Ronald Reagan remembered in Ukraine as strong leader (06/13/04)

Ronald Reagan remembered in Ukraine as strong leader

by Vasyl Pawlowsky
Special to The Ukrainian Weekly

KYIV - The death of Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of the United States of America, at the age of 93 on the morning of June 5 has been met with an outpouring of condolences from throughout the world. On June 7 the Presidential Press Service of Ukraine announced that President Leonid Kuchma had sent a telegram offering his condolences to President George Bush and the American people.

President Kuchma's telegram read as follows:

"Ukraine knew and deeply respected the 40th president of the United States of America as one of the most important American leaders of the 20th century. His moral leadership, state wisdom, courage and steadfastness were the strength that put an end to the Cold War - the foundation that was the underlying equipment of the new epoch.

"Ronald Reagan will remain in the memory of the Ukrainian people as a great state figure and as a person whose footprints in history will not be forgotten."

Fifteen years have passed since President Reagan held office, and although many of Ukraine's youth cannot remember the eight years of his leadership, there are many Ukrainians who do.

More than 70 people stopped at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv to sign a book of condolences at the Embassy between June 6 and 10. At least three bouquets of flowers had been left as well in memory of President Reagan. U.S. Embassy spokesperson Patricia Guy told The Weekly, "It is fitting that the [condolence] books will be sent to the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Calif."

On the streets of the capital city, The Weekly encountered Ukrainians who remembered President Reagan as a dignified leader whose policies changed the world.

Bohdan Savkiv, a 67-year-old retired mechanic and truck driver, said, "I think we were fortunate that Messrs. Reagan and [Mikhail] Gorbachev led us out of the Cold War. I would have to say that the president of the U.S.A. was very much against the system that dominated Ukraine, and he always had a way of letting the leadership in Moscow know."

Mr. Savkiv added, "A friend once told me that he was very supportive of Ukraine's dissidents who stood up for Ukraine's interests - because of this I have to admire the man. He contributed to the changes in the world in which my grandchildren now live."

"Although he may have made what I considered at the time to be some political mistakes during his tenure, they justified themselves over time," radio producer Ihor Stratii, 47, told The Weekly. "Back when he was president of the U.S.A., I wasn't really interested in politics. But I always considered him to be a very dignified person," Mr. Stratii added.

"My thoughts of President Reagan changed over time, but overall I respect the man for who he was," said 51-year-old Kyrylo Stetsenko, musician and grandson of the well-known composer. "One of his shortcomings, in my opinion," said Mr. Stetsenko, "was that he was at times just a little too much tongue-in-cheek for a statesman of his stature, but I guess a lot of people liked him for that. It showed us that he was human."

Mr. Stetsenko added: "One thing that I truly respect him for is that he dispelled the myth that artists could not be good at dealing with concrete issues, and that there is some value in what artists can do as people."

He continued: "The most stunning thing was that Reagan was a strategist who was not afraid to go against things when the stakes were high, and this led to his contribution to the collapse of the 'Evil Empire.' For me as a Ukrainian this was a good thing. It gave us our independence."

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