Metro Washington community marks 16th anniversary of Chornobyl disaster

WASHINGTON - The Ukrainian community of the Metropolitan Washington area on April 21 commemorated the 16th anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster.

This event took place under the patronage of St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral and was co-sponsored by the Chornobyl Committee of the Washington Ukrainian American Community Network, the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America, the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council, the Ukrainian Association of Washington and the Ukrainian Shevchenko Scientific Society.

All the above organizations, including the Holy Trinity Particular Ukrainian Catholic Church and St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, as well as individual donors, contributed towards the production of CDs and DVDs of the "Chornobyl Panakhyda" composed by Roman Hurko, and the future publication of a booklet about Chornobyl to be included as part of a CD and DVD package.

Other organizations benefiting from the donations are those charities involved in helping Ukrainian children suffering from the medical consequences of the Chornobyl disaster, include: the Orphan Children of Chornobyl Fund of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church; the Fund to Aid the Children from Ukraine (a charity under the auspices of the Ukrainian Catholic Churches of St. Constantine in Minneapolis and St. Steven in St. Paul, Minn.); and the Chornobyl Fund of the United Ukrainian American Relief Committee.

The Chornobyl commemoration began with an ecumenical panakhyda for the victims of the 1986 tragedy held at St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral. The service was concelebrated by the Rev. Volodymyr Steliac of St. Andrew's, the Rev. Taras Lonchyna of the Holy Trinity Particular Ukrainian Catholic Church, and the Rev. Nestor Iwasiw of the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family.

Immediately following the panakhyda, more than 150 guests assembled in the adjoining St. Andrew Church hall, tastefully decorated by Olya Masnyk, to participate in the rest of the commemorative program.

Dr. Larissa Fontana welcomed the guests and introduced the program participants. The St. Andrew Church Choir, under the direction of Dr. Ihor Masnyk sang "Bozhe Velykyi." Opening remarks were delivered by Volodymyr Yatsenkivskyi, minister counselor and deputy chief of mission of the Embassy of Ukraine, followed by a summary of the medical consequences of the Chornobyl disaster by delivered Dr. Masnyk. Larissa Patukhiv ended the first part of the program by playing, with great sensitivity, several musical selections on the bandura.

The highlight of the event was the guest appearance of Maestro Hurko of Toronto. He spoke briefly about his musical career and liturgical works, and played a DVD recording of his beautiful and stirring "Chornobyl Panakhyda" for the appreciative audience.

This composition was performed for the first time in Kyiv on April 26, 2001, to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Chornobyl tragedy and was taped in the splendid surroundings of the newly rebuilt St. Michael's Cathedral. The Panakhyda was professionally sung by the Frescoes of Kyiv Chamber Choir and was conducted by Maestro Hurko. The program ended with a prayer led by the Rev. Lonchyna.

Light refreshments were provided by the ladies of the participating parishes. The audience was able to purchase CDs of the "Chornobyl Panakhyda," as well as CDs of an earlier liturgical work by Maestro Hurko, "Liturgy 2000" celebrated in the Ukrainian Catholic Eastern Rite.

They also had the opportunity to view an exhibit of photographs (from the Masnyk Collection) relating to the Chornobyl tragedy and drawings by Kyiv schoolchildren who experienced first-hand the horrors of April 26, 1986 (from the Fontana Collection).

Dr. Fontana, the mistress of ceremonies, thanked everyone for participating in the Chornobyl commemorative program and for their generous donations.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, May 26, 2002, No. 21, Vol. LXX

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