Delegation from Ukraine attends ceremony at Petliura's gravesite (06/26/05)

Delegation from Ukraine attends ceremony at Petliura's gravesite

by Danylo Peleschuk

PARIS - A government delegation from Ukraine attended a special ceremony marking the 79th anniversary of the death of Ukrainian statesman, military commander and political leader Symon Petliura.

The ceremony took place during the evening hours on June 12 at the Cimetière du Montparnasse in Paris, where Petliura is buried. In attendance was Vice Prime Minister for Humanitarian and Social Issues Mykola Tomenko, along with a crowd of local Ukrainian dignitaries and parishioners from the Ukrainian Catholic Exarchate in France.

The highlight of the occasion was the placement of a commemorative wreath by Vice Prime Minister Tomenko upon the gravestone of Symon Petliura. The wreath was a personal gift from Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, presented in recognition of Petliura's tireless efforts in pursuing Ukrainian independence.

The ceremony began with a welcome from Jaroslava Yosypyshyn, director of the Symon Petliura Library, who was followed by Volodymyr Mykolenko, director of the Representative Committee for the Ukrainian Community in Paris. Mr. Mykolenko provided a brief introduction - which included a succinct biography of Petliura - and noted that the visit of Vice Prime Minister Tomenko was a "great honor" for the Ukrainians in Paris, who for so long had "experienced many organizational hardships" throughout their past.

After the opening remarks from Mr. Mykolenko, Vice Prime Minister Tomenko took the stage, beginning his speech with a "greeting from President [Viktor] Yushchenko and Prime Minister Tymoshenko." Mr. Tomenko spoke briefly about the impact Petliura had on Ukraine during his short, yet much accomplished life, as well as the impact he left on a now-independent Ukraine even after his untimely death in 1926.

Speaking of the recent Orange Revolution, Mr. Tomenko stated that Ukraine "has entered into a period of true romanticism," and assured the crowd that a new feeling of rejuvenation has spread through Ukraine.

Following his speech, Mr. Tomenko placed the delicately assembled floral wreath upon Petliura's gravestone. At that moment, the choir from St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church in Paris began singing the Ukrainian national anthem, followed by the religious hymn "Bozhe Velykyi, Yedynnyi" (Oh God, Omnipotent). On the ribbon tied across the wreath was written "From Yulia Tymoshenko."

As the singing concluded, Mr. Mykolenko expressed his gratitude to Vice Prime Minister Tomenko, along with all others who attended.

Symon Petliura was born on May 17, 1879, in Poltava. He was the supreme commander of the Ukrainian National Republic (UNR) Army and president of the Directory of the UNR. Among his other achievements is the crucial role he played within the Ukrainian Social Democratic Workers' Party. Petliura was assassinated by a Jewish anarchist on May 26, 1926, in Paris. He is regarded by many as one of the most significant Ukrainian leaders of the 20th century, as well as one of the most prominent forces working toward the goal of independence for Ukraine.

Danylo Peleschuk, a student at Northeastern University in Boston, is currently a summer intern at The Ukrainian Weekly. He traveled to Paris on vacation during the period of June 9-16.

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