Ukraine marks 14th anniversary of independence (09/04/05)

Ukraine marks 14th anniversary of independence

by Zenon Zawada
Kyiv Press Bureau

LVIV AND KYIV - Youths danced in the rain and dranks toasts to the national holiday, while those of their grandparents' generation sang patriotic songs on Lviv's Freedom Boulevard on August 24 in celebration of Ukraine's 14th anniversary of independence.

In the view of many Lviv area residents, who overwhelmingly supported and contributed to the Orange Revolution, it was a particularly special holiday spent under the leadership of the man they viewed as the nation's first true Ukrainian president, Viktor Yushchenko.

"This is the first year we truly feel independence," said Volodymyr Oleksii, 64. "If he gets two terms, people will become wealthier. They won't be digging through the trash cans anymore."

Revelers in Lviv said Ukraine was not truly independent under former President Leonid Kuchma, who often formulated his political and economic policies in compliance with Russian interests.

"We were very dependent on Russia, and this dependence remains to this very era, particularly with energy," said Nestor Kovalskyi, 51. "But there'll never be another Kuchma again. People felt on their skin how bad it was."

Meanwhile, festivities in Kyiv assumed a much more formal tone that involved the nation's political and religious leaders. For the first time, Kyiv did away with the military pomp and circumstance that was a remnant of Soviet days.

Although the Kyiv revelers did not display their patriotism as overtly as their Lviv counterparts, the majority voiced support for Mr. Yushchenko and the Orange Revolution.

"At the time of Kuchma we were being manipulated, but now we have hope that life will change," said Maksym Tymoshenko, 27. "Independence Day became a great holiday this year."

The commemorations began in Kyiv with an hourlong interfaith service that started at 9:30 a.m. and was attended by the president, top government officials and leaders of more than 20 religious denominations, including Patriarch Filaret of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate; Archbishop Mytrofan of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Mefodii of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church; Cardinal and Major Archbishop Lubomyr Husar of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church; Moslem leader Mufti Ahmed Tamyl; and Chief Rabbi of Kyiv and All Ukraine Yakov Dov Bleich.

The leaders prayed together in Kyiv's famed St. Sophia Cathedral, which is currently a museum that has no affiliation with a particular Church. Patriarch Filaret led the first prayer, followed by Archbishop Mytrofan.

After the hymn "A Prayer for Ukraine" was sung by a church choir, President Yushchenko, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn lit candles in front of icons.

At noon Mr. Yushchenko delivered a speech on Kyiv's Independence Square, or "maidan," where thousands had gathered under a bright sunny sky. (For the full text of his remarks, see page 8.)

President Yushchenko's speech was the first in a new tradition of presidential addresses to the public on Independence Day as part of the official celebrations, said Iryna Heraschenko, the president's press secretary.

Responding to recent criticism that he is not making efforts to fulfill the promises of the Orange Revolution, Mr. Yushchenko promised to keep cleaning up the government's executive branch.

He confessed that the public face of authority has not changed a lot thus far.

"Citizens still see the same bureaucracy in the Cabinet (of Ministers)," Mr. Yushchenko said. "I will not accept this. And staff replacements will go on. Those who think that the first wave has passed and that they can work as before are absolutely wrong."

These words excited the crowd, which voiced its approval.

The president also encouraged Ukrainians toward self-reliance. "Prosperity cannot be presented on a platter," he said. "The country's progress, freedom, democracy and welfare are made by millions of hands. All of us will have to work hard."

"We should be firm, single-minded, united and respectful of each other," Mr. Yushchenko continued. "That is how we won a victory on the maidan and how we will win in the future."

Following the president's speech, folk dancers and singers performed on one stage, while young rockers took to another stage. The performances were presented in lieu of the Soviet-style military and weapons display along the Khreschatyk.

The main idea of the 2005 Ukrainian Independence Day celebrations was to create an atmosphere of understanding, reconciliation and unity, according to a statement from the president's press office.

"There is so much violence in our lives that we should spend our Independence Day without military forces," Prime Minister Tymoshenko had explained at an August 10 press conference.

The new celebration also saved the government money, as this year's expenditures came to about $700,000 (U.S.), in comparison with about $1.8 million spent on a military parade last year, according to the State Secretariat.

At a later ceremony at the Mariyinsky Palace, Mr. Yushchenko awarded a "Hero of Ukraine" prize to the murdered journalist Heorhii Gongadze, among others.

Mr. Yushchenko also honored Oleksii Berest, the young man who raised the hammer and sickle Soviet flag over the Reichstag in Berlin in 1945. Mr. Berest's daughter Iryna accepted the "Hero of Ukraine" award and an Order of the Gold Star.

The majority of Ukrainians gathered on the maidan gave high credence to the president and his government, expressing forgiveness for their mistakes and stressing that seven months are not enough to evaluate whether or not the government has brought about necessary change.

"I am not disappointed so far," said the 27-year-old Mr. Tymoshenko (no relation to the prime minister). "There are remains of old regime that are hampering changes. But we still have hope."

Karolina Shoval, 77, said she is better off now living in her Kyiv apartment, as compared with her Moscow counterparts who still live in 10-room apartments but share a communal bathroom and kitchen.

"Last year we came to believe that we are a nation," said Antonina Shupik, 61. "We love our authorities, and we trust them. We are patient, and we'll wait for some time."

While Kyiv revelers mostly stuck to observing speeches and festivities, Lviv's patriots took to singing.

Two groups of at least 50 older men and women, many in embroidered shirts, stood in front of the Taras Shevchenko monument, on opposite sides of the boulevard, and belted out patriotic and folk songs.

Both the Kyiv and Lviv celebrations featured rock concerts for the youth at stages set up in the city centers. The Kyiv line-up featured Ukraine's top stars, including Ruslana, Okean Elzy, Tartak and Maria Burmaka.

Even Sean Carr of England, the rocker fiancée of Prime Minister Tymoshenko's daughter Yevhenia, took to the maidan stage and played some of his songs.

Incidentally, Mr. Carr wasn't the only performer singing in English. Ruslana herself sang the majority of her songs in English - a surprising decision given that it was a Ukrainian patriotic holiday.

The Lviv concert featured Mandry, the modern folk group led by singer Foma, as the top performers.

But not everyone in Lviv was thrilled or impressed with Ukraine under Mr. Yushchenko.

Corruption still thrives in Ukraine, just as it did under Mr. Kuchma's government and his predecessor, Leonid Kravchuk, said a woman who identified herself only as Bohdanna, 45, a teacher.

She said one of her directors was caught taking a $1,000 bribe this year, incurring a four-month investigation. However, no punishment resulted at the investigation's end. "They are taking bribes just as they have always taken bribes," she said of Ukraine's managers.

Education Minister Stanislav Nikolayenko promised a monthly salary of $140 a month for teachers, Bohdanna said, but so far salaries have only increased to $80 a month, as compared with $60 a month last year.

"How can we live on this?" asked her husband, Volodymyr, 45, also a teacher. The couple has two children. Ukrainians continue to immigrate to other countries because of such paltry wages, he added.

"Of course, we had hope," Bohdanna said. "But with every day that passes, our faith in Yushchenko is disappearing. Prices are rising faster than our salaries."

But seven months is too short a time to undo 14 years of mismanagement, said Kateryna Oleksiv, 60. "For 14 years the government stole," she said. "With time, everything will get better."

Though last year's problems have carried into the new year, did anyone regret their sacrifices during the Orange Revolution?

"No way!," said Bohdanna Protsiv, 44, a Lviv teacher who sent her two sons out to Kyiv. "We feel we should've done more for the revolution. I don't regret a single hour."

Yana Sedova of our Kyiv Press Bureau contributed to this story.

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