COMMUNITY COMMEMORATIONS OF THE CHORNOBYL ANNIVERSARY

Washington

Ukrainian National Information Service

WASHINGTON - The Washington area community came together on May 1 at an interfaith ecumenical service at St. John Episcopal Church in solemn observance of the 10th anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear accident. More than 300 participated in the service and the subsequent procession to Lafayette Park across the street from the White House.

Led by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, and closely assisted by the Chornobyl Committee of Washington, the Ukrainian American Community Network, the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Andrew and the Ukrainian Embassy, the organizing committee for the ecumenical service had put the final touches on the event during a meeting less than two weeks prior.

The ecumenical service began with a procession of flags, children and spiritual leaders from the Ukrainian Catholic and Orthodox Churches, and representatives of the Episcopal, Lutheran, Mormon, Baptist, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish and Muslim faiths. In the church, honored guests from the administration, Congress and many embassies, as well as the Ukrainian American community, were already seated in the pews as the procession entered, accompanied by the beautiful sounds of the Ukrainian Orthodox Choir of St. Andrew directed by Dr. Ihor Masnyk.

The main address was delivered by Dr. Yuri Shcherbak, ambassador to the United States from Ukraine. In his poignant remarks, Ambassador Shcherbak reiterated the consequences of the Chornobyl fallout - medical, social, psychological and environmental - not just for Ukraine, but for all the nations of the world.

Nearly two dozen foreign embassies were officially represented at the commemoration, among them ambassadors from Belarus and Russia.

The interfaith service was moving as spiritual leaders from various faiths prayed for peace in the world and an end to the suffering caused by Chornobyl. The Ukrainian Orthodox Choir of St. Andrew sang the responses to portions of the service, as well as the "Beatitudes" and the "Our Father."

Offerings were also collected from the assembled congregation, and the proceeds will be donated to Chornobyl Challenge '96 for the purchase of medical equipment for Ukrainian hospitals.

Following the religious ceremony, Michael Sawkiw Jr., director of the Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS), the Washington Office, Ukrainian Congress Committee of America welcomed all the participants of the program and the congregation to this national observance of the 10th anniversary of Chornobyl.

Mr. Sawkiw replayed the scenario of the Chornobyl catastrophe and noted its silence, "First, the silence of radiation, which permeated the atmosphere, the ground below it, and everything living; and second, the silence of an informational vacuum from the former Soviet Union."

Due to prior commitments, Hillary Rodham Clinton, honorary chair of Chornobyl Challenge '96, was unable to attend. In her absence, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff to the First Lady Melanne Verveer delivered messages from the president and Mrs. Clinton. Ms. Verveer, who is of Ukrainian heritage, was instrumental in the first lady accepting the honorary chairmanship of Chornobyl Challenge '96.

Other speakers included the ambassador designate for the newly independent states, Richard Morningstar, who had recently returned from Ukraine where he was part of a State Department humanitarian airlift that delivered medical relief supplies for the victims of Chornobyl. Mr. Morningstar, who acts as special adviser to the president and secretary of state on issues concerning the NIS, spoke of his trip to Ukraine, the resiliency of the Ukrainian people and the work that needs to be continued in order to combat radiation fallout.

A staunch supporter of Ukrainian issues in Congress, Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.) was also invited to speak to the assembled congregation. "It seems clear, as we admire the Ukrainian American community for its remembrance, that all of us join in. The obligation is not only theirs, it's all of ours," he said. "And that's why there's been a substantial group of members of Congress, on a bipartisan basis, who have worked directly or indirectly on the issues related to Chornobyl.."

The highlight of the evening's commemoration came as Volodymyr Malofienko, an 11-year-old Ukrainian Chornobyl survivor who was critically ill with acute leukemia, recited a poem about the Chornobyl tragedy. Vova then received the Chornobyl Flame of Remembrance from the Very Rev. Stefan Zencuch, rector of the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Andrew, and distributed the flame to other members of the congregation in preparation for the candlelight procession to Lafayette Park and the Chornobyl Tree.

Lafayette Park was illuminated with candles as the congregation began its procession around the perimeter of the park, led by children carrying a sign that read "Save the Children, Save Ukraine, Save the World - Chornobyl, Ukraine, 1986-1996." All the while, the choir sang Ukrainian religious songs. Following a moment of silence and the Ukrainian hymn "Bozhe Velylyi," the service concluded with the singing of the American and Ukrainian anthems.

People mingled around the Chornobyl Tree after the conclusion of the ceremonies reflecting on the significance of the evening and the hope for a promising future for Ukraine. When asked about his reaction, Ambassador Shcherbak said, "It was important to commemorate this anniversary. The world must understand the sacrifices that the Ukrainian nation, and other nations, have endured. Let us dedicate our resources to improve the consequences associated with this tragedy in remembrance of the Chornobyl victims."

Toronto

by Andrij Wynnyckyj
Toronto Press Bureau

TORONTO - This city's community marked the day of the 10th anniversary of the world's worst nuclear accident by gathering near the wind-whipped steps of the Ontario Provincial Legislature at Queen's Park for a commemorative service, then marching solemnly in unseasonable cold through the University of Toronto campus to Convocation Hall, where further ceremonies were held.

The event was organized by the Children of Chornobyl Canadian Fund, with the official imprimatur of the Ukrainian World Congress and the Ukrainian Canadian Committee, but neither the occasion nor organizational prestige seemed to be enough to secure a large turnout.

A meager assembly of about 300 at the Parliament buildings swelled to an estimated 900 people who attended the proceedings at Convocation Hall.

Among the dignitaries at the event were Ukraine's Consul General Serhiy Borovyk and City Councillor David Hutcheon. A proclamation from Toronto Mayor Barbara Hall, which declared April 26 "Chornobyl Day," was read out, as was a statement of greeting and commemoration issued by Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.

An ecumenical mass was conducted by Bishop Yurij Kalishchuk of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, Bishop Isidore Borecky of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, and Archbishop Mikalay Macukievich of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, accompanied by the choirs of St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral and St. Demetrius Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Dr. Roman Lyznyk, a CCCF medical advisor and member of its board of directors, addressed the crowd, saying that the incident at Chornobyl should "make humanity reconsider the costs of technological progess."

Oksana Bryzhun-Sokolyk, speaking on behalf of the UWC, said "Russia inherited the [Soviet] empire's wealth... but rejects its debts and obligations." She added, "Moscow ordered the cover-up of the disaster and failed in its obligations to clean up the environment, shut down the reactor and aid the victims."

At Convocation Hall, Bishop Kalishchuk opened the proceedings with an evocative address about the "global day of mourning" that April 26 has come to represent. Citing the notorious passage from the Book of Revelations, Bishop Yurij said it could be regarded as unavoidable destiny, or as a warning.

"We regard as criminals those who would risk the lives of thousands rather than admit their incompetence," the bishop thundered. "We call on international authorities not to become accessories after the fact by minimizing the number of casualties, by minimizing the threat presented by these infernal machines."

UWC President Dmytro Cipywnyk took up the theme voiced earlier by Mrs. Sokolyk, condemning the regime in Moscow and its representatives in Kyiv for having "committed a criminal act against its citizenry, a crime against humanity," when it went ahead with the habitual May Day parades in Miensk and Kyiv in the accident's immediate aftermath.

Dr. Cipywnyk extended the Ukrainian diaspora's sympathies to the people of Ukraine and Belarus, and enjoined those in attendance to ensure that the memory of Chornobyl's victims live forever.

Next, Native Canadian artist Richard Sinclair displayed and offered an explication of his painting "Moment of Aftershock," inspired by the news of the radioactive plume's progress across the globe after the disaster.

The evening's keynote speaker was Dr. Bohdan Medwidsky, a CCCF board member and coordinator of the Chornobyl Project conducted through the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine's Office of International Relations.

Dr. Medwidsky pleaded with the opposing sides of the nuclear power debate to stop attacking each other and skewing the measures undertaken to assist those sickened, displaced and impoverished as a result of the world's greatest industrial nuclear accident.

The Toronto-based dermatologist painted a bleak picture of general health in Ukraine - with outbreaks of preventable communicable diseases, the increasing emergence of AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases, the malnutrition compounded by the avoidance of produce from contaminated agricultural soils, skyrocketing infant mortality.

He said these conditions are exacerbated by lingering isolationism inherited from the days of the Soviet regime, which blocks the spread of medical knowledge and prevents the local development of essential medical industries, such as the pharmaceutical industry. In turn, these problems are magnified by a demoralized and underpaid medical profession, whose practitioners routinely turn to the black market to supplement their earnings, if not leave their vocation altogether.

Dr. Medwidsky pointed out that Chornobyl placed a heavy additional load on a country already plagued with considerable environmental pollution and rampant health problems.

He said that the mental well-being of the population will be much more difficult to characterize, as compared to, for instance, the increased incidence of cancers. As such, Dr. Medwidsky noted, this will be one of the more challenging aspects of the Chornobyl legacy.

The CCCF official closed his address with a mention of Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma's state of the union address, which drew attention to the health of the country's children, reminding the audience of humanity's collective responsibility to secure their future.

As the program wound down, a trio of children from the affected regions in Ukraine came on stage. Among them was Hanna Solovey, born on the exact date of the Chornobyl disaster, who recited a poem of her own about her hopes and her yearning for a healthy life. The children received a standing ovation.

Dr. Lyznyk closed the proceedings with a signal to the Canadian government of the Ukrainian community's expectation that the country's technical expertise and financial resources will be appropriately directed to assist Ukraine in dealing with the consequences of Chornobyl.

Minneapolis

by Dr. Michael Kozak

MINNEAPOLIS - On the 10th anniversary of the Chornobyl accident, in all the Ukrainian churches of the Minneapolis area, people prayed for their suffering brothers and sisters in Ukraine.

At St. Constantine's Ukrainian Catholic Church, this sad anniversary was marked with a variety of events. On April 27, through the efforts of teacher Volodymyr Kuzniak and Mark Truso, students of the Ukrainian School had an opportunity to view a one-hour video program titled "The Children of Chornobyl."

On April 28, the Rev. Canon Michael Stelmach celebrated a divine liturgy for the intention of those who suffered as a result of the Chornobyl explosion, followed by a "panakhyda" (requiem) for the repose of the souls of those who died. In his short but deeply meaningful sermon, the Rev. Stelmach pointed out that lately, even in medical circles, more attention is being paid to the spiritual aspects of human beings and the importance of prayer during the process of healing. To reduce the suffering of the victims of Chornobyl, besides material help we should also offer our prayers, he noted.

After the religious services, an exhibit focusing on the Chornobyl tragedy, prepared by Dmytro Tataryn and this writer, was shown in the parish library. In the school auditorium, a one-hour video program titled "Chornobyl Ten Years After" was shown thanks to the efforts of Dr. Bohdan Khimich and his son, Taras.

That same day, at the Ukrainian Community Center, a meeting was held during which witnesses of the events surrounding the Chornobyl explosion presented their remarks and comments: Dr. Ivan Obushenko, a physicist from Kyiv; Dr. Ludmila Panko, a physician from Kyiv; and Dr. Khimich, a physician from Lviv. A representative of the local chapter of Greenpeace also spoke. Finally, a young poet, Victoria Ivchenko, a native of Kyiv, recited two of her poems.

Alexander Polets served as moderator of this program. The meeting was sponsored by the Council to Aid Ukraine and the local branches of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and Ukrainian American Coordinating Council.

Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH - The 10th anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear explosion was solemnly commemorated in Pittsburgh at a gathering in Heinz Chapel on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh on April 28. The Sunday was proclaimed "Chornobyl Remembrance Day" by the mayor of Pittsburgh, Tom Murphy, who also attended the event with his wife.

The main speaker at the commemoration was Dr. Olexander Horin, counselor of the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations. In his remarks he reviewed the challenges facing his government and the Ukrainian people in dealing with the human, economic and social consequences caused by the catastrophe at Chornobyl. He called on the international community to support, both morally and financially, the Ukrainian government's initiative to use Chornobyl as a unique world laboratory to develop and implement effective, scientific and compassionate measures to address and minimize the horrible environmental aftermaths of such tragedies.

The musical portion of the commemoration featured operatic soprano Lilea Wolanska of Edmonton, concert pianist Taras Filenko of Kyiv, a chamber music trio and the Ukrainian Cultural Trust Choir of Western Pennsylvania, directed by Dorothy Waslo.

A touching moment in the program was the tribute given the children of Chornobyl by some 50 children of Pittsburgh's Ridna Shkola who, dressed in embroidered shirts and blouses, walked single file down the nave of Heinz Chapel and each placed a flower in a vase at the altar.

Michael Tymiak, chairman of the Tri-State Children of Chornobyl Relief Committee in Pittsburgh, reviewed the humanitarian efforts of the committee over the past seven years. He particularly cited Dennis Diffenderfer and Jim Murray of the Norwin Rotary Club, and Dr. Michael Culig, cardiovascular surgeon at Shadyside Hospital in Pittsburgh, for their tremendous assistance in loading and dispatching four trailer truck-size containers of diagnostic medical equipment and other surgical supplies to the Children of Chornobyl Hospital in Lviv with an estimated value of $400,000. The audience gave the gentlemen a standing ovation.

Invocations at the commemoration were given in English by the Very Rev. Archpriest Michael Poloway, dean of the Ukrainian Catholic deanery, and in Ukrainian by the Very Rev. Archpriest George Hnatko, dean of the Ukrainian Orthodox deanery. The benediction was pronounced by Msgr. George Appleyard, pastor of St. George Ukrainian Catholic Church in Pittsburgh.

A resolution to be sent to government officials was drawn up and presented to the gathering by attorney Raymond M. Komichak. It was approved unanimously.

The program at Heinz Chapel was arranged by the Chornobyl Commemora-tive Committee, Michael Komichak, chairman, and co-sponsored by 16 Ukrainian civic, cultural and religious organizations of the Greater Pittsburgh area. Over 350 people attended the event. It was covered by the press, radio and television.

New Hill, N.C.

by Michael Steinberg

NEW HILL, N.C. - On Saturday, April 27, residents of North Carolina gathered outside the entrance to a local nuclear power plant to commemorate the Chornobyl disaster and ponder its continuing significance.

About 50 people, a good number of them children, assembled at the main gate of the Shearon Harris nuclear power plant, 10 miles southwest of Raleigh, the state capital. The plant is located within 20 miles of one of North Carolina's most populous regions, the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Triangle.

The gathering was called by the Chornobyl-Shearon Harris +10 Coalition. The Shearon Harris plant began operating commercially in 1987.

To mark the Chornobyl disaster's anniversary, people read from personal testimonies of those in Ukraine who suffered its effects.

A chilling account from author Glen Cheney's 1995 "Journey to Chernobyl: Encounters in a Radioactive Zone" (Chicago Academy Press) explains what happened inside the reactor No. 4 control room after the reactor exploded in the early hours of April 26, 1996:

"Inside the plant the building rocked with explosions and the ceiling fell in. The people inside had no idea what had happened. Destruction of the reactor was impossible. Of this they were certain. It had seven levels of back-up systems. Everyone in the control room was running around trying to figure things out. They assumed that they were all vomiting because of tension or perhaps a chemical released into the air.

"The senior engineer denied any breach in the reactor. He kept insisting that someone run downstairs to open a valve that would let coolant flow around the core, which he still believed existed. That brave soul died trying to send non-existent water to a non-existent reactor."

Speakers also noted that people have died in the U.S. from nuclear power plant accidents. For example, three young Navy enlisted men were instantaneously killed at a U.S. Navy nuclear reactor in 1961 in Idaho. The reactor exploded for reasons that are a mystery to this day. And after the Three Mile Island incident in 1979, infant mortality rates in surrounding areas soared, while cancer rates have climbed higher ever since. These patterns of radiation caused maladies that have been repeated in areas affected by Chornobyl as well, causing much greater degrees of suffering.

The testimony concluded with the heartrending words of 13-year-old Eugenia Dudarova, who was evacuated from Prypiat at age 3 in 1986. Eugenia's best friend, Olga, also evacuated at that time, later developed cancer:

"Olga suffered from terrible pain and cried almost all the time. She prayed for help, but we could not help her. Doctors refused to give her morphine, saying they were short of the drug and could not use it for one dying person.

"She lay with her teeth clenched, moaning quietly. Olga was almost quiet during the last days of her life: anything, even sounds caused her terrific pain. She was conscious until the last moment. Olga knew she was dying; she only wanted to die faster to escape the pain. At the same time she had a strong desire to live and worried about how I would manage without her.

"I do not know how to live without her now. I know that I could never find another such friend. I have lost half my life, half of myself, half of the world. Why did adults create such a disaster? We did nothing wrong. I and my friend were only 3 years old when the reactor exploded. I wonder if I face the same fate?"

Miss Dudarova's account was taken from "Testimonies," a collection of the stories of Ukrainian Chornobyl victims recently published by Greenpeace.

As the testimonies were read at the entrance to Shearon Harris, a person dressed as the Grim Reaper moved through the crowd, touching and felling all in simulated death.

Then another figure, symbolizing the Spirit of Life, revived the fallen, and all gathered in a circle. The children threw multicolored balls of yarn across the circle, creating a representation of the web of life that connects all. That web, though partially severed by the destructive energy of nuclear power, still nurtures the children, the future, even as Chornobyl's victims, past, present and future are mourned.

A representative for Shearon Harris' owner and operator, Carolina Power & Light, told local media present that its plant has a different design than Chornobyl's, and that a catastrophic accident there is highly unlikely.

But these words ominously echo those of Soviet authorities before the Chornobyl disaster.

Jersey City, N.J.

Ukrainian National Women's League of America Branch 71, along with Ss. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church, hosted a decennial commemoration of the Chornobyl disaster on April 28. Approximately 70 people carrying banners and black balloons attended the event held in the City Council Chambers. Government officials present were Judge Robert Cheloc of Jersey City Municipal Court and City Councilman the Very Rev. Fernando Colon. The Rev. Marian Struc from Ss. Peter and Paul Church and Msgr. Archimandrite Viktor Pospishil and the Rev. Petro Semenych also attended.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, May 19, 1996, No. 20, Vol. LXIV

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