Fans in Ukraine embody the spirit of Euro 2012 - The Ukrainian ...

2THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2012No. 26ANALYSISIs there a third force in Belarus?by David MarplesEurasia Daily MonitorBelarusian Minister of Internal AffairsIhar Shunievich announced recently that onJuly 3, national Independence Day, some2,600 prisoners are to be released (RIANovosti, Jun 12). The statement raised thehopes of some that the remaining politicalprisoners in Belarus might be on the list ofthose to be set free, but there is little indicationof any mellowing of the AlyaksandrLukashenka regime. The event indicatesthat little has changed – a policy of moderationfollowed by repressions has been inplace for some time.But it also raises questions about thenature of the regime. Various labels havebeen applied to the structure in place since1996, when after further amendments tothe Constitution, the late Russian PrimeMinister Viktor Chernomyrdin negotiated acompromise between the president and theParliament that essentially left the formerwith almost complete powers. Since thattime, the regime has appeared relativelystable, but there is little consensus amonganalysts whether it constitutes a dictatorshipand whether it is monolithic. Mostimportant in this regard is the question ofwhether there are any alternative sources ofpower in Belarus.A most obvious possible source of alternativepower to President Lukashenka isthe opposition, which is currently debatingwhether to boycott or take part in the 2012parliamentary elections.On June 11, on the first anniversary ofthe death of noted analyst Vitali Silitski, thenewspaper Belorusy i Rynok republishedone of his articles, originally written adecade ago in the journal AdkrytaeHramadstva. Silitski was a supporter of parliamentaryelections, even when conductedunder conditions of duress and difficulty, aswill undoubtedly be the case later in 2012.He wrote that “dictators” – he had no problemusing that word – hold electionsbecause they overestimate their support,Correctionand periodically “dictators” need evidenceof their legitimacy in the eyes of their ownpeople and the international community. Heargued that even a fruitless outcome for anopposition in such circumstances could initiatethe process of liberalization (Belarusy iRynok, June 11-17). Still, for the opposition,the ritual can often seem futile because theelections are carefully stage-managed, evenduring the formation of the initial electioncommissions.Another Belarusian analyst, SiarheiBohdan, sees potential forces for changeoutside the opposition. He maintains thatthe current structure is far from monolithicand cites former presidential candidateAndrey Sannikau, who stated in 2010 thatbelow the ministerial level there are a numberof very competent and well-qualifiedpeople who often seem at odds with officialpolicies. Even at the ministerial level, someof the appointees are independent-minded,such as Minister of Culture Pavel Latushka,who speaks fluent Belarusian in public.Another leader, who is something of anenigma, is Prime Minister MikhailMyasnikovich, a former president of theNational Academy of Sciences, but also theman who ran the campaign of Mr.Lukashenka’s main opponent in 1994, thenPrime Minister Vyacheslau Kebich. Mr.Bohdan notes that Mr. Myasnikovich isexceptionally independent and far frombeing a mere acolyte of the president(Belarus Digest, May 17).It has been evident for some time, on theother hand, that the most powerful figureimmediately below the president, is his sonViktar, age 36, whose official positionsounds innocuous – assistant to the presidenton national security issues. ViktarLukashenka’s influence may have beenbehind what has been described as a“purge” of the Internal Affairs Ministry overthe past year and its apparent subordinationto the KGB, an agency also reputedlyunder the control of the youngerLukashenka. On May 11, the president dismissedthe internal affairs minister, Gen.Anatol Kuleshau, who had reportedly beenseriously ill at the start of the year (udf.by,Jan 17). Mr. Kuleshau’s replacement, IharShunievich, worked in the ministry untilfive years ago, but since then has been anemployee of the KGB. The conclusion of areport by Kamil Klysinski of the PolishbasedCenter for Eastern Studies is that theevident consolidation of the forces of ViktarLukashenka is a setback for those who favoreconomic reforms and improved relationswith the West (OSW Center for EasternStudies, May 16).Perhaps of equal importance is that, after18 months of internal turmoil and confrontationswith the opposition and othergroups, the president wishes to have aroundhim people he trusts fervently. Whetherthere are any real threats to his power isdebatable – despite the alleged storming ofthe Parliament building by crowds of demonstratorsafter the 2010 elections, the subsequentmass arrests, a “terrorist attack”last year and the extreme powers allocatedto the KGB to round up opponents of theregime, real and imagined (Moscow Times,October 20), 2011. Neither of PresidentLukashenka’s sons has demonstrated anyinclination for the presidency. In fact his secondson, Dmitry, who is 32, has a menialposition as head of the presidential sportsclub, and his most frequently publicizedimage is in an ice hockey uniform. It is thepresident’s third and youngest son, Mikalay(born in 2004), who is the most favored andaccompanies his father regularly on officialIn the item in “Notes on People” headlined“Romankiw honored by colleaguesin D.C.,” (June 17), the caption publishedwith the photo was incorrect (it was to asimilar photo from the same event). Hereis the correct caption for the photo thatwas published: Dr. Lubomyr Romankiw,wearing his medal as one of this year’sinductees into the U.S. National InventorsHall of Fame, gives in to requests to posefor pictures following a luncheon in hishonor organized by two dozen of hisWashington-area Ukrainian Americanfriends and colleagues on May 3, the dayafter he received his award at theSmithsonian Museum. Dr. Romankiw andhis partner at IBM, David Thompson,were inducted into the Hall of Fame fortheir invention of the thin-film magnetichead, which contributed to the success ofthe computer disk drive industry byincreasing the density of data that couldbe stored on magnetic disks whiledecreasing its size and the cost of storage.In the Ukrainian community, he isalso known as the “nachalnyi plastun”(chief scout) of Plast Ukrainian ScoutingOrganization. Standing with him are(from left): Dr. Lubomyr Onyshkevych,Andriy Harmatiy, Theresa Ben andAndrew Bihun. (The correct caption hasbeen inserted into the online version ofthe June 17 issue.) (Continued on page 6)Tourism up 19% due to Euro 2012KYIV – Compared with the same periodlast year, the number of foreign touristarrivals in Ukraine has increased by 19 percent,Tetiana Slyshyk, the head of the ChiefDirectorate for Euro 2012 in Kyiv, told thepress on June 14. She said that from June 5to 13 Boryspil International Airport welcomedmore than 100,000 people and thenumber of private vehicles in Kyiv hadmore than doubled. She also noted that,according to border authorities, from June5 to 13 about 2 million tourists enteredUkraine. “The lion’s share of these people,60 percent, came to Kyiv,” she said.According to specialists, during Euro 2012Ukraine will be visited by 350,000 to400,000 people daily. More than 200,000 ofthem will be visiting Kyiv every day. “Wethink that by the time of the Euro 2012finals this figure will reach half a millionpeople,” Ms. Slyshyk added. (Ukrinform)Azarov: Euro 2012 debunks mythsKYIV – Prime Minister Mykola Azarovsaid he believes the successful preparationand conduct of Euro 2012 has refuteduntrue rumors about Ukraine. Speaking onJune 20 at a meeting of the Cabinet ofMinisters, he said: “Hundreds of foreignvisitors have already publicly expressedtheir disappointment with the fact thatthey had been misinformed, and theiradmiration for what they have actuallyseen. The direct acquaintance with Ukrainerebuffs myths – guests can see that ourcountry welcomes the championship withenthusiasm. We are prepared properly.Different thoughts in Ukraine areexpressed freely, order and security aremaintained. This is the best way to refutethe untruth with regard to Ukraine – withreal deeds to prove its truth. The truthabout our country will be brought by thefans to their countries. I think it’s a goodlesson for us, and for Western Europe.” Mr.Azarov added that both athletes and fanshave noted the high level and quality of theEuro matches, appreciated the sincerityand openness of the Ukrainian people, andexperienced true Ukrainian hospitality.“We welcome fans, tourists, businessmenand politicians. I wish everyone couldassess the Ukrainian realities based ontheir own observations and not from theslander of the emissaries of our opposition.They did all they could to break the greatvictory of our people, to break the championshipin Ukraine. It didn’t work, becauseUkraine is a developing European state,and integration into the European Union isa conscious choice of the Ukrainian people,”the prime minister emphasized. Hesaid the success of the Euro 2012 is part ofUkraine’s systemic transformation on thepath of European integration. “This experiencein the reform of the state costs asmuch as investment resources,” Mr. Azarovunderscored. (Ukrinform)Yatsenyuk: United opposition nearly formedKYIV – The formation of the unitedopposition is nearing completion, Front forChange leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk told abriefing on June 20 on the occasion of theCivic Position political party’s announcementthat it is joining the united opposition.Mr. Yatsenyuk said that today theopposition, thanks to the accession ofAnatoliy Grytsenko’s Civic Position, hasbecome “stronger than yesterday.” Mr.Yatsenyuk did not answer journalists’questions about rumors of a possibleaccession to the united opposition ofMykola Katerynchuk’s European Party ofUkraine. (Ukrinform)EU envoy denied visit with TymoshenkoKYIV – European Union Ambassador toUkraine José Manuel Pinto Teixeira wasprevented on June 18 from visiting oppositionleader Yulia Tymoshenko in theKharkiv hospital where she is being treated,according to Ms. Tymoshenko’s officialwebsite. “For nearly 10 months I have beenwaiting for permission from the Ukrainianauthorities to visit Yulia Tymoshenko.Every time there is a different reason,”Ambassador Teixeira said while speakingto the press outside the hospital. He left aletter he wrote to the former prime ministerwith representatives of theBatkivshchyna Party in Kharkiv in the hope(Continued on page 12)The Ukrainian Weekly FOUNDED 1933An English-language newspaper published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc.,a non-profit association, at 2200 Route 10, P.O. Box 280, Parsippany, NJ 07054.Yearly subscription rate: $65; for UNA members — $55.Periodicals postage paid at Caldwell, NJ 07006 and additional mailing offices.(ISSN — 0273-9348)The Weekly:UNA:Tel: (973) 292-9800; Fax: (973) 644-9510 Tel: (973) 292-9800; Fax: (973) 292-0900Postmaster, send address changes to:The Ukrainian WeeklyEditor-in-chief: Roma Hadzewycz2200 Route 10 Editor: Matthew DubasP.O. Box 280Parsippany, NJ 07054e-mail: staff@ukrweekly.comThe Ukrainian Weekly Archive: www.ukrweekly.comThe Ukrainian Weekly, June 24, 2012, No. 26, Vol. LXXXCopyright © 2012 The Ukrainian WeeklyADMINISTRATION OF THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY AND SVOBODAWalter Honcharyk, administrator(973) 292-9800, ext. 3041e-mail: admin@ukrweekly.comWalter Honcharyk, advertising manager(973) 292-9800, ext. 3040fax: (973) 644-9510e-mail: adukr@optonline.netMariyka Pendzola, subscriptions(973) 292-9800, ext. 3042e-mail: subscription@ukrweekly.com

No. 26THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 20123Canada’s Foreign Affairs Committee visits Ukraine, holds hearings in three citiesOTTAWA – A delegation from theCanadian Parliament that visited Ukrainelast month held five days of meetings inUkraine’s capital, as well as in Kharkiv andLviv.According to a May 29 press releasefrom the Ukrainian Canadian Congress,meetings were held with a broad spectrumof experts and monitors of the social, political,economic and human rights situation inthe country.Also attending the meetings were representativesof the organized UkrainianCanadian community including: TarasZalusky, executive director, UkrainianCanadian Congress; Bohdan Onyschuk,president, Canada Ukraine Foundation; andBorys Potapenko, executive director,League of Ukrainian Canadians.The delegation heard a consistent messagein Kyiv, eastern Ukraine and westernUkraine about the importance of this fall’sparliamentary elections and the need for ofa strong international election observerpresence, as well as the importance ofCanada supporting Ukraine’s fledglingdemocracy and civil society groups in theface of increasingly authoritarian trends.The visit began on Monday, May 14, witha session involving presentations by representatives,family members and attorneysof Yulia Tymoshenko, Yurii Lutsenko andValeriy Ivashchenko. Eugenia Tymoshenko,daughter of the former prime minister,Iryna Lutsenko, wife of the former internalaffairs minister, and Valentyna Ivashchenko,wife of the former acting defense minister,discussed the circumstances surroundingthe arrest, detention before and duringtrial, sentencing, and incarceration of theirloved ones.They also expressed their concernsabout the current circumstance and conditionsof incarceration. In this regard, threekey requirements were raised: immediatemedical attention, unconditional releasefrom prison of these political prisoners andreversal of all charges on which the convictionswere based.Presentations by representatives ofUkrainian government entities involved inthese cases followed. Representatives of theProcurator General’s Office of Ukraine, theOffice of the Human Rights Ombudspersonat the Verkhovna Rada, the StatePenitentiary Service of Ukraine; and theMinistry of Justice of Ukraine appearednext. Without providing opening statements,the session moved directly to questionsfrom Canadian MPs and discussionsurrounding the cases of the incarceratedformer government officials.The Ukrainian representatives indicatedthat they were interested in the opinionsand questions of the Canadian officials andthat they would relay them to relevant officials.They also indicated that writtenresponses would be provided to outstandingquestions.Following the morning sessions, theCanadian delegation held a working lunchwith the chairman of the Foreign AffairsCommittee of the Verkhovna Rada, OlehBilorus. The wide-ranging discussionfocused on issues ranging from Ukraine’sgeo-strategic importance, includingRussia’s intentions to impose its will onUkraine, to the development of civil societyand the fall elections to the VerkhovnaRada.The afternoon sessions dealt with issuesrelated to the economy, business andinvestment climate. In addition to the threerepresentatives of the Ukrainian Canadiancommunity attending, the UkrainianCanadian Chamber of Commerce (CUCC)participated in the session with presentationsby Emma Turos, executive director ofthe CUCC office in Kyiv, and Danylo Bilak,CUCC board member and resident partnerof Cameron McKenna LLP law firm.Other speakers included representativesfrom the European Business Association,American Chamber of Commerce inUkraine, European Bank for Reconstructionand Development and Viterra Ukraine. Thediscussion focused on the investment climate,corruption, rule of law, propertyrights and related issues. It was stressedthat foreign investment – especially as thispertains to small and medium-size enterprises– requires investors to have longtermgoals and support from their governments,embassies, and from committeddiaspora organizations, especially chambersof commerce and professional andbusiness groups.The final session included a meetingwith representatives of the State Agency forInvestment and National Projects ofUkraine and the Institute for EconomicResearch and Political Consultations. Thefrank and candid discussion of the economy,business and investment climate centeredon tax and regulatory issues, corruptionand factors influencing foreign investorrisk/benefit calculations.The committee also heard from theCommittee in Support of Democracy inUkraine, which was represented by formerUkrainian Ambassador to Canada YuriShcherbak and Dmytro Pavlychko. MessrsShcherbak and Pavlychko stated that theUkrainian government is violating theConstitution of Ukraine, and that supportfrom Canada is critical to Ukraine maintaininga democratic course.The Embassy of Canada in Ukraine helda formal reception marking the 20th anniversaryof Canada-Ukraine relations whichwas addressed by the head of delegation,MP Bob Dechert, parliamentary secretaryto the minister of foreign affairs; TroyLulashnyk, Canada’s ambassador toUkraine; and Ukraine’s vice-minister of foreignaffairs, Pavel Klymkin.Meetings on Tuesday, May 15, beganwith presentations by representatives ofopposition parties, including: AnatoliyGrytsenko, leader of the HromadianskaPozytsia party; Oleh Tyahnybok, leader ofthe Svoboda party; Serhiy Sas of the YuliaTymoshenko Bloc faction in Parliament;Andrei Pyshnyi from Front for change; andRostyslav Pavlenko, representative fromthe UDAR party.The political representatives spokeabout the importance of the Ukrainian diasporaand indicated that many feel thatUkraine is being sold out to the “Donetsk(Continued on page 14)Defenders of the Ukrainian language protestin front of Ukrainian Consulate in New Yorkby Matthew DubasNEW YORK – Approximately 100 protesters,many dressed in Ukrainian embroideredshirts and carrying flags and placardsof protest, gathered on June 18 toshow their love of the Ukrainian languagethrough Ukrainian patriotic songs in frontof the Consulate General of Ukraine – locatedat 240 49th St., between Second andThird avenues.The protest was in response to theintroduction of legislation by NationalDeputies Serhiy Kivalov and BorisKolesnykov in the Verkhovna Rada thatwould make Russian a second official languagein most regions of Ukraine. The legislationwas accepted in its first reading bythe Ukrainian Parliament and protesterschanted slogans urging the government ofAskold Lozynskyj, chair of theInternational Conference in Support ofUkraine, speaks at the rally.Matthew DubasStefan Kaczaraj, president of theUkrainian National Association, deliversstatements in Ukrainian and English.Ukraine to vote “no” in its second reading.The peaceful demonstration was organizedby the Ukrainian Congress Committeeof America (UCCA), the New UkrainianWave, the Organization for the Defense ofFour Freedoms for Ukraine (ODFFU) andthe International Conference in Support ofUkraine (known by its Ukrainian acronym,SKUDO).Speeches were delivered by AskoldLozynskyj (chair of SKUDO), Ivanka Zajac(president of the UCCA branch in New YorkCity) Stepan Kaczurak (president ofODFFU), Stefan Kaczaraj (president of theUkrainian National Association), MykhailoKoziupa (president of the UCCA in MorrisCounty, N.J.), Halyna Rudenko andMyroslava Rozdolska (of the New UkrainianWave) and Yuri Symczyk (first vice-presidentof ODFFU).Hundreds of oblast and raion deputiesprotest changes to Ukraine’s language lawLocal government officials demonstrate in Kyiv against the proposed new law on language.by Tamara OlexyUkrainian Congress Committee of AmericaKYIV – Separated from Party of Regionssupporters by metal barricades and dozensof Ukraine’s militia, close to 2,000 deputiesfrom 13 oblasts and dozens of local governmentsaround Ukraine gathered before theVerkhovna Rada building to protest theintroduction of Law No. 9073 “On thePrinciples of Language Policy.”On the morning of June 5, hundreds oflocal government officials arrived in Kyiv tohold extraordinary sessions of their respectiveoblast governments to express theiropposition to the bill sponsored by Party ofRegions National Deputies Serhii Kivalovand Vadym Kolesnichenko.At 8:30 a.m. outside of the VerkhovnaRada, Oleksander Sich, chair of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast Council, called to order thecouncil’s extraordinary 14th session.With a quorum of 59 deputies, the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast Council unanimouslyvoted to prevent the introduction of a defacto second official language in Ukraine.In his comments to the gathering, Mr.Sich stated: “We, members of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast Council, express our profoundindignation and reject the provocativeintentions of the Party of Regions billintroduced by Kivalov and Kolesnichenko…Such a language policy, which tries toimplement in Ukraine a second official language– Russian… will cause irreparabledamage to the establishment of Ukraine as(Continued on page 14)

6THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2012No. 26The Ukrainian WeeklyThe saintly Metropolitan SheptytskyAs reported in several articles in May, the life and exemplary works ofMetropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky (1865-1944) were honored in Canada and theUnited States thanks to a North American tour of Ukrainian religious leaders organizedby the Ukrainian Jewish Encounter. One of the goals of the trip that broughtOrthodox, Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, Evangelical and Muslim leaders to Toronto,Ottawa, Washington and New York was to support efforts seeking the beatificationof Metropolitan Sheptytsky by the Vatican and his recognition at Israel’s Yad Vashemas one of the Righteous Among Nations – a designation granted to gentiles whosaved the lives of Jews during the Holocaust.An extraordinary man, Sheptytsky was devoted to his Ukrainian faithful, defendingtheir religious, social and national interests without fail during a time of greatpolitical upheaval, including two world wars, in the western Ukrainian regionknown as Halychyna (Galicia). The saintly metropolitan also defended people ofother faiths and nationalities who lived on those Ukrainian lands, and was a force forharmony and reconciliation among ethnic and religious groups.His most courageous actions came at the time of the brutal Nazi occupation ofUkraine. Sheptytsky personally protected Jews in Ukraine and ordered his monasteries,convents and orphanages to hide hundreds of children from the Nazis. This“spiritual giant” – as Kurt Lewin, one of the children saved by the metropolitan,called him – protested against the destruction of Jews in Halychyna directly toHeinrich Himmler, informed the Vatican about what was happening in the regionunder the Nazi regime, and authored the historic pastoral letter “Thou Shalt NotKill,” in which he underscored the sanctity of human life and called on the faithful tonot participate in Nazi atrocities. The powerful video-documentary “Saved bySheptytsky,” prepared by Jurij Klufas specially for the UJE tour, presented the voicesof three Jews who as children were saved by the metropolitan; all argued stronglyfor his recognition by Yad Vashem. (This documentary should become widely availableto be utilized in the Holocaust and genocide curricula now in place in manyschool districts.)During a symposium in Ottawa, Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk of the UkrainianGreek-Catholic Church underscored: “The courage that Sheptytsky displayed, duringa very dark night of Ukraine’s history, has universal significance. At the risk of hisown life, as well as the lives of his clergy and nuns, Sheptytsky sheltered hundreds ofJews during the Nazi Holocaust. He did so, knowing full well, that from the perspectiveof human calculation, this was shear folly. But he also knew that without such‘folly,’ life is absurd.” (The text of the patriarch’s remarks appears on page 7.)Thankfully, the cause for Andrey Sheptytsky’s beatification has progressed,according to Patriarch Sviatoslav, who told an audience in New York City that newdocumentation was recently presented to the Vatican about the miraculous healingof a person in the U.S. through Sheptytsky’s intercession. The patriarch asked forprayers for the metropolitan’s beatification.As regards recognition by Yad Vashem, we can only express our conviction that itshall come to pass. For surely Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, whose bravery iscited and whose cause is endorsed by Holocaust survivors and religious leaders ofall faiths, is already among the world’s Righteous.June271992Turning the pages back...Twenty years ago, on June 27, 1992, 11,815 people watchedas the Ukrainian National Team, in its first game abroad and itssecond international game ever as an independent team, playedto a 0-0 tie in an international friendly match against the U.S.World Cup team at Rutgers Stadium in Piscataway, N.J.“This was more than a game,” said coach Viktor Prokopenko. “We’ve been waiting forthis game for 90 years.”But it almost didn’t happen.“A decision was made by the Ukrainian Soccer Federation in Kyiv not to come becauseonly a few hours were left before the flight departure and there were still no visas,”explained Ihor Chyzowych, one of the lead organizers. “We had to act quickly to remedythe situation. From the United States, my brother Eugene called the Embassy inWashington and in Moscow, and from my side in Kyiv, I tried to convince the team not todisband,” he added.Mr. Prokopenko was interim coach for Ukraine’s team while regular coach ValeriyLobanovsky finished his coaching commitment in Egypt, with plans to return later thatsummer.The game had two scoring chances for Ukraine, one near the beginning and one nearthe end of the match, but Ukraine played a defensive game. The Chaika Ukrainian DanceEnsemble of Yonkers, N.Y., under the direction of Walter Yurcheniuk, performed duringthe half-time break.During a press conference after the match, Mr. Prokopenko said, “It was a tremendoussuccess for the Ukrainian team. This is the first time this team, which is made up of professionalplayers from Ukraine, played together as a team.”Coach Prokopenko explained that the team was delayed due to visa problems originatingfrom Moscow, which added to the team’s fatigue from jet lag. In addition, with theteam’s late arrival, they were unable to train for the match prior to the game, unlike theU.S. team, which had practiced at Rutgers Stadium all week. The U.S. Soccer Federationsubmitted an invitation to the team through the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, but the invitationwas not suitable for the type of visa required by U.S. immigration.(Continued on page 18)FOR THE RECORD: Ukraine in 2011Following are excerpts from the executivesummary of the Ukraine section of FreedomHouse’s report “Nations in Transit 2012.”The report covers democratic developmentin 29 countries from Central Europe toEurasia. Ukraine’s scores in five categories(electoral process, independent media,national democratic governance, judicialframework and independence, and corruption)of the seven covered by the reportdeclined in 2011. The full report on Ukrainemay be read at http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/nations-transit/2012/ukraine.Is there a third force...(Continued from page 2)occasions (see http://www.belarus-tv.by/eng/president.asp?id=66518 ).Plainly, the current structure is focusedon the security forces, among which theKGB is the most powerful. Yet, there is noofficial, unified government position onmany issues. Cabinet ministers are oftenchided for failure to show initiatives, meaningthat they are not always expected totake directions from above. Because of hisfrequent speeches and image of omnipresence,President Lukashenka is often perceivedas the sole determiner of state policy,despite the many contradictions in hisstatements. Certainly he has exceptionalpowers. Yet, the Belarusian state is run,essentially, by public servants, many ofwhom are not opposed to economicreforms. Though rarely in the public eye,this apolitical “third force” stands betweenthe more polarized players: the presidentand the opposition.In the past, when such figures have takenon a political role, the regime has dealt with• Ukraine’s democratic institutions andprocesses continued to deteriorate in 2011,moving the country toward authoritarianrule. Growing concentration of power inthe hands of the president was accompaniedby the politically motivated and selectiveuse of the judiciary to jail key leadersof the opposition.• Misuse of the judiciary became themain indication of a deteriorating politicallandscape in 2011, preventing free and fairpolitical competition. Criminal casesagainst the leaders of opposition…removed the most vocal opponents of thegovernment from active politics. …• President [Viktor] Yanukovych’s effortsto consolidate power and amass personalwealth for himself and his family continuedin 2011, undermining the legitimacy of hisregime at home and abroad. Despite thepresident’s avowed commitment to democraticprinciples, he continued to attack thesystem of checks and balances within government,diminishing the power of theParliament and political parties and theindependence of the Cabinet of Ministers.…The president’s actions during the yearsuggested that he was building a purelypersonalistic model of governance. …• The country’s growing authoritarianismhas not yet resulted in the direct targetingof nongovernmental organizations(NGOs) as such, though several civic activistsspent up to four months in jail for allegedlydamaging public property duringpolitical rallies in late 2010. In most casesthe government continued to engage in dialoguewith civil society in the establishedformats; hundreds of civic councils wereformed at different levels of government inaccordance with new regulations, but oftenNGOs reported only an “imitation” of publicparticipation in such bodies. …• … since 2010, coverage of politicallysensitive topics has taken on a more progovernmentbias at most of the televisionstations with national reach. Selfcensorshipis a visible phenomenon onnationwide channels, and many channelsnoticeably “depoliticized” their newsbroadcasting in 2011. Some signs of directgovernment pressure on media were evidentat the regional level, with three independenttelevision stations in Kharkivshutting down in August and September.Media watchdogs warned of physicalattacks against journalists, and digitalbroadcasting frequencies were distributedin 2011 in a way that favored media ownerswith government connections. …• …the year 2011 was characterized byconsolidation of local power hierarchies tothe advantage of the Yanukovych administration,with politically motivated appointmentsoccurring at all levels. Throughoutthe year, the responsibilities of the democraticallyelected mayor of Kyiv were performedby a presidential appointee,Oleksander Popov, who replaced MayorLeonid Chernovetskyi as head of the cityadministration in November 2010. …Theneed to show political loyalty to the centralleadership further hampered the activity oflocal authorities, alienating them from residentsof their regions. …• …“Administrative resources” areexpected to play a crucial role in parliamentaryelections scheduled for October2012, pushing Ukraine further back fromits democratic achievements. The law onelections adopted in 2011 will give the rulingParty of Regions a chance to win amajority in the next Parliament despite alevel of public support that does not exceed20-25 percent. The exclusion of oppositionleaders like [Yulia] Tymoshenko and [Yurii]Lutsenko will also raise questions as towhether the voting is free and fair. …them summarily and much more harshlythan with detained oppositionists, as thecases of the “disappeared” leaders ViktarHanchar and Yuri Zakharanka demonstrate.Mr. Hanchar was Mr. Lukashenka’s campaignmanager in 1994. But as DeputyChairman of the Parliament, he hademerged as a major and charismatic opponentfive years later during a time of constitutionalcrisis when Mr. Lukashenka refusedto hold presidential elections at the end ofhis first term. Hanchar was abducted onSeptember 16, 1999, together with hisfriend, the entrepreneur Anatol Krasouski.Mr. Zakharanka was dismissed as ministerof defense and had joined the oppositionUnited Civil Party prior to his disappearancein 1999.Both former regime insiders are presumeddead. The two figures had come outopenly into the opposition.Today one can assume that there aredozens of personnel following the orders ofthe president, but it does not necessarilyindicate that they are his supporters or inagreement with his policies. The loyal coteriearound the leader is much smaller thanit appears even if, for the present, it is politicallyinert.TO OUR READERSNext week’s issue of The Ukrainian Weekly will be a double issue (Nos. 27 and28) dated July 1-July 8. A single issue will be printed for those weeks due to theIndependence Day holiday in the United States.

No. 26THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 20127SYMPOSIUM ADDRESSPatriarch Sviatoslav on Metropolitan Andrey SheptytskyFollowing is the text of the address byPatriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk delivered onApril 25 at the symposium titled “HonoringAndrey Sheptytsky: Ethical Action inExtreme Conditions” that was held at theSheptytsky Institute of Eastern ChristianStudies at St. Paul University in Ottawa.What an appropriate place to honor mypredecessor, Metropolitan AndreySheptytsky. The Sheptytsky Institute ofEastern Christian Studies here at St. PaulUniversity symbolizes the task of reconciliationundertaken by the great metropolitanthroughout his lifetime.As a former student of the SheptytskyInstitute’s summer program, it gives meparticular pleasure to greet the Institute’sfounding director, Father Andriy Chirovsky,and all of his collaborators.It is also a blessing to be here with mycolleagues from Ukraine, in particular,Chief Rabbi Yaakov Bleich. Rabbi Bleich hasbeen outstandingly zealous in extollingSheptytsky’s heroism during the NaziHolocaust. For this, I thank him most sincerely.The Ukrainian delegation you see herebefore you today, is supported by a greatUkrainian Canadian, James Temerty, a sonof the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. He hasbrought together Jews, Muslims, as well asProtestant, Roman Catholic, Greek-Catholicand Orthodox Christians. He has broughtthem together to revere a model of courage,the late Archbishop Andrey Sheptytsky.The courage that Sheptytsky displayed,during a very dark night of Ukraine’s history,has universal significance. At the risk ofhis own life, as well as the lives of his clergyand nuns, Sheptytsky sheltered hundreds ofJews during the Nazi Holocaust. He did so,knowing full well that from the perspectiveof human calculation, this was shear folly.But he also knew that, without such “folly,”life is absurd.That kind of “folly” is as important todayas then. For the true good of humanityevery generation must be willing to gobeyond human calculation, and embracesacrificial love – a love that respects all life –from conception to natural death.Among the Jewish boys saved bySheptytsky was the son of the chief rabbi ofLviv, Kurt Lewin. (Lewin’s father was murderedby the Nazis.)In his memoirs, published in 1994, KurtLewin wrote the following: “The compassthat guided me all these years [of my life]was the memory of the encounter withMetropolitan Andrew Graf Szeptycki andhis brother Clement, the two spiritual giantswho by their example charted a course formany. The efforts of their lifetimes seemedto be destroyed at the end of their journeythrough life. [But] time has shown that theseeds they sowed resulted in a rich andrewarding harvest.”My brothers and sisters, among the fruitsof that harvest is this very delegation. Werepresent millions of individuals who intheir worst moments – like all humans –might bow to hatred or intolerance. But ourUkrainian delegation is here together today– and most importantly in Ukraine – to insistthat we, their leaders, reject such attitudes.With the survivors of the Holocaust we proclaim:“Never again.” And we pray thatUkraine, and all nations, might rid themselvesof anti-Semitism once and for all.We also proclaim a resounding “no” tothe ideology and mentality that engineeredthe Genocide-Famine of Ukraine. ThatFamine of 1932-1933, and the NaziHolocaust – along with the ideologies ofCommunism and Nazism that drove them –At the risk of his ownlife, as well as thelives of his clergy andnuns, MetropolitanAndrey Sheptytskysheltered hundredsof Jews during theNazi Holocaust.has left wounds on our souls. By God’sgrace, however, the scars of these woundsmend every time gatherings such as ourUkrainian Jewish Encounter take place. Andby God’s grace it is Sheptytsky’s compassthat guides each encounter.In the few minutes that remain, allow meto turn more directly to the topic, “EthicalAction in Extreme Conditions.”As a former professor of moral theology,there are several themes that I would haveliked to develop today – had time permitted.For example, our focus on ethical behaviorin a former era should lead us to reflect onthe problem of moral escapism, that is, howour indignation about the past, unfortunatelydoes not always translate into ethicalbehaviour today.Also, Sheptytsky’s unbending principlesin extreme conditions could lead us to afruitful reflection on the continued relevanceof moral absolutes – again, a verytimely topic.However, in the several minutes allottedme, allow me to dwell on a theme that is notonly more basic, but also manageable insuch a brief address.I begin with a quotation fromSheptytsky’s 1901 Pastoral Letter, “TheGreatest Commandment.” Sheptytsky’swords are disarmingly simple. In fact, someoneunfamiliar with Sheptytsky’s intellectmight be inclined to view them as pietistic.These words read:“A lack of love is the source of every hardshipand misery. Every person has a right tobe loved, has a right to experience love fromall people. And an injustice is inflicted on aperson when they experience too little of it.”From the pen of another person, thesewords might not even merit citation. Butthis person was different. In 1990,Sheptytsky was described by EricGoldhagen, lecturer in Jewish studies atHarvard University, and author of theIntroduction to David Kahane’s “LvovGhetto Diary,” in the following words:“No other ecclesiastical figure of equalrank in the whole of Europe displayed suchsorrow for the fate of the Jews and acted soboldly on their behalf.”It’s amazing, then, that many people havenever heard of Sheptytsky.And note the words “sorrow” and“action.” We might then paraphraseSheptytsky’s text above in the followingmanner: “A lack of sorrow for the sufferingof others, and a lack of action on theirbehalf, is the source of every hardship andmisery.”But Sheptytsky insists that every personhas a right to such compassion and actionfrom us. He asserts that it is even an injusticewhen someone experiences too little ofthem. That, I would insist, is a real “rightsrevolution.” It is truly revolutionary becauseit requires us to overturn everything wenormally associate with “rights.” One cannotlegislate compassion. One cannot enforce“entitlements” to love.And so to understand Sheptytsky’sthinking – and, more importantly, his heroicbehavior – we have to turn to another of hispronouncements, this one written at theheight of the Nazi occupation of Ukraine.The paradox may surprise you.Sheptytsky wrote this to his clergy, whowere participating in a wartime archdiocesancouncil over which he presided:“During the entire year of our council’sdeliberations we have been concernedexclusively with God’s rights. I purposelysay ‘with God’s rights’ and not ‘laws,’ inother words, with that which is His due, notbecause God demands this, but as a consequenceof what God is in Himself, onaccount of His infinite nature. We have concernedourselves with the rights of the mosthigh God […] as though we ourselves hadnever existed on the face of the earth.”Amazing! The man who did so much tohelp those being ground into the face – andmud – of the earth, in other words, the manwho was so radically people-centered,insisted on the need to remain Godcentered.This is because compassion cannotbe legislated. And so, the only way toconsistently achieve it, is through innercommunion with the living God. Accordingto his personal spiritual diary, one that hecertainly never expected to be discovered,Sheptytsky tried to spend eight hours a dayin prayer – in union with God’s infiniteNature. (Yes, he would rise for prayer at 3 inthe morning.)If time had permitted, I would have likedto deal with objections from those today,who so frequently presume that talk of Godleads to division and strife. Certainly, it isonly the living God, not an idol, who healsUCCA condemnsthe “Law on Languages”Below is the text of a statementreleased on June 12 by the UkrainianCongress Committee of America in reactionto Ukraine’s proposed new law onlanguages.The Ukrainian Congress Committee ofAmerica (UCCA), the representative organizationof over 1 million Americans ofUkrainian descent, calls upon the internationalcommunity to join the UCCA instrongly condemning the June 5, 2012,passage of Law No. 9073, the “Law onLanguages,” in the first reading.Sponsored by National Deputies SerhiiKivalov and Vadym Kolesnichenko, the“Law on Languages” de facto allows forthe colonialist Russian language to notsimply become a second official state languagein Ukraine, contradicting Ukraine’sown Constitution, but more significantly,lays the groundwork for a new, ethnicallybased system of apartheid against theUkrainian people in their own country,one which has been reincorporated intothe Putinesque neo-colonial “Russkii Mir.”Several weeks ago, the RussianFederation denied the registration ofUkrainian organizations and schoolswithin its own borders. In the RussianFederation, the Ukrainian language, customs,culture and people are underattack, and now, in Ukraine, the same isoccurring. For centuries, the Ukrainianpeople struggled to maintain their languageand identity within the tsarist, thenSoviet Russian empires. The post-colonialchallenges of rebuilding and healing thebrutalized Ukrainian people have beenand brings peace.But I will have to end with a quotationfrom the Orthodox theologian, PaulEvdokimov, about whom I wrote my owndoctoral dissertation.In 1966, Evdokimov said: “To exist is toparticipate in being or in nothingness. Mancan make of himself ‘an icon of God,’ or hecan become a demoníacal grimace, an apeof God… Man can revive the flame of love, orthe fire of Gehenna. He can convert his ‘yes’into an infinity of unions; he can also by his‘no’ break his being into infernal separationsand solitudes.”In the face of demoníacal Nazi grimaces,Sheptytsky saved hundreds from Gehenniclikefires. He was indeed an icon of God,committed to an infinity of human unions –between Jews and Christians, betweenOrthodox, Catholics and Protestants (and ifhe had lived today: between Muslims andall of these) because of his love for the infinitenature of God.Allow me to conclude with the words ofone of Sheptytsky’s priests, Omelian Kovch.Father Kovch was a married priest with sixchildren. He died in the Majdanek concentrationcamp after being arrested for shelteringJews. Before his death in 1944 hewrote the following: “Here [in the camp] weare all equal: Poles, Jews, Ukrainians,Russians, Latvians and Estonians…Here Isee God, who is the same for everyone,regardless of the religious distinctions thatexist among us.”My brothers and sisters: May that oneGod always inspire all of us with a sacrificiallove worthy of God’s life-giving unity.Thank you for your attention.significant, yet, after 20 years of independence,the process of renewal had begun.Now, the Yanukovych regime and thequisling Parliament in Ukraine are activelypromoting Vladimir Putin’s neo-colonial,Ukrainophobic agenda and is pursuingethnocidal policies against theUkrainian people, deliberately sowingconflict while attempting to artificiallydivide Ukraine.The continued expansion of Putin’s“Russkii Mir” and the potential of a resultantconflict of significant proportionscannot remain outside the attention of theWestern alliance, if only out of self-interest.However, as democracies, Westerngovernments must not ignore the continuedassaults against the human andnational rights of the Ukrainian people.The Ukrainian Congress Committee ofAmerica and its membership urgePresident Barack Obama and the UnitedStates Congress to disallow the admittanceinto the United States of those representativesof the Yanukovych and Putinregimes responsible for the abuses of thehuman rights of the Ukrainian people.Furthermore, we urge President Obamato encourage our allies to follow suit.Human dignity and national identity arerights that must not be ignored.The UCCA salutes the brave citizens ofUkraine who continue to defend theirconstitutional right to use their nativelanguage in all spheres of public life, andcalls on all Ukrainians who value theirunique national culture and heritage tovehemently protest this attack on theUkrainian language.

8THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2012No. 26Canada’s Supreme Court to hear appeal of Wrzesnewskyj’s court challengeby Christopher GulySpecial to The Ukrainian WeeklyOTTAWA – Canada’s Supreme Court hasscheduled a special one-day hearing onJuly 10 to determine whether or not formerLiberal Member of Parliament BorysWrzesnewskyj gets a chance to reclaim theHouse of Commons seat he lost in lastyear’s general election.Conservative Ted Opitz, who narrowlywon the suburban Toronto riding ofEtobicoke Center by 26 votes, is appealinga May 18 Ontario Superior Court rulingthat threw out 79 votes and declared the2011 election results in that riding “nulland void” over numerous voting irregularities.Under Canadian law, an appeal of a lower-courtdecision overturning an electionresult goes directly to the country’s highestcourt.Mr. Wrzesnewskyj, who represented theriding since 2004 and launched the courtaction, was hoping the Supreme Courtwould hear the case on June 27 and returna ruling as soon as possible following itsthree-month summer recess. However, Mr.Opitz asked the court to schedule oralarguments in October when its fall sessionwould commence.Mr. Wrzesnewskyj said that, under theCanada Elections Act, the Supreme Courtmust address an appeal of a lower-courtruling regarding a disputed election result“without delay and in a summary manner.”He said he believes the governingConservatives were trying to stall the proceedingsso they could “prepare themselves”if and when a by-election wascalled. (A Forum Research Inc. telephonepoll conducted just hours after the releaseof the Ontario court decision gave Mr.Wrzesnewskyj a 10-percentage-point leadover the Tory incumbent.)“That’s why people are cynical aboutpolitics,” said Mr. Wrzesnewskyj. “It’s notabout the Conservatives doing what’sright. It’s about using poll numbers to theiradvantage.”He explained that in early JuneEtobicoke Center residents received phonecalls from people saying they were callingon behalf of Prime Minister StephenHarper and Mr. Optiz that accused Mr.Wrzesnewskyj of trying to “overthrow”last year’s election result and warned constituentsthat their votes will be “takenaway” by the Ontario court ruling.A Conservative spokesman has confirmedthat the party has made the callsbut would not say whether votes werebeing “overthrown” or “taken away.” Thefederal Liberal Party may file a complaintwith Elections Canada about the robocalls.During the question period in theHouse of Commons on June 4, interimLiberal leader Bob Rae characterized thephone calls as “a contempt of the judicialprocess and an attempt to close down andshut down democracy in EtobicokeCenter.”C i t i z e n s h i p , I m m i g ra t i o n a n dMulticulturalism Minister Jason Kenneyresponded by stating that “like every party,the Conservative Party has a right to communicatedirectly with voters on issues ofpublic concern” he accused Mr.Wrzesnewskyj of demonstrating “that hehas no shame, this time by fund-raisingbased on false allegations that he retractedin court.”On June 1 Mr. Wrzesnewskyj sent out ane-mail asking for $5 in donations towardhis Fair Fight in Etobicoke CenterCampaign, which has raised over $100,000(about $98,000 U.S.) thus far.In the message, he said the Liberals“need to be ready for the worstConservatives have to offer” in the riding:“improper phone calls, attack ads andother voter-suppression tactics importedfrom the United States.”Although Mr. Wrzesnewskyj’s case centeredon 181 ballots that should not havebeen cast at 10 out of 236 polls, he chosenot to take the risk of including allegationsof ballots “that never made it into the box,”since there is no Canadian case law dealingwith the issue of voter suppression andhe didn’t want the case dragging on foryears without a resolution.However, Mr. Wrzesnewskyj havesworn affidavits from three ElectionsCanada officials, filed with the court, whichdescribe two Opitz campaign workers,including his campaign manager, RomanGawur, intimidating voters at a polling stationlocated at St. Demetrius UkrainianCatholic seniors’ residence that was temporarilyclosed.Although the polling station – where Mr.Wrzesnewskyj has received some of hisbiggest support in past elections –reopened about 30 minutes later, many ofthe residents had by then left by bus for aday trip to a nearby casino.Should there be a by-election and Mr.Wrzesnewskyj wins back his House seat,he said he would push for legislation dealingwith voter suppression.In the meantime, he’d like to have theopportunity to face the electorate again.Rather than asking the Supreme Courtof Canada to intervene, Mr. Wrzesnewskyjbelieves Mr. Harper should have followedthe lead of his prime ministerial predecessors,when courts have thrown out electionresults five times since 1949, and immediatelycalled a by-election. Instead, Canada’stop court will for the first time decidewhether Mr. Opitz remains as the MP forEtobicoke Center or if voters return to thepolls in that riding.Should the appeal be unsuccessful,Prime Minister Harper will have sixmonths (following an 11-day waiting periodafter the House of Commons speakerdeclares the riding vacant) to call a by-election.Although Mr. Opitz did not respond to aninterview request, he said in a statementthat 52,000 people in Etobicoke Center“followed the rules and cast their ballots,”but that their “democratic choice has beencalled into question by the [Superior Court]decision relating to 0.15 percent of thoseballots [rejected by the court].”According to Elections Canada, 52, 794ballots were cast and 271 were rejected inEtobicoke Center in the May 2, generale l e c t i o n . T h e gap b e t we e n M r.Wrzesnewskyj’s results and those of Mr.Opitz was under 0.05 percent.Mr. Opitz has vowed to remain in officewhile the case remains under appeal and,under Canada’s Elections Act, he can do so.However, Mr. Wrzesnewskyj said it was“impossible to determine what the will ofthe electorate was,” in light of the SuperiorCourt ruling. Therefore, he called on Mr.Opitz to do the “honorable thing” and standdown as the sitting MP until the high courtissues its ruling, or at the very least abstainfrom voting on legislation in the House ofCommons and participating on Housestanding committees on citizenship andimmigration as well as defense, both ofwhich he is a member.Mr. Wrzesnewskyj – who was nominatedas the Liberal candidate in EtobicokeCenter on June 12 at a meeting held at St.Demetrius seniors’ residence, a location hechose for its “symbolic importance” – haslaunched a YourVoteMatters.ca websiteand will soon open an office in the ridingto promote democratic rights acrossCanada. Should there be a by-election, itwill serve as his campaign headquarters.“The working assumption that votersuppression never occurred in Canada inrecent history is simply not true,” said Mr.Wrzesnewskyj. “The age of innocence isover.”Open World Leadership Program delegates from Poltava visit Greater Rochesterby Tamara DenysenkoROCHESTER, N.Y. – Five Open WorldProgram delegates from Poltava, Ukraine,visited Greater Rochester under the auspicesof the Open World Leadership Center atthe U.S. Library of Congress on June 2-10.The young professionals, MykytaVo l o vo d , I va n C h a b a n , D my t r oHerashchenko, Iryna Kornilo and NataliyaUdovychenko, participated in a weeklongprogram focusing on non-profits and NGOdevelopment. Joining them as group facilitatorwas Lyudmila Suprun from Kharkiv,Ukraine.An extensive and interesting programprepared by a long-time internationallyfocused community activist, Josephine M.Perini, president of the RochesterInternational Council (RIC), was administeredby the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation inWashington (USUF). The RIC founded in1948, is a nonprofit organization providingeducational and social programs and servicesthat promote understanding amongpeople and showcase the richness anddiversity of other cultures. The USUF is anorganization that since 1991 has createdand sustains channels of communicationbetween the United States and Ukraine forthe purpose of building peace and prosperitythrough shared democratic values.The intense program included learningopportunities at diverse Rochester areaOpen World delegates receive certificates of recognition: (seated, from left) Ron andLois Dworsky, Jean Sikora, Stephany Wowkowych, John and Janet Salzer, (standing)Lyudmila Suprun, Dmytro Herashchenko, Iryna Kornilo, Nataliya Udovychenko,Josephine M. Perini, Tamara Denysenko, Ivan Chaban and Mykyta Volovod.non-profit organizations: the American RedCross, Rochester Works Catholic FamilyCenter, Hillside Family of Agencies, Centerfor Disability Rights, AIDS Care, Center forG ove r n m e n t a l Re s e a rc h , C a re e rDevelopment Services and Lifespan ofGreater Rochester. Informational meetingswere held at Irondequoit Town Hall,Rochester City Hall and U.S Senate andHouse of Representatives district offices.Lively exchanges of ideas were held withstudents at Greece Olympia High School,members of the Rochester YoungProfessionals group and attorneys atUnderberg & Kessler, LLP, and Pelkey &Pelkey, PC, law firms.The Poltava delegates had the opportunityto learn more about the GreaterRochester Ukrainian American communitywith visits to St. Mary ProtectressUkrainian Orthodox Church, St. Josaphatand Epiphany Ukrainian Catholic Churches,the Ukrainian Pentecostal Church, theUkrainian Cultural Center and CentennialMonument in Irondequoit. The UkrainianFederal Credit Union and the Ukrainianarchives at Rush-Rhees Library atUniversity of Rochester highlighted thecommunity’s economic, social and culturalachievements over the past 100 years.A visit to the annual Greek Festival, theStrong National Museum of Play andNiagara Falls rounded out the weeklongvisit. During the farewell dinner held at St.Mary’s Church hall, the 20th anniversary ofthe establishment of sister cities tiesbetween Irondequoit and Poltava was recognizedwith certificates of appreciationfrom Poltava city and regional councils, andOlga Klymko, chair of the Poltava committee.The building of friendship ties andstrengthening of international understandingbetween America and Ukraine wouldnot have been possible without the supportof community volunteers and host families,such as Ron and Lois Dworsky, Susan andRichard Rice, Janet and John Salzer, BethPeters, Jean Sikora, Berl and Julia Stein,Slavko and Zhanna Wirlo, StephanyWowkowych, Kristina Madonia, and Walterand Tamara Denysenko.

No. 26THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 201211Patriarch Sviatoslav visits site of Castle Mountain internment campUCCLAOTTAWA – Patriarch Sviatoslav of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, accompanied by a delegation that includedBishop David Motiuk (Eparchy of Edmonton) and Prof.Lubomyr Luciuk, director of research for the UkrainianCanadian Civil Liberties Association, hallowed the memoryof the Ukrainians and other Europeans held as “enemyaliens” during the first world war during a June 5 visit tothe site of an internment camp in the province of Alberta.Following a comprehensive briefing by Parks Canadaofficials about the construction of a permanent paviliondealing with Canada’s first national internment operations,set to open at Cave and Basin (Banff National Park) in June2013, the patriarch and his entourage travelled to see theinternee statue called “Why?” located at the base of CastleMountain, then visited the actual site of the internmentcamp, where a requiem service (panakhyda) recalled allwho were held behind Canadian barbed wire.The patriarch, who has been invited to attend the officialopening of the Cave and Basin interpretive center nextyear, remarked that the internment operations are “notjust about Canada but are also part of the history ofUkraine, and must be remembered.”Father Mark BayrockPatriarch Sviatoslav, Bishop David Motiuk and Prof. Lubomyr Luciuk during the memorial service held on June 5at Castle Mountain internment camp site.Bush and Clinton schoolsto headline conferenceof U.S.-Ukraine FoundationWASHINGTON – The U.S.-UkraineFoundation has announced a partnershipwith both The Bush School of Governmentand Public Service at Texas A&M Universityand the Clinton School of Public Service atthe University of Arkansas for participationin the 2012 conference and gala,“Leadership in a Global World,” that will beheld on November 30 and December 1, inWashington.The U.S.-Ukraine Foundation is a 501 (c)(3), not-for-profit, non-governmental organizationestablished in 1991 that supportsdemocracy, a free market and human rightsfor Ukraine.The foundation’s two-day event willexamine Ukraine’s role and opportunitiesin the changing international economicenvironment, with a special emphasis onthe role of education and public service ingrowing the next generation of leaders.This will be the second consecutive yearin which the USUF will be hosting a majorevent on Ukraine. Last year’s conferenceand gala attracted 700 people and 38 organizationalsponsors in celebrating Ukraine’s20th anniversary of independence.USUF President Nadia K. McConnell stated:“We are truly fortunate to have theBush and Clinton Schools taking a leadingrole in our 2012 conference and gala,which will be focusing on leadership,achievement and excellence. We all realizethat the challenges facing Ukraine aremany, but the success achieved to date,along with a better understanding of herstrengths and opportunities, can propelUkraine into a leadership role for the 21stcentury. Ukraine’s educational system iskey to Ukraine’s future development andcompetitiveness. Leading educators fromUkraine will join in this discussion.”Andrew H. Card Jr., acting dean of the BushSchool, said: “The Bush School at Texas A&MUniversity, in the finest tradition of PresidentBush, places a great emphasis on public service.This conference will help highlight theimportance of public service and leadershiptraining and how the next generation cancome to face the challenges that our nationand the international community face. Weare delighted to be participating with the(Continued on page 13)

12THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2012No. 26NEWSBRIEFS(Continued from page 2)that they will be able to deliver it throughthe administration of the Kachanivska prison.(UNIAN)Prosecutor on Yulia and Shcherban caseTO PLACE YOUR AD CALL WALTER HONCHARYk (973) 292-9800 x3040or e-mail adukr@optonline.netSERVICESKYIV – The Procurator General’s Office(PGO) has enough evidence of the involvementof former Prime Minister YuliaTymoshenko in organizing and financingthe murder of Ukrainian National DeputyYevhen Shcherban, Deputy ProcuratorGeneral Renat Kuzmin announced on June18 in an interview with Kommersant-Ukraine. “We have enough evidence confirmingMs. Tymoshenko’s involvement inthis murder, and we are planning to bringcharges against her. Her long illness is anobstacle that prevents us from bringingthese charges against her. This does notallow us to carry out relevant investigationsuntil her recovery. We have enoughdata confirming her interest in eliminatingMr. Shcherban, there is evidence confirmingthe transfer of money from heraccounts, and there is direct testimony ofwitnesses who called her the organizer andfinancier of the murder. We have a statementby Ruslan Shcherban, who says she isdirectly responsible for the death of hisfather,” Mr. Kuzmin said. He added thatYevhen Shcherban had made public accusationsagainst Pavlo Lazarenko and Ms.Tymoshenko regarding unscrupulous businesspractices. “Then there was a long conflictrelated to the redistribution of gasflows. Messrs. Shcherban, Momot andShvedchenko were killed in 1996. Afterthese murders, Donetsk businesses surrenderedand started buying UESU gas at aprice proposed by Ms. Tymoshenko. WhenMr. Lazarenko resigned as prime minister,Ms. Tymoshenko left the Donetsk regionafter him, and businesses again startedbuying gas at the previous, lower price,” hesaid. Mr. Kuzmin said the PGO had establishedMs. Tymoshenko’s involvement in agang of Donetsk killers convicted of theShcherban murder in 1996. He said thatthis gang had been involved in 25 murdersand attempted murders. (Ukrinform)PROFESSIONALSHELP WANTEDWe are seeking a babysitterfor our 3 year old son in Bayside, NY.Must speak Ukrainian fluently. Preferablyowns a car. Two days per week - Wednesdayand Thursday. No. of days to increasein December. Tel. 646-763-0045.OPPORTUNITIESEarn extra income!The Ukrainian Weekly is lookingfor advertising sales agents.For additional information contactWalter Honcharyk, Advertising Manager,The Ukrainian Weekly, 973-292-9800, ext 3040.Run your advertisement here,in The Ukrainian Weekly’s CLASSIFIEDS section.Lavrynovych on foreign court rulingsKYIV – Ukraine is under no obligation toexecute the decisions of courts of othercountries, if former Prime MinisterTymoshenko Yulia Tymoshenko appeals tothem, Justice Minister OleksanderLavrynovych told reporters on June 20.“There is a question of national sovereigntyof each state, there is a question of legalsovereignty, the question of legal systems.We have an obligation to perform onlythose decisions that the state undertookunder international treaties and conventions,”Mr. Lavrynovych emphasized. Hestressed that if the citizens of foreign countriesbegin to go to Ukrainian courts, thepublic reaction would be negative. “If thecitizens of Singapore or Zimbabwe startbringing cases to Ukrainian courts, I thinkthe reaction will be predictable. What isproposed [in the situation with Ms.Tymoshenko] is the same,” the ministerunderscored. (Ukrinform)Time: Yanukovych comments on trialsKYIV – President Viktor Yanukovychgave an interview to Time magazine onpressure exerted by the West for therelease of former Prime Minister YuliaTymoshenko and the trials of two formerCabinet ministers, Yurii Lutsenko andValeriy Ivashchenko. An article in the June14 edition quoted the president as saying:“My reaction to that is this: I can’t act outsidethe framework of the law... The presidentdoes not have such instruments. Ihave to do everything by the letter of thelaw. So when could these questions [of herrelease] arise? They can arise when thelegal process is finished. When it is finished,when the courts have made theirdecisions, including the European Court ofHuman Rights, then it is in the president’sauthority to grant a pardon. And if this timecomes, there is a procedure for this. Butuntil the courts have made their decision,in a transparent, legal and procedurallysound way, I do not have the power to dothis.” At the same time, when asked by areporter whether he wants to release Ms.Tymoshenko, Mr. Yanukovych said, “Ofcourse. Of course I do.” He noted that thegoal of the government is to move forwardunder civilized rules, under the law, and forthere to be no chance for politicians toabuse their power. He also pointed to theadoption of the new Criminal Code. In referenceto the case of former acting DefenseMinister Ivashchenko, Mr. Yanukovychvoiced hope for acquittal. “Maybe they willacquit him. It’s possible. And if they acquithim, thank God for that. Let him go free andnot get busted anymore for these things,”he said. Commenting on the trial of formerInternal Affairs Minister Lutsenko, thepresident noted that in any case, he doesn’twant to judge. “The courts do the judging.But from what I read in the press, fromwhat I have heard, that is a violation,” hecommented. Asked whether he worriesthat the new Criminal Code could be usedeven against him and his allies if Ms.Tymoshenko or her allies returned topower, the president responded, “If theyhave arguments, if they have proof, I willnot run away from the law. I am not afraidfor myself. I’ve been through everything inmy life, and I’m not afraid of these trials.”(Ukrinform)Lavrynovych comments on pardonKYIV – Justice Minister OleksanderLavrynovych said on June 20 that formerU k ra i n i a n P r i m e M i n i s ter Yu l i aTymoshenko cannot be pardoned withouther personal request. “The minimum termof serving a sentence and a personalrequest are needed for the application ofthis norm. If this is a matter of health orother issues, the president has the right tosign a decree on a pardon,” he told journalistsin Kyiv. At the same time, he said that apersonal request was still required for apardon for health reasons. “If a persondoes not want to leave prison, nobody canforce him or her to leave it,” he said.Speaking about Ms. Tymoshenko’s presenceat court sessions, the justice ministersaid that, in accordance with the law, a personhas the right not to attend court sessions.However, he said, the decision topostpone the consideration of the case forone reason or another is the court’s prerogative.As reported, Ms. Tymoshenko’s lawyer,National Deputy Serhiy Vlasenko, saidthe imprisoned former prime ministermight accept a pardon from UkrainianPresident Viktor Yanukovych, but she willnot acknowledge her guilt and will in anycase appeal to the European Court ofHuman Rights (ECHR) in order to cancelthe verdicts brought against her. At thesame time, Mr. Vlasenko said that the presidentcould sign a decree on the pardon atany time. “According to him [Mr.Yanukovych], a pardon requires a statementfrom Tymoshenko. I will remind youthat before October 2010, whenYanukovych changed this procedure, therewas a procedure under which an applicationfor a pardon could be submitted byany third party. But he has changed thisprocedure. Note that a change was made inOctober, and the first case was openedagainst Tymoshenko in November... Today,Yanukovych has the right to pardon anyone,including Yulia Tymoshenko. The onlything that has to be done for this is to signtwo decrees: changing the procedure, makingit the same as in democratic countries,and signing a decree on the pardon,” Mr.Vlasenko said. (Interfax-Ukraine)Yanukovych on Constitutional AssemblyKYIV – President Viktor Yanukovychsaid at the first session of theConstitutional Assembly on June 20 that hehopes the opposition will join the work ofthe assembly after parliamentary elections.“I am confident that new political forcesand the opposition will join us after theelections and will also participate in theformation of the main law of our country,”Mr. Yanukovych said. He also called on allpolitical forces to cast aside excessive politicking,step over narrow political interestsand be guided by the interests of the state.“The development of Ukraine should be atop priority for all,” the president said. Atthe same time, Mr. Yanukovych said he wassatisfied with the current composition ofthe Constitutional Assembly, as it includeswell-known people whose professionalismcannot be questioned. “I, as head of state,also invited the European Commission andthe Council of Europe to join the work ofthe Constitutional Assembly,” the presidentadded. (Ukrinform)Obama extends Belarus sanctionsWASHINGTON – U.S. President BarackObama has extended the designation of“national emergency” to relations withBelarus, saying the actions of certain governmentofficials “continue to pose anunusual and extraordinary threat to thenational security and foreign policy of theUnited States.” The declaration allowsWashington to maintain sanctions againstindividuals and specific companies in theauthoritarian Eastern European country.The designation was first made in 2006 byPresident George W. Bush, who alsoordered measures blocking the property ofpeople the White House said were underminingdemocratic processes or institutionsin Belarus. Mr. Obama said the governmentcrackdown that began in 2011“show[s] that the government of Belarushas taken additional steps backward in thedevelopment of democratic governanceand respect for human rights.” (RFE/RL)(Continued on page 13)

No. 26THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 201213NEWSBRIEFS(Continued from page 12)Doctor comments on Yulia in courtKYIV – The question of whether YuliaTymoshenko will be able to participate inthe court hearing on June 25 may begiven only after additional testing. Dr.Anett Reisshauer, a physician of theGerman clinic Charite, who arrived inKharkiv to treat the convicted formerprime minister, said at a news briefing onJune 21 outside Ukrzaliznytsia’s CentralClinical Hospital No. 5 that he hadalready seen Ms. Tymoshenko. “Now I’mnot ready to give an answer aboutwhether she will be able to participate inthe trial on June 25. This requires additionalexamination.” The doctor said hervisit to Kharkiv will last until June 25 or alittle longer. On June 25, Kharkiv’sKyivskyi District Court will consider thecharges against Ms. Tymoshenko relatedto the United Energy Systems of Ukraine.The hearing was postponed due to thedefendant’s illness. (Ukrinform)Reporting corruption on FacebookKYIV – Prime Minister of UkraineMykola Azarov is actively encouragingthe public to inform the government ofcorruption, it was reported on June 21.I n a n i n t e r v i e w w i t h t h eDnipropetrovsk-based TV Channel 24,Mr. Azarov said: “Please contact the governmentdirectly. We guarantee that noone will touch you. I guarantee that. Butrelevant work will be carried out with allthe officials on the facts of bribery. I’mnot saying that we will sack anyoneimmediately. Every signal will be objectivelyverified and, if it is confirmed, thenthis officer will not just be dismissedfrom office, but prosecuted.” The primeminister suggested that he could bedirectly informed about corruptionthrough his personal page on Facebook.(Ukrinform)18.5 M watch Ukraine-England matchKYIV – The broadcast of the Euro2012 group stage match between thenational soccer teams of Ukraine andEngland attracted more Britons than aconcert dedicated to the 60th anniversaryof Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, The DailyMail reported on June 21. “England’s victoryover Ukraine on Tuesday waswatched by 18.5 million people on ITV1,the biggest viewing figure of the year sofar,” the story reported, adding that 17million tuned in to watch QueenElizabeth II’s diamond jubilee concertearlier this month. (Ukrinform)Bush and Clinton...(Continued from page 11)Clinton School in this conference and by theexample this sets for cooperative and nonpartisanefforts in dealing with pressingissues.”James L. “Skip” Rutherford III, Dean ofthe Clinton School, noted: “We are honoredto join the Bush School in participating inthis conference. As the first graduate schoolin the country to offer a Master of PublicService degree, the Clinton School places astrong emphasis on global leadership,which fits perfectly with themes and goalsof this event. We look forward to sharingideas and nurturing the spirit of internationalpublic service.”Roman Popadiuk, the first U.S. ambassadorto Ukraine and former executive directorof the George Bush Presidential LibraryFoundation, also underscored the importanceof the 2012 conference and gala.“This conference will help highlight theimportance of public service and corporatecitizenship not only in Ukraine but also inthe global context,” he said. “It is significantthat the Bush School and the Clinton Schoolare participating. Their role will helpunderscore the importance of trainingfuture leaders to face the challenges that aglobal economy poses. Ukraine’s futuredepends to a great extent on the ability totrain leaders in all sectors of society. Thisconference, with its focus on various issuesof leadership, public service and corporatecitizenship, is a step in that direction.”Both Mr. Card and Mr. Rutherford areexpected to be keynote speakers at theDecember 1 educational conference session.Both schools will have faculty and studentsinvolved in the conference. Leadingeducators from Ukraine are expected tojoin in as well.For more information readers may contactthe U.S.-Ukraine Foundation at info@usukraine.org.

14THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2012No. 26Canada’s...(Continued from page 3)oligarch clan”; some expressed fear aboutthe regime selling out Ukraine to Russiaand expressed concern over the danger ofthe “Russkii Mir” concept as well as changesto the Ukrainian education system. Theyindicated that international electionobservers are crucial to discourage falsificationsin the October vote. They furthernoted the strategic union of oppositionforces for the fall’s parliamentary electionsto the Verkhovna Rada. The representativeof UDAR – the Ukrainian DevelopmentAlliance for Reform – stated that “besidesbeing corrupt and unjust, the governmentis also inefficient.”A session on media freedom followed,during which the committee was informedthat not all Ukrainian citizens have accessto free media. Media representatives fromUkrayinska Pravda, Dzerkalo Tyzhnia, TViand ICTV further indicated that the independentmedia in Ukraine that exist arelimited in their reach to readers and viewers,as most major sources are controlledby oligarchs.It was noted, for example, that thePresidential Administration has an advisorto the Inter TV network. It was furthernoted that, while the independent mediaare small, under the previous regime theirinvestigative reports would be aired onmainstream media news and talk shows,and this is no longer the case.That day’s afternoon session includedrepresentatives of the Central ElectionCommission (CEC), the InternationalFoundation for Electoral Systems (IFES),the Committee of Voters of Ukraine (CVU)and Opora.The Foreign Affairs Committee delegationfrom Canada was informed that IFES isproviding technical support to the CEC. TheCEC reported that Canada is providingcapacity-building support to the CEC.Dennis Druzhenko, the representativefrom IFES, noted that the electoral law wasprepared without proper civil society inputand consultation, and indicated that a numberof loopholes and shortcomings in thelaw on issues such as electoral districts, formationof electoral commissions, preparation/trainingof electoral commissions andvoter registration – different registration,need to be addressed.There are specific problem areas thatneed to be addressed. For example, 27 districtswere formed with the wrong boundaries,communities were divided up, sevendistricts are in two different districts anddo not have borders with another region,there are non-contiguous districts, and itwas alleged that 19 districts were made tofavor a political party.In addition, there are two recent courtrulings that will impact the vote. The firstone places restrictions on rights ofUkrainian citizens voting outside of Ukraineby disenfranchising them in single-memberdistricts. The second ruling states that acandidate cannot be on a party list andcompete in single-candidate district at thesame time.It was indicated by Opora representativeOlha Aivazovska and CVU representativeOleksander Chernenko that vote-buyingwill be a major problem, as will the use ofadministrative resources by the party inpower.Mr. Chernenko stated that the biggestproblems will be in single-candidate district;ridings with top concerns include gerrymandering,the criteria for districts withinan oblast and the absence of a reviewmechanism for electoral boundaries.All witnesses were unanimous in statingthat, given the political situation, it will beimportant for the international communityto field as many short-term observers aspossible, but noted that the fairness of theelection cannot be judged only by conducton voting day.The committee also heard from formerCEC Chairman Yaroslav Davydovych, whostated that the new electoral law is pro-governmentand anti-democratic.The committee continued its hearingson Wednesday, May 16, in Kharkiv, where itheard from media, human rights and civilsociety representatives, as well as frommembers of the city and oblast administrations.Yevhen Zakharov, the head of theKharkiv Human Rights Group appearedbefore the Canadian MPs, along with OlgaMiroshnyk, from the Foundation for LocalDemocracy and Angelina Soldatenko of theInstitute for Regional Press andCanada’s honorary consul in Lviv, OksanaWynnyckyj.The afternoon’s session began with ameeting that included representatives fromthe Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU),the Museum Prison on Lontsky and thenewspaper Express.The first speaker was the director of themuseum, Ruslan Zabiliy, who spoke aboutthe efforts of the Security Service ofUkraine (SBU) to question, hold and intimidatehim and employees of the museum, aswell as efforts to suppress historical documentsregarding Ukraine’s occupation bySoviet and Nazi regimes. When askedwhere Ukrainians can turn when faced withintimidation by the authorities Mr. Zabilyistated that there has been a big change overthe past decade and people can defendtheir opinions and rights by making theMembers of Canada’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs with delegatesfrom the Ukrainian Canadian Congress in front of the Kharkiv penal colonywhere Yulia Tymoshenko is jailed: (from left) Borys Potapenko, BohdanOnyschuk, MPs Nina Grewal, Dave Van Kesteren, Alexandrine Latendresse, BobDechert, Lois Brown and Ralph Goodale, Taras Zalusky and MP Linda Duncan.Information. They were joined by OlehYukht of the independent ATN channel.Mr. Zakharov stated that there are severallevels of problems endemic to the currentsituation in Ukraine, including theintimidation of judges, the erosion ofhuman rights, income inequality andreduced social cohesion. He stopped shortof calling the government authoritarian,even though he cited a number of examplesof pressure being placed on civil societygroups by the government, and intimidationof media and human rights groups. Thewitnesses agreed that there is a need tohelp build the capacity of Ukrainian civilsociety groups and urged a public campaignfor free elections.This was followed by a working lunchwith the mayor of Kharkiv, GennadiyKernes, and representatives of the KharkivOblast Administration that focused on bothdemocratic concerns of the Canadian delegation,as well as economic prospects in theKharkiv region.That same afternoon, the delegationwent to the hospital where former PrimeMinister Tymoshenko was being held.Although the committee’s request to meetwith Ms. Tymoshenko was denied by theauthorities, the parliamentary secretary toCanada’s foreign affairs minister made astatement to the assembled media at thegates to the hospital. The committee alsovisited the penal colony in Kharkiv whereMs. Tymoshenko is being incarcerated.On Thursday, May 17, the committeecontinued its hearings in Lviv, meetingwith local government representatives todiscuss regional economic development.This was followed by a formal meeting withthe mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyi, as well asr e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f t h e O b l a s tAdministration and City Council, andattempts to harass and intimidate publiclyknown.The other witnesses were the Rev. Dr.Borys Gudziak and Prof. Yaroslav Hrytsakfrom UCU. Prof. Hrytsak indicated thatUkrainian society is deeply divided, thoughnot on all issues. Examples of whereUkrainians have been able to coalescearound a common cause included the socalled“Tax-Maidan,” “Teachers Maidan” andChornobyl pensioners. The witnessespointed to the December 1 Group as an initiativethat brings together groups withsimilar values. It was also pointed out thatUkraine is a post-genocidal society and fearremains a major factor as the territory ofmodern-day Ukraine has seen 15 million to20 million killed in the 20th century by theSoviet and the Nazi regimes.The Rev. Gudziak suggested that Canadashould support a mix of activities inUkraine including both economic and civilHundreds of oblast...(Continued from page 3)an independent state…The Kivalov-Kolesnichenko Bill violates the Constitutionof Ukraine. It is unacceptable from thestandpoint of international law, as indicatedby the Venice Commission. We believethat its adoption would be a crime againstthe Ukrainian nation and we appeal tonational deputies of Ukraine not to vote onthe submitted draft.”Quorums of the Oblast councils ofTernopil and Lviv were also present at theprotest and unanimously passed similarresolutions. In his remarks, Lviv OblastCouncil Chairman Oleh Pankevych statedthat the proposal law is unconstitutionalsociety development. Corruption was alsobrought up as a major problem. Ukraine isincreasingly becoming a rich country withvery poor people and is missing a strongmiddle class. The Rev. Gudziak indicatedthat it will be important for Canada andother countries to focus support on thosewho maintain a principled position.Ihor Pochynok of Express stated that,due to a lack of appreciation for individualismin society, people are apathetic to corruptionand corruption is tolerated becauseit “solves problems.”The afternoon session concluded withhearing from regional representatives frompolitical parties. The parties that attendedwere Batkivshchyna, Svoboda, Front forChange and the Republican Christian Party.Though invited, the Party of Regions didnot attend.Roman Ilyk from the Tymoshenko Bloc/Batkivshchyna acknowledged the unevenplaying field in terms of media access forgovernment and opposition lawmakers.Stepan Kubiv from Front for Change pointedto the need for a values-based campaignthat informs the electorate and motivatesvoters to support change.Iryna Farion of Svoboda noted thatCanadians have contributed to buildingUkraine, and cited the need to re-establishindependence. Bohdan Pankevych of theRepublican Christian Party stressed theneed for Ukraine to develop “real civil society”with people active in their workplacesand communities.The hearings were concluded with apress conference for local media and amedia call-back for North American journalists.The members of Parliament who werepart of the delegation were:Mr. Dechert, parliamentary secretary tothe minister of foreign affairs; Lois Brown,parliamentary secretary to the Minister ofInternational Cooperation; Dave VanKesteren (Chatham-Kent-Essex, Ontario);Nina Grewal, (Fleetwood-Port Kells, BritishColumbia); Linda Duncan, (Edmonton-Strathcona, Alberta); AlexandrineLatendresse, (Louis-St-Laurent, Quebec);a n d R a l p h G o o d a l e , ( Wa s c a n a ,Sasketchewan).On Friday, May 18, the Members ofParliament travelled to Sambir in westernUkraine, to visit a mass grave where thousandsof Jews were killed by the Nazis. TheCanadian MPs paid their respects and metwith Mark Freiman and Borys Wrzesnewskyj,who are working with a team of Canadianarcheologists to map an ancient Jewishcemetery, as well as establish with precisionthe mass graves to allow memorializationof those who perished at the hands ofthe Nazis.Archeologists will also explore whetherUkrainian insurgents were also murderedand buried on the site. The project wasmade possible because of the hard work ofboth the Ukrainian and the Jewish communitiesin Canada.and underscored the fact that making anychanges to the national language can onlybe done by conducting a nationwide referendum,and not at the whim of the nationaldeputies of the Verkhovna Rada.The extraordinary session of the oblastcouncils officially concluded with the singingof the Ukrainian national anthem.Hundreds of supporters then accompaniedthe local government officials to thePresidential Administration building,where the chair of the Lviv Oblast Council,Ternopil Oblast Council Chair Pankewych,Oleh Pankevych, Ternopil Oblast CouncilChair Oleksii Kaida, Ivano-Frankivsk OblastCouncil chair, Sich and the secretary of theLviv City Council, Vasyl Pawlyk, deliveredtheir appeals for the rejection of proposedlaw on language.

16THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2012No. 26

No. 26THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 201219June 29-July 1 “Nadiya Ye!” Festival, featuring Mandry, UkrainianEllenville, NY American Youth Association, Oselia resort, 845-647-7230or www.cym.org/us/ellenvilleJune 30Jewett, NYJune 30–July 1Kerhonkson, NY50th anniversary parish festival, St. John the BaptistUkrainian Catholic Church,www.ukrainianmountaintop.org or 201-358-1846Tennis tournament, Ukrainian Sports Federation of theU.S.A. and Canada (East), Soyuzivka Heritage Center,215-576-7989July 14Jewett, NYFund-raiser concert, Grazhda Chamber Ensemble, GrazhdaMusic and Art Center, www.grazhdamusicandart.orgJuly 14-15 Ukrainian Festival, Sacred Heart Ukrainian CatholicCastle Creek, NY Church, 607-797-6293 or shucc@stny.rr.comJuly 15Hillside, NJExhibit, “Sacred Relics of the Saints: Treasures of theChurch,” Immaculate Conception Ukrainian CatholicChurch, 973-599-9381 orwww.byzcath.org/immaculateconceptionJuly 5Winnipeg“A Midsummer Night of Kupalo,” Qualico Family Center,Assiniboine Park, 204-942-0218 or uecc@mymts.netJuly 17Sudbury, ONGolf tournament, St. Mary Men’s Club, Pine Grove GolfCourse, 705-522-9056 or lbukatowicz@yahoo.comJuly 6-8 Pysanka Festival Ukrainian Dance and Music Competition,Vegreville, AB www.pysankafestival.com or 780-975-8277July 6-8 Volleyball tournament, pub night and dance, UkrainianEllenville, NY American Youth Association, Oselia resort, 845-647-7230or www.cym.org/us/ellenvilleJuly 7Jewett, NYJuly 7Pickering, ONJuly 7-22Stryi, UkraineJuly 13-15Kerhonkson, NYConcert with violinist Nazar Pylatiuk, Grazhda Music andArt Center, www.grazhdamusicandart.orgGolf tournament, Ukrainian Golf Association of Canada,Angus Glen Golf Club – North Course, 905-887-0090 orwww.angusglen.comWorld Festival of Ukrainian credit unions,www.wfucu.org.uaUkrainian Cultural Festival, Soyuzivka,www.soyuzivka.comJuly 13-15 Western pub night and dance weekend, UkrainianEllenville, NY American Youth Association, Oselia resort, 845-647-7230or www.cym.org/us/ellenvilleJuly 18Oakville, ONGolf tournament, St. Joseph Ukrainian Catholic Church,Royal Woodbine Golf Club, www.royalwoodbine.com orwww.golf.tserkva.ca or 905-624-1718July 20-22 Seafood pub night and zabava, UkrainianEllenville, NY American Youth Association, Oselia resort, 845-647-7230or www.cym.org/us/ellenvilleJuly 21Jewett, NYConcert with opera singer Victoria Lukianetz and pianistVolodymyr Vynnytsky, Grazhda Music and Art Center,www.grazhdamusicandart.orgJuly 21-22 85th annual St. John “Ukrainian Days” Festival Weekend,Johnson City, NY St. John Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 607-729-1729 orwww.stjohnuoc.comEntries in “Out and About” are listed free of charge. Priority is given to eventsadvertised in The Ukrainian Weekly. However, we also welcome submissionsfrom all our readers. Items will be published at the discretion of the editorsand as space allows. Please send e-mail to mdubas@ukrweekly.com.

20THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2012No. 26PREVIEW OF EVENTSSaturday, June 30JEWETT, N.Y.: St. John the Baptist UkrainianCatholic Church kicks off its 50th jubileeseason with a fun community festival for all.Join us for Ukrainian folk arts and traditions,crafts, dancing, entertainment, refreshments,food, kids’ activities and much more!Volleyball tournament gets under way at 9a.m., and the official opening ceremonybegins at 11 a.m. St. John’s is located onUkraine Road, off Route 23A in Jewett, N.Y.Admission is free. For more informationvisit http://ukrainianmountaintop.org orcall Joanne Iwaskiw, 201-358-1846.Friday, August 24WILDWOOD CREST, N.J.: The KhmelnychenkyPlast fraternity is sponsoring an all-agesdance at the Wildwood Crest Pier RecreationCenter with host Roma Odulak. Doors openat 7 p.m. with dance music from at 7-8 p.m.The “Party Ptashat” kids’ dance will be heldat 8-9:30 p.m. hosted by Bratchyk LevkoWolansky. The “Wildwood Idol” dance contestwith guest judges Ania BohachevskyLonkevych, and Nina and George Kobryn,begins at 10 p.m. with cash prizes of $100,$50 and $25 per individual/group. The teen“Club Crest” “vechirka” with DJ Matej Liteplowill follow the dance contest. Admission:kids and students, $5; adults age 23 and over,$10. Proceeds go toward Plast camps. Forinformation see the events section at www.xmel.org or e-mail adrian@telligys.com.Sunday, September 2JEWETT, N.Y.: St. John the Baptist UkrainianCatholic Church concludes its 50th jubileeseason with a pontifical divine liturgy, banquetand anniversary program. Please joinus as we commemorate and celebrate a halfcenturyof worship and cultural heritage inthis unique Ukrainian enclave of theCatskills. Liturgy begins at 10 a.m. with banquetand anniversary program to follow. St.John’s is located on Ukraine Road, off Route23A in Jewett, N.Y. Tickets may be purchasedprior to the event. For more informationvisit http://ukrainianmountaintop.org orcall Michelle Hewryk, 917-885-2241.PREVIEW OF EVENTS GUIDELINESPreview of Events is a listing of community events open to the public. It is a serviceprovided at minimal cost ($20 per listing) by The Ukrainian Weekly to the Ukrainiancommunity. Items should be no more than 100 words long; longer submissions aresubject to editing.Preview items must be received no later than one week before the desired date ofpublication. No information will be taken over the phone. Items will be published onlyonce, unless otherwise indicated. Please include payment for each time the item isto appear and indicate date(s) of issue(s) in which the item is to be published. Also,senders are asked to include the phone number of a person who may be contacted byThe Weekly during daytime hours, as well as their complete mailing address.Information should be sent to: preview@ukrweekly.com or Preview of Events, TheUkrainian Weekly, 2200 Route 10, P.O. Box 280, Parsippany, NJ 07054; fax, 973-644-9510. NB: If e-mailing, please do not send items as attachments; simply type thetext into the body of the e-mail message.Is Your Child Or Grandchild A UNA Member?20 Year Endowment* Issued to persons between the ages of 0-80 For ages 0-60: minimum policy is $5,000 For ages 61-80: premium of $200 or more is required Premiums are payable for 20 years No premium fee Full face amount paid at death or on maturity date atthe end of 20th year Life insurance plan and systematic savings combined IRS: interest is taxable during accumulation period*Not available in all states.Endowment at Age 18* Issued to persons between the ages of 0-10 Minimum policy size is $5,000 Premium payable until age 18 No policy fee Full face amount paid at death or on maturity dateat age 18 Life insurance plan and systematic savingscombined IRS: interest is taxable during accumulation period*Not available in all states.2200 Route 10 Parsippany, NJ 07054Tel: 800-253-9862 Fax: 973-292-0900Sales – 888-538-2833 ext 3055www.UkrainianNationalAssociation.orgfacebook.com/UkrainianNationalAssociation