February 5, 2016

2015: Meanwhile, here at The Ukrainian Weekly…

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The first page of Part 1 of “2014: The Year in Review” as it appeared in our January 18 issue.

What can we say about the year 2015 at The Weekly? We at The Weekly soldiered on and tried our best to keep up with all the news and, in turn, keep our dear subscribers informed. As well, we strove to keep our readers, and therefore our communities, in touch with each other.

The biggest news for The Weekly itself was our newly redesigned website – same address (www.ukrweekly.com), new look and functionality – that was unveiled in June. This was accomplished thanks to the truly Herculean efforts of our webmaster and tech guru, Ihor Pylypchuk. He noted these advantages of the new design: it is mobile-ready for handheld devices (smartphones, tablets, iPhones, iPads); all the articles are presented as separate full-text stories that can be easily printed, with high-quality photos included; navigation is intuitive, and related articles are categorized by topics.

For those online subscribers accustomed to reading each week’s issue in PDF – which retains the original layout of the newspaper – that option remains available. Just click on the image of the latest front page of The Weekly that appears on the top right of our webpage and, voila, you will be taken to the section of our website labeled “Latest issues in PDF.” There you will find all the issues published in the current year. A little hint: you can also download the issue you’d like to read and then read it at your leisure whether or not you have an Internet connection.

The new online Weekly has sections, as befits a newspaper: Ukraine, Community, Opinion, U.S., Canada, Culture/Arts, Sports, Community Events, as well as subsections, for example: Columnists and Editorials under Opinion, and Community Chronicle and Generation Uke under Community. In addition, highlighted are special issues: The Years in Review, Debutante Balls, A Ukrainian Summer. Most of the current content provided on the new website is “premium” and, therefore, available on a regular basis to subscribers only. Online access to premium content is on a metered basis; thus, readers who visit more than four times a month are asked to subscribe to gain further access.

The Ukrainian Weekly’s fascinating archives also moved to the new website. To peruse them, go the to “Archives” link that appears in the bar atop the webpage. That’s how you will find PDFs of all our issues published since 1933. The Archives (which do not include the current year’s issues) are open to all, subscribers and non-subscribers.

We were pleased to note a significant increase in the number of subscribers to our online edition after we unveiled the “new and improved” online edition of The Weekly.

The Ukrainian Weekly’s online presence is enhanced by its Facebook page, which has functioned since July 10, 2012. The number of “Likes” for our page has now surpassed 4,300 and continues to grow. What we do on Facebook differs greatly from what we offer on the pages of our newspaper. On Facebook, The Weekly gives regular updates from our editorial offices, including previews of what to expect in upcoming issues; lets our friends know when a new issue becomes available online; allows visitors to take a look at our latest front page; and shares interesting stories from a variety of sources. What is new this year is that on our newspaper’s newly redesigned website, on the right-hand side of the page, visitors will also see a box labeled “Find us on Facebook,” where they can quickly take a look at the latest posts on The Weekly’s Facebook page.

So, we invite you to explore www.ukrweekly.com and visit us on Facebook. And, if you haven’t done so yet, please “Like” us on Facebook!

During 2015, The Weekly continued to report on events in our ancestral homeland and the activities of our communities. In fact, there were countless stories and photos sent in by readers and community activists from across North America and beyond. It is their contributions to our news pages that make The Ukrainian Weekly a true community newspaper.

The first page of Part 1 of “2014: The Year in Review” as it appeared in our January 18 issue.

The first page of Part 1 of “2014: The Year in Review” as it appeared in our January 18 issue.

Of course, there were also the usual special issues in The Weekly: the annual Year in Review issue (published in four sections, January 18 through February 8, for a total of 32 pages); the round-up of Ukrainian debutante balls (March 22); the 19th annual edition of “A Ukrainian Summer” (May 3, comprising 24 full-color pages); and the special Ukrainian Independence Day issue (August 23).

There were also unique feature articles. Among them were these from Canada and the United States: “Documents reveal information on Ukrainian heroes of the French Resistance,” by Oksana Zakydalsky (January 11); “Atlantic Council report focuses on human rights abuses in Crimea,” by Matthew Dubas (March 29); “War in Ukraine, ‘red lines’ in Syria and the Obama administration,” by Adrian Bryttan (March 29); “Congressional engagement on Ukraine intensifies since Euro-Maidan,” by Orest Deychakiwsky (April 19); “New Ukrainian MPs bring message of determination to D.C.,” by Borys Potapenko (May 24); “Ukrainian Nationality Room at U. of Pittsburgh marks 25th anniversary,” by Roksana Korchynsky (June 28/July 5); “Derogatory ad by Verizon irks Ukrainian community,” by Matthew Dubas (July 12); “A blue-and-yellow flashmob in Times Square,” by Stefan Slutsky (September 6); “Toronto International Film Festival screens new Maidan film ,” by Oksana Zakydalsky (September 27); “Schur spotlights Terry Sawchuk in docu-drama on NHL’s ‘iron man’ goalie,” by Christopher Guly (October 11); “The situation in Ukraine and challenges for the Ukrainian community in the U.S.,” by Oleh Wolowyna (October 18); “Ukrainian Canadian women take lead role in Canadian politics,” by Christopher Guly (November 15); and “Book Review: A multi-dimensional account of Ukrainian nationalism,” by Bohdan Vitvitsky (December 20).

A page from our annual special section on “Ukrainian Debutante Balls,” published on March 22.

A page from our annual special section on “Ukrainian Debutante Balls,” published on March 22.

Plus, there were many stories from Ukraine that you could read only in The Weekly. Here’s just a sampling: “Survival on the Donbas frontlines,” by Yana Sedova (January 25); “Bukovel, the affordable jewel of the Carpathians,” by Zenon Zawada (February 15); “Refugees, now in Kramatorsk, recall their experiences in war-torn east,” by Ms. Sedova (March 15); “Victory Day commemoration geared to presenting a new Ukraine,” by Mr. Zawada (May 3); “More evidence surfaces on Russian Internet trolls,” by Mr. Zawada (August 23).

“Over 5,000 witness dedication of Holodomor Memorial in Washington,” by Roma Hadzewycz was the lead story in The Weekly‘s extensive coverage of this historic event, which was enhanced thanks to team coverage by Yaro Bihun, Matthew Dubas and photographers Christine Syzonenko and Stefan Slutsky.

Zenon Zawada’s feature article on the Bukovel ski resort in Ukraine’s Carpathian Mountains, which appeared in our February 7 issue.

Zenon Zawada’s feature article on the Bukovel ski resort in Ukraine’s Carpathian Mountains, which appeared in our February 7 issue.

We gained a new columnist this year. Andrij Dobriansky, an executive board member and media spokesman for the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, said that in his column, called “Ukraine Matters,” he would share his thoughts on topics often glossed over in the media. His first column appeared in our April 19 issue. Other columnists featured in 2015 included: Andrew Fedynsky, Oksana Bashuk Hepburn, Myron Kuropas, Andrew Sorokowski, Eugene Z. Stakhiv and Orysia Paszczak Tracz. And then there were our regular contributors: Mr. Bihun, Mr. Bryttan, Ms. Zakydalsky, sportswriter Ihor Stelmach.

We would be remiss if we did not note that reader support for our newspaper continued to be strong as evidenced by donations to our press fund: a grand total of $22,708 for the year. A huge thank-you to all of our benefactors.

Front page of the 24-page supplement “A Ukrainian Summer,” which was published on May 3.

Front page of the 24-page supplement “A Ukrainian Summer,” which was published on May 3.

During 2015 we tried to encourage readers to write, to share their news with fellow readers. In our September 20 editorial – titled “So, you think you can’t write…” – we addressed readers: “We urge you to extend your reach and broaden your circle of contacts, friends and supporters by sending information to The Ukrainian Weekly, which we will gladly publish in our Community Chronicle. In order to benefit from each other’s experiences, we need to share them. Instead of islands of separate activity, we can have an interconnected network! Think you can’t write? Think again. You don’t need to write an extensive account of each and every one of your community events. Oftentimes, a simple caption to a good photograph is all it takes to let others know what’s happening in your community. And, if you’re not sure about your writing skills, do the best you can in telling the story, but do get the facts right and the spellings of names correct. And give us “the 5 Ws,” as they used to teach in journalism school: the who, what, when, where and why of the event being reported. We’ll take it from there; we’re happy to serve as your ghostwriters and editors – all in keeping with our mission to keep us all in touch and informed. And you will get the byline, or tagline, or photo credit. (We’re sticklers about that and want to give credit where credit is due!)”

We marked The Weekly’s 82nd birthday with an editorial that highlighted the changes through the years, including all-important technological improvements, and underscored: “…a lot has changed in 82 years, but not our commitment to our community and the Ukrainian nation. And our founding mission – to tell the world the truth about Ukraine and Ukrainians – endures.”

Miscellany

On the occasion of the 24th anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence, President Petro Poroshenko awarded 14 foreign citizens for their contribution to strengthening the international authority of Ukraine, popularization of its historical heritage and modern achievements. Among them were two Ukrainian American women who were awarded the Order of Princess Olha, third degree: Ukrainian Congress Committee of America President Tamara Olexy and The Ukrainian Weekly Editor-in-Chief Roma Hadzewycz. The awards were announced in a presidential decree dated August 21. Ms. Olexy received her medal on September 26, 2015; Ms. Hadzewycz is still awaiting a presentation of this great honor.

A film crew from Istorychna Pravda, headed by Vakhtang Kipiani, visited our editorial offices on November 10, 2015, to see Svoboda’s and The Weekly’s historic issues from the years of the Holodomor, as well as historic materials related to that genocide that we have at our editorial offices. They also interviewed the editor-in-chief about the newspapers’ coverage of the Famine-Genocide of 1932-1933; the history of The Ukrainian Weekly, which was founded to tell the world the truth about what was happening in Ukraine; and the case of Holodomor denier Walter Duranty of The New York Times. The report aired on Ukrainian television on November 28 and was posted online at the time that Ukraine marked the annual Holodomor Remembrance Day. (The report is available on YouYube under the title “Фільм до дня пам’яті жертв Голодомору 1932-33 років.”)

In 2015 we noted that two of our long-time columnists had published books. Dr. Kuropas’s latest book, titled “Lesia and I, A Progress Report and a Ukrainian-American Love Story,” is part memoir and part autobiography and was written to mark the 50th wedding anniversary of Myron and Lesia (Waskiw) Kuropas. Ms. Tracz, on December 3 launched her new book, “First Star I See Tonight” (Mazepa Publications, Zhuravli Ltd, 2015) at McNally Robinson Booksellers of Winnipeg. The beautifully designed book is a collection of articles explaining the origins of Ukrainian Christmas traditions, their symbolism and their continuation around the world, especially in Ukraine, Canada and the United States. Many of the articles previously appeared in The Weekly in Ms. Tracz’s column.

Our collaborators

The 2015 edition of “The Year in Review” was prepared by Roma Hadzewycz and Matthew Dubas of The Weekly’s editorial staff; our part-time staffer Christine Syzonenko; our colleagues Adrian Bryttan, Deanna Yurchuk and Lesia Lebed; our correspondent Oksana Zakydalsky in Toronto; and Ihor Stelmach, our sports columnist. Credit for the layout goes to our layout artist Stefan Slutsky.

The articles in this yearender were prepared based on stories about events of 2015 that were published in The Weekly – articles written by our staffers and regular correspondents, news sources like RFE/RL and Eurasia Daily Monitor, and submissions by community activists from near and far. Thank you to all!

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