"THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT"
An International Newsletter
In-Depth Ukrainian News, Analysis, and Commentary
"The Art of Ukrainian History, Culture, Arts, Business, Religion,
Sports, Government, and Politics, in Ukraine and Around the World"
THE PRESIDENT AND THE LITTLE GIRL
"She is a national hero in her homeland, hailed for plucking her little
sister from their family home as it was consumed by flames. Now,
Nastya Ovchar, her body burned extensively during the rescue of her
sister, lies in a room at Shriners Burns Hospital Boston, half a world
away from her home in the Ukraine.
If they made a movie about Nastya, they could well call it ''The
President and the Little Girl," for it was the intervention of a national
leader who had endured his own share of physical suffering that
assured the 5-year-old could receive lifesaving medical treatment."
[article number one]
"THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT" - Number 450
E. Morgan Williams, Publisher and Editor
morganw@patriot.net, ArtUkraine.com@starpower.net
Washington, D.C. and Kyiv, Ukraine, SUNDAY, March 27,2005
-----INDEX OF ARTICLES-----
"Major International News Headlines and Articles"
1. SHRINERS AID HEROIC UKRAINE BURN VICTIM
5-year-old saved sister from flames
By Stephen Smith, Globe Staff, Boston Globe
Boston, Massachusetts, Sat, March 26, 2005
2. YOUNG BURN VICTIM IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE FOR URGENT
TREATMENT IN BOSTON
Embassy of Ukraine, Washington, D.C, Friday, March 25, 2005
3. A SMALL TINY FOLK-HERO, 5-YEAR OLD NASTIU OVCHAR
News Report By Lubomyr Onyshkevych
Lawrenceville, New Jersey, Sat, March 26, 2005
4. PURCHASING YUSHCHENKO BANQUET TICKETS ONLINE
Hero of the Orange Revolution Coming to Washington
Banquet in Washington, D.C. on April 6, 2005
By E. Morgan Williams, Publisher and Editor
THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT
Washington, D.C., Saturday, March 26, 2005
5. US AMBASSADOR JOHN HERBST SEES BRIGHT PROSPECT
FOR US-UKRAINIAN RELATIONS, REVIVAL OF FRIENDLY TIES
Associated Press, Kiev, Ukraine, Saturday, March 26, 2005
6. US MAY INCREASE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO UKRAINE
Ukrayinska Pravda, Kyiv, Ukraine, Sat, March 26, 2005
7. UKREXIMBANK, WORLD BANK EMBARK ON CREATING SYSTEM
OF COVERING EXPORTS WITH CREDITS AND INSURANCE
Also step up cooperation with the US Export-Import Bank
Ukrinform, Kyiv, Ukraine, Sat, March 26, 2005
8. NEW U.S. STATE DEPT. OFFICE AIMED AT POSTWAR AID
Agency Would Lay Groundwork for Rebuilding Nations
[Agency headed by former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Carlos Pascual]
By Christopher Lee, Washington Post Staff Writer
The Washington Post, Friday, March 25, 2005; Page A17
9. WESTERN UNION CUTS TARIFFS FOR UKRAINIAN NATIONALS
Ukrinform, Kyiv, Ukraine, Sat, March 26, 2005
10. COUPLE PREPARING TO START LIFE IN UKRAINE
Election opens door for job in Kiev
By Janet Romaker, Blade Staff Writer
The Blade, ToledoBlade.com, Toledo, Ohio, Sat, March 26, 2005
11. PRESIDENTS YUSHCHENKO, SAAKASHVILI HOLD SATURDAY
MORNING MEETING IN KYIV
By Hanna Snigur-Grabovska
Ukrinform, Kyiv, Ukraine, Sat, March 26, 2005
12. PRESIDENT YUSHCHENKO TO VISIT MOSCOW ON MAY 8
CELEBRATE VICTORY DAY WITH UKRAINIAN WWII VETERANS MAY 9
By Hanna Snigur-Grabovska, Ukrinform
Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, March 26, 2005
13. YUSHCHENKO PLANS TO VISIT RUSSIA ON MAY 8 ON OCCASION
OF CELEBRATION OF 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF VICTORY IN GREAT
PATRIOTIC WAR, WILL BE BACK IN UKRAINE FOR MAY 9 EVENTS
Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, March 26, 200513.
14. PRIEST PAINTS UKRAINIAN EASTER EGGS
WTNH TV, New Haven, Connecticut, Fri, March 25, 2005
15. NORTH CAROLINA ARTIST USES EGGSHELLS FOR CANVAS
By Barbara Hooman, Staff Writer
Black Mountain News, Black Mountain, North Carolina
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
16. UKRAINIAN EGG MAKING BOTH TRADITION AND ART
BY Connie Bloom, Knight Ridder Newspapers
Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, Ohio, Wed, Mar. 23, 2005
17, CONSTANTINOPLE REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE MOSCOW
CHURCH JURISDICTION IN UKRAINE
UNIAN news agency, Kiev, in Ukrainian 2200 gmt 25 Mar 05
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, March 25, 2005
18. UKRAINE AIRS CRIMEAN TATAR RADIO STATION
By Helen Fawkes, BBC NEWS, Friday, March 25, 2005
==========================================================
1. SHRINERS AID HEROIC UKRAINE BURN VICTIM
5-year-old saved sister from flames
By Stephen Smith, Globe Staff, Boston Globe
Boston, Massachusetts, Sat, March 26, 2005
BOSTON - She is a national hero in her homeland, hailed for plucking her
little sister from their family home as it was consumed by flames. Now,
Nastya Ovchar, her body burned extensively during the rescue of her sister,
lies in a room at Shriners Burns Hospital Boston, half a world away from her
home in the Ukraine.
If they made a movie about Nastya, they could well call it ''The President
and the Little Girl," for it was the intervention of a national leader who
had endured his own share of physical suffering that assured the 5-year-
old could receive lifesaving medical treatment.
On March 15 fire erupted in a home in the Ukraine's Kharkiv region, which
sits on the border with Russia. Nastya and her 2-year-old sister, Lyuda,
were in the house by themselves. Nastya saved her sister from the fire; in
the process, she sustained burns over 80 percent of her body, according to
an Associated Press report from Kiev. Lyuda suffered comparatively minor
injuries.
Tales of the rescue swiftly captured the attention of Ukrainians. That
nation's newly installed president, Viktor Yushchenko, extended his
assistance to Nastya. Yushchenko confronted pain and disfigurement last
year, when he was poisoned during his campaign for president.
''Mr. Yushchenko always supported very young people. Children are the
future of our country," said Iryna Bezverkha, press secretary of the Ukraine
Embassy in Washington. ''This is a really inspiring story."
At first, Yushchenko, who spoke directly with Nastya, and his associates
sought treatment in the Ukraine for the child. ''Unfortunately," Bezverkha
said last night, ''these efforts were not enough for this little girl."
So the president, Ukraine lawmakers, and Yushchenko's wife banded
together to secure treatment for Nastya outside their nation. "And they
found Shriners," said Kathy Golden, spokeswoman for the Boston hospital.
The Ukraine government arranged for the child to be flown to Boston, and
she arrived Thursday night. The Shriners provide care free of charge at
all of their hospitals.
Golden said privacy rules prevented her from releasing details of Nastya's
condition, or even officially confirming her name, but she acknowledged
that ''typically children with burns have many months of treatment."
The president intends to follow Nastya's recovery intently, the embassy
spokeswoman said. Golden said, ''They've been keenly interested in her
care, because they really see her as a hero." -30-
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen Smith can be reached at stsmith@globe.com.]
===========================================================
2. YOUNG BURN VICTIM IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE FOR URGENT
TREATMENT IN BOSTON
Embassy of Ukraine, Washington, D.C, Friday, March 25, 2005
WASHINGTON - 5-year old Nastya Vivchar who saved the life of her 2-year
old sister and badly burned more than 80% of her skin, now needs an urgent
treatment. Currently, Nastya is on her way to the Hospital in Boston, MA
where she is supposed to undergo several skin transplantation surgeries.
Nastya will stay in Boston for several months.
Ukrainian diplomats urge all Ukrainians of the United States of America to
open their hearts and provide an adequate financial assistance to this brave
Ukrainian girl.
The Embassy of Ukraine to the United States expresses its deep appreciation
to the Ukrainian National Women's League of America and particularly to its
President Mrs. Iryna Kurowyckyj for providing its account to transfer money
for Nastya Vivchar's treatment. Please, send checks with the reference
"Nastya Vivchar" to the following address:
UNWLA. INC, 203 Second Ave., New York, NY 10003 -30-
===========================================================
3. A SMALL TINY FOLK-HERO, 5-YEAR OLD NASTIU OVCHAR
News Report By Lubomyr Onyshkevych
Lawrenceville, New Jersey, Sat, March 26, 2005
This is about a small tiny folk-hero, namely about the 5-year old little
Nastiu Ovchar, who rescued her 3-year old sister from fire, sustaining in
the process 80% burns over her body.
The Ovchars live in the village of Vorontsovka in the Kharkiv region of
Ukraine. You can't find that place on a map -- there are 10 houses, no
telephone, nor gas, nor roads. Nastia & her sister were alone in the house
when it caught fire, from unknown sources. She at first tried to put the
fire out, but it was hopeless & she grabbed her sister and fled. In the
process she was very badly burned.
Their father jumped on a horse and run to the nearest telephone, 6 km
away. The first aid squad came very quickly, took the girl and carried her
to Kharkiv. But there was no special facilities there, not even a special
bed for burn victims. They gave her a blood transfusion and that is all.
The weather was bad, so they could not fly her to Kyiv, so they took her in
a car. In Kyiv there was the right bed here & special doctors. The minister
of Medicine of Ukraine brought her oranges, which she had never seen
in her life.
But, after 3 operations, it became clear that in Kyiv she can not get the
proper skin grafts. They tried to take her to Germany, but German govern-
ment wanted 250,000 euros for one week of treatment. A hospital in
Boston offered to do it for free.
But now they needed an airplane with proper facilities. President & Katerine
Yuschenko used all their influence to find one. Finally, they located a VIP
plane that was chartered to fly the president of Rumania; they were able to
borrow it.
The plane arrived to the Boryspil airport (from Zurich), Nastia was loaded
& they flew to Boston via Lugano, Switzerland, where they were mobbed
by reporters -- it seems that the story became big news in Europe, as it
was in Ukraine. Finally Nastia arrived in her hospital.
The whole set of arrangements (visas, passports, etc) was accomplished
in record time (less than a day!) due to arm-twisting by Katerine Yuschenko.
Nastia is accompanied by her mother & 3 Ukrainian doctors. -30-
===========================================================
4. PURCHASING YUSHCHENKO BANQUET TICKETS ONLINE
Hero of the Orange Revolution Coming to Washington
Banquet in Washington, D.C. on April 6, 2005
By E. Morgan Williams, Publisher and Editor
THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT
Washington, D.C., Saturday, March 26, 2005
WASHINGTON - Tickets to the banquet being held in honor of
Viktor Yushchenko, the new President of Ukraine, on Wednesday
evening, April 6, in Washington, D.C, can now be purchased
on-line through the website of the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation,
http://www.usukraine.org.
The large banquet will be held in the Omni Shoreham Hotel
ballroom in Washington. A reception will begin at 6:30 p.m
and the banquet will be held at 7:30 p.m. on April 6. Tickets
are available to the public for the banquet. President Yushchenko
will speak at the banquet. The first lady of Ukraine, Kateryna
Chumachenko Yushchenko, will be with the President at
the banquet.
Details for the banquet as follows:
Where: Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C.
2500 Calvert Street, N.W. (at Connecticut Ave)
When: Wednesday, April 6, 2005
Reception: 6:30 p.m.
Dinner: 7:30 p.m.
Dress: Black Tie Optional
Attendance: Tickets for the banquet are now on sale to the
public for $200.00 each. One can purchase a ticket by check
or on-line at http://www.usukraine.org. Seating is limited and
the space available will be sold on the basis of the time
tickets were purchased. The banquet is expected to be sold
out in a very short period of time.
Checks should be made out to the 'Yushchenko Banquet
Committee' and mailed [with complete contact information]
immediately to the: Ukrainian Washington Credit Union,
P.O. Box 19228, Alexandria, Virginia 22320-1228.
Financial sponsors are needed for the two events. Special
sponsor tables (seating ten people) are available for the
Yushchenko banquet for $2,500.00 each.
Sponsor tables have already been purchased by Coca-Cola,
Deere & Co, SIgmaBleyzer Investment Banking Group, PBN
Company, Eurasia Foundation, Alex & Helen Woskob, Zenia
Chernyk, Ukrainian Federation of America, Ukrainian Self
Reliance Federal Credit Union, and many other organizations,
companies and individuals.
INSTRUCTIONS TO PURCHASE TICKETS ON-LINE
STEP 1. Go to the US-Ukraine Foundation (USUF) Website:
Click On: http://www.usukraine.org or click on the link directly
to the exact page: http://www.usukraine.org./banquet.shtml
STEP 2. Then click on the following message in the lower
left part of the home page:
"BUY TICKETS to Yushchenko banquet."
STEP 3. Then Scroll down the page that gives information about
the visit of President Yushchenko to Washington and find where
it says: To Pay By Credit Card and click on the button below
that says: ADD TO CART.
STEP 4. Then fill out completely all of the information required
to purchase the Yushchenko banquet tickets. This service is
open to everyone through PAYPAL and one does NOT have
to be have a PAYPAL account to purchase tickets.
A purchaser has the choice of using their PAYPAL account
or not doing this. All persons can use this process. You do
not need to have a PAYPAL account to purchase tickets.
Because of the short time remaining before the Banquet there
will not tickets. The Committee will keep track of all those
who have paid and will have the complete list at the door
the evening of the banquet, Wednesday, April 6, 2005.
All tickets purchased on-line will be confirmed by e-mail.
ORANGE REVOLUTION RALLY IN WASHINGTON
There will also be a rally in celebration of the victory of the
Orange Revolution at the Taras Shevchenko Monument in
Washington, D.C. beginning at NOON on Wednesday,
April 6. President Yushchenko will lay a wreath at the
monument to the most famous Ukrainian, Taras Shevchenko
(1814-1861), an honored poet, writer, artist and fighter for
personal liberty and national independence. The Ukrainian
president will also speak at the rally.
Several thousand people are expected at this event. Plans
are being made for people to come to Washington in special
buses from such places as New York City, Philadelphia and
other cities.
The monument to Taras Shevchenko in Washington was
unveiled on June 27, 1964 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
(http://www.artukraine.com/taras/monumentp2.htm)
The two events in Washington during President Yushchenko's
first official visit to Washington since becoming president are
being sponsored by President Yushchenko's Welcome Committtee.
For additional information about the events call :
1. U.S.-Ukraine Foundation, 202 347 4264
2. Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, 202 547 0018
3. Ukrainian American Coordinating Council,
Ihor Gawdiak, President, 410 884 9025
4. The Washington Group,
Ihor Kotlarchuk, President, 703 548 8534
5. Ukrainian National Women's League of America
Motria Slonewska, 703 536 7795
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: Your editor is a member of the finance committee of
President Yushchenko's Welcome Committee. If you need
further information please send an e-mail at morganw@patriot.net
or call me at 202 437 4707.
==========================================================
5. US AMBASSADOR JOHN HERBST SEES BRIGHT PROSPECT FOR
US-UKRAINIAN RELATIONS, REVIVAL OF FRIENDLY TIES
Associated Press, Kiev, Ukraine, Saturday, March 26, 2005
KIEV - Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko's planned visit to the U.S.
would help usher in a new era in bilateral relations, the U.S. ambassador to
Ukraine said, according to an interview published Saturday. Yushchenko is
set to meet with U.S. President George W. Bush at the White House on
April 4.
"We expect not only the revival of friendly ties that existed between our
states seven-nine years ago, but the establishment of a qualitatively new
level of relations," Ambassador John Herbst told the Kievskiy Telegraf
weekly.
Ukraine has been cited frequently by Bush administration officials as an
example of the movement toward greater democracy worldwide.
In Ukraine 's so-called "Orange Revolution," popular protests triggered
by a fraudulent paved the way to Yushchenko's victory over a Russia-
backed rival in December's court-ordered election rerun.
"Ukraine presses toward truly democratic changes in politics and economy,"
Herbst said. "If it manages to fulfill its aspirations, our relations, I'm
sure, will be absolutely close."
U.S.-Ukrainian relations cooled under ex-President Leonid Kuchma, who
was accused by Washington of selling a sophisticated radar system to
Iraq despite U.N. sanctions against Saddam Hussein's regime. Kuchma
denied the allegations.
In what was widely seen as an effort to improve relations with Washington,
Kuchma sent Ukrainian troops to serve in the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq
after the war. The deployment has been unpopular at home, however, and
Ukrainian officials have vowed to bring the troops home this year.
"I see no problems in the withdrawal of the Ukrainian troops," Herbst said,
stressing that Yushchenko had promised to consult coalition partners on
details of the withdrawal." -30- [Action Ukraine Report Monitoring Service]
==========================================================
6. US MAY INCREASE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO UKRAINE
Ukrayinska Pravda, Kyiv, Ukraine, Sat, March 26, 2005
KYIV - The US Congress may review the question of financial help to
Ukraine to increase it as proposed by George Bush. The democrats
leader in Congress Harry Reid who visited Kiev with the Congress
delegation told that to Freedom Radio. According to Reid the decision
of House of Representatives to cut the financial help to Ukraine is
"unfair".
We have two-chamber Parliament and the House of Representatives
doesn't determine our job. And we're going to review the question and
do what we can actually do - to renew the figures proposed by
Administration if not to raise them.
At the same time answering the question on Jackson-Vanik amendment
Reid pointed out it should be thoroughly thought over as Jackson-Vanik
amendment was adopted long ago and we should check if a new Ukraine
still discriminates Jews (that was what caused the adoption of the amend-
ment against the USSR). Reid also stated that the withdrawal of Ukrainian
troops from Iraq should be approved by Ukrainian but not the US authorities.
Answering the question about the results of his visit to Ukraine Reid told
they're very "pleased" with meeting Yushchenko and the representatives of
civic organization helping the new authorities make the right steps. He also
hopes Yushchenko would make a speech in Congress.
"Both Democrats and Republicans believe he must have the opportunity
to do that. As I said before he's an international hero. That would be good
both for out country and for the rest of the world if he made a speech in
Congress. He'll come to the US at the beginning of April and he'll have the
opportunity to come out in Congress. We'll work on that after coming back" -
Reid said. [translated by Eugene Ivantsov] -30-
================================================================
7. UKREXIMBANK, WORLD BANK EMBARK ON CREATING SYSTEM OF
COVERING EXPORTS WITH CREDITS AND INSURANCE
Also step up cooperation with the US Export-Import Bank
Ukrinform, Kyiv, Ukraine, Sat, March 26, 2005
KYIV - The UkrExImBank and the World Bank have embarked on
implementing a 207 M. USD project, which provides for creating a
system of securing exports through credits and insurance.
Within the framework of President Viktor Yushchenko's visit to the USA,
the UkrExImBank is expected to sign an agreement on stepping up
cooperation with the US Export-Import Bank. -30-
=============================================================
8. NEW STATE DEPT. OFFICE AIMED AT POSTWAR AID
Agency Would Lay Groundwork for Rebuilding Nations
[Agency headed by former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Carlos Pascual]
By Christopher Lee, Washington Post Staff Writer
The Washington Post, Friday, March 25, 2005; Page A17
The State Department has a plan for avoiding a repeat of the prewar
planning mistakes that marred the U.S. occupation and reconstruction
of Iraq. But, like many initiatives in Washington, it will require some
money.
When President Bush sent Congress an $82 billion supplemental
request last month for emergency funding for U.S. operations in Iraq
and Afghanistan, it included $17 million in start-up funds for a State
Department office that would help manage the aftermath of war and
stabilize countries torn by civil conflict.
The Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization would
bring together civilian experts in such fields as political administration,
law enforcement and economics and give them a seat at the table along-
side the military during the planning of U.S. intervention in troubled
states, Carlos Pascual, the head of the new office, said yesterday in
a briefing with reporters.
The office, relying in part on relationships with other federal agencies and
private-sector groups, would accompany military troops in the field and lay
the groundwork for rebuilding countries crumbling under conflict, Pascual
said. It also would serve as an early warning system, monitoring a "watch
list" of nations at risk of sliding into the kind of dysfunction that gives
rise to terrorism and civil strife.
"If we don't put in sufficient investment and time and energy, then the
country goes back into conflict," said Pascual, a former ambassador to
Ukraine.
Analysts have argued that the administration needs to do a better job of
shoring up troubled states and ensuring that countries such as Iraq and
Afghanistan get the support they need in the aftermath of military
intervention by the United States and its allies. They have said policy
squabbles and turf battles between State and the Defense Department
crippled planning efforts for postwar Iraq, contributing to the rise of the
insurgency and the difficulty in restoring basic services such as
electricity and public safety.
"We're increasingly facing post-conflict transitions, transitions from
authoritarian regimes that want to become democratic," said J. Brian
Atwood, a former head of the U.S. Agency for International Develop-
ment. "There's no question there's a need for this kind of thing." But
there are the questions of organization and money.
The office was created in July, but it still has no dedicated funding. That
has forced Pascual to assemble a skeleton staff of 37 people, borrowed
from elsewhere in State and other agencies, such as the CIA and the
Treasury Department. He eventually hopes to have a headquarters staff
of 80 people and an "active response corps" of 100 State employees
who can be deployed when needed.
The administration is seeking $100 million for the effort in the budget for
fiscal 2006. So far the administration is not getting what it asked for. The
House last week approved the supplemental war funding but reduced the
$17 million emergency request for the office to $3 million, Pascual said.
The Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to take up the bill
next month.
"How much I can do is going to depend, in part, on what happens in the
budget process," Pascual said. ". . . If we can't get the resources from
Congress, then what we're doing is going to be little more than a
hypothetical exercise."
Atwood said money is not the only issue. While he respects Pascual's
abilities, Atwood said the new office is not well positioned
bureaucratically to achieve its mission, or get the attention from Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice that it needs. The best Foreign Service officers
are reluctant to stray from the regional geographic bureaus, he said, and
Pascual will have to go outside his domain for the talent he needs.
"The real question is, is Carlos simply going to be an interagency
coordinator, or is he going to have all of the personnel and equipment
necessary to do the job in his little bureau?" Atwood said. "And I think
it's the former: He's going to be a coordinator, and he's going to have to
draw on the offices that have the money and the equipment and the
personnel." -30- [The Action Ukraine Report Monitoring Service]
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64341-2005Mar24.html
===========================================================
9. WESTERN UNION CUTS TARIFFS FOR UKRAINIAN NATIONALS
Ukrinform, Kyiv, Ukraine, Sat, March 26, 2005
KYIV - Western Union has agreed to cut its tariffs for Ukrainian clients.
According to the company's sources, the cuts will take effect on April 1
and will cover money transfers up to 200 euros each from Spain,
Portugal and Italy to Ukraine.
Western Union has also undertaken to cut its tariffs for money
transfers from the USA to Ukraine. Later, tariffs will be revised for
money transfers to Ukraine from Poland, Greece, Israel, the Czech
Republic and Germany. Sources indicate the April 1 2005 cuts will
be at least 40 percent. -30- [Action Ukraine Report Monitoring]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOOTNOTE: Ukraine has been the second largest recipient in
the world of money transfers. Only transfers to Mexico have been
larger. There have been more Western Union locations in Ukraine
where one can pick-up funds than in Russia. [Editor]
==========================================================
10. US COUPLE PREPARING TO START LIFE IN UKRAINE
Election opens door for job in Kiev
By Janet Romaker, Blade Staff Writer, The Blade
ToledoBlade.com, Toledo, Ohio, Sat, March 26, 2005
DELTA - With the recent election of Viktor Yushchenko, a Delta native is
hearing the call of Kiev. Tim McQuillin, who served as an election monitor
in Ukraine, is leaving the Fulton County countryside next week for his new
home and job in one of the biggest cities in Europe.
"I had a vested interest in the outcome of the election," said Mr.
McQuillin, 36, a 1987 graduate of Pike-Delta-York High School. His wife,
Luda, is a native of Romny, Ukraine, where they met after Mr. McQuillin
signed up in 1997 for a 15-month assignment as a consultant to help
businesses in the former Soviet republic become private enterprises.
Before the recent presidential election, Mrs. McQuillin, as well as many
others in Ukraine, didn't pay much attention to politics, she said. "It was
boring. It never made sense. It never made a difference." Today? "The
country is changing," she said. "You can't stay indifferent to that."
Mr. McQuillin said that he knew in 2003 that he wanted to go back to Ukraine
to live if the conditions were right. Term limits meant that a new president
would be elected in 2004. "I knew there could be big changes," he said, and
if the reform candidate won, "that would be the trigger."
Sensing an urgency to the outcome, the need to make sure that the election
produced a respected leader who would help integrate Ukraine into Europe,
Mr. McQuillin wanted to be involved in the process. He applied to be one of
the election observers. He said he watched out for "any funny business"
during two rounds of voting last fall.
In December, he and his wife went back - their third trip to Ukraine for the
elections - to monitor a rerun of the Nov. 21 run-off between Mr. Yushchenko
and pro-Kremlin Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, whose victory was later
annulled by Ukraine's Supreme Court amid evidence of widespread vote
fraud and massive pro-Yushchenko protests.
It was amazing to witness the protest in Kiev's Independence Square, said
Mr. McQuillin. Protesters, he said, were saying that "they didn't have to
live like this anymore. It was the first time that I saw them take a stand."
The election marked a turning point for the country where democracy has
struggled to take hold in the years since the fall of the Soviet Union. Mr.
Yushchenko has pledged to clean up corruption and set the country of 48
million on a course toward European integration.
In January, the McQuillins attended the presidential inauguration, meeting
Mr. Yushchenko, and then the couple returned to Berkeley, Calif., where
they started to pack up belongings in their apartment. They were married in
California in 2000. For the last couple weeks, they have been staying at the
Delta home of his parents, Kathleen and Mark McQuillin.
Tim, who has a background in business, and Luda, whose area is finance, have
created a firm called ROMDEL, a name that blends her hometown of Romny and
his hometown of Delta. They will do business consulting and work with Sauder
Woodworking of Archbold to export Sauder products to Ukraine, said Mr.
McQuillin. "I would love to see Ohio become a leader in export/import with
Ukraine," he said. "Ukraine could be a good source. Ukraine has been out in
the cold for so long." But the business climate is changing, he said. The
thaw, "It's happening." -30- [Action Ukraine Report Monitoring Service]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact Janet Romaker at: jromaker@theblade.com or 419-724-6006.
LINK: http://www.toledoblade.com/
===============================================================
11. PRESIDENTS YUSHCHENKO, SAAKASHVILI HOLD SATURDAY
MORNING MEETING IN KYIV
By Hanna Snigur-Grabovska
Ukrinform, Kyiv, Ukraine, Sat, March 26, 2005
KYIV - At the close of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili's three-day
state visit to Ukraine, Presidents Viktor Yushchenko and Mikhail Saakashvili
held a morning meeting on Saturday, March 26. Commenting on the meeting,
the Georgian President told journalists that it had basically dealt with
previously discussed issues.
Replying to the journalists' question about the likelihood of replacing the
Russian peacekeepers in the Georgian-Abkhazian borderline zone by
Ukrainian personnel, President Saakashvili said that, by and large, Ukraine
must play a more active role in resolving the existent conflicts and
creating the Baltic-Pontic Stability Arc.
Commenting on the latest dramatic developments in Kyrgyzstan, Mikhail
Saakashvili said he and President Viktor Yushchenko are unanimous on the
need to carry out democratic processes solely through peaceable means.
People, Mr Saakashvili said, deserve democracy everywhere, in Kyiv, Tbilisi,
Bishkek and Minsk. According to President Saakashvili, Georgia wishes to
be free of any foreign bases on its soil.
Commenting on Georgian-Russian talks toward reducing Russian military
bases in Georgia, Mr Saakashvili said the first round had been held in
Moscow, and he hopes that the second round in Tbilisi in April will bring
positive results.
Replying to the journalists' question about whether US President George
Bush's visit to Georgia will influence the Georgian-Russian talks, President
Saakashvili referred to the US President's upcoming visit to Georgia as
meant for facilitating the conflict's peaceable resolution and supporting
Georgia's historical reform.
I believe the US President's visit will influence the overall situation in
the region, Mikhail Saakashvili said.
In turn, President Viktor Yushchenko told the journalists that he intends to
make a visit to Georgia in mid- or late June 2005. Having met with the
journalists, the Georgian President left his Kyiv residence, accompanied
by First Vice Premier Anatoli Kinakh. -30-
=============================================================
12. PRESIDENT YUSHCHENKO TO VISIT MOSCOW ON MAY 8
CELEBRATE VICTORY DAY WITH UKRAINIAN WWII VETERANS MAY 9
By Hanna Snigur-Grabovska, Ukrinform
Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, March 26, 2005
KYIV - President Viktor Yushchenko unveiled his intention to make a
visit to Moscow on May 8 and celebrate Victory Day in Kyiv on May 9
with Ukrainian WWII veterans.
As the President explained, in view of the impossibility of postponing
celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic
War of 1941-1945, he has decided to visit Moscow on the eve of the
celebrations and hopes that President Vladimir Putin of Russia will
perceive this with understanding.
I would feel ill at ease if I failed to celebrate Victory Day together
with Ukrainian war veterans in Kyiv, President Yushchenko noted. -30-
===============================================================
13. YUSHCHENKO PLANS TO VISIT RUSSIA ON MAY 8 ON OCCASION
OF CELEBRATION OF 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF VICTORY IN GREAT
PATRIOTIC WAR, WILL BE BACK IN UKRAINE FOR MAY 9 EVENTS
Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, March 26, 2005
KYIV - President Viktor Yuschenko plans to visit Russia on May 8 on
occasion of celebration of the 60th anniversary of victory in the Great
Patriotic War Yuschenko told this to journalists. He noted that he would go
to Moscow on May 8 to demonstrate his respect to veterans of the countries
of the Commonwealth of the Independent States and to his colleagues.
He plans to participate in Victory Day celebrations in Kyiv on May 9. He
emphasized that he changed his decision because parade in Ukraine can-
not be postponed. He also said that he would feel uneasy not to be in
Ukraine on that day. He added that he thought that both President of Russia
Vladimir Putin and his colleagues from the CIS would understand his
decision.
As Ukrainian News earlier reported, in the end of February President of
Russia Vladimir Putin invited President Viktor Yuschenko to take part in the
celebrations of the 60th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War
that will be held on May 9 in Moscow.
On March 16, President Viktor Yuschenko directed Deputy Prime Minister for
Humanitarian Affairs Mykola Tomenko to organize a ceremonial march of war
veterans on May 9, the day of celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the
victory in the Great Patriotic War. -30- [Action Ukraine Monitoring]
=============================================================
14. PRIEST PAINTS UKRAINIAN EASTER EGGS
WTNH TV, New Haven, Connecticut, Fri, March 25, 2005
TERRYVILLE, CT - 'Tis the season for Easter eggs, and as we
know not all eggs are colored the same. There's a unique technique
for egg decorating that is so impressive it's good enough for the
Vatican.
"There are no decals on these. All hand done, all free hand. No
measuring. No rulers. All done with the eye."
Not only are these Easter eggs all hand painted they're painted with
bees wax. It's a Ukrainian tradition that Terryville priest Father
Paul Luniw learned watching his mother when he was just five years
old. And over the last 35 years he's perfected the art of pysanky.
"I'll wake up during the night, I'd dream of a design, come down at
2:00 in the morning and design it." Father Paul has done hundreds
of eggs over the years. Most he blesses and gives away. He's even
given a few to the pope.
"I had mass with him privately at his chapel, then met with him in his
study. We spoke and I gave him the eggs privately." "What was his
reaction?" "He was very pleased. He said you gave me 12, symbolizing
12 apostles."
Each egg Father Paul designs has religious meaning. "The cross in
it's various forms, means the crucifixion and death of Christ and then
resurrection."
As you can imagine this is a time consuming process. Each egg takes
days to finish. The most time consuming is the 40 Days of Lent egg.
Father Paul says this egg alone took more than a year and two-thousand
hours to complete.
"This is 40 eggs on one ostrich egg," he says. "What's important about
this egg is precision. If you don't mark the egg out properly everything
will be off."
It's a fine science that Father Paul demonstrated for us. "The stylus is
heated in the candle flame, dipped into beeswax and you begin to
scribe." Then the egg is dipped in yellow dye. "Whatever we apply
now with wax will be yellow."
After dipping in different colors and more scribing the wax is melted
off the egg, leaving the design underneath. It's a labor of love that
Father Paul now does in memory of his late mother. -30-
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http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=3126801&nav=3YeXXvJp
===============================================================
15. NORTH CAROLINA ARTIST USES EGGSHELLS FOR CANVAS
By Barbara Hooman, Staff Writer, Black Mountain News
Black Mountain, North Carolina, Wednesday, March 23, 2005
BLACK MOUNTAIN - Local artist Nancy Mulford uses eggshells to create
one-of-a-kind masterpieces. Ukrainian eggs have been one of her artistic
media for almost 30 years.
"I started creating these eggs in 1977 when a friend, who was an art
instructor, bought a kit," she said. "She started me in a hobby that I've
pursued ever since. I never tire of doing it, and find each egg interesting,
telling its own unique story."
Painting Ukrainian eggs, known as Pysanky, is centuries old. It is an art
form steeped in culture and legends. The traditional eggs feature designs
that usually have specific meanings in the Christian faith. As the art has
developed throughout centuries, more contemporary themes have become
popular. The intricacy of the designs made up of colorful miniscule details
painted on the delicate surfaces of different kinds of eggs has remained
constant.
"Pysanky has a long tradition steeped in meaning, both pagan and religious,"
Mulford said. "The word pysanky comes from the Ukrainian verb meaning 'to
write,' and the process of making these eggs is like writing on the
eggshells with wax. The original Ukrainian practice was for the women of the
family to decorate the eggs during Lent, and especially during Holy Week.
Then the eggs were taken to church on Easter. The priest blessed them, and
they were exchanged between friends and relatives as gestures of love,
peace and friendship."
Mulford believes anyone can learn to create the eggs. "You really don't have
to be artistic to create beautiful eggs," Mulford said. "I teach workshops
and usually within an hour or two people have beautiful eggs that they have
created. I teach classes at Montreat every summer, and I just finished a
workshop at the library. Also I've even taught young Boy Scouts how to
create Ukrainian eggs. I think the youngest I've ever instructed was seven
or eight years old."
Mulford says that once you learn the process of creating the eggs, it is a
relaxing hobby. "Creating Ukrainian Easter eggs actually predates
Christianity," she said."
Egg painting in the Ukraine goes back some 2,000 years. Christianity came
to the Ukraine in 1688 AD and that is when Christian symbols began to be
used in egg painting. Before the arrival of Christianity, the triangle
designs represented fire, water, and air. After the advent of Christianity,
the triangle became the symbol of the Trinity.
Even the colors used in dying the eggs are symbolic. Mulford's class notes
list the following colors and significance. White is for purity, yellow
signifies spirituality and also the moon and stars. Green stands for rebirth
of nature in the spring, freshness, youth, growth and innocence. Blue is for
the sky, air and good health. Orange signifies power and ambition. Purple is
for God's power, faith and trust. Pink is the color of success and red is
for the sun, happiness in life, enthusiasm, bravery and love.
Black, in the Ukrainian tradition, signified the period between the first
and third crows of the rooster, as a time when the souls of the dead were
thought to travel, and this time was called the blackest time of the night.
Black grew into signifying the darkest time before dawn, and it is also
called the color of remembrance signifying that Christ died for all of us.
The combination of black and white represents protection from evil and also
the death (black) and resurrection (white) of Jesus.
"The designs used on the eggs are very symbolic," Mulford said. "The devout
Ukrainian women made the sign of the cross and whispered, 'God help me,'
when they began to decorate Easter eggs. This assured that the profound
religious meanings symbolized in the designs would come to life in the
people who saw them on Easter morning. Some of the symbolic meanings
include:
"Ribbon or belt either around the egg or lengthwise means the endless line
of eternity. Dots, small circles, or constellations of stars stand for the
tears Mary shed at the cross. A sieve or net suggests fishing for men.
Baskets or triangles symbolize the Holy Trinity. Ladders suggest prayer. A
rose or eight-pointed star represents the ancient symbols for Christ.
"The cross of many shapes signifies the four corners of the world and also
the resurrection of the Savior. A leaf or flower suggests life and growth.
Pine needles signify a long life, youth, and health. The fish is the ancient
symbol for Christ. Deer and horses stand for wealth and prosperity. Birds
mean fertility and the fulfillment of wishes. A grapevine means good fruits
of the Christian life and the blood of Christ in communion. A butterfly is
the symbol of the resurrection."
There are numerous other symbols that artists use that are significant.
"Flowers symbolize love, charity, and good will," Mulford said. "Sun and
stars stand for growth and good fortune. Evergreen trees symbolize eternal
youth and health. Wheat symbolizes good health and wishes for a bountiful
harvest. Storks, chickens, hens, roosters symbolize fertility as do hen and
duck feet. Wolf's teeth stand for protection. The crown of thorns and fish
net stand for Christianity as does the fish."
Mulford says the process of Pysanky is basically a wax-resist method,
similar to making batik fabric. Dyes cannot penetrate through the wax. Once
the dyes are mixed, they can be stored in lidded jars for up to three years
before they lose their strength. A design is applied to an egg with the wax,
and the egg is placed in successive colors of dye, with new designs added
in wax for each color in the pattern.
When the design is complete, and all colors have been used, the wax is
melted off of the egg, leaving a bright design. Usually a coat of varnish is
applied, and the contents of the egg blown out. The Ukrainians leave the egg
intact, and after several years the yolk dries to a hard ball, and the white
to a powder. The egg doesn't smell as long as the shell remains intact.
Mulford's process is one that she has used for close to 30 years to create
around 1,000 of the colorful eggs.
Sarah LeVan, another local artist, has purchased several of Mulford's eggs,
and given most of them away as special gifts. "I have one of the goose eggs
painted, she said. "What appeals to me most about the eggs is the intricacy
and diversity of each pattern. The symbolism and love make them very
special. I used to work with immigrants and knew a little about egg dying,
but nothing as elaborate as these eggs. But it did give me an appreciation
for them."
Mulford orders her supplies from The Ukrainian Gift Shop in Minnesota.
The Web site is www.ukrainiangiftshop.com. The company has a 32-page
catalog and on- line store. The phone is 1-866-PYSANKA.
Her next teaching classes are set for June 20 through 23 and June 27
through 30 at the Montreat Craft Shop. For more information, call the
Montreat Conference Center, 669-2911.
"I suggest that you varnish the egg before blowing out the contents, because
the varnish protects the dye colors," Mulford said. "The aniline dyes are
toxic, and you don't want your lips to come into contact with them. To blow
the contents of the egg, it is necessary to have a hole at each end of the
egg. I prefer to drill a hole in the larger end, using an electric drill
with a small bit. My husband holds the drill in the on position and I guide
the egg onto the drill, taking care not to go too deep into the egg.
"If you prefer to not use the drill, puncture four or five holes in the
larger end of the egg, near each other. Break the shell out between the
holes. Use a hat or corsage pin. For the other end, I use a hat or corsage
pin, and push the pin into the shell until it breaks. Push the pin into the
egg to break the yolk, and then either by blowing with your mouth or using
a nasal aspirator, force air into the egg through the small hole, and the
egg contents should come out the larger hole."
Painting Ukraninian eggs is constantly evolving as far as designs go.
Today's trendy thing to do is to use quilt patterns.
HOW TOS OF DESIGNING UKRAINIAN EGGS
. Have ready clean pint-sized jars and covers for the dyes, spoons, white
vinegar, candle, Q-tips or a small brush, paper towels and a hard pencil.
. Prepare dyes as directed on each package. Do not add vinegar to the
orange dye.
.Select white, clean, smooth, unblemished eggs. If washing is necessary,
wash carefully and do not rub in a solution of one quart warm water to one
tablespoon white vinegar. Never use soap or detergent. Put eggs on clean
cloth to air dry. Do not boil the eggs. Eggs should be room temperature for
the best results.
.Draw the design on the eggshell with a hard pencil. Use a light touch. Do
this before applying the wax lines. Never erase pencil marks. Erasing causes
scratches on the egg and the dye will not take perfectly over scratches.
When you have completed the basic design in pencil you are ready to start
the decorating process.
1. Heat the head of the kistka, the tool with which you apply the wax, in
the candle flame. The kistka is a writing tool. When it is hot, scoop a
small amount of beeswax into the funnel of the kistka and begin to write,
covering all lines or areas that you wish to remain white. Keep the kistka
at right angles with the egg. Overheating the kistka and using too much wax
causes blots on the eggshell. As soon as the kistka stops writing smoothly,
reheat, add wax and continue. The wax lines will be white in the finished
pysanka.
Dip the egg into the first color, yellow, with a spoon or an egg holder.
Always start with the lightest color and work toward the darkest. When the
desired shade is obtained which usually takes about five minutes, remove
and dry the egg with the soft paper towel or tissue. Do not rub. Pat dry.
Cover with wax all the lines that are to be yellow.
2. Apply the green dye with a Q-tip or small brush, which has been dipped
into the green or blue dye. Apply to the egg in the areas that are to remain
green.
3. Pat dry with tissue and cover with wax before dipping into the next dye
bath which is the color orange.
4. Apply wax. Then dip into the red dye, and remove when desired shade is
acquired. Apply wax where indicated by pencil lines and dip into the last
color, a dark red, purple, blue, green, or black. All areas not covered with
wax will be the background color. When the egg is the desired shade, remove
from the dye and dry thoroughly. The wax on the egg is ready to be melted.
5. To melt wax, hold egg next to the candle flame. Do not hold the egg in
the flame, because carbon will get on the egg and it is difficult to remove.
Hold egg fairly still, and when wax in one area is shiny or wet in
appearance, remove from the flame and wipe quickly and gently with paper
towel. Keep turning the towel so you are always working with an unwaxed
area. Continue with various sections of the egg until it is completely free
of wax.
6. Varnish and then blow out the contents of the egg.
PYSANKY HINTS
.Don't eat the insides of the egg once it has been submersed in a dye.
.Do not use a cracked egg, because it is likely to break during the painting
process.
.Use eggs only at room temperature, because the wax will not stick.
.Keep the final designs in mind when you draw the layout of the egg in
pencil.
.If you make a mistake while drawing the lines on the egg with pencil, dip
the tip of your little finger in the vinegar-water solution and gently rub
the area.
.Use long straight strokes when applying the design.
. If you decide to keep the insides of the egg intact, store them in a
well-ventilated area. -30- [Action Ukraine Report Monitoring Service]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LINK: http://www.blackmountainnews.com/
============================================================
16. UKRAINIAN EGG MAKING BOTH TRADITION AND ART
BY Connie Bloom, Knight Ridder Newspapers
Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, Ohio, Wed, Mar. 23, 2005
AKRON, Ohio - Suzie Murcer looks at life through a prism of fanciful
eggs. "I think in terms of eggs. ...I see egg patterns in everything around
me," said the North Royalton, Ohio, mother, wife and egger. Murcer's
passion is inherited from the practitioners of the Ukrainian egg art known
as pysanky, an art form that dates back many generations.
The ovoids are colored by a wax-resistant dyeing method, much like batiks.
The resulting collectibles are considered good omens, harbingers of spring,
symbols of prosperity, health and wealth. Each egg embodies a piece of the
crafter's personal history, heritage and heart. "Pysanky egg making is
becoming more popular because it's an heirloom art that honors tradition,"
said Murcer, who teaches classes in craft shops, churches and schools. "It
requires dexterity and perseverance."
Murcer's ancestry, Ukrainian on both sides, produced only one pysanky
artist. "My grandmother collected them," she said. "I began my love affair
with Ukrainian Easter eggs standing in front of my grandmother's china
cabinet looking at a bowl of the marvelous miniature creations. She always
had eggs in her house." Murcer has been crafting sumptuously colored,
ornately designed eggs for 39 years and is not yet 50. She is a self-taught
egger with an extensive studio art background.
"My dad and I loved the beauty of them," she said. "It's a maternal art, but
my dad and I were fascinated by it. He was a machinist, a perfectionist and
loved the symmetry of the eggs. He could pick out my mistakes. When an
egg has perfect lines, I think of my dad."
She was only 10 when she first dipped an egg in dye and hasn't let up,
except for short sabbaticals when her daughters, Lindsey, now 22, and
Jessica, 18, were a little more than a year old. "I started out all wrong,"
she said, but learning is the joy of it.
She may stylize two eggs a day in the serenity of her basement studio,
working eight to 10 hours, but she rarely collects more than six dozen
completed eggs at a time. Occasionally, she reworks an older egg that has
lost its luster. Her eggs cost $10 to $100 and were featured recently at the
Egg Artists' Guild Egg Show and Sale in Akron.
Egg artists have different approaches, emphasis and outcomes, but they're
all decorating eggs. Half of Murcer's are executed with traditional designs,
while half are products of her imagination. Flowers unfurl. Geometric,
optical and quilt designs march across goose, dove, parrot, parakeet,
chicken and ostrich eggs, rank and file of obedient repetition, all drawn
freehand. Pastels, paisleys, lace and trellises of roses drift across the
landscape.
Murcer begins her work by selecting plum raw eggs from the cartons in the
supermarket. This task usually takes an hour or more, she said. "I don't
want any bumps, lumps, wrinkles, bulges, pimples or see-through spots -
all the things women don't want on their bodies."
She brings the eggs to room temperature and washes them in vinegar and
water and lets them air dry. She decorates them with a brass tipped tool, a
"kistka," which has a flameproof handle. She lights a beeswax candle and
collects wax with the "kistka." The soot from the candle flame colors the
wax black. It's not a worry, since all the wax comes off in the end.
Murcer begins her design. The wax that she applies first will preserve the
egg's original color. When she completes all the designs that she wants to
be white, she will dip the egg in yellow dye, then apply a new layer of wax
on the designs she wants to be yellow.
The process continues with progressively darker colors until all have been
added. Murcer uses a palette of 17 colors, but not necessarily all on the
same egg. Most of her eggs will feature two to six colors. After the last
color is added, the wax is removed by heat from the candle flame.
Dyeing eggs sounds simple, but most eggers are mixing colors as they go,
and that's a science. Murcer makes green by adding blue to yellow, for
example.
There was a time when an egger could not trust the color green, she said.
It had a tendency to break the shell. The phenomenon caused so much
consternation among the ranks that some artists do not dye, but paint it on
with a cotton swab.
After the wax is removed, she coats the egg with liquid plastic, rolling the
egg carefully in a puddle in her gloved hand. She has tried different
coatings, including varnish and lacquer, with tragic results. "The eggs
would stay tacky or sticky, sizzle and crack, after I've done all that
work." The plastic gives them protection and instant durability.
She lines up the finished eggs in an egg carton, bottoms up, wearing a
mask as protection from the calcium egg dust. She uses a high-speed
drill to insert a small hole, then she inserts a thin skewer. This
introduces
air into the shell and makes it easier to remove the contents with an egg
blower. She patches the hole and, "voila!" Egg art.
In the last two years, she has painted shell pieces to make earrings,
pins, brooches and pendants. But whole eggs remain her passion.
"There's a chance that after four, six or eight hours, I'll break an egg,
but I don't break that many," she said. "Working with them requires
practice, perseverance and patience." -30-
============================================================
17. CONSTANTINOPLE REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE MOSCOW
CHURCH JURISDICTION IN UKRAINE
UNIAN news agency, Kiev, in Ukrainian 2200 gmt 25 Mar 05
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, March 25, 2005
KIEV - The Constantinople Patriarchate does not recognize the subordination
of the Kiev Metropoly to the Moscow Patriarchate [of the Russian Orthodox
Church]. The head of the Constantinople Patriarchate's official delegation
Archbishop Vsevolod Skopelsky (Majdanski) said this during his meeting with
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko today.
UNIAN learnt from the official delegation that Archbishop Vsevolod Skopelsky
(Majdanski) passed a message from the [Constantinople] Patriarchate to this
effect to the Ukrainian president [Viktor Yushchenko].
"The Mother-Church Constantinople Patriarchate believes that its daughter
Moscow Patriarchate consists of that territory which it encompassed to the
year 1686. The subjugation of the Kiev Metropoly to the Moscow Church was
concluded by Patriarch Dionysius without the agreement or ratification of
the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Great Church of Christ," Archbishop
Vsevolod Skopelsky (Majdanski) said. The text of the message was posted
on the web site of the Religious Information Service of Ukraine.
The delegation came to Ukraine following the visit by Ukrainian State
Secretary Oleksandr Zinchenko to the universal patriarch [Bartholomew]
which took place [in Constantinople] on 15 March. During this visit,
Zinchenko invited the universal patriarch to visit Ukraine. -30-
===============================================================
18. UKRAINE AIRS CRIMEAN TATAR RADIO STATION
By Helen Fawkes, BBC NEWS, UK, Friday, March 25, 2005
CRIMEA - A Crimean Tatar radio station has opened in Ukraine -
the first time a dedicated station there has broadcast news in the
Tatar language. Tens of thousands of Tatars were exiled to Central
Asia by Soviet authorities and they were only allowed home to the
Crimea in the last years of the USSR.
Many Crimean Tatars in Ukraine say they are still treated like second
class citizens in the Black Sea peninsula. But the launch of Radio
Meydan is a sign of growing acceptance. On air 12 hours a day,
seven days a week, Radio Meydan has traditional music as well
as speech programmes.
KEY TOPICS
More than 250,000 Crimean Tatars have returned home after the mass
deportation 60 years ago But life has been hard. There are problems
with discrimination, housing and poverty. These are some of the issues
which the radio station is aiming to cover.
During last year's presidential election in Ukraine, Crimean Tatar
leaders supported the opposition. Under the new administration of
Viktor Yushchenko, they are now hoping they will be rewarded with
a greater political role in the region. They also hope that this radio
station will be the first of many projects which advance the culture
of Crimean Tatars in Ukraine. -30-
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