2005: THE YEAR IN REVIEW: The noteworthy: people and events (01/15/06)

2005: THE YEAR IN REVIEW

The noteworthy: people and events

Our "Year in Review" section is divided into various distinct categories. However, there are plenty of notable stories that don't fit into any of those categories, or into a single category. The following are noteworthy happenings, listed in the order in which they were reported by The Weekly during 2005.

Over the course of the past 300 years, Bohdan Khmelnytsky's flag, which for many symbolizes the beginnings of Ukrainian statehood, has been in Ukraine only twice. The flag is the property of the Stockholm Military Museum, where it is part of its collection of ancient flags - considered the largest collection in Europe. Khmelnytsky's flag traveled to Ukraine for the first time on March 5, and was exhibited in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv and Chyhyryn, along with other ancient attributes of Kozak authority. A solemn ceremony that unveiled the flag took place in Kyiv at the entrance hall of the State National Historical Museum of Ukraine on January 12. The flag was on display there until the end of March, together with the hetman's bulava, or mace, which came to Kyiv from the Warsaw Military Museum in Poland.
Stories of strength, sacrifice and devotion to Ukraine are abundant in a new book, "Ukrayinky v Istoriyi" (Ukrainian Women in History) released by Lybid publishers of Kyiv. Printed in large, legible letters and replete with artwork and photographs, "Ukrayinky v Istoriyi" is a 326-page hardcover text that contains the biographies of 63 women who had a significant influence on Ukrainian society.
U.S. President George W. Bush met with 21 "Champions of Freedom" from 13 Central and Eastern European countries, including Ukraine, during his visit to Bratislava, Slovakia, on February 24. The group included Natalia Dmytruk, a sign language interpreter for UT-1, who is credited with helping galvanize independent media coverage of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential elections, and Vladyslav Kaskiv, a leader of Pora, a pro-democracy movement in Ukraine. Speaking in Hviezdoslavovo Square in Bratislava on February 24, President Bush said "With us here today is a group of remarkable men and women from across Central and Eastern Europe, who have fought freedom's fight in their homelands and have earned the respect of the world. We welcome you. We thank you for your example, for your courage and for your sacrifice."
The federal bench welcomed another Ukrainian American to its exclusive club on March 4. Courtroom 19A of the Carl B. Stokes U.S. Courthouse in downtown Cleveland swelled with a standing-room-only crowd for the investiture of Christopher A. Boyko as United States district judge of the Northern District of Ohio. The ceremony was the culmination of a process that formally began on July 22, 2004, when President George W. Bush nominated Mr. Boyko. With the support of Sens. Mike DeWine and George Voinovich, (D-Ohio), and the highest rating from the American Bar Association, Mr. Boyko gained the approval of the Senate Judiciary Committee within two weeks. The Senate unanimously confirmed Mr. Boyko on November 20, 2004.
Forbes published its regular list of the world's richest billionaires, including 131 new names. Ukraine had three businessmen on the list. Rynat Akhmetov (258th with $2.4 billion) controls System Capital Management, the owner of a number of large industrial enterprises in the Donbas. Viktor Pinchuk (507th with $1.3 billion), son-in-law of former President Leonid Kuchma, controls Nikopolsky Ferroalloys Enterprise, accounting for 11.5 percent of the world's ferroalloy market. Sergey Taruta (620th with $1 billion) chairs the board of directors of the Donbas Industrial Union, which unites more than 40 ferrous metal enterprises.
Eurasia Group announced the release of its first annual ranking of political leaders, the "Global Leadership 50," on January 14. Among the top 50 was President Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine at No. 3. Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer described the EG 50 as "a unique ranking because of its international scope and the way in which it identifies not only those people who are in the major headlines, but also the under-the-radar individuals who are truly shaping world events." The list identified 50 individuals from around the world who distinguished themselves in 2004 as extraordinary leaders in the political arena.
Natalia Dmytruk and three fellow representatives of the women of Ukraine were honored in Washington "for their unyielding spirit and commitment to changing their country - and the world - for better." The honors were presented April 26 by Vital Voices Global Partnership, a non-profit, bipartisan American organization dedicated to increasing the rights and leadership role of women around the world. Also receiving the fifth annual Global Leadership Awards during the ceremony at the Terrace Theater of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts were women activists from three other countries, honored for their work on behalf of women's rights, for economic empowerment and against human trafficking.
Ruslana and her crew performed on May 17 as part of a benefit concert to raise money to benefit ailing children and young victims of Chornobyl. The Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund (now known as the Children of Chornobyl Relief and Development Fund) a diaspora-led charity organization, had organized the concert with Ruslana and her promoters, who devoted all the concert's proceeds to support the Dzherelo Children's Rehabilitation Center in Lviv and two hospitals in Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk. Before an international audience of some 3,000 gathered at the Arena Entertainment Complex on the Khreschatyk's west end, the concert demonstrated the high standards of choreography and pyrotechnics to which Ruslana and her staff have raised Ukrainian performance. The concert also boosted the CCRDF's status with Ukraine's new government led by President Viktor Yushchenko, who expressed his willingness to help expand the organization's efforts, said Dr. Zenon Matkiwsky, who co-founded the organization in 1990 with his wife, Nadia.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko was listed among Time magazine's 100 most influential leaders in the magazine's April 18 issue. "When Viktor Yushchenko, his face bearing the tragic scars of a poisoning rode the 'Orange Revolution' to victory in Ukraine, it transformed a nation - and reverberated around the globe," noted Time. Mr. Yushchenko was listed under the category "Heroes and Icons."
Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was featured on the cover of the May issue of the Russian-language Elle magazine, which is published in Ukraine. Elle Ukraine's cover carried a photo of the prime minister posing in a designer dress; the issue featured an exclusive interview with Ms. Tymoshenko, who said, among other things, that she is making full use of her looks in the male-dominated world of politics. She also told the magazine that her look is all natural, as she has no time for beauty treatments. Ms. Tymoshenko appeared in four photos, wearing the designs of Louis Vuitton, Yves St. Laurent and Valentino, Red.
Oleg Zhornitsky, a 39-year old immigrant from Odesa, ate 200 varenyky, entertaining a crowd of some 200 people who came to watch the inaugural varenyky-eating contest, held at the Ukrainian National Home in the East Village in New York City on May 21. The competition was sponsored by Ukrainian vodka company Shustoff, and was the first of its kind in the area. Mr. Zhornitsky won the competition by finishing the varenyky within an astounding 1 minute, 35 seconds. His prize: an all-expenses paid trip to Ukraine.
President Viktor Yushchenko was named one of the 25 "Stars of Europe" by Business Week magazine, adding only more prestigious recognition of the Orange Revolution. The segment appeared in the May 20 edition of Business Week, where Mr. Yushchenko was featured among other significant European political, social and economic leaders.
The Connecticut Immigration Coalition and Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz on April 14 honored Ukrainian American Ihor Rudko for his outstanding efforts in promoting economic development and service to the Ukrainian community. In a ceremony attended by many state dignitaries, including Gov. Jodi Rell, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and State Senate President Kevin Sullivan, Mr. Rudko was honored for his many years of service as chairman of the Ukrainian Self Reliance New England Federal Credit Union, as president of the Council of Ukrainian American Organizations of Greater Hartford and executive secretary of the Ukrainian National Credit Union Association.
Wally Palmar, lead singer of the American rock band The Romantics, traversed the virgin landscape and his family's home village of Uvyn, in the Lviv Oblast, on June 9 with his mother, Theodosija, to finally lay his eyes on the Ukrainian homeland that he had heard, read and learned so much about, but never had the chance to see. It was his first trip to Ukraine. Growing up in his hometown of Hamtramck, Mich., Mr. Palmar was known by the name his parents had given him at birth: Volodymyr Palamarchuk.
Ukrainian American author Steve Bogira, a staff reporter with The Chicago Reader, spent a year profiling the biggest and busiest felony courthouse in the country. The result was a highly acclaimed new book, "Courtroom 302," an intriguing story of life behind the scenes at a criminal courthouse in Chicago. Mr. Bogira's book takes an interesting and insightful look at the day-to-day workings of one particular courthouse, and chronicles the work of judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, clerks and guards in courtroom 302.
Helen Badulak offered an interesting approach to the art of Ukrainian pysanky in her most recent book, "Pysanky in the 21st Century." The 240-page, full-color hardcover book features a unique insight on the timeless art of the pysanka. The book's pages are filled with delicately illustrated pysanky of both traditional and modern styles. Mrs. Badulak, who earned the title of master of pysanky, focuses on an instructional approach to making pysanky; she dubs it a "how-to" book for the modern pysanka artist.
A federal judge in California dropped 15 charges against former Ukrainian Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko, according to various media reports. However, Mr. Lazarenko is still expected to receive a sentence of at least 10 years, a former prosecutor in the case said. A jury convicted Mr. Lazarenko, 51, last year of laundering money through California banks and extortion, but U.S. District Court Judge Martin Jenkins ruled late on May 20 that there was not enough evidence to sustain convictions on 15 out of 29 counts against the former Ukrainian prime minister.
Country Living, America's most popular home magazine, announced in its May 2005 issue that the Ukrainian Festive Walnut Torte, baked by Paul and Helen Ewasko, won its "Mom's Best Cake" contest. Mr. Ewasko told Country Living that relatives in Ukraine passed along the original recipe for the Ukrainian Festive Walnut Torte, which made its way to the couple. The panel of judges selected the torte from a total of 904 entries, and their final decision was based on each cake's overall appearance, taste, appeal and the recipe.
On June 8 Peter and Doris Kule became the first couple to be awarded joint honorary doctoral degrees by the University of Alberta. Long recognized as community leaders and philanthropists dedicated to supporting education, the Kules have supported education at all levels. They helped fund the "Bright Futures" stay-in-school program for new immigrants. They have given generously to Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton where they have supported the Ukrainian Resource and Development Center. They funded two chairs in Eastern Christian Theology at St. Paul's University in Ottawa, the only university in Canada with an Eastern Christian Theology program. They have also supported the University of Alberta, most recently by endowing the Kule Chair in Ukrainian Ethnography.
Ukrainian singer Ruslana, the winner of the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest, agreed to support the campaign against human trafficking at a July 5 meeting in Kyiv with Helga Konrad, the OSCE special representative on combating trafficking in human beings. Ms. Konrad said: "Ruslana's ability to reach the young people in Ukraine and beyond makes her an asset in helping to raise awareness of the risks of human trafficking - this modern form of slavery." Ruslana met OSCE Chairman-in-Office Dimitrij Rupel in Ljubljana, Slovenia, earlier this year to discuss human trafficking.
Among the most noteworthy Ukrainians living in Japan is 25-year-old Nataliya Gudziy, a beautiful and extraordinary talented young singer with a fascinating life story. She has lived in Japan since 1999. She has become fluent in Japanese, and sings and writes songs in that language, as well as in her native Ukrainian.
The National Press Club Honored two Ukrainian women at its annual awards dinner in Washington on July 18. The two - Olena Prytula, who with Heorhii Gongadze co-founded Ukraine's leading Internet newspaper Ukrayinska Pravda, and Natalia Dmytruk, a sign-language news interpreter on Ukraine's UT-1 television network - were named this year's international recipients of the prestigious John Aubuchon Freedom of the Press Award. They were among 32 journalists honored with the National Press Club's 2005 awards for their work in various aspects of their profession.
"Operatsiya Halychyna," a computer game in which the goal is to kill western Ukrainians while subduing Halychyna in the process, entered Ukraine's video game market, drawing outrage from political leaders who have called for its removal from store shelves. The game is a pirated modification of "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Desert Siege," a licensed computer game produced by French video-game maker Ubisoft Entertainment and released in 2001. "Operatsiya Halychyna" was selling at $6 per game. A Moscow-based company created the game, Yevhenii Mykhaylok told the Ukrayinska Pravda news portal, and they have instructed him not to disclose their identity.
Yevhenia Tymoshenko, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's daughter, wed rocker Sean Carr of Yorkshire, England, of the band Death Valley Screamers on November 2, according to The Times online. Five month's into Ms. Tymoshenko and Mr. Carr's relationship, he visited Ukraine, at the height of the Orange Revolution. One day into his trip Mr. Carr stood on the same stage on which Ms. Tymoshenko called for President Leonid Kuchma's resignation. The Times reported that Prime Minister Tymoshenko said of her son-in-law, "He is an excellent person." Though Mr. Carr was scared of Prime Minister Tymoshenko at first, he said he now calls her "Mama." The wedding was held in Kyiv.
The Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) on July 26 presented its annual Amicus Award to the Civil Chamber of the Supreme Court of Ukraine. The court exhibited an extraordinary act of judicial independence when it ordered a new election during last year's divisive presidential contest in Ukraine after it found evidence of electoral fraud and intimidation, the ATLA noted. Each year, ATLA's Amicus Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the civil justice system and notable efforts that foster a healthier, safer society.
Dr. Lev E. Dobriansky was honored at the 2005 Captive Nations Week meeting with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Captive Nations Committee (NCNC) and the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) for his "inspiring leadership and unwavering commitment to the liberation of all Captive Nations and the national independence of all peoples." The award was presented by Michael Sawkiw Jr., UCCA president who stated that Dr. Dobriansky has been "a fixture for nations in Central and Eastern Europe" and that he "understood the need for ethnic politics like no one else." A letter was then read from President George W. Bush, who praised Dr. Dobriansky for his great contribution to the plight of captive nations and affirmed the "transformational ability of freedom."
Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko described as good news her recognition by the U.S.-based Forbes magazine as one of the most influential women. Speaking at a press conference in Symferopol, she said: "This is good news, but it is not going to influence my work. We still have to do a lot." Ms. Tymoshenko took third place in Forbes' ranking of the most influential women in the world.
First Lady Kateryna Yushchenko was profiled in the September issue of Harper's Bazaar, the magazine's fall fashion issue. Mrs. Yushchenko was "profiled and dressed" by Tatiana Sorokko, who is identified as a contributor to the magazine. Headlined "Born in the U.S.A.: The First Lady of Ukraine," the article featured an introduction telling readers about Mrs. Yushchenko's Ukrainian American background and the Orange Revolution that brought her husband, Viktor Yushchenko, into office. Mrs. Yushchenko appeared in photos taken at the family's country home outside Kyiv.
Sviatoslav Vakarchuk, the pop group Okean Elzy's soloist, was appointed a goodwill ambassador of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Mr. Vakarchuk also happens to be the Ukrainian president's non-staff adviser for matters of culture, youth, social and informational policies. Mr. Vakarchuk thus joined fellow singers Ruslana Lyzhychko and Ani Lorak, who serve as good will ambassadors for U.N.-affiliated entities, the former as UNICEF goodwill ambassador and the latter as U.N. goodwill ambassador for combating HIV/AIDS.
Among the first wave of Ukrainian Americans to re-settle in the newly independent Ukraine, Mary Mycio's years of freelance journalism had paid off with her first book, "Wormwood Forest," published in late September. The 242-page exploration of the 30-kilometer zone surrounding the shutdown Chornobyl nuclear power plant is available on amazon.com and at Barnes & Noble. "What I tried to do was weave personal travels with lyrical explanations of the natural history and science of Chornobyl," Ms. Mycio said. "It's the story of my travels in a radioactive wilderness."
The College of Liberal Arts at Temple University presented Leonard L. Mazur, a 1968 alumnus of the school, with the Diamond Achievement Award at the college's 2005 Baccalaureate Dinner, held on May 16. The College of Liberal Arts Alumni Board presents its annual Diamond Achievement Award to an alumna or alumnus whose outstanding achievements have brought great honor to the college and the university. Mr. Mazur is an entrepreneur and pharmaceutical company executive who has been instrumental in creating enterprises within companies and as a founder of pharmaceutical companies.
A Ukrainian-language version of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" rolled off the presses on October 6, joining German and French as the first translations of the latest novel in J.K. Rowling's wildly popular series. To meet the frantic demand, Ukrainian booksellers bought up 70,000 copies of the series' sixth installment before its official presentation at the Ukrayinskyi Dim in Kyiv. The official 574-page Ukrainian translation arrived two months ahead of the Russian version. The Harry Potter translation team consisted of nine workers who toiled through the translation project without taking time off for weekends or vacations. More than 200 Ukrainians, mainly mothers and their excited children, swarmed the presentation party in Kyiv, catching their first glimpse of the bright, colorful cover. The book presentation in Kyiv became a festival for children, who enthusiastically chanted the right answers in response to Harry Potter trivia questions that Ivan Malkovych of the publishing house A-BA-BA-HA-LA-MA-HA shouted above the crowd.
Stefan Terlezki, the first Ukrainian elected to the British Parliament, documented his life and accomplishments in his book, "From War to Westminster." His story is filled with tales of escape, separation and loss, which are well-chronicled in his autobiography. It follows his turbulent childhood years under Polish rule, followed by his escape from Soviet imprisonment and his rise to certain political power.
Amidst extravagant white gowns, wine glasses and the melodies of Strauss, Lviv hosted its first annual Viennese ball in the evening of October 29. About 530 Ukrainians, Poles and Austrians joined the festivities, many of them dancing well past midnight. Among them were 24 pairs of debutantes from the Lviv region who spent a month immersing themselves in the waltz, polonaise and tango. Though nowhere near the scale of the balls that are still the tradition in Vienna, it was a promising start. Lviv college students played the key role in organizing the ball.
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression selected two journalists to be honored at their eighth annual International Press Freedom Awards gala for outstanding contributions to the freedom of expression. The 2005 award winners were Mykola Veresen of Ukraine and Alagi Yorro Jallow of Gambia. The awards gala, held on November 1 in Toronto featured as guest speaker American investigative journalist Seymour Hersch, who recently captured the spotlight with his stories on the Abu Ghraib scandal in Iraq and 30 years ago broke the My Lai massacre story in Vietnam.
Adam Platosz, a Connecticut native and secretary of Ukrainian National Association Branch 254, was elected to the New Britain City Council on November 8. He was nominated on September 12 at a special meeting of the New Britain Town Committee to fill a vacancy in Ward 2 for alderman to represent Districts 2, 3 and 6. Mr. Platosz is known in the Ukrainian community as a member of St. Mary's Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Club, and as a former president of the local branch of the Ukrainian American Youth Association (SUM).
Ukraivin Productions released an instructional cooking DVD, "Ukrainian Christmas Eve," which provides detailed, yet simplified instruction on how to make the most popular traditional recipes. The two-hour English-language DVD shows the "must have" Christmas Eve recipes. Chef and host Pavlo Czerwoniak takes the viewer step-by-step through each recipe, using time- and labor-saving techniques. Along with the printable recipe files provided on the DVD, the viewer will learn how to overcome the often-times monumental task of putting together a traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve meal.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko was honored with the 2005 Ukrainian of the Year Award for his lifelong advocacy of democracy and human rights in Ukraine by the Ukrainian Technological Society of Pittsburgh at the society's 36th annual dinner-dance on November 26 at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association. Accepting the award on behalf of President Yushchenko was Dr. Sergiy Korsunsky, the chargé d'affaires at the Embassy of Ukraine. In his acceptance remarks, he brought greetings to the society's members and the Western Pennsylvania Ukrainian community from President Yushchenko, and expressed thanks for the award.

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