LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (09/24/06)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Ukrainian angst and maidan 'contract'

Dear Editor:

Since the collapse of the Yushchenko/Tymoshenko ticket and the ascendancy of the Moroz/Yanukovych coalition, the prevailing angst among Ukrainians is focused on the possibility of a division between eastern and western Ukraine.

This anxiety comes too late because the Dnipro divide and the controversies over religious orthodoxy in Ukraine and the Ukrainian language were manifest centuries ago when Russia claimed Ukrainian land in the east. The Treaty of Pereiaslav and the Battle of Poltava regrettably come to mind. Thus, Russia, the interloper, derailed the natural process of Ukrainian national development. Yet the two pillars of Ukrainian culture, east and west, have jointly and steadfastly defined the borders of Ukraine.

The angst today is justified - but for a more fundamental geopolitical reason. The issue goes to the heart of the seminal struggle among Slavic peoples and can be framed as the Slavic question. Which Slavic nation will dominate in Eastern Europe? Will Russia establish hegemony over all Slavic peoples in the region? More poignantly, will Russia annex Ukraine?

The reciprocal questions Ukrainians should be asking themselves are: "Will Ukraine let Russia do this? Will Ukraine or Russia be the rightful successor to the Kyivan state? Which nation has the greater moral jurisdiction for leadership of the Slavic peoples?

The Orange Revolution was the first step that Ukraine took to stake its claim to primogenitor in the region. In this matter, Ukraine should move forward decisively. It has the home-field advantage.

Ukrainians should be assured that Ukraine will live in freedom with Ukrainian song, dance, poetry, language, religious diversity, and in historical and ethnic consciousness.

The Ukrainian diaspora will do its part to keep Ukrainian interests in the forefront of the international community, as it has done since World War I when Ukrainian Americans petitioned the peacekeepers at Versailles to grant Ukraine self-determination. Later the diaspora agitated in behalf of Ukrainians to protest the horror of the man-made Famine in Ukraine, 1932-1933, and publicized this genocide worldwide. During World War II Ukrainians in the diaspora supported the fight for Ukrainian independence, and throughout the Cold War they did not lose hope, but joined with nationals of other Captive Nations to press the world community to a reckoning with the "Evil Empire."

Simply put, the Ukrainian diaspora, the third pillar of Ukraine, is poised to continue its support of the Ukrainian national movement. Because this responsibility is so awesome, the diaspora will not now be silent.

Presently, the freedom of Ukraine is Ukraine's to lose.

Oleksander Moroz's Faustian bargain came as a blow to Ukrainians because it negated the voice of the people and opened the gate to Ukraine's archenemy. For his treachery, Mr. Moroz's name will live in infamy.

Viktor Yanukovych's exceptional loyalty to Russia creates a conflict of interest that should bar him, under the law, from serving as prime minister of Ukraine. Minions in the service of Russia, or any other state, should be excluded from government service in Ukraine. No nation allows itself to be usurped by a foreign state overtly and/or covertly by foreign agents working through the channels of its government. Viktor Yanukovych must step down or be impeached.

Yulia Tymoshenko was outmaneuvered by the "old boys' network," which by some accounts was easy to do because in her zeal to stamp out corruption she was undermining Ukraine's prosperity. Moreover, seeking solace from one's nemesis has negative political implications. A pardon from the president of Russia is a political kiss of death for a Ukrainian. In a time of personal and political trouble Ms. Tymoshenko's response was singularly different from that of Viktor Yushchenko's. Mr. Yushchenko moved West. Ms. Tymoshenko moved East. Ms. Tymoshenko's popularity is her redeeming quality and well worth her weight in gold. But, popularity emanates from a fickle public and requires political savvy and substance to carry the day. Ms. Tymoshenko should take a page from the leadership handbook of U.S. Secretary of State Condolezza Rice, and learn to lead through teamwork, position and persuasion.

President Yushchenko, a mere mortal, is flawed and blemished. Nevertheless, he was anointed by a trial of "fire and water" and now holds the mandate of the Ukrainian people to lead them to the promised land - the West. While work needs to be done to raise Ukraine to eminence, the prime directive as set by President Yushchenko, to make Ukraine a member of NATO, the European Union, the Atlantic Community and the World Trade Organization, is inspired.

Membership in these Western organizations will free Ukraine from the Russian yolk and put Ukraine back on the road to natural national development. The suggestion that Ukraine follow a policy of "non-alignment" is not an option for Ukraine since it divested itself of its nuclear weapons prematurely and left it vulnerable to imperialists. The act of moving independently of Russia in the direction of Ukrainian national interests will be a mark of Ukraine's increasing political maturity.

Among Slavic nations, Russia is the "bad seed" mired in coercion, intimidation and turpitude, behaviors it exports to other nations to feed its own malevolence. Ukrainians free of Russia's dark shadow would no longer fear the possibilities of other genocides, Chornobyls or gulags at the hands of the Russians, and could purge their hearts and minds of the evil.

It is incumbent on the democratically elected government in Ukraine to fulfill the maidan contract with the Ukrainian people and join the free nations of the West now.

A united, free and just Ukraine can be a beacon to its neighbors of what is good and honorable in the world. This is Ukraine's rightful providence.

Christine Hoshowsky
Rochester, N.Y.

Language issues in Ukaine vs Russia

Dear Editor:

The collapse of the Soviet Union caused a significant loss of Russian control over the destiny of the Ukrainian people. Unable to accept the fact that they ceased to be masters of the rich land, which now rightfully belongs to the people of Ukraine, many Russian politicians maliciously spread false rumors about discrimination against the Russian minority. In order to undermine the good reputation of the Ukrainian people in their strivings toward democracy, these lies are being perpetuated on a regular basis, despite the facts that show an entirely different picture.

During the World Forum of Ukrainians held in August of this year in Kyiv, which was attended by 3,500 delegates from Ukraine and abroad, the president of the Ukrainian World Coordinating Council, Mykhailo Horyn, presented an entirely different picture - the sad status of 10 million Ukrainians residing in Russia (Svoboda, August 25). Many of them are descendants of those forcefully uprooted from Ukraine by Moscow, while Russians were settled in their place.

It was stressed that there are no government supported schools in Russia where teaching is conducted in Ukrainian. The opposite is true in Ukraine where there are 2,500 Russian schools, which were established during the Soviet era to promote the Russification of the native population. As a result, 35 percent of Ukrainian students receive their education in Russian and not in Ukrainian.

Only 20 percent of all newspapers and journals in Ukraine are published in Ukrainian, and 55 percent of library funds are being spent on the publication of Russian books. In Russia, there are no known periodicals in Ukrainian, except those sponsored and financed by Ukrainians themselves. In Ukraine, there are 16 theaters where only the Russian language is used and there are no Ukrainian theaters in Russia.

Seeing these figures, no sane person would talk about discrimination against the Russian minority in Ukraine - except those with a malicious intention. The behavior of some Russian politicians reminds one of the thief running to avoid capture while yelling - "Catch the thief!"

Unfortunately, President Kuchma's two-term administration failed to properly respond by rejecting falsehoods about discrimination against the Russian minority. Spreading such lies serves one purpose: to ignite hatred and prevent the establishment of good neighborly relations between Ukraine and Russia.

Dr. Michael J. Kozak
Minneapolis

More on Commission on Ukraine Famine

Dear Editor:

In reference to Bozhena Olshaniwsky's letter (September 10) "Omissions about the Famine Commission" which reacted to a short press release about a Holodomor project that the Ukrainian Human Rights Committee is working on.

Yes, it is a fact that Ihor Olshaniwsky was the driving force behind the establishment of the U.S. Commission on the Ukraine Famine. No one takes that away from him. It was his vision, and his hard work that made the Famine Commission a reality. Mr. Olshaniwsky inspired hundreds of Ukrainian Americans to work to realize the establishment of the commission.

On April 23, 1989, the U.S. Commission on the Ukraine Famine held its organizational meeting at the Rayburn Office Building in Washington. At this meeting the public members and the members of Congress who were appointed to the commission were sworn in as commissioners, and James Mace was appointed as staff director. Also, at the meeting the commissioners were presented with a mandate as stated by the chairman, Rep. Dan Mica, "to report to the Congress on the Ukrainian Famine, what made it happen, who was involved, what were the aftereffects, the ramifications and what we can learn from it."

Subsequently, hearings were held in Washington, San Francisco, Phoenix, Chicago, Warren, Mich., Glen Spey, N.Y., and Philadelphia. The hearings, for the most part, were held in federal courts where the witnesses were sworn in and were subjected to cross-examination by the commissioners. We heard testimony from 57 eyewitnesses to the Famine and had an additional 200 in-depth interviews with surviviors. The final report of the Commission on the Ukraine Famine was submitted to Congress on April 22, 1988.

Yes, volumes of testimonies and archival findings were presented to the Ukrainian government by Commissioner Bohdan Fedorak, Dr. Mace and me. This was done on the 65th anniversary of the Holodomor. However, how many people have access to these documents?

It is important that these testimonies, which were so diligently collected, be distributed to libraries and to institutions of higher learning in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Human Rights Committee is working on this project. This project has the full support of the First Lady of Ukraine.

Ulana Baluch Mazurkevich
Philadelphia

The letter-writer served as a commissioner on the U.S. Commission on the Ukraine Famine.

Ukrainian language and Ukrainian identity

Dear Editor:

As I read your August 20 issue, which carried interviews with various scholars, whose attitude toward use of the Ukrainian language ranged from cool to indifferent, I was reminded of another article I had read, titled "Hebrew Language Helps Strengthen Jewish Identity." I wondered: If it worked for Jews, why wouldn't it work for Ukraine?

For centuries, Ukrainians have been separated from each other and under foreign rule - Russian, Polish, Austrian and other. Under the rule of some powers the Ukrainian language was forbidden, or its existence denied; under others, it was tolerated, but always considered inferior to the language of the rulers.

It is no wonder that their feeling of Ukrainian identity was so weak. The people called themselves Malorosy, Lemky, Rusyny, Carpato-Ruski, etc. Now, when all are finally united into one country, how does one strenghten that identity? The people of Ukraine do not share one religion, or even a history.

They can share their language.

And why not? Is Ukrainian inferior to Russian? I have read that Ben Gurion would not respond even to his wife, if she spoke anything but Hebrew. Shouldn't Ukrainians be as ardent in defense of their language?

This does not mean that, in their homes, private schools or social intercourse, any language would be forbidden. But all official activities should be performed in Ukrainian.

Then the people of Ukraine can really say, "V nas rodyna vsia odna."

Pearl Dent
Danbury, Conn.

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