UKELODEON: For The Next Generation (07/09/00)

UKELODEON

For The Next Generation

Ten years ago: Ukraine becomes sovereign

Sovereignty: supreme or independent power or authority in a state.

Ten years ago, on July 16, 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, that is, the republic's Parliament, proclaimed Ukraine's state sovereignty, which it defined as "supremacy, independence, fullness and indivisibility of the republic's authority within the boundaries of its territory, and its independence and equality in external relations." The declaration continued: "The Ukrainian SSR, as a sovereign national state, develops within existing boundaries on the basis of the realization of the Ukrainian nation's inalienable right to self-determination."

The vote for this historic proclamation was an overwhelming 355 for and four against; and the feat was greeted by the people's deputies (as legislators were known) with a standing ovation and tumultuous applause. Later that day, the deputies voted 339-5 to proclaim July 16 a national holiday in Ukraine.

The far-reaching Declaration on State Sovereignty of Ukraine stressed the republic's intention of controlling its own affairs in all spheres of activity, ranging from the economy, the environment and the military to cultural development and international relations.

The document's intent was quite clear: Ukraine and its people - defined as citizens of the republic of all nationalities who have the right to free national-cultural development - were declared to be the sole source of state authority in the republic and they alone were to determine their own destiny, they alone were to be the masters of their land.

The document decreed that Ukrainian SSR laws take precedence on Ukrainian territory over the laws of the USSR, and stated that Ukraine will maintain its own army and its own national bank and has the power to introduce its own currency.

Most notable was the fact that the declaration proclaimed that the republic is "a permanently neutral state that does not participate in military blocs," and underlined Ukraine's adherence to three non-nuclear principles: to not accept, to not produce and to not procure nuclear weapons.

Though the declaration stopped short of calling for Ukraine's secession from the USSR, many observers pointed out that it went farther than similar steps toward sovereignty taken at that time by other Soviet republics, such as Moldavia (today known as Moldova), Russia and Uzbekistan.

Many people's deputies, as well as other political observers in Ukraine and abroad saw the declaration of sovereignty as the first step toward the country's complete independence.

A little more than a year later came true independence. The Ukrainian Parliament on August 24, 1991, approved the Act of Declaration of the Independence of Ukraine, calling it the realization of the Declaration on State Sovereignty.

Batkivschyna's youngest crew member is Vadym, 14

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - Among the crew members of the historic "Discover Ukraine" expedition of the Ukrainian schooner Batkivschyna is Vadym Birioukovitch, the 14-year-old grandson of the ship's captain. In the photo on the right, Vadym takes a turn at the ship's wheel as the Batkivschyna sails toward New York City, where the 89-foot vessel participated in the world's largest maritime event, Operation Sail 2000.

Vadym, the youngest crew member, has been keeping a journal of the Batkivschyna's three-month, 8,000-mile-long journey from Kyiv to New York. (From New York harbor, the ship is to sail on to Connecticut and Maine.) Excerpts from his journal - recounting sightings of dolphins, storms at sea and a ceremony aboard ship as it passed the Greenwich Meridian - appeared in The New York Times on July 3.

"I like New York," Vadym told The New York Times, as he was selling Batkivschyna T-shirts to countless visitors on July 5. However, he admitted that "sometimes when you get sick of the people, it's pressure on you and you want to be somewhere alone. Also, I am getting homesick," he added, "but I'm not complaining." During his stay in New York, Vadym planned to do some sightseeing and to visit the Virgin Megastore (a huge music store) in Times Square, where he hoped to buy recordings by the Sex Pistols and Offspring.

Check it out: On the front page of this issue, read about Ukraine's participation in OpSail 2000.

See the centerfold for photos of this unique and colorful event.

Parma altar boy reads Epistle in Braille at Youth Sunday service

PARMA, Ohio - St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral traditionally designates five Sundays throughout the year as Youth Sundays. On these days, all parish youths are requested to participate in the mysteries of Holy Confession and Communion. During the liturgy, the sermon by the clergy is delivered specifically for the youths and a breakfast usually follows the service.

As seen in the photo on the right, at a recent Youth Sunday, 9-year-old Ryan Sima chanted the Epistle reading for the first time.

Ryan has a very powerful singing voice and immediately attracts the attention of the faithful. Ryan's reading that day was also very emotional for parishioners because Ryan was born blind and read the Epistle in Braille.

The son of Michael and Nina Sima and grandson of Michael and Eugenia Paruta, Ryan also serves as an altar boy and is a past first-place winner in the UOL Ukrainian Orthodox League's National Essay contest. His prize-winning essay was written in Braille.

Through the assistance of the parish youth committee, Ryan was a participant in a special Space Camp held in Alabama for the blind.

Whippany SUM branch concludes a successful year of activity

WHIPPANY, N.J. - On a Monday night in June, members of the Ukrainian American Youth Association (SUM) branch in Whippany, N.J., ended their season with one final assembly. Awards were given out to those who were not present at the annual gathering known as "Zlet," which took place on Memorial Day weekend in Ellenville, N.Y., at the SUM resort.

Michael Koziupa, branch president, greeted the youths and parents present and commended them for a job well done: for coming during the year for youth meetings and for working together. This work earned the branch second place overall at the Zlet among the 13 branches competing.

After the assembly, SUM youths were treated to a pizza and ice cream sundae party prepared by the parents' committee and branch officers. The branch resumes activities in September.

- Dmytro Woch

Mykola Myshka's hike

Mykola Myshka likes to take walks in the mountains and pick flowers for his mother. The bouquet that he's picked is of white blossoms that grow throughout the mountainous areas of Europe, including Ukraine's Carpathians. Can you identify the flowers, one of which appears on the stamp to the right? Hint: your parents will know its name as the title to a tune from the film "The Sound of Music." The first correct answer will win a special philatelic prize.

Mishanyna

To solve the Mishanyna in this issue, find the words that appear in capital letters in the text and on the list below.

The words SWIM, FISH and BOAT conjure up pictures of SUMMER. While many of you here in North America will be enjoying summertime activities, children in Ukraine will be doing the same. However they won't be going to the Jersey shore or the Great Lakes. Instead they might visit the sparkling waters of some of the 30,000 RIVERS found there.

With this in mind, Mishanyna gives a mini-lesson in GEOGRAPHY. Below we have listed 10 bodies of water. We wonder if your parents can name 10 bodies of water found in Ukraine. After you solve our puzzle, challenge Mama and Tato to name 10! (Let us know how they do.) Have fun!

Azov Sea, Black Sea, Buh, Cheremosh, Don, Donets, Desna, Dnipro, Dnister, Prypiat

OUR NEXT ISSUE:

UKELODEON is published on the second Sunday of every month. To make it into our next issue, dated August 13, please send in your materials by August 4. (We ask all contributors to please include a daytime phone number.)

Send in your articles, letters, photos, etc. to: The Ukrainian Weekly, UKELODEON, 2200 Route 10, P.O. Box 280, Parsippany, N.J., 07054; telephone, (973) 292-9800; fax, (973) 644-9510. Or you can e-mail us at: staff@ukrweekly.com.

OUR EDITORS:

UKELODEON is prepared by the editorial staff of The Ukrainian Weekly working in conjunction with Lydia Smyk, an elementary school teacher at St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic School in Newark, N.J.

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