subdivi-sions were indicated by the hind-numbersof the postal Index. The Oliev subdivi-sions, therefore, ranged from 101 Y 1 to101 Y 39.

Raion subdivisions could vary tremen-dously in number, from 130 in Kharkivraion to just nine in Staro Kermenchykraion. Usually, though, they rangedbetween 20 and 40 in number. In all, 440raions are enumerated in the listing,while 46 large-city raion number slotswere set aside for future use (i.e., theraion fore-numbers go as high as 486).Over 25,000 unique raion subdivisionreceiving points are specified.

Examples of usePostal index codes more frequently

appeared on the bottom halves of cancel-ing devices (Figures 3 and 4), but theycan also be found across the tops andsometimes on the side. In addition, thecodes are frequently seen on registrationcachets (Figures 5 to 7), both those indi-

FFFFOOOOCCCCUUSS OONN PPHHIIUUSS OONN PPHHII LLLLAAAATTTTEEEELLLLYYYYby Ingert Kuzych

The world’s first postal code

cated with the Latin “R” (for registered)or Russian Cyrillic “á“ (for zakaznoe).

The fate of the index systemThe Ukrainian index system was sus-

pended in the summer of 1939. The latestcode described in the literature (22 Y 1from Odesa) dates to June 25, 1939, andthe index system most likely was discon-tinued at about this time. The abrupt ces-sation in use of the index may have beenfor strategic reasons, since the rumblingsand preparations for war increased as theyear progressed. (The Nazi-Soviet non-

aggression pact, the so-called Molotov-Ribbentrop Agreement, was signed onAugust 23, 1939.) Postal codes wereapparently not assigned to any locales inwestern Ukraine, which came underSoviet occupation in September of 1939.

An alternate reason for the abandon-ment of the system may have been thestepped-up purges of the latter 1930s.Newly installed Communist Partyreplacements may have wished todemonstrate their loyalty by eliminatingthe postal code as a manifestation of“bourgeois nationalism.”

Figure 6. Registered cover mailed from Odesa to Berlin on December 22, 1932(i.e., not long after the Index system was established). Note the 22 Y 1 index nota-tion on the rectangular registration marking.

Figure 3. The Index 22 Y l specified Odesa.

Figure 4. Index number 485 Y l served Krasnyi Luch.

Figure 7. Cyrillic registration markingwith the Index of 12 Y 1 for Kyiv.

Figure 5. Registration sticker with theIndex 24 Y 11 for Olgina, a substation

of Odesa.

Figure 2. Postal card from 1932 introducing the new Ukrainian “index” system.

Figure 1. The Ukrainian SSR during the interwar years in a detail of a map from“Ukraine: A Historical Atlas” by Paul Robert Magocsi (1985).


thing into a historical context. We seethat problems began on June 28, 1919,when the Supreme Council of the ParisPeace Conference, just after World War I,allowed Poland to occupy all of EasternGalicia (or western Ukraine). Polandnever adhered to the points of the Treatyof Versailles.

A clear violation of Ukrainian rightswas made in July 31, 1924, whichexcluded the Ukrainian language fromuse in governmental and in self-govern-ing agencies. In addition, Polandembarked on an intensive process of col-onizing Ukrainian territories with Polesfrom ethnic Poland. In the next 20 years,about 200,000 Poles were moved intoUkrainian villages and about 100,000into cities of western Ukraine. The Polishregime also began a complete destructionof Ukrainian schools. For example,Ukrainian schools in Galicia droppedfrom 2,420 in 1911 to 352 in 1937.Polish schools on Ukrainian territoriesgreatly increased. Ukrainian Catholicsalso were pressured to accept the Latinrite, to become Roman Catholic, whichactually meant renouncing theirUkrainian nationality.

Then, in June 1934, the PolishMinister of Internal Affairs, BronislawPieracki, was assassinated in Warsaw byUkrainians in retaliation for his role inthe brutal “pacification” of Ukraine.Three days later Bereza Kartuzka wasopened. This means that the camp musthave been planned much earlier becauseeverything was in place.

The “pacification” of Ukraine was areign of terror. People were beaten merci-lessly, books were burned, Ukrainianinstitutions were closed, censorship wasenforced. In the Ukrainian newspapers inCanada during the 1930s, you can readmany accounts of what occurred. It wasnatural for Canadian Ukrainians to followwhat was happening in their homeland, totheir families and friends. Also, when yougo through newspapers and archives ofthe 1930’s, you see that the internationalpress was aware of what was happening.The Manchester Guardian, for example,often reported about the terror beinginflicted on Ukrainians. And photosdepicting this did get out to the West. TheWest knew what was happening inWestern Ukraine but did little.

Who took these photographs?It was local people from different vil-

lages who took these pictures secretly.They wanted to inform the League ofNations about the conditions thatUkrainians lived in under Poland in orderto persuade the League to intervene. ThePolish government, claiming to be demo-cratic, was somewhat sensitive when theWest learned about the abuse of minorityrights in Poland. Can you imagine? Wewere living on our own land and wereconsidered a minority!

What purpose was the concentra-tion camp supposed to serve in the eyesof the Polish government?

Ukrainians were placed in Bereza tobe “re-educated,” that is, to learn not tooppose policies of Polonization and notto resist Polish rule. It was a way of ter-rorizing Ukrainians and trying to getthem to stop attaining an independenthomeland. Most of them were there forthree months, but some for a year and ahalf. Some died in the camp. The campcommander was Col. Yanush Kostek-Biernacki and his subordinate was B.Grefner, who was later replaced by I.Kamalia.

I might add that in a declaration ofSeptember 13, 1934, Poland denouncedthe treaty on the protection of nationalminorities at the League of Nations.

You said earlier that various ethnicgroups were incarcerated. Whichgroup predominated in the camp?

Well, that depends on the year.Towards 1939 the majority wereUkrainians. In 1934 the population ofthe camp was about 250 people, but bySeptember 1939 there were between5,000 and 8,000 people, the majority ofwhom were Ukrainians. Just imagine theconditions, too. They used to sleep about15 to a room when the camp first openedin 1934 but towards the end it wasbetween 60 and 70 men to a room. Someeven slept outside under the elements.

Were you able to learn what theprisoners ate?

by Fran PonomarenkoSpecial to The Ukrainian Weekly

MONTREAL – The story of the infa-mous concentration camp, BerezaKartuzka (1934-1939), where thousandsof Ukrainian patriots were incarceratedwithout due process and in direct viola-tion of the Polish Constitution is littleknown. Yurij Luhovy, a member of theAcademy of Canadian Cinema andTelevision, is now close to completing adocumentary film about this camp, a filmbased on authentic photographs, docu-ments, archival footage, and eyewitnesstestimonials from survivors.

Part one of a trilogy dealing withUkraine under three occupations –Polish, Communist and Nazi – this filmwill highlight the political situation inwhich Western Ukrainians found them-selves under Polish rule between the firstand second world wars. Award-winningMontreal filmmaker, Mr. Luhovy is bestknown for his work on “Harvest ofDespair.” He has, however, more recent-ly made another documentary film titled“Freedom Had a Price” about the intern-ment operations in Canada, which led tothe detention of over 5,000 Ukrainians in24 camps across Canada, and led to thedesignation of a further 88,000 civilians(the majority of whom also wereUkrainian) as “enemy aliens.”

In addition to his documentary work,Mr. Luhovy has also worked in the main-stream industry on such films as“Khanehsatake: 250 Years ofResistance,” “Show Girls,” “Rocks atWhiskey Trench” and “Race for theBomb.”

You are presently close to complet-ing a film about the Bereza Kartuzkaconcentration camp. What broughtyou to this subject?

Actually, it was my father. He wasimprisoned in Bereza. When I was ayoung boy I often heard him speakingwith his friends, who were also incar-cerated there, about the abuses theyendured in the camp. They used to sitaround our dining room table inMontreal and recount their stories forhours. They talked about their lives inwestern Ukraine in the 1930s. They allknew each other in Ukraine as students,or as former prisoners in Bereza

It was the political climate at thattime. You have to place his story in thecontext of the tension between Polandand Ukraine in the late 1920s and 1930s.Western Ukraine was under Polish occu-pation and the Polish government pro-gressively used severe measures to sup-press and pacify Ukraine. By 1935Poland became a completely authoritari-an state and attacks against Ukrainianlife again increased. My father’s arrestwas one of many.

We were never certain of the reason.None was ever given. Ukrainians werearrested by the Polish police “bez pravazakhystu,” without the right of a defense.This was illegal, of course, even underPolish law, but it was done anyway. Myfather had just finished law school inTernopil and had just married my moth-er. They decided to settle in Brody; theyear was 1938. He was supposed to workfor two years under a lawyer for no pay.However, to survive they opened a fruitstore. Nearby, a Polish man also had one,and he saw his business dwindling. Mymother always thought that the reasonfor the denunciation of my father wasthis person’s jealousy. One day my moth-er came to the store to bring my fathersome lunch but he was not there. Theneighbors said that my father was arrest-ed and taken to the Bereza Kartuzka con-centration camp. This happened in Juneor July of 1939. That day about 17 otherpeople from Brody alone were arrestedand imprisoned.

What kind of people were usuallypicked up by the Polish police?

All persons active in Ukrainiannational affairs were under constant sur-veillance, searched and often arrested.The Polish police especially looked forpeople that were in the Ukrainian under-ground, in the OUN [Organization ofUkrainian Nationalists], which, in retali-ation, had organized a struggle againstthe brutality of the Polish occupation.They also targeted intellectuals. Butcriminals of various nationalities alsowere imprisoned there. This was doneon purpose, to create dissension andconflict. There were also some Poles inBereza who opposed Pilsudski’s authori-tarian rule. The Polish police also arrest-

INTERVIEW: Yurij Luhovy on the making of a film about Bereza Kartuzka


Filmmaker Yurij Luhovy stands in front of the Bereza Kartuzka concentration camp.

[My father’s] experiences, and those ofothers like him were first-hand accountsof an untold story never yet filmed. ... Itwas very emotional for me to walk wheremy father once did.

Kartuzka, or from the DP [displacedpersons] camps after World War II. Inthe 1950s some of them found eachother again in Montreal.

So, their stories were always in theback of my mind and overtime, I real-ized we didn’t know our history. Therewere many other immigrants living inCanada and the United States that hadspent time in Bereza. What also stayedwith me is that such a docile, gentleman like my father could be beaten. Hisexperiences, and those of others likehim, were first-hand accounts of anuntold story never yet filmed.

What led to the incarceration ofyour father?

ed Communists of Polish, Jewish andBelarusian origin. All these people werethrown together and that created lots ofproblems in the camp amongst the pris-oners. There were even fights.

This concentration camp dates backto the early 1930s, to the time wheneastern Ukrainians were in the after-math of the Famine-Genocide.

The 20th century wasn’t very kind toUkraine. Yes, eastern Ukraine was suf-fering brutal repression under Stalin, andwestern Ukraine was suffering underPolish control. Bereza Kartuzka began tooperate from 1934. In the film, the histo-rians who were interviewed put every-


ter sports with a first-time berth in icehockey (see story on ice hockey, page 11).The team will compete with five NationalHockey League players. Veteran DmitriKhristich of the Washington Capitals,Philadelphia Flyers’ up-and-comer RuslanFedotenko, Toronto Maple Leafs’ fourth-round draft pick Alexei Ponikarovsky, St.Louis Blues’ Sergei Varlamov andChicago Blackhawks prospect DmitriTolkunov all are expected to compete bar-ring any last-minute changes.

The Ukrainian ice hockey squad willbegin its quest for the medals round bycompeting against Belarus on February 9,Switzerland on February 11 and Franceon February 13. If the group can success-fully navigate the qualifying round, TeamUkraine will need to face powerhousesCanada, Sweden, the United States andthe Russian Federation – not to mentionthe gold-medal favorite, the CzechRepublic – in order to place itself inmedal contention.

Team Ukraine gained its Olympic icehockey berth by placing third at theOlympic Qualification Tournament for theSalt Lake City Games in Oslo, Norway,on August 2, 2001, and followed up thisperformance with a top-10 finish at the2001 World Championships in Germany.

Ukraine’s hopes in freestyle aerialsseem much more realistic but suffered ablow with the loss of Ukrainian-born AllaTsuper who changed her citizenship toBelarusian midway through the 1998-1999 season. Ms. Tsuper, whose careerbest 2000-2001 World Cup season placedher second overall, was quoted on theofficial 2002 Salt Lake City website thatshe left the Ukrainian team because shedidn’t work well with the new Ukrainianhead coach and wanted to continue work-ing with her old coach in Belarus.

However, with a string of recent top-10finishes, Tatiana Kozachenko could makethings interesting in the women’s freestyleaerials. The 21-year-old took 10th placeon January 21 in Lake Placid, N.Y., eighthin Mont Tremblant, Quebec on January13, and second-and-third place finishes atCanada’s Fortress Mountain on December16 and 14, 2001, respectively.

At the 18th Winter Games, Ms.Kozachenko barely missed the medalplatform by taking fourth place, oneahead of then teammate Ms. Tsuper.While on the men’s side, 23-year-oldStanislav Kravchuk took ninth place inNagano along with seventh, fifth and third

place finishes during the 2001-2002World Cup season.

Though America’s Michelle Kwan andSarah Hughes, along with Russia’s IrinaSlutskaya and Maria Butyrskaya, lookstrong for medal contention in women’sfigure skating, Ukrainians OlenaLiashenko and Halyna Maniachenkocould prove very interesting to watch. Thepressure will be off the Ukrainians but onthe American and Russian skaters – andespecially Kwan who has yet to win anOlympic gold medal.

Both Ms. Liashenko and Ms.Maniachenko competed in the 2002European Championships in Lausanne,Switzerland, taking ninth and fourthplaces, respectively. Ms. Maniachenko’sfourth place was especially impressiveconsidering that both Ms. Slutskaya andMs. Butyrskaya competed in the event,not to mention that Ms. Liashenko is theodds-on favorite in the Ukrainian camp.

It may seem like a surprise, butUkrainian bobsleders have competed inall of the last three Winter Games and willcontinue that tradition in Salt Lake Cityby fielding a four-man and two-man sled.Although they have yet to medal, or forthat matter even come close (one cannothelp but think of the Cinderella team ofJamaican bobsledders) in any European,World or Olympic races, the squad doeshave a ninth-place finish in the four-manat the 2001 European Cup in France. Theteam will also carry 27-year-old veteranOleh Polyvach who took 23rd place in thetwo-man at the 1998 Nagano Games.

Although strongest in biathlon withpotential in the women’s freestyle aerials,women’s figure skating and men’s icehockey, the Ukrainian squad will alsofield competitors in cross-country skiing,luge, alpine skiing, speed skating, skijumping, figure skating and short track.

Gold medalist Nina Lemesh of Ukraine (center) with silver medalist Svetlana Ichmouratova of Russia (left)and bronze medalist Magdalena Forsberg of Sweden on the winner's podium after the World Cup 7.5-kilo-

meter biathlon in Anterselva, Italy, in 1998.

Figure skater Olena Liashenko poses fora photo during a training session in Kyiv.

Freestyle aerialist Tetiana Kozachenko(photo reproduced from “The OlympicTeam of Ukraine: Official Handbook.”).

Iryna Taranenko Terelia crosses the finish line to take fourth place in the 15-kilometercross-country event at the Nagano Games in 1998.

Biathlete Olena Zubrilova celebrates her victory in theWorld Cup 10-kilometer race in Lahti, Finland in 2000.

(Continued from page 1)

The Ukrainian Weekly EditorAndrew Nynka leaves on February1 for Sun Valley, Idaho, officialtraining site of Ukraine’s WinterOlympic Team, where he will havean opportunity to meet with theUkrainian delegation. Mr. Nynkawill then travel to Salt Lake City,where he will cover the OlympicGames. Look for his exclusivereports in upcoming issues of TheWeekly.

Ukraine sends...

Weekly at Olympics

AP/Franco Debernardi

AP/Joe Cavaretta

AP/Tor Wennstrom

AP/Viktor Pobedinsky


Salt Lake City Preview:Ukraine’s hockey hopefuls

ing under the guidance of a full-timechess coach. In the under-18 age categoryhe won the European championship atage 12 and the world championship at 13.

At 14 he became the youngest playerever to be awarded the title of grandmas-ter. In 1998, Mr. Ponomaryov made hisdebut on the Ukrainian olympic Team,and soon thereafter won the UkrainianZonal tournament – the first step towardsthe World Championship.

In the year 2001, Mr. Ponomaryov tiedfor 1-2 places in the European men’schampionship and then played a key rolein garnering the first-ever gold medal forUkraine in the World Team Championship.The gold medal was decided only in thelast-round match against Russia, in whichthe four-man Ukrainian team prevailed bya score of 22:12, thanks to the lone victoryby Mr. Ponomaryov.

For the first time in history Ukrainepossesses both the team and the individ-ual world chess championships – andboth of them have Ruslan Ponomaryovwritten all over them.

On Saturday, February 9, even beforethey drop the puck at center ice inUkraine’s first preliminary round gameversus Belarus in Salt Lake City, therewill be a tremendous sense of accom-plishment. The 2002 Winter Games willbe Ukraine’s first ever participation inOlympic hockey competition. Previously,Ukraine had earned its status in the upperechelon of hockey nations by winningthe 1998 B-Pool World Championships.

Ukraine’s head coach, AnatolyBogdanov, preaches the old Soviet styleof hockey, featuring crisp passing, con-stant cycling of the puck and an overallemphasis on an attacking offense.However, Mr. Bogdanov’s theory maynot be so easy to transform into practical-ity due to a chronic lack of troops to real-ize such a multi-dimensional attack.

Between the pipes, Coach Bogdanovmust select between Igor Karpenko, oncethe property of both the Anaheim MightyDucks and Calgary Flames, andKonstantin Simchuk. Karpenko andSimchuk have many years of tested expe-rience on the North American profession-al minor league circuits.

Karpenko has the additional creditclaim of winning two Russian titles whilewith Metallurg Magnitogorsk.Unfortunately, his career resume is some-what tainted by his meltdown at the 2001World Championships, where he stum-bled and bumbled to a lofty 5.41 goalsagainst average with a paltry .844 savepercentage.

His rival, Simchuk, managed a 47-save effort in a 5-0 whitewash toSweden, but finished the tournamentwith his own impressive shutout win, 2-0over Austria.

The defense corps would truly be for-tified and very well manned if Ukrainian-born blueliners Alexei Zhitnik of theBuffalo Sabres and Oleg Tverdovsky ofthe Anaheim Mighty Ducks had thedesire and eligibility to don the sweatersof their true national team. Having repre-sented Russia in international competi-tions in the past, this option is no longerfeasible for the talented Ukrainiandefense duo. Thus, the Ukrainian back-line will be headmanned by 26-year-oldSergei Klementiev (owner of a good hardshot from the point) and OleksanderSavitsky and Artem Ostroushko (reliablestay-at-home types).

Team Ukraine boasts three semi-note-worthy Ukrainian-born wingers withvarying levels of National HockeyLeague experience: 12-year veteranDmitri Khristich of the WashingtonCapitals, second-year rookie RuslanFedotenko of the Philadelphia Flyers and

21-year-old Alexei Ponikarovsky of theToronto Maple Leafs, recalled from theAHL’s St. John’s Leafs in mid-January.The addition of these talented right-wingers will obviously add offensivefirepower.

Little pepperpot Vadim Slivchenko’sstar outshined Khristich’s at the Worldtournament by notching four goals. Theforward line of Vadim Shakraichuk,Vitaly Lytvynenko and Valentyn Oletskyshould return intact as a potentiallypotent trio.

Ukraine has struggled against the topnational hockey programs at the WorldChampionships, earning back-to-back14th place showings in 1999 and 2000.The squad showed improvement by fin-ishing in 10th place at the 2001 WorldChampionships in Germany, mainly dueto an impressive upset victory overLatvia.

One can only wonder about the levelsof grandeur the Ukrainian nationalhock-ey program could achieve if more of itsnational players stayed at home, honingtheir skills training together as a cohesiveunit. The legendary Ukrainian club teamSokil Kyiv used to be Ukraine’s answerto powerhouse CSKA Moscow, but theclub has suffered through a series of dif-ficult years due to continually increasingplayer migration throughout Europe andinto North America. The lure of upgradedtraining facilities/player development andlucrative professional contracts is tootempting for our young native sons.

In Group B of the preliminary roundof eight teams, Ukraine will encounterthe most difficulty against Switzerland.That said, Ukraine does have an excellentchance at knocking out France andBelarus. In fact, some international hock-ey experts are predicting Ukraine as apotential favorite against both these foes.

Team Ukraine has an international rep-utation as a feisty group that can be vic-torious when harnessing that feistiness.With all five skaters on the ice sticking totheir offensive system of quick passesand creating the right shot on goal,Ukraine has a legitimate shot at survivingthe preliminary round and gaining themedal rounds. Wouldn’t that add to thealready strong sense of accomplishmentof just being in Salt Lake City?

Fedotenko to play for Team UkraineFor Christmas, what do you give a

professional hockey player who has justabout everything?

How about official permission to leavehis NHL team for a week and play for hiscountry in the preliminary round of theOlympics?

Ukrainian pro hockey update bbbbyyyy IIIIhhhhoooorrrr SSSStttteeeellllmmmmaaaacccchhhh

(Continued from page 1)Ukrainian becomes...

Four of Team Ukraine’s hockey players (beginning with top row, from left):Dmitri Khristich, Ihor Karpenko, Valentyn Oletsky and Vitaly Litvinenko. (Photos reproduced from “The Olympic Team of Ukraine: Official Handbook.”)

That’s what right-winger RuslanFedotenko found under the proverbialholiday tree when the Philadelphia Flyerstold him he could miss games to play forhis native Ukraine in Olympic qualifyingaction February 9-15.

A night after finding out the goodnews, Fedotenko celebrated with his firsttwo-goal game of the season in a 4-1 vic-tory at Washington.

Initially the Flyers were not too keenon the idea of giving Fedotenko permis-sion to go, but General Manager BobbyClarke had a change of heart after herealized Fedotenko is one of only a hand-

ful of NHL players on the Ukraine roster.Without players of his caliber, Ukrainehas virtually no chance of advancing tothe final round.

“If it means that Fedotenko misses onegame or two, I don’t think that’s asimportant to us as him getting a chanceto play in the Olympics and representinghis country,” Clarke said.

Fedotenko’s response: “I’m honored toplay for my country and I’m looking for-ward to it.”

(Thanks to The Hockey News’ WayneFish for above quotations.)

2001 World Championships final Team Ukraine scoringPlayer Pos. GP G A PTS PIMVadim Slivchenko F 6 4 0 4 0Vadim Shakraichuk F 6 2 1 3 12Dmitri Khristich F 6 1 2 3 2Sergei Klementiev D 6 1 2 3 20Wasyl Bobronikov F 6 1 1 2 0Valery Shiryaev D 6 0 2 2 2Konstantin Kasyanchuk F 6 1 0 1 0Vitaly Litvinenko F 6 1 0 1 2Boris Protsenko F 6 0 1 1 0Roman Salnikov F 6 0 1 1 2Valentyn Oletsky F 6 0 1 1 4Vyacheslav Zavalnyuk D 4 0 0 0 0Igor Karpenko GT 3 0 0 0 0Andrei Sryubko D 5 0 0 0 00leg Polkovnikov D 5 0 0 0 10Konstantin Simchuk GT 4 0 0 0 0Vitaly Lyutkevich D 6 0 0 0 2Bogdan Savenko F 6 0 0 0 2Alexei Lazarenko F 6 0 0 0 4Alexander Matvichuk F 6 0 0 0 6Artem Ostroushko D 6 0 0 0 8Alexander Savitsky D 6 0 0 0 8


Roman Rudnytsky

PROVO, Utah – Viewers will need tokeep a sharp eye on the various cere-monies during the Olympics in Salt LakeCity, because they may just catch aglimpse of swirling ribbons and flyingleaps in the Ukrainian Hopak.

Colleen N. West, assistant professor,World Dance Division, Brigham YoungUniversity in Provo, Utah, has reportedthat The International Folk DanceEnsemble from BYU will perform at theOlympics – and its repertoire includesUkrainian members.

The ensemble, affiliated with thedance department in the College ofHealth and Human Performance, com-prises 15 women and 15 men who comefrom all backgrounds and majors. Someof the dancers are dance majors, butmany major in political science, interna-tional finance, linguistics, zoology, healthscience, law, accounting, etc.

In order to be a member of the group,a student must be a full-time student witha GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Edwin Austin is director of the groupparticipating in the Olympics, which iscalled the Performing Arts Company.There are also five other folk danceteams with 16 couples in each group. Thefaculty who manage these 190 students,are Ms. West, Delynne Peay, JeannetteGeslison and Tara Christopher. Ms. Westis the costume research and design coor-dinator for all the costumes.

The group does dances from all overthe world, but, according to Ms. West,their Ukrainian section always is the sig-nature piece of its shows and most lovedby audiences.

There will be a special program called“Light of the World” sponsored by TheChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-DaySaints. The performance will be present-ed every night in the Conference Centerduring the Olympics. The Ukrainian cul-ture will be one of the many highlightedand many of the students are involved inthis huge production.

The folk dance ensemble has been

asked to perform the Hopak and Irishstep dancing at the Medals Plaza onFebruary 18 from 6:15 p.m. to 6:45p.m. NBC will televise this perform-ance. The dancers will also be in theopening ceremonies involvingAmerican clogging, Ukrainian andIrish dance numbers.

On January 29 at noon the dancershave been asked to do a half-hour show –with Ukrainian numbers specificallyrequested – for the athletes at theOlympic Village.

They will also be dancing the Hopakat the Tabernacle Park in Provo onFebruary 14 at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.At Washington Square at the County CityBuilding, where the Salt Lake CityCorporation will sponsor an OlympicCelebration, the folk dance ensemble hasbeen asked to do a half hour show onFebruary 21 at 5:45 p.m. Of course,Ukrainian again was requested.

“This is craziness, but yet, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It all begins in a

couple of weeks. It’s hard to believe,”said Ms. West.

Ms. West grew up in Edmonton andCalgary, Alberta. Her mother hails fromAthabasca, Alberta, where her family, theWaschuks, emigrated from Datyn, north-west of Kovel in Volyn, western Ukraine,in the early 1900s. At the time, “land was160 acres for $10, of course, it was solidbush,” Ms. West related.

West is the recipient of the TeachingExcellence Award, from the College ofHealth and Human Performance at BYU(1998-1999). Her research interests areethnic costume design, Ukrainian dance,music and costumes, and history of cho-reography of rhythm tap dance.

Along with being a choreographer,Ms. West designed Poltava-region Hopakcostumes for the male and femaledancers of the ensemble. She received aresearch grant from the college to con-duct research on culture, costumes anddance history during a folk arts tour ofUkraine in August 2000.

Ukrainian Hopak to be featured during Olympic ceremonies

YOUNGSTOWN – Concert pianist Roman Rudnytskywill be involved in several international concert tripsbetween February and the end of June, that will cover a widearea of the world.

Between February 6 and 25 Mr. Rudnytsky will performrecitals and conduct master classes at two California univer-sities: Cal Polytechnic State University in Pomona andCalState Northridge before proceeding to several Pacificislands of Micronesia. There, recitals will take place on suchislands as Majuro and Kwajalein (Marshall Islands), Pohnpeiand Yap (Caroline Islands), Chuuk (Federated States ofMicronesia), Saipan (Northern Marianas), Guam, and Kororon the island of Babeldaob in the Republic of Palau. Mr.Rudnytsky made a concert tour of most of these islands backin 1996.

On March 8 and 9 he will perform a recital and conduct amaster class at Queen’ s University in Kingston, Ontario,before proceeding to Britain for several recitals there. Inmid-March, he will travel from Britain to Tunisia to play arecital and conduct a master class in Tunis under the aus-pices of the U.S. Embassy’s “public diplomacy” program.This program is the successor to the U.S. InformationService, which was abolished in 1998 and its functionsabsorbed into the State Department.

Mr. Rudnytsky played in 18 countries between 1984 and1998 through the USIS and, after the change to “public

diplomacy,” made a tour of six Central and West Africancountries in March of 2000. Mr. Rudnytsky previouslyplayed in Tunisia in 1998 as part of the Carthage Festivalthere – situated next to the ruins of the famous ancient city ofCarthage.

In mid-April the pianist will travel to Poland to performas soloist on April 12 with the Sudecka Filharmonia in thecity of Walbrzych, near the Czech border. He will playTchaikovsky’s Concerto No. 1 as soloist with this orchestra.During this same period he will also travel to the island ofMalta for a recital arranged through the U.S. Embassy there.

On April 25 and 26 he will play a recital and conduct amaster class at Abilene Christian College in Texas and onMay 5 he will be at Dartmouth College, where he will per-form Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue as soloist with theDartmouth Wind Ensemble. From late May through mid-June, he will embark on his concert tour of New Zealand.

Since concluding his 12th Australian tour (comprising 21concerts) last summer, Mr. Rudnytsky played in Septemberin Britain and Iceland, in late October in Chile – his eighthvisit there, and in November in Hagerstown, Md., and at theUniversity of Waterloo in Ontario.

Mr. Rudnytsky has performed concerts in over 75 coun-tries and since 1972 has been a member of the piano facultyof the Dana School of Music of Youngstown StateUniversity in Ohio.

Globe-trotting pianist sets off for next round of concerts

by Marcia Ostashewski

TORONTO – Billed as “Winter Cycle Concert,” theafternoon concert on Sunday, January 20, was the bestmusic this reviewer has heard from Alexis Kochan and hergroup Paris to Kyiv. It was truly exquisite.

Concert-goers were greeted at the door of Holy TrinityChurch in downtown Toronto by concert producer anddirector of Small World Productions Allan Davis. We tookour seats among the chairs and old wooden pews in anunpretentious atmosphere; while the church is graced withgrand stained glass windows and fine celestial decorativepainting, it also feels comfortable.

It was the perfect atmosphere for the music of the specialParis to Kyiv trio comprised of chanteuse Alexis Kochan,bandurist Julian Kytasty, and violist Richard Moody. Thetrio recently returned from performing together on anextraordinary tour of old churches and an avant-garde festi-val in Poland. The music they shared with the audience inTrinity Square was pure synergy – clearly a result of work-ing closely together.

Ms. Kochan used words from the translated songs tolightly color images in the mind; each bit of ancientUkrainian song material came alive with the music. Theconcert, which focused on the winter song cycle, beganwith the trio’s version of “Sviatyi Vechir,” or “Holy Night.”

The velvet tones of Ms. Kochan’s voice welcomed theaudience into a gentle quiet and were joined by Mr.Kytasty’s vocal harmonies. Mr. Kytasty, more renowned asa premiere bandurist, met this song with a cheerful melody

on sopilka (wooden flute). Mr. Moody rhythmically punctu-ated the melody on viola, then began to wind his own play-ful tune. This was the first of a series of sound vignettes.

Immediately following, the musicians played“Cross/Cradle/Tree,” a piece composed for an earlier CDrecording. Mr. Kytasty played his bandura, which he’d laidacross his lap instead of holding upright as it is normallyplayed. Throughout the concert, Mr. Kytasty displayed histalent for creating novel sounds on his traditional instru-ments. He fashioned unorthodox tonal moments and oftenused the bodies of the instruments to produce unusual soundqualities.

Each member of the trio wove in and out of richly lay-ered textures. One audience favorite was a duet betweenMs. Kochan and Mr. Moody; Mr. Moody jazzed up thepiece and bent notes on a groove of Gershwin’s“Summertime” melody, echoing a lullaby sung by Ms.Kochan.

The most intimate part of the group’s performance was“Plach,” an ode to a mother’s dead child. Ms. Kochanchanted the woman’s lament; Mr. Kytasty played a drawn-out melody, ending phrases with generous amounts ofbreath-evoking elements of the ephemeral. Mr. Moodyaccompanied himself on guitar, offering a response from thechild; the unassuming and calm timbre of his voice broughttears to many eyes as he sang “Mama, please don’t cry.”

Such poignant songscapes were interspersed with danceytunes played by the two instrumentalists. These tunes treat-

CONCERT REVIEW: Paris to Kyiv in Toronto

Alexis Kochan(Continued on page 14)



TANOK NA MAYDANI KONGO

The seven members, all in their earlyand mid-20s, walk the walk that low-hanging extremely loose baggy pantsforce upon those like them. They wear thesame dark wrap-around glasses and theunstructured hats and caps. Nonethelessthey would rather call the music they sing“Ukra-hop” rather than simply hip-hop.

And while the look is the same, themusic indeed has different intonations.The harsh rhythms are slightly more sub-dued, the rapping less agitated and evenmelodic at moments. They haven’t, how-ever, smoothed over the dancing, whichseems much more spontaneous and farless polished than anything ‘NSync or theBackstreet Boys could ever hope for.

And the name, well the name just putsthem way over the top. There is nothinglike the name Tanok Na Maydani Kongo,and it is exclusively Ukrainian, as is theirmusic.

Their stage name originated with abook on the history of jazz the band mem-bers were leafing through back in theirhometown of Kharkiv when they stillcalled themselves Novyi Dim (NewHouse). A passage from the bookdescribed the African roots of jazz; howancient tribesmen danced to certainrhythms, which held specific meaning forthe people. At the time the group came upwith the name for use as the title of a songthey particularly liked. Soon afterwardsthey decided that they liked the title somuch that it should be the name of theiract.

It was cast in stone about a year later,after they met Jamaal, an AfricanAmerican from New Orleans, who toldthem that a Congo Square (MaydanKongo) is a Rastafarian term for a spliff,

(a marijuana cigarette) of all things.“We found that to be quite interesting,”

explained Fozzy, 28, one of the band’sfounders and its spokesman.

In reality the group is absolutely drug-free, although they do experiment with theoccasional beer.

The TNMK sound is not gangsta-rap,but then the group does not try to makethat kind of music, as Fozzy, who isknown to his mother as OleksanderSydorenko, readily acknowledged. Insteadthey have focused their energies on creat-ing a sound that binds the traditionalmusic of Ukraine to the emerging traditionof hip-hop. Their latest album, “Anti-Format,” which was released inDecember, incorporates that concept intoits title.

“The point is that our style of hip-hopis not standard for today’s Ukrainianmusic scene,” explained Fozzy. “It is adifficult hip-hop. And it is not in theRussian language, which absolutely domi-nates music in Ukraine, where musicianswho sing in Ukrainian are still consideredsecondary talents.”

Fozzy admitted that initially TNMKtried to write in Russian – they are after allfrom Kharkiv, where Russian dominateson the city streets – but found that the lan-guage did not fit the rhythms and rhymesthey were trying to achieve.

“We began to understand that ourgroove was better in Ukrainian. We alsodecided we would be innovators,”explained Fozzy. “Let the Russians sing inRussian, but we’ll sing in Ukrainian.”

Fozzy said the album’s title also is aback-handed jab at the Moscow recordindustry and the companies and producerswho put out music in well-worked-out andto a large extent preordained formulas thatleave little room for innovation and spon-taneous bursts of creativity.

by Roman WoronowyczKyiv Press BureauDYMNA SUMISH

If it weren’t for the likes of SviatoslavVakarchuk of Okean Elzy and OlehSkrypka of Vopli Vodopliasova, DymnaSumish (Smoky Mix) may not have beenpart of this series on pop/rock acts.However, the two leading Ukrainian artists,along with Fozzy of Tanok Na MaydaniTango, kept mentioning the new act as oneof the best and most original groups tocome around in a long while.

Their first album is not due until a bitlater this year, but Dymna Sumish hasbegun to play the Kyiv club circuit, appear-ing to a packed house at Buddy Guy’s, oneof the better known nightspots here, duringthe first week of January. And, while theystill do not have a music video, they alreadyhave an extensive following.

As their name implies, their music is agreat mixture of influences, not the least ofwhich is hip-hop and punk with a smatter-ing of rhythm and blues.

“We create a mix from all that we enjoy,”explained the band’s front man and vocalist,Pruzhyna, also known as Sashko and moreformally Oleksander.

To say that their music is a mixture is notto mean that it sounds like everything andeverybody. If that were the case, they couldhave called themselves Dymna Ghoulashand few would care. What makes listeningto them so interesting is that you recognizedifferent influences, musical and artistic, atdifferent moments and in different songs.

And while it seems you have heard that beator this guitar riff before, you can never quitepin down where or by whom.

Dymna Sumish’s sound is a unique com-bination of various popular music styles andthey move freely among several genres, butthey are unerringly grounded in hip-hop andrap. That is where their music begins and tothe point which it returns.

During the course of their interview withThe Weekly, the two and a half (as theyexplained) present members of the four-and-a-half-person band – lead singerPruzhyna, along with drummer Oleksander,or Sashko, who also goes by the acronymG-Al, as well as the group’s half member(because he doesn’t make the music), breakdancer Kostia, a.k.a. Co-style – kept addingadditional bands and musicians to the list ofacts that have influenced them. What startedwith The Fugees, Lauryn Hill, System of aDog and Portishead, soon also included theDoors and the Sex Pistols, and then “youhave to add Nirvana, yes, they were one ofthe best,” finally, “grunge, punk, heavymetal and hard core” and “from anotherperspective, jazz.”

They are brash and self-assured as mostyoung acts tend to be and, whether accurateor not, they have a definite vision of whothey are and where they are going.Pruzhyna and G-Al said that before they arethrough the group hoped to “make albums,make video clips, become super popularand earn a few million, and to be able tocreate in our own way in a Ukrainian style.”

They regard themselves as pioneers on

CONCLUSION

KYIV – Although not as expansive as inMoscow, which remains the center of post-Soviet “show business,” Kyiv today has avibrant popular music scene, including allkinds of clubs, bars and discothéques andever more state-of-the art production stu-dios and producers. Ukrainian artists areincreasingly recording their soundtracksand their video clips in Kyiv rather thanrunning to Moscow for “the best,” as thenew talent decides to stay home rather

than travel abroad to attain stardom.The music played in Ukraine today

encompasses all the various types popu-lar around the globe today.

You’re a traditionalist and want clas-sic rock? Or something with a heavierbeat, maybe metal? Perhaps your tasteruns to the post-modern and you need ahip-hop beat to get you moving? Ormaybe you like to feel the rhythm insideand go for soul and rhythm and blues?In Kyiv you will find all that and more.

While use of the Russian language in

songs remains popular in Kyiv, it is nolonger prevalent. The most popular acts –and just as important – the ones that haveshown staying power, sing mostly inUkrainian. In the realm of hard rock theyare Vopli Vodopliasova (V.V.) and OkeanElzy; in hip-hop it is the group with theamazing name of Tanok Na MaydaniKongo and another one at the fringe of thehip-hop movement called Dymna Sumish;in the pop category you can choose fromIryna Bilyk, Oleksander Ponomariov orTaisa Povalii; and in the rhythm and blues

and soul grouping it is Yevhenia Vlasovaor the queen of the genre, Ani Lorak.

In the final installment of a three-partseries, The Weekly’s Kyiv Press Bureaupresents more of Ukraine’s contempo-rary music stars. This week we profiletwo recently popular acts: Tanok NaMaydani Kongo, a hip-hop group thatcalls its music “Ukra-hop;” and DymnaSumish, considered by its peers the mosttalented of the young breed.

–Roman Woronowycz

Pop, rock, hip-hop – Ukraine’s music scene has it all – and it’s thriving

Hip-hop takes hold in Ukraine;“Ukra-hop” leads the way

Ukraine’s hot new musical talentis alternative, plus a mix of much else

Tanok Na Maydani Kongo

Dymna Sumish (Continued on page 19)



ed the audience to some lighter material,and had them almost dancing in their seats.

The trio closed the program with “StoneAge Carol,” an energy-charged blending ofprimordial and avant-garde effects. Thespring song performed by the trio for anencore intermingled seemingly disparateopen-voice-like timbres and legatomoments. The fullness and resonance of the

viola, voice and sopilka together suggesteda gracious renewal of spirit. This was amagnificent performance of the luscioussounds of Paris to Kyiv.

Renditions of all these pieces can beenjoyed on various CD recordings of Paristo Kyiv. However, the live performance ofthis particular trio was a precious experi-ence of their own integration, as noted inthe program, of “ancient Ukrainian tradi-tions into an original, richly atmosphericmusic which has won fans wherever it hasbeen heard.”

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(Continued from page 12)Paris to Kyiv...

Some 500 observers expected for election

KYIV – Central Election CommissionSecretary Yaroslav Davydovych said onJanuary 25 that his commission expects thatat least 500 international observers, includ-ing 280 from the Organization for Securityand Cooperation in Europe, will monitor theparliamentary election. (RFE/RL Poland,Belarus and Ukraine Report)

Ukraine to discuss sanctions with U.S.

KYIV – Vice Prime Minister VasylRohovyi and Finance Minister IhorYushko are to hold consultations on theU.S. trade sanctions against Ukraine withU.S. officials during the World EconomicForum which begins in New York onJanuary 31, the Associated Press reportedon January 24. Foreign Affairs MinisterAnatolii Zlenko told Interfax the sameday that Kyiv is currently “clarifying” thereaction of the U.S. side to Ukraine’s lawagainst CD piracy that was passed earlierthis month. The U.S. trade sanctions overwhat the U.S. sees as Ukraine’s inade-quate measures to curb CD piracy tookeffect on January 23. (RFE/RL Newsline)Ukraine in trade war with Washington?

KYIV – Agricultural Minister IvanKyrylenko said that last week’s ban onU.S. poultry exports to Ukraine wasintroduced following a demand from san-itary services and has nothing to do withthe U.S. sanctions imposed on Ukraineover CD piracy. “The problem consists inthe difference between Ukrainian andU.S. veterinary legislation,” Mr.Kyrylenko told Ukrainian Television onJanuary 27. Mr. Kyrylenko added thatKyiv needs full information from U.S.producers on preservatives they add topoultry products exported to Ukraine.The same day, Prime Minister AnatoliiKinakh vowed to defend national inter-

ests in trade with the U.S. “We shall bedoing our utmost to ensure that our part-ners, including the U.S., clearly under-stand that we are ready for compromise.We are ready to seek optimal solutionsbut there is a boundary that neither theUkrainian president nor the Cabinet ofMinisters will ever overstep – its name isthe national interest of the state,”Ukrainian Television quoted him as say-ing. (RFE/RL Newsline)Minister pessimistic over U.S. sanctions

KYIV – Economy Minister OleksanderShlapak told ICTV Television on January24 that the U.S. sanctions over CD piracywill cost Ukraine $51 million and “thou-sands of jobs.” Mr. Shlapak added thatU.S. trade sanctions from the Soviet era,which are still in force, suggest that therewill be no swift end to the sanctions evenif Ukraine fully complies with thedemands of the international music indus-try. “The [Jackson-Vanik] amendment waspassed by the [U.S.] Senate in 1974. It wasaimed against the Soviet Union for violat-ing the right of its Jewish citizens to emi-grate. But this problem has long beensolved in Ukraine, while the amendment isstill in place. This shows how conservativethe Americans are on economic issues,”Mr. Shlapak noted. (RFE/RL Newsline)Moody’s raises Ukraine’s ratings

LONDON – The rating agencyMoody’s on January 24 upgradedUkraine’s foreign currency ceiling forbonds and bank deposits, citing a sharpimprovement in the country’s macroeco-nomic indicators over the past two years,the Financial Times reported. Moody’sraised the country’s rating for bonds bytwo notches from Caa1 to B2 and theceiling for bank deposits by one notchfrom Caa1 to B3. The move reflects thecountry’s strong exports, tighter budget-ary policies, reduction in some arrearsand growth in foreign exchange reserves.(RFE/RL Newsline)

grandparents lived. A proposal to com-mence a program of Ukrainians visitingmajor sporting events and business con-ventions in Australia also was discussed.

Mr. Romaniw gave a number of newsconferences and appeared as a guest onnational television’s main morning pro-

gram “1+1”.The Australian Federation of Ukrainian

Organizations has written to the Australiangovernment to call for an increased diplo-matic presence in Ukraine. The organiza-tion underlined that business interests, cul-tural, education exchange programs, andstrong valid migration programs can onlydevelop with an increased Australian pres-ence in Kyiv.

(Continued from page 4)Ukrainian Australian leader...

(Continued from page 2)NEWSBRIEFS

Assistance in Criminal Matters,” explainedthe German Embassy in a statement itreleased. “The German Embassy has notreceived such a request.”

Mr. Bahanets also said that the investi-gation into the case of the murderedUkrainian journalist had taken a positiveturn and that now there was some doubtamong investigators that a criminal under-ground figure by the name of “Cyclops”was responsible for Mr. Gongadze’s death.

“Work on this case continues, and soon

you will see that I do not lie,” said Mr.Bahanets. “I am sure that this crime will besolved.”

***The same day that Mr. Bahanets gave his

interview, a Kyiv district court rejected anappeal by Lesia Gongadze to launch a crim-inal investigation into the culpability ofPresident Leonid Kuchma, presidentialChief of Staff Volodymyr Lytvyn and for-mer Minister of Internal Affairs YuriiKravchenko in the murder of her son.Ukraine’s Procurator General last yearfound that the three were not complicit inthe criminal matter.

(Continued from page 3)Comments by deputy...

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Meeting of UNA Br. 27Sunday, February 17, 2002

Newark, NJ

Branch 27 “Orlyk Society” will hold itsannual Branch meeting on Sunday,Feb 17, 2002 at 11:00 a.m. in thechurch hall of St. John the BaptistUkrainian Catholic Church at 719Sanford Ave. Newark, NJ. A meeting toelect a delegate to the 35th Conventionof the UNA will immediately follow. Allmembers are asked to attend.

Luba Lapychak, presidentChristine Brodyn, secretary

Meeting of UNA Br. 174Thursday, February 21, 2002

Warren, MI

The annual meeting of UNA Br. 174 willbe held at 7:00 p.m. in front of “Echo”Gallery on Ryan Rd. On the agendaare reports, election of delegates andalternates to the 35th UNA Convention.All members are asked to attend. Forinfo call 248-693-4548.

Zenon Waslkewych, Secretary

Meeting of UNA Br. 230Saturday, February 9, 2002,

Austintown, OH.

St. John the Baptist Br. 230 of the UNAwill hold its annual meeting at St.Anne’s Ukrainian Church, 410 Kirk Rd.,at 2:00 p.m. There are important mat-ters to discuss as this is a UNA con-vention year. Light refreshments will beserved after the meeting.

Annabelle Borovitcky, secretary

Meeting of UNA Br. 206Saturday, February 16, 2002

Woonsocket, RI

The annual meeting of Branch 206 willbe held at 1:00 p.m. at St. Michael’sOrthodox Church, 74 Harris Ave. Allmembers are required to attend.

Irene Sarachmon, Secretary-Treasurer

includes most of the mainstream nationaldemocratic parties, including both Rukhsand the Reforms and Order Party, in addi-tion to the Congress of UkrainianNationalists and the Liberal Party.

Most polls show Our Ukraine comfort-ably ahead in the run-up to the parliamen-tary elections with some 17 percent sup-port (the latest Democratic Initiative pollgave the bloc as much as 21 percent),about two percentage points up on theCommunist Party, which has historicallyled the Ukrainian vote for Parliament.

In the latest strategy directed againstthe Our Ukraine Bloc, the For One FamilyParty, headed by National DeputyOleksander Rzhavskyi, announced duringits convention on January 15 that it hadchanged its name to the For YuschenkoBloc and would include Mr. Yuschenko inits candidate list. Mr. Yuschenko vehe-mently protested the action and said hewould file suit against the political organi-zation.

“Dirty political tactics are used moreand more often in our times,” Mr.Yuschenko said on January 25, announc-ing that he had filed an appeal in court tostop the use of his name. Mr. Yuschenkocalled the move by Mr. Rzhavskyi’s politi-cal group, which includes at least oneprominent politician from a pro-Russianorganization, “a type of political assassi-nation and an attempt to earn political div-idends from the name of the bloc.”

Mr. Rzhavskyi, whose party had unsuc-cessfully attempted to become part of theFor Ukraine bloc, said he would proceedwith the use of the Yuschenko namenonetheless, according to Interfax-Ukraine, primarily because there is anOleksander Yuschenko on the slate.However, the CEC said on January 30 thatit still was not certain that it would regis-ter the bloc for the elections.

This was the second attempt by a politi-cal force to discredit Mr. Yuschenko.Earlier, Dmytro Ponomarchuk, an organ-izer of the National Rukh For Unity Bloc,whose membership includes many whohad broken with the National Rukh ofUkraine Party after it joined the OurUkraine Bloc, announced at a press con-ference on January 9 that he had in hispossession a taped telephone conversationbetween Mr. Yuschenko and Unity Partyleader and Kyiv Mayor OleksanderOmelchenko, which allegedly proved thatthe two conspired to successfully oustParliament Vice-Chairman ViktorMedvedchuk. Mr. Ponomarchuk assertedthat the tapes are evidence that Mr.Yuschenko is not as clean and honest as heportrays himself to be.

Mr. Ponomarchuk, the longtime presssecretary to the late Rukh founder andleader Vyacheslav Chornovil, said at thetime that he would not identify who gavehim the recordings. The taped conversa-tions were subsequently confiscated byUkraine’s intelligence agency, theSecurity Service of Ukraine, as it began acriminal investigation, and Mr.Ponomarchuk was ousted from the politi-cal bloc he helped organize.

Judicial authorities also have comeunder fire recently for influencing theelectoral process. On January 29 aUkrainian Appeals Court rescinded a rul-ing by a Kyiv District Court in whichcriminal money-laundering chargesagainst former Vice Prime Minister YuliaTymoshenko had been dropped. TheAppeals Court said the lower court hadexceeded its jurisdiction.

Ms. Tymoshenko is the leader of apolitical bloc named after her, whichincludes many of the political organiza-tions that staunchly oppose PresidentLeonid Kuchma and led anti-Kuchmademonstrations on the streets of Kyiv in

the spring, among them: her ownBatkivschyna Party, Stepan Khmara’sRepublican Conservative Party, LevkoLukianenko’s Republican Party andAnatolii Matvienko’s Sobor Party. The lat-est polls have the Yulia Tymoshenko Blocat around 3.5 percent voter support, some-what shy of the 4 percent needed to obtainseats in the next Parliament.

The Appeals Court ruling reinstated aban imposed by the Procurator General’sOffice barring Ms. Tymoshenko fromleaving Kyiv, effectively limiting thecharismatic oppositionist leader’s cam-paigning to the capital city.

Oleksander Turchynov, leader of theBatkivschyna Party’s parliamentary fac-tion, said during a press conference onSeptember 29 that the ruling against Ms.Tymoshenko is illegal and unethicalbecause no one was present to offer herdefense. He explained that a court gener-ally excuses defendants from appearingtwice before handing down verdicts intheir absence.

Ms. Tymoshenko failed to show for thecourt proceeding because she wasinvolved in a serious automobile accidenton her way to the courthouse. She isexpected to be hospitalized for at least twoweeks for treatment of a concussion, pos-sible vertebral damage and a chest contu-sion.

“The court made a cynical, evenimmoral decision today,” explained Mr.Turchynov. “The court, which is con-trolled by the president, in effect damagedYulia Tymoshenko’s election strategy andher ability to campaign.”

While Mr. Turchynov would not ruleout that the accident was staged, YuriKostenko, leader of the UkrainianNational Rukh Party and a member of theOur Ukraine bloc said it was “the transi-tion of the electoral process to the extremestage.”

“It is difficult for me to comment onthe reasons for the crash,” explained Mr.Kostenko. “But everyone in Ukraine whohas heard about this event – I am 100 per-cent sure about this – sees it not just as asimple road accident.”

Meanwhile the Committee of Voters ofUkraine (CVU), a respected civic organi-zation that has monitored elections inUkraine since 1994 and receives much ofits financing from international founda-tions and organizations that support thedevelopment of democratic processes,also felt the effects of a Ukrainian electionseason that is heating up considerably.

The CVU issued a statement onJanuary 30 in response to an editorialcommentary broadcast by the governmentstation UT-1, which questioned whetherthe use of international funding from theNational Democratic Institute, an arm ofthe U.S. Democratic Party, renders theCVU unable to remain objective in itselection monitoring. It also queriedwhether the use of international funds wasan illegal intrusion by the NDI intoUkraine’s electoral process.

The CVU responded that the editorialpiece, which was broadcast on January 23,was part of a concerted effort “to discreditnon-governmental organizations inUkraine, with the aim of lowering the trustin them in the run-up to elections ofUkrainian parliamentarians.” It did notidentify who was attempting to do the dis-crediting.

Since September the NDI has spon-sored weekly monitoring of elections inUkraine by the CVU in which thousandsof CVU workers in all the country’sregions report on questionable practicesby government officials, election workers,political parties and candidates. TheCVU’s research has found that the use ofgovernment resources will be extensive inthe spring elections and could be decisivein many campaigns.

(Continued from page 1)Central Election...


by Irene Pryjma

DETROIT – Saturday, November 10,2001, was a day to remember. The DetroitRegional Council of the UkrainianNational Women’s League of America andits members had decided months ago tohave a fund-raiser for needy schoolchild-ren in Ukraine under the UNWLA’s“Milk, Roll and Book” program. Theambitious program included a pre-

Christmas bazaar and bake sale in themorning and early afternoon, followed inthe evening with cocktails, a buffet dinner,a silent auction, a live auction and fineentertainment.

A committee was formed with NataliaHewko, Detroit Regional Council presi-dent, and Anna Macielinski, vice-presi-dent, as committee chair. For nine months42 UNWLA members participated in thiscommittee preparing the benefit. The

Detroit UNWLA raises funds for needy children

COMMUNITY CHRONICLE

by William J. and Gloria B. Misnick

CORNING, N.Y. – A Ukrainian dele-gation from Corning’s sister city of Lvivcame to Corning on December 17, 2001.This event took place because of theefforts of William J. and Gloria B.Misnick, co-chairs since 1997 of the LvivCommittee of the Corning Sister CitiesAssociation.

The Misnicks have worked to re-establish ties with Lviv by visiting thatwestern Ukrainian city in 1997 and againin 1999 when a protocol was signed – thefirst since the fall of communism. Sistercity ties between Corning and Lviv haddiminished after the fall of communismin 1991, largely because Ukraine wasexperiencing very difficult economictimes.

Lviv had become Corning’s first sis-ter city in 1987 after Corning, Inc. (for-merly the Corning Glass Works) helpedthe Soviet Union install a ribbonmachine for producing light bulbs at afactory there.

Representing Lviv during the mostrecent visit to Corning was VolodymyrOlijnyk, deputy mayor, chair of theHalytsky District and master of statemanagement, and his wife, Oleksandra.Ties were cemented with the protocol-signing ceremony between Corning andLviv on December 17, 2001, by CorningMayor Alan Lewis and Mr. Olijnyk. Thetranslators at Corning City Hall werePeter Melendevych of Horseheads, N.Y.,and Victor Ohremchuk of Corning.

The Olijnyks were welcomed to theregion at a welcoming party at St.

Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church inElmira Heights by over 75 parishionersled by their pastor, the Rev. JanuszJedrychowski. Mr. and Mrs. Olijnyk vis-ited with many parishioners from theirnative city of Lviv.

The Misnicks are active members ofthe Elmira Heights chapter of theUkrainian Congress Committee ofAmerica, where Mrs. Misnick is the dele-gate. The Olijnyks met Peter Kremel,UCCA branch president, as well asDeacon John Hobczuk, vice-president,and other officers.

A reception was held at the RadissonHotel in Corning after the protocol sign-ing. U.S. Rep. Amo Houghton Jr. wel-comed the Ukrainian visitors along withCorning City Council members and theLviv Committee. Letters of congratula-tions were sent by New York State Sen.John R. Kuhl Jr. and State AssemblymanJames G. Bacalles.

A glass gift to the city of Lviv waspresented along with various gifts repre-senting the Finger Lakes region of NewYork. Mrs. Misnick was the mistress ofceremonies for the event. Both theAmerican and Ukrainian nationalanthems were sung. Mr. Misnickexplained the meaning of the Ukrainiannational anthem and gave the toast.

The Olijnyks stayed with the Misnicksuntil December 27, 2001; they visitedCorning Museum of Glass, The RockwellMuseum of Western Art and the BenjaminPatterson Inn, all in Corning. They trav-eled to Hammondsport to the Glen CurtissMuseum and toured the Finger Lakes

Corning re-establishes ties with Lviv

Corning Mayor Alan Lewis (left) and Lviv Deputy Mayor Volodymyr Olijnyk.

region, including its wineries. They had abird’s eye view of the Finger Lakes in aprivate airplane ride. They also saw thebeauty of Pennsylvania’s Grand Canyonand Niagara Falls and the Festival ofLights at Lewiston.

“The Crystal City” of Corning andLviv, “The Pearl of Europe,” cametogether in Corning after 12 long years.Now the Lviv Committee in Corning willcontinue its work with renewed energy.Members of the committee have beeninvited to visit Lviv in September of thisyear to continue the close relationshipthat has been revitalized.

The Lviv Committee of Corning hassupported the Lviv Regional SpecializedChildren’s Research Hospital where there

are 200 children age 5-15 who sufferfrom cancer as a result of the Chornobylaccident. They have set up computerservice and Internet access for the Lvivhospital, linking it with the Falck CancerCenter of Elmira, N.Y.

In addition, the Misnicks have shipped22 wheelchairs of various sizes for thechildren. Christ Episcopal Church ofCorning aided with the wheelchair pro-ject’s completion with a generous grantof $2,500.

Corning’s Lviv Committee also spon-sored two teachers of English to teach insummer school and cultural programs inEastern Europe headed by Bridges forEducation. All of these accomplishmentstook place in the past four years.

The benefit committee of the UNWLA Detroit Regional Council: (seated, from left) Daria Koniuch, Daria Zawadiwskyi,Sophie Koshiw, Lydia Kolodchin, Anna Macielinski, Natalie Hewko, Lydia Kazewych, Genevieve Murskyj; (standing, firstrow) Marcelene Chomiak, Irene Pryjma, Myroslava Capp, Lydia Kizyma, Stefa Korol, Nadia Juzych, Olha Hyszczak,Marta Szechowycz, Katya Beswerchij, Oresta Biloskurska, Zirka Zubar, Irene Tarnavsky, Lillian Litynskyj, (standing, sec

ond row) Juliana Maziak, Elizabeth Kuczer, Marie Zarycky-Chervivskij and Maria Mykolenko.

theme for the event was “Giving Angels,”and indeed they were that.

The program and plans were carefullythought-out. Sponsors, donors and dona-tions were solicited; items were received,purchased or consigned. A hundred spe-cialty baskets were assembled, invitationssent, program and catalogue books com-piled, flyers, advertisements and postersprinted and distributed, program partici-pants selected and contacted, and a specialinformational/recruitment UNWLAbrochure was printed.

The holiday bazaar and bake sale went

very well and closed at 3 p.m. The silentauction opened at 5 p.m. Baskets wereassigned to categories such as health andbeauty, jewelry, fine arts, home/office/garden, Ukrainian artifacts, chil-dren’s corner, sports/recreation and holi-day items. In addition, gift certificates forgardening, flowers, shopping, personalservice, vitamins, beauty salons, therapeu-tic massages, acupuncture, dental visits,piano lessons, instructions on embroidery,restaurants, jewelry, electronics andbooks, were laid out on tables accordingto category.

The live auction was a unique event.Dr. Roman Kolodchin very ably served asauctioneer; he was enthusiastic and keptthe bidding moving at a fast pace. Theaudience responded by bidding up on fineart items, Ukrainian embroidered pillows,rushnyky, carved wooden gift boxes, atorte, a tray of napoleons delivered with athree-song medley, a Ukrainian ChristmasEve supper for eight (prepared and deliv-ered), museum-quality complete Hutsulwedding attire for the bride, a ski vacationpackage, hockey tickets, a Toronto get-away, and an autographed picture ofCanadian comedienne Luba Goy.

In the evening there was a two-partprogram of entertainment prepared byProgram Chair Lida Kazevych, opened byRegional Council President Hewko andmaster of ceremonies Svetlana Korduba.The featured highlight of the evening wasCanada’s one and only queen of comedy,Luba Goy, co-star of TV’s “RoyalCanadian Air Farce,” which spoofs theCanadian political scene. She appeared as“Queen Elizabeth” and, regally waving,greeted the crowd with a Manchesterianaccent and received their accolades.

In the second part of the program theinimitable Luba came out with herimpressions of Canadian Prime MinisterJean Chrétien, Minister of Immigration



IN MEMORIAM

Ivan Fedorovych Karabyts

January 17, 1945 - January 20, 2002

Ivan Fedorovych Karabyts was one of the leading composers of Ukraine and onewho contributed to the establishment of the major trends in Ukrainian music in the

post 1960’s. He made his name overnight with “The Garden of Heavenly Songs”(1971) for chorus, soloists and orchestra, on poems of the 18th century philosopher,poet and musician Hryhoriy Skovoroda, in which he tried to rejuvenate the choralconcerto genre of 17th-18th century Ukrainian music. In addition to his multifac-eted creative work, he established the international music festival, Kyiv Music Fest

and the Kyiv International Piano Competition in Memory of Vladimir Horowitz. Heenriched Ukrainian music for generations to come. We shall miss him.

Vichnaya Pamyat!

Our condolences to his family, friends and students.

TNC Recordings, Music at the Institute, Ukrainian Institute of America,Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art - Chicago, The Washington Group Cultural Fund.


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Attention! Attention! Attention!

UNA BRANCH SECRETARIES, ORGANIZERS, ADVI-SORS, MEMBERS AND ELECTED DELEGATES TOTHE 35TH UNA CONVENTION. THE UNA ISANNOUNCING A PRECONVENTION ORGANIZINGCAMPAIGN FROM JANUARY 2002 TO APRIL 30,2002.

– FIRST PRIZE: $500 coupon for travel to Ukraine(Dunwoodie Travel Agency) or

a $500 UNA Annuity Policy.

– SECOND PRIZE: UNA Annuity Policy for $300

– THIRD PRIZE: $100

* Excluded from the campaign are T-23 policies

Requirements: 15 new members with a minimum annual premium of $2,000



TO: ALL UNA MEMBERS

From January to March 2002, branches of the UkrainianNational Association hold their annual meetings as man-dated by the UNA By-Laws. It is very important that allmembers attend these meetings. This year, in prepara-tion for the upcoming UNA Convention, branches willhold meetings for election of delegates. Branch meet-ings are announced in both The Ukrainian Weekly andSvoboda.

Participation of UNA members is important to the futureof our organization.

featuring, for the first time ever, separate races for SNOWBOARDERS.

Races to be held at Ski Windham

on Saturday, February 23, 2002

Race registration and bib assignments on the third floor of the Ski Windham lodge at 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.

Race to begin at 10:30 a.m. SHARP

Banquet to be held at Hunter Mountain at 7:30 p.m.

Cocktails at 6:30 p.m.

Race with lift ticket: $50 (adults); $40 (juniors). Race only: $10.Discounted lift tickets will also be available at the KLK registration table.

For more race information please phone:Orest Fedash at 210-387-8061, or Erko Palydowycz at 518-263-4866,

or send e-mail to: [email protected]

The KLK Ukrainian Ski Clubinvites its members, friends and their guests to their

Annual Ski Weekend/Ski Races

the Ukrainian music scene and consider thesmoky mix they play inventive. They tendto a version of hip hop, laced with alterna-tive music sounds and do not agree withcomparisons to Tanok Na Maydani Kongo,currently the most popular hip-hop act inKyiv.

“We were at their last concert and decid-ed that they are something completely dif-ferent,” explained G-Al.

“They call their style Ukra-hop, and thatis not us,” added Pruzhyna.

But like TNMK, Dymna Sumish mem-bers believe that writing good music in theRussian language is very difficult. Alsomuch like TNMK they have an aversion tonearly all music recorded in Moscow (aswell as in all the countries of the CIS,including Ukraine, to be quite honest). Theybelieve the post-Soviet music scene is staleand uninteresting. Given a choice, theywould perform in Europe. Their ultimateshow would be an appearance at the annualalternative rock showcase, the DynamoOpen Air Festival in Holland.

Dymna Sumish hails from Chernihiv,where group members were on the brink ofcalling it quits after three years of work andperformances at several musical competi-tions did not bring forth instantaneousacclaim. At what they had decided would be

their final competition, however, they were“discovered” by their current productioncompany and invited to work in Kyiv.

“We had already played several competi-tions, including Chervona Ruta,” explainedPruzhyna, “and decided we had nothingmore to prove. We knew we were the best.”

Few others did, however, and probablywould not have to this day if the highlyregarded sound producer, Yevhen Stupka,had not been in the crowd that day search-ing for new talent. He immediately askedthe band to make the move to Kyiv.

Dymna Sumish achieved its first sem-blance of fame about a year earlier, using adifferent variation of their current name. Atthe Chervona Ruta Music Festival, wherethey took second place (and no one wasawarded first place) for best act in the 1999Dnipropetrovsk show, they were billed asDyvna Sumish (Strange Mix), but changedtheir name about the time they got to Kyiv.In Chernihiv the band had originally startedout as Torba (Bag).

Whether as bagmen, or in a strange orsmoky mix, today the group is not shyabout its abilities and the quality of themusic they make.

“Today we are the best band in Kyiv,”explained Pruzhyna bluntly and matter-of-factly.

Such blatant self-promotion would leavethem open to much criticism if it weren’tfor the fact that many who should know andmight differ seem to agree.

Fozzy, founder and leader of the TNMK posse

(Continued from page 13)DYMNA SUMISH...


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While TNMK lists among its favoritehip-hoppers Arrested Development, TheFugees and one of the seminal acts of thegenre, the Beastie Boys, it also acknowl-edges the influence of a local Kharkivsinger who made them comfortablesinging in the local Ukrainian dialect ofthe Slobozhanschyna region, with itstraces of Russian surzhyk intermixed. Themusic was well received, particularlyamong the locals who recognized theirnative accent immediately.

“It brought smiles to people’s faces,”noted Fozzy.

The group members, whose appear-ances may remind some of a rag-tag posseof “homeboys” from the streets ofBrooklyn, or Hamburg, are actuallyaccomplished musicians with formaltraining.

“We did not come to music like rebel-lious drug-abusers,” explained Fozzysomewhat defensively.

In fact Fozzy began the group with hisfriend, Spets Kotia, in 1989, at an agewhen the two had yet to see the need for arazor. How audiences reacted to the untra-ditional and to some even unheard ofmusic the youngsters were performing isnicely described in the band’s biography:

“In 1992 the kids took part in the initialmusical contest ‘Young Stars of Kharkiv.’The jury said, ‘Phew!’ This incident wasrepeated five more times.”

The band went through severalchanges, moving gradually from a timewhen it consisted of a 15-person “cast,”

which included a DJ and a group of breakdancers, to its current seven-person line-up. TNMK’s composition began to coa-lesce in 1995 when Fozzy’s writing part-ner, Fahot, joined, after running with therap outfit RAP Obiymy (Rap Hugs) andalso successfully producing a series of rapshows in Kharkiv called “In Da House.”Today, in addition to those two, TNMKconsists of original member Kotia, alongwith Dilia, Yaroslav, Vitold and Tonique.

After putting out several well-receivedalbums and music videos, the group disap-peared from the music scene for nearly ayear at the end of 2000 before recently re-emerging with a flourish – with two newreleases in the last two months and anoth-er new album due out in the next weeks.

Their music is not yet widely acceptedin Ukraine, and the band does not holdKyiv producers in high regard. Fozzy crit-icized them for being “of an age at whichthey cannot accept aggressive contempo-rary music” and for “wanting to makemusic a decade old.”

TNMK also is not all that fond ofMoscow, which Fozzy likened to a tundra:“A lot of noises, but basically empty.”

He added that he would not mind if theact made its first international mark inWarsaw, which he considers more con-temporary and more open to new ideas.But in the end that is neither here nor therebecause TNMK does not have and doesnot want a plan for success.

“We didn’t begin this to make moneyand be in show business,” explainedFozzy. “We want to play music. We call itan odyssey, and an odyssey determines itsown path.”

Admission ticket to a Dymna Symish concert in Kyiv.

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(Continued from page 13)TANOK NA MAYDANI KONGO...


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That also depended on the year.Towards the end, just as the secondworld war was beginning, the inmateswere given buckwheat kasha with sandmixed into it. This was so that sandwould lodge in their teeth and cause thempain. They were also given soup, orrather slop, of some sort.

One witness told me that the femaleinmates were so hungry they wouldthrow themselves into the large foodcauldron to scrub out whatever mightstill be stuck at the bottom. Only theirbacksides and feet would be left hangingout and visible. And then they would bebeaten with sticks and fists.

How did you begin filming?

Well, at first I needed to find out if Icould actually do a film on this subject. Ineeded witnesses. Fortunately, here inMontreal I had two people whom I couldinterview: Jaroslaw Pryszlak, who wasimprisoned in 1935, and AdolfHladylowycz in 1939. Their memories wereexcellent and their stories unbelievable.

It was crucial to get more survivors ofthe camp. I found many young peoplewhose fathers were in Bereza. But that’snot the same, nor as powerful. So, I start-ed to ask around. In the U.S. I foundDemian Korduba but, unfortunately, afterinterviewing him I decided I couldn’t usehim in the film. He was elderly and hisspeech was too difficult to understand.He was half-paralyzed when I met him. Itwas sad because he, too, had sufferedthere. But he did give me the names oftwo other people that I could talk to. Justrecently Mr. Korduba passed away andwill never see the film completed.

In the film I have five witnesses, and allgive compelling accounts. In Belarus Ifound three more. They were children at thetime and saw prisoners getting beaten up. Ialso met survivors in Florida, among themBohdan Deychakiwsky. He was excellent,but was not well enough to be filmed.

Fortunately, I started this project when Idid. It would have been such a shame not tohave recorded their stories. Once I filmedthe witnesses, I knew the film could bemade, but it was essential to visit the siteand go through the archives in Warsaw andLviv. Arrangements were made and I wentto the former Bereza Kartuzka prison lastsummer.

What was that like? How much ofthe camp is left standing today?

It was very emotional for me to walkwhere my father once did. I thought of himand all the other prisoners. There wereoriginally two main blocks. But the prison-er’s block is still there. However, thepolice block is almost in ruins. Whole sec-tions of it, the roof and floor have col-lapsed. It was risky going inside the build-ing because at any moment anything couldcome down. But I went inside, and at firstI thought that was where the prisonerswere. But, after seeing the book on Berezaby Wolodymyr Makar, I rechecked the lay-out of the camp and realized that I hadfilmed in the wrong building. So, I wentback from Miensk to film again.

At the site, they are planning to estab-lish a museum about the Bereza concentra-tion camp. You have to remember thatBereza Kartuzka is now part of Belarusianterritory. Today, most of the prisoners’block has been converted to a children’sactivity center.

What kind of arrangements did youneed to make in order to film there?

I had to obtain special permissionfrom the Ministry of External Affairs ofBelarus. I arranged everything here inMontreal and in Ottawa. Needless to say,

once I arrived in Belorus nothing wasready, even though I had faxed them thatI was coming and even though all mypapers were in order. Fortunately, aBelarus official in Miensk went out of hisway to obtain the necessary minister’ssignature on a Friday at three in the after-noon. Without this, I couldn’t film.

That afternoon, I also rented a car andthen drove about four hours to BerezaKartuzka with historian Dr. RomanWysotsky from Poland. He also had nevervisited Bereza, although he was familiarwith it. We enjoyed doing researchtogether, and we both became united bytrying to imagine what the former prison-ers of Bereza must have gone through. Iwas very fortunate that Dr. Wysotsky wasable to accompany and help me.

What was the most frightening orthe most dangerous moment you expe-rienced?

The very worst part was when wewere leaving Belarus and were at thePolish border in Berestia. The Belarusguard almost confiscated all my cas-settes, regardless of my official press cre-dentials. “I’ll decide your fate in the nexthour,” he said. I was worried for thefootage I had with me and for all theplanning and effort that was put into this.There was a journalist who had disap-peared in the area just the week before. Itwas very stressful, not knowing what wasgoing to happen next. Eventually, some-one higher-up asked me more questionsand looked over all my documents againand then let us go.

How much of the film do you havecompleted at this point?

Basically, I am finishing the editingand verifying details. I have a few insertsto shoot, and then the music and thesound effects have to be worked on. Youknow, I’m doing this film in my sparetime, between work on other films fromwhich I earn my living. So, I anticipatethat probably sometime in March of thisyear the film will be ready for screening.

The biggest problem is purchasing therights to some film archives. This is veryexpensive, it’s $50 for each second pluslab fees.

How is this film being financed?

This is one of the most difficultaspects. As you know, making a docu-mentary is very expensive. As with myfilm “Freedom Had A Price,” I beganthis film on Bereza Kartuzka, financingeverything myself and hoping that even-tually the project would get some furthersupport. Because witnesses were elderly,passing away, and their stories disap-pearing with them, I knew this projectcould not wait any longer. I had to beginfilming. No one had yet done a film onthis subject, it’s another first.

Eventually, several institutions,including the Ukrainian CanadianFoundation of Taras Shevchenko andsome private donations, helped offsetsome costs. But this is far from the costof the film. I still have hopes the projectwill get additional donations. Many peo-ple, whether in Canada, the U.S. or inUkraine, have been very supportive ofthe project, and especially those thatwere in Bereza and their children. Onceagain, the story was almost forgotten,silenced forever.

It is difficult to get mainstreamfinancing. So, either we Ukrainians areprepared to find ways to make theseprojects, or we lose the opportunity torecord our history. And how can we notcapture these stories?

Could you tell us how your fatherfinally got out of the Bereza Kartuzkaconcentration camp?

(Continued from page 9)Yurij Luhovy... Ironically, it was because of the begin-

ning of World War II and another occu-pation of Ukraine. In September 1939 theGermans attacked Poland. The Nazis andthe Red Army met in Brest-Litovsk, orBerestia as it is called in Ukrainian.Berestia is now in Belarus, but it is ethni-cally Ukrainian territory. When the Polesin Bereza saw that the Germans wereadvancing, all the police guards fled thecamp at night.

On September 18, 1939, the local peopleopened up the gates and released the pris-oners. Believe it or not, that was myfather’s birthday. It was the best gift hecould have ever received. He then beganthe two-week walk home to Brody, withthe other prisoners. He walked without anyshoes, with only rags around his bare feet.The moment he arrived home, he col-lapsed. He had been so weakened by thenear starvation conditions in the prison. Hewas utterly exhausted. Occasionally peoplewould give him a lift on a cart and give him

some food. Unfortunately, my father neverreally wanted to recount his experiences tome. I wanted to know all the details ofdaily life in the camp, but he wouldn’t talk.He just refused. He was one of 250 prison-ers who were forced to dig their owngraves because they were slated to be shotby the Polish guards due to the Germanadvance. Then, at the last moment, some-how the executions didn’t occur. Call itDivine Providence. Maybe it was theGerman planes in the sky. I don’t know.

“Did they hurt you?” I once asked mydad when I was young. “No, they just tick-led me,” he replied.

***Anyone wishing to support the making of

the Bereza Kartuzka documentary, maysend donations to: M M Luhovy Inc., 2330Beaconsfield, Montreal, Quebec, H4A 2G8.Survivors may contact the filmmaker bycalling (514) 481-5871 or [email protected].

Sheila Copps, Welfare Brenda the bingoplayer, and even Donald Duck. Herhumorous anecdotes and personal remi-niscences on being Ukrainian in aCanadian milieu were delightful. She hada message to all who have young, creativeand budding artists, to encourage theiraspiring talents and to let them enjoy the-ater, performing arts and other creativepursuits.

Other participants in entertainment

were demonstration dancers Tony Canuand Natalka Cap (salsa), Gary and OksanaGudz (ballroom), and the nineSoyuzianka Singers – in their premiereappearance – accompanied by OlgaDubriwna Solovey on piano. Prior to andduring the buffet dinner there was lovelyharp music by Paula Pinterper in keepingwith the “Giving Angels” theme.

The event was a highly successfulfund-raiser for the UNWLA “Milk, Rolland Book” program. The proceeds willprovide many breakfasts and books for alarger number of children – nourishmentfor the body and enrichment for the mind.

(Continued from page 16)Detroit UNWLA...

THE DISTRICT COMMITTEE of UNA BRANCHES of CENTRAL NEW JERSEYannounces that its

ANNUAL DISTRICT COMMITTEE MEETINGwill be held on Saturday, February 9, 2002 at 1:00 P.M.

at St. Michael’s Church Hall, 1700 Brooks Blvd., Manville, NJ.

Obligated to attend the annual meeting as voting members are District Committee Officers,Convention Delegates and two delegates from the following Branches:

26, 155, 168, 209, 269, 312, 349, 353, 372.

All UNA members are welcome as guests at the meeting.

MEETING WILL BE ATTENDED BY:Martha Lysko - UNA National Secretary

Yaroslav Zaviysky – UNA Auditor

DISTRICT COMMITTEE:Michael Zacharko, District Chairman

John Kushnir, SecretaryJohn Babyn, Treasurer

THE ALBANY DISTRICT COMMITTEE of the UKRAINIAN NATIONALASSOCIATION

announces that itsANNUAL DISTRICT COMMITTEE MEETING

will be held on Saturday, February 9, 2002, at 2:00 P.M.at the Ukrainian American Citizens Club, 1 Pulaski Ave., Cohoes, NY 12534.

Obligated to attend the annual meeting as voting members are District Committee Officers,Convention Delegates and two delegates from the following Branches:

13, 57, 88, 200, 266.All UNA members are welcome as guests at the meeting.

MEETING WILL BE ATTENDED BY:Stefan Kaczaraj – UNA Treasurer

Stephanie Hawryluk – UNA Advisor

DISTRICT COMMITTEE:Nicholas Fil, District Chairman

Walter Litynsky, SecretaryWalter Krywulych, Treasurer

Paul Shewchuk, Honorary District Chairman



WINDHAM, N.Y. – Mark Richardson,sales director for Windham Mountain,has extended discounts on ski lift ticketsfor card-carrying members of KLK, theCarpathian Ski Club.

The Membership Direct Programoffers $29 weekday/non-holiday lift tick-ets and $39 weekend/holiday ticketswhen KLK members show their clubcard and a valid photo ID. In apprecia-tion KLK will again hold its annual skiraces at Ski Windham.

Races will be held in the morning ofFebruary 23 on an official NASTARcourse. Award presentations will be later

that night at Hunter Mountain. This yearfor the first time the races will be open tosnowboarders competing in separate cat-egories.

For more race information contactOrest Fedash at (201) 387-8061, or ErkoPalydowycz at (518) 263-4866 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Family membership dues in KLK are$30 a year.

Those interested in joining KLK, andreceiving ticket discounts, may contactTalia Kachala at (732) 772-0556 or by e-mail at [email protected] for further infor-mation.

KLK members eligible for discount ticketsat Ski Windham, site of annual ski races

CANADACANADA CALLINGCALLINGInterested in living permanently or working in Canada?

Independent ApplicantsSkilled workers

Business ApplicantsEntrepreneursSelf-employed

Investors

Contact us to discuss your options:ZAIFMAN ASSOCIATES, IMMIGRATION LAWYERS

SUITE 500, LOMBARD AVENUE, WINNIPEG, CANADA R3B OX1TELEPHONE:204/944-8888 FAX: 204/956-2909


coupled with its size, would be a greatdrain on the structural funds.

Ukraine is gradually fulfilling the pre-conditions – both legislative and political– for future accession to the EU. The pri-vatization of land, adaptation of somecodes and the abolition of the deathpenalty are among the examples of suchmoves.

Attitudes in some member-countriesand the European Commission towardsUkraine are changing. On April 24,2001, of this year I chaired a conferencein the European Parliament building inBrussels on “Ukraine and the EuropeanUnion.” Several members of theEuropean Parliament and even the headof the mission of the EuropeanCommission in Ukraine stated forceful-ly:

“If Ukraine is so much behind someCentral European countries on the roadto the European Union, it is as much afault of the European Union as it is ofUkraine. Had the EU given the same sig-nals to Ukraine as it did to Czecho-Slovakia (as it was then), Hungary,Poland – i.e., we want you – and had itgiven the same assistance to Ukraine asit gave to those countries, Ukraine wouldbe much closer to the accession to theEU which is in the interest of the EU.”

***How can the U.S. help in this process?The first question we could ask is:

Should it help? I believe the answer is“yes” for the following reasons.

Ukraine once anchored in the EUwould be by definition more democratic,more prosperous, more pro-Western, andthus a better economic and political part-ner for the United States.

Membership in the EU would pre-clude Ukraine from joining Russia. IfUkraine were to join Russia, Russiawould cross the psychological thresholdand strive openly for superpower statusand dominance over neighboring coun-tries and in the process it would likelybecome anti-Western. This would not bein the interest of Ukraine, or Russia, theEU, or the U.S.

Ukraine’s accession to EU would notinvolve a financial burden for the U.S.since it does not contribute to itsStructural Fund. It would just require anintensified U.S. diplomatic effort, i.e.,using its influence to persuade membersof the European Union to be more opento Ukraine’s accession.

***How can the United States help?In various ways: through direct influ-

ence on some of the EU member-statesand on the EU Commission; and throughinternational financial institutions.

Pointing to NATO, a good example ishow the U.S. is pressing hard for the

(Continued from page 6)Ukraine’s transformation... admission of Turkey to the EU because

of its NATO status, even though the cur-rent position of the EU is that Turkeyfalls short on many of the admissions cri-teria, such as minority and generalhuman rights.

The United States sees Ukraine from agreater distance. It can judge better howbeneficial it would be for the EU to haveUkraine as an example of a multi-ethniccountry with very liberal policies andpractices towards national minorities, ascompared to the Balkans or even somepresent member states of the EU.

***Will the U.S. help?Perhaps the answer to this question

can best be given by recalling a fable.There was an old wise man in a villagethat always answered when questionswere put to him. A mischievous young-ster thought that he would trick the oldman. One day he came up to him, hold-ing a live bird in his hands behind hisback, and asked: “Wise man, can you tellme if the bird I hold is live or dead?” Hethought that if the man said the bird is alive he would just quickly twist its neckand the bird would be dead; and if theman said the bird is dead he would let itfly. The wise man looked at the young-ster and said: “The fate of that bird is inyour hands, young man.”

It is, of course, Ukraine that has totransform itself on the European model.Its destiny is mainly in its own hands.Whether U.S. aid will help Ukraine takethe ultimate steps is, of course, up toyou, the Americans.


Saturday, February 9

NEW YORK: The Shevchenko ScientificSociety presents a lecture by Dr. TamaraHundorova, Institute of Literature,National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine,and currently Shklar Fellow at the HarvardUkrainian Research Institute, on the topic“Olha Kobylianska and Lesia Ukrainka: AFeminine Relationship.” The lecture willbe held at the society’s building, 63 FourthAve. (between Ninth and 10th streets) at 4p.m. For more information call (212) 254-5130.Thursday, February 14

NEW YORK: Columbia University andthe Harriman Institute will present a talkby former Minister of Education ofUkraine Mykhailo Zhurovsky. The talk,titled “Globalization – The Challenges andthe Opportunities for Ukraine,” will be

held in the International Affairs Building,7th floor, Lindsay Rogers Common Room,420 W. 118th St., at noon-2 p.m. For moreinformation contact the institute, (212)854-4623.

Saturday, February 23

EAST HANOVER, N.J.: The New Jerseybranch of the Ukrainian Engineers’ Societyof America (UESA) invites UESA mem-bers and the public to a branch meetingand presentation, at the Hanover RamadaInn., Rt. 10 West. A meeting of UESA-NJmembers will be held at 1 p.m. A presenta-tion (open to the public), titled “Focus onLviv: Education and Architecture,” will beheld at 3 p.m. Refreshments will be served.All UESA members and the public (espe-cially students and young professionals)are invited to attend. For more informationcontact Andrij Wowk at [email protected].

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UKRAINIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICAIS LOOKING FOR NEW MEMBERS

IF YOU ARE A PHYSICIAN, DENTIST, OR OTHER HEALTH PROFESSIONAL

EITHER PRACTICING OR TRAINING, HERE’S YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN

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ATTENTION: UNA CANADIAN DISTRICTSA meeting of the District Chairmen, Branch Officers and BranchSecretaries of UNA Canadian Branches with the Director forCanada Rev. Myron Stasiw and a representative from the UNAHome Office will be held on Saturday, February 9, 2002, at 11:00 am at:

Protection of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church Hall, 30 Leeds Street, Toronto, Ontario M6G 1N7Telephone: (416) 531-9945

Topic of the meeting: “The Future of the UNA in Canada.”

The Ukrainian Weekly 2002, No.5

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