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Action Ukraine Report

"UKRAINE REPORT"
In-Depth Ukrainian News and Analysis
"The Art of Ukrainian History, Culture, Arts, Business, Religion,
Sports, Government, and Politics, in Ukraine and Around the World"

"MOSCOW - Establishment of a Kiev Patriarchy of the Greek Catholic
Church will ruin the relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and
Vatican for decades, Patriarch Alexy II has announced." [article three]

"UKRAINE REPORT" Year 2004, Number 30
U.S.-UKRAINE FOUNDATION (USUF)
www.ArtUkraine.com Information Service (ARTUIS)
morganw@patriot.net, ArtUkraine.com@starpower.net
Kyiv, Ukraine and Washington, D.C., Monday, February 23, 2004

INDEX OF ARTICLES

1. ENVOY OF THE POPE STATES IN MOSCOW IN MEETING WITH
RUSSIAN ORTHODOX LEADER THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WOULD
NOT SET UP A GREEK CATHOLIC PATRIARCHATE IN UKRAINE
Ren TV, Moscow, in Russian, Sunday, 22 Feb 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Sunday, Feb 22, 2004

2. VATICAN SAYS IT WILL NOT SET UP PATRIARCHATE IN UKRAINE
AGI, Rome, Italy, Saturday, February 21, 2004
Special service by AGI on behalf of the Italian Prime Minister's office

3. ESTABLISHMENT OF KIEV PATRIARCHY TO RUIN ORTHODOX-
CATHOLIC RELATIONS FOR DECADES, SAYS ALEXY II
By Olga Lipich, RIA Novosti correspondent
RIA Novosti, Moscow, Sunday, February 22, 2004.

4.POPE SAYS IT'S HIS 'INDISPENSABLE MISSION' TO PUSH FOR UNITY
Associated Press Online; Rome, Italy, Sunday, Feb 22, 2004

5.ALEXY II HANDS OVER LETTERS OF PROTEST TO CARDINAL CASPER
[The Catholics and All Others Must Stay out of Russia, Our Devine Territory]
ITAR-TASS, Moscow, Russia, Sunday, February 22, 2004

6. RUSSIAN PATRIARCH TELLS VATICAN ENVOY CATHOLIC
PROSELYTISM IN OUR EXCLUSIVE TERRITORY SHOULD STOP
[Catholics "invade" the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church]
Interfax, Moscow, Russia, Sunday, February 22, 2004

7. RUSSIAN BUSINESS COLONIZES CRIMEA TO WARM WELCOME
FROM LOCALS, BUYING UP BANKRUPT FACILITIES
There is a second Russian coming to the Ukrainian Crimea
RTR Russia TV, Moscow, in Russian, 22 Feb 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Feb 22, 2004

8. ACCUSATIONS BY UKRAINIAN INTELLIGENCE GENERAL
IN GERMANY GO MOSTLY UNREPORTED INSIDE UKRAINE
INSIDE UKRAINE, Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Feb 23, 2004

9. UKRAINIAN PRO-PRESIDENTIAL TV SAYS PERSONAL
VENGEANCE BEHIND SECURITY SERVICE SCANDAL
Inter TV, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 22 Feb 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Feb 22, 2004

10. ALL NEW UkrainaTVPremium
Daily New TV and Video Programming in Ukrainian
UkrainaTVPremium, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Sat, Feb 21, 2004

11. "OUR UKRAINE" LEADER YUSHCHENKO MEETS WITH FORMER
US SECRETARY OF STATE MADELINE ALLBRIGHT
"Our Ukraine" Press, www.razom.org.ua, Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb 20, 2004

12. FRIENDS OF UKRAINE COMMITTEE WILL BE ESTABLISHED
AT THE "UKRAINE IN EUROPE AND THE WORLD" CONFERENCE
Will include prominent European and international politicians.
"Our Ukraine" Press, www.razon.org.ua, Kyiv, Ukraine, February 20, 2004

13. LANGUAGE USE IN UKRAINE HAS CHANGED LITTLE
SINCE INDEPENDENCE IN 1991 STUDY SHOWS
INSIDE UKRAINE, Kyiv, Ukraine, February 22, 2004
=========================================================
UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 30: ARTICLE NUMBER ONE
=========================================================
1. ENVOY OF THE POPE STATES IN MOSCOW IN MEETING WITH
RUSSIAN ORTHODOX LEADER THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WOULD
NOT SET UP A GREEK CATHOLIC PATRIARCHATE IN UKRAINE

Ren TV, Moscow, in Russian, Sunday, 22 Feb 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Feb 22, 2004

MOSCOW - [Presenter] A historic meeting has taken place today at the
residence of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia in the Chistyy Pereulok
[in Moscow]. On the last Sunday before Lent [when, according to the
Orthodox tradition, people forgive all previous offences to each other],
Aleksiy II met the envoy of the Pope, Cardinal Walter Kasper.

The meeting has been in question until today. The observers already call the
talks a success, at least for the Russian Orthodox Church. The cardinal said
that the Catholic Church would not set up a Greek Catholic Patriarchate in
Ukraine.

However, Aleksiy II has toughly reminded the envoy of John-Paul II about
the claims the Russian Orthodox Church has against the Vatican.

[Aleksiy II, captioned, speaking to Cardinal Kasper] Proselytism in the
territory of Russia and other CIS countries is spreading more and more
widely and broadly. I am offended with that, because, back in the Soviet
period, when there was no Catholic bishop or priest in Kazakhstan, the
Russian Orthodox Church was advocating the rights of Catholics living in
Kazakhstan.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDITOR: How does one deal with a person like Aleksiy II who does
not believe in a person's right to choose their own religious beliefs and
a person's right to choose one's own religious organization. This is
especially true of one lives within the region from the Black Sea to the
Baltic's to the Pacific Ocean, the self-proclaimed "kingdom" or "exclusive
territory" of [Czar] Aleksiy II and his monopolistic church beliefs.

Aleksiy II also obviously does not believe in the separation of church
and state and openly tries to use the governments of Russia and Ukraine
to perpetuate his desired, power-hungry, monopolistic position against
all other religious beliefs and religious organizations, Ukrainian Orthodox,
Catholic, Protestant, and so on.

Such power always corrupts and the Russian Orthodox Church has had
more than its share of corruption through the years as have some other
church structures. No church structure or organization anywhere should
be allowed to have a monopoly, or a state supported so-called exclusive
right to any territory or any group of persons.
======================================================
UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 30: ARTICLE NUMBER TWO
Daily News Gallery: http://www.artukraine.com/newsgallery.htm
========================================================
2. VATICAN SAYS IT WILL NOT SET UP PATRIARCHATE IN UKRAINE

AGI, Rome, Italy, February 21, 2004
Special service by AGI on behalf of the Italian Prime Minister's office

(AGI) - Vatican City, Feb 21st - Pope John Paul II will not set up a
Greek-Catholic patriarchate in Ukraine as this might hurt the Russian
Greek-Orthodox community, who would perceive it as an attempt at imposing
Roman Catholic interests in an area which traditionally belongs to the
Church of Moscow.

This is according to a note issued today by the Press Department of the Holy
See on the strength of the decisions made in the 19th February meeting among
the Head of Foreign Relations at the Moscow Patriarchate, the Smolensk and
Kaliningrad Metropolitan Bishop, Kirill, and Chairman of the Papal Council
for the Unity of Christians, Card. Walter Kasper. The meeting was also
attended by the papal ambassador in Russia, Antonio Mennini.

According to the note, "during the meeting, both parties examined the issues
related to the relation between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Catholic
Church, particularly with regards to Russia and Ukraine." Cardinal Kasper
confirmed that the Holy See has received a written reply from the Russian
Orthodox Church concerning the possibility of setting up a Greek-Catholic
patriarchate in Ukraine, as well as similar replies from all local Orthodox
churches.

To this regard, the note says, "Kasper stated that the common line endorsed
by all Orthodox churches has been taken into serious account by authorities
of the Roman Catholic Church". Therefore, "the Catholic Church has assured
its Orthodox counterpart that it is its intention to strengthen its positive
relations with Orthodox churches. Both parties have agreed that, in order to
solve any issues that may arise in the future with regards to relations
between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, a
work group will be set up featuring members of both Churches. The aim of the
group will be examining and solving these issues". (AGI) .
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDITOR: Hopefully this story is not accurate that Rome has caved-
in to Moscow. Ukraine is once again caught between Rome and Moscow.
Ukraine should let itself become a victim once again to this power struggle.
Has Rome actually caved-in to Moscow and brushed aside Ukraine?
========================================================
UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 30: ARTICLE NUMBER THREE
Build Ukraine Gallery: http://www.artukraine.com/buildukraine/index.htm
========================================================
3. ESTABLISHMENT OF KIEV PATRIARCHY TO RUIN ORTHODOX-
CATHOLIC RELATIONS FOR DECADES, SAYS ALEXY II

By Olga Lipich, RIA Novosti correspondent
RIA Novosti, Moscow, Sunday, February 22, 2004.

MOSCOW - Establishment of a Kiev Patriarchy of the Greek Catholic Church
will ruin the relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and Vatican for
decades, Patriarch Alexy II has announced.

On the Shrove Sunday the Patriarch received a Vatican delegation headed by
cardinal Walter Casper, chairman of the papal council for Christian unity,
in his working residence in Chisty Pereulok.

According to Alexy II, the Greek Roman Church is "part of the Roman
Catholic Church, and the Roman Catholic Church is fully responsible for the
activities of its Uniates".

"We agreed in Freising that the union was not the way to unite Churches,"
he recalled. "Then why trying so stubbornly to move the cathedra of the
Greek Roman Church from Lvov to Kiev and to establish a patriarchy?" When
western regions of Ukraine were part of the Soviet Union, the Greek
Catholic Church was prohibited by Stalin, Alexy II said. "Many of those who
today serve in the Greek Catholic Church have received education in our
ecclesiastical schools, for example, in St. Petersburg. Throughout the
1950s, after the war, Greek Catholics received spiritual fare in our
Orthodox churches," he recalled. "When religious freedom came, they should
have expressed their gratitude to their sister church," he pointed out.

Instead, "the wave of wild nationalism destroyed three Orthodox episcopates
in Lvov, Ivano-Frankovsk and Ternopol", the Patriarch said. "Orthodox
Christians were driven out of their churches, priests were beaten, relics
desecrated, churches taken by force", he explained. According to him, in
the 21st century it was impossible to imagine this being relations towards
a sister church, as Vatican calls the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Patriarch also asked cardinal Casper not to consider him "a person of
anti-Catholic moods". "However, seeing what is going on the canonic
territory of the Church God destined me to head, I cannot but speak of the
problems that exist between our Churches," Alexy II concluded.
=========================================================
UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 29: ARTICLE NUMBER FOUR
Travel and Tourism Gallery: http://www.ArtUkraine.com/tourgallery.htm
=========================================================
4. POPE SAYS IT'S HIS 'INDISPENSABLE MISSION' TO PUSH FOR UNITY

AP Online; Rome, Italy, Feb 22, 2004

Working to bring unity among Christians is Pope John Paul II's
"indispensable mission," the pontiff said Sunday, a day after the Vatican
said it was paying serious attention to Russian Orthodox complaints on
Catholic-Orthodox relations.

Delivering his traditional weekly greeting to pilgrims in St. Peter's
Square, John Paul said pontiffs have the "singular ministry" of "confirming
and guiding the Church in the unity of faith."

The pope said this "indispensable mission" comes from God and that he has
been called on to "'render this particular service to the entire Christian
people."

Overcoming divisions among Christians has been a main goal of John Paul's
papacy. His determination has been put to the test on several fronts,
especially by heightened tensions between Catholics and Orthodox in former
Soviet bloc countries after the downfall of communism.

"Let us pray that the Church, in its variety of cultures, languages and
traditions, be unanimous in believing and professing the truth of faith and
morals transmitted by the Apostle," said the pope, who did not mention the
thorny issues with the Orthodox.

On Saturday the Holy See said it was giving "serious consideration" to
Russian Orthodox opposition to its plans to elevate its presence in Ukraine
and said both churches had agreed to form a working group to discuss such
divisive issues.

The pontiff's chief envoy for efforts to improve unity, Cardinal Walter
Kasper, has been in Moscow this month for sensitive talks aimed at bridging
the gap between the churches which has thwarted the pontiff from traveling
to Russia.

The Russian Orthodox Church is angered about Vatican plans to elevate the
Greek Catholic presence in Ukraine into a full patriarchate. (fd)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDITOR: As as has been written before if "unity" among Christians means
the "unity" someway of all Christian structures and organizations then that
concept of unity is badly flawed and is not democratic or realistic. The
Russian Orthodox Church does not believe in "unity" unless they are in
control and totally dominate the "unity." They have proven that fact over
hundreds of years.

Unity among organizations always creates monopolies and such monopolistic
power automatically corrupts. The democratic rights of individuals to choose
for themselves are always swept aside by such corrupt monopolistic
structures.

The Pope's concept of "unity" hopefully will not and should not for sure
stop the Vatican's plans to elevate the Greek Catholic presence in Ukraine
into a full patriarchate.
==========================================================
UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 30: ARTICLE NUMBER FIVE
Ukrainian Culture Gallery: http://www.ArtUkraine.com/cultgallery.htm
==========================================================
5.ALEXY II HANDS OVER LETTERS OF PROTEST TO CARDINAL CASPER
[The Catholics and All Others Must Stay out of Russia, Our Devine Territory]

ITAR-TASS, Moscow, Russia, February 22, 2004

MOSCOW, (Itar-Tass) -- Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Alexy
II handed over letters of protest to Cardinal Walter Casper, President of
the Pontifical Council for Promotion of the Christian Unity, in Moscow on
Sunday. Nizhny Novgorod residents protest against the construction of a
Catholic convent in their city.

"I receive protests against the opening of Catholic monasteries," Alexy II
said. "There is a Catholic temple and several dozens of believers there, so
the public and intellectuals think that the establishment of a Catholic
convent in Nizhny Novgorod is unfounded," he noted.

"Catholic nuns open orphanages and convert babies born to the Russian
Orthodox belief to their religion," the Patriarch said. "We cannot be
indifferent to the facts of open proselytism, which cannot exist in the
relations between sister-Churches."

The establishment of a Greek-Catholic Patriarchate in Ukraine will give up
for lost relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Vatican for
decade, Alexy II said. He is concerned about "the union spreading onto East
Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan."

Alexy II named another two problems, which complicated relations between
the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. He thinks that
Catholics working in Russia should coordinate their plans with the local
Church. The principle is laid down in many documents of the Vatican, but
they do not abide by it, the Patriarch said. He noted that four Catholic
dioceses were established on the canonical territory of the Russian
Orthodox Church two years ago and the Russian Orthodox Church learned
about that only after they had been established.

"Broadening proselytism in Russia and the CIS" is another obstacle to
friendship, the Patriarch said.

"You should not think that I am anti-Catholic. I worked in the Conference
of European Churches for 26 years and I have fraternal relations with many
Catholic hierarchs, but I cannot be indifferent to what is happening on the
canonical territory of the Church I lead," he said. (END) (ARTUIS)
=========================================================
UKRAINE REPORT-2005, No. 30: ARTICLE NUMBER SIX
Genocide Gallery: http://www.artukraine.com/famineart/index.htm
=========================================================
6. RUSSIAN PATRIARCH TELLS VATICAN ENVOY CATHOLIC
PROSELYTISM IN OUR EXCLUSIVE TERRITORY SHOULD STOP
[Catholics "invade" the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church]

Interfax, Moscow, Russia, February 22, 2004

Moscow, 22 February: Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Aleksiy II had a
meeting in his residence on Sunday [22 February] with Cardinal Walter
Kasper, head of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

Before the start of the discussion, the cardinal passed to the patriarch
greetings from Pope John Paul II on the occasion of the former's 75th
birthday. Then other members of the Catholic delegation, as well as head of
the Vatican mission in Moscow Archbishop Antonio Mennini, kissed Aleksiy
II's hand, thus asking for a blessing from him.

After that, the two sides embarked on the discussion of the problems that
exist between the Russian Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches.

An Interfax correspondent reports that Patriarch Aleksiy II reminded
Cardinal Kasper quite harshly about a whole series of grievances the
Moscow Patriarchate held against the Vatican.

According to the patriarch, "relations between our churches have not
developed well in recent years".

"We believe that the principle laid down at the Second Vatican Council with
regard to Orthodox Churches as Sister Churches should be implemented, but
this has unfortunately not been the case in recent times, and we get the
impression that the Roman Catholic Church has renounced it," the patriarch
complained.

He regretted that decisions taken at annual Orthodox-Catholic meetings
"have remained only on paper".

In particular, Aleksiy II recalled, "it has been agreed that when new
Catholic structures are set up in the canonical territory of the Russian
Orthodox Church, its hierarchs would be notified". However, the patriarch
noted, "this agreement has been forgotten, and four Catholic dioceses have
been set up in Russian territory".

The patriarch also described as "an unfriendly act" the creation of a
Catholic province in Russia, when an archdiocese with a metropolitan in
Moscow was set up two years ago.

In view of this, Aleksiy II took up with Cardinal Kasper the matter of
ceasing missionary activities by Catholics among the people of Russia
baptized in the Orthodox Church or tracing their roots to the Orthodox
faith.

"This is direct proselytism, which must not exist between Sister Churches,"
the patriarch stressed.

In particular, he noted that it was inadmissible for children raised in
Russian orphanages to be converted to the Catholic faith.

The patriarch also handed to the cardinal a large selection of letters from
Orthodox Christians from Nizhniy Novgorod Region protesting against the
construction of a Catholic monastery in their region, which has no more
than a few dozen Catholics. (END) (ARTUIS)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDITOR: Proselytism is not a concept that is of concern to those
individuals and churches who believe in the dignity and worth of each
individual person and that all men are created equal. When one believes
that each individual person has a right to choose, especially regarding
religious beliefs and religious organizations, then one believes in the
basic democratic concept of freedom of religion and thus automatically in
the concept of the separation of church and state. If there is no
separation of church and state then there is no freedom of religion.
Individual citizens are only safe from domination and persecution by
church leaders when there are many different religions, many different
church structures to choose from.
=========================================================
UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 30: ARTICLE NUMBER SEVEN
Historical Gallery: http://www.artukraine.com/histgallery.htm
=========================================================
7. RUSSIAN BUSINESS COLONIZES CRIMEA TO WARM WELCOME
FROM LOCALS, BUYING UP BANKRUPT FACILITIES
There is a second Russian coming to the Ukrainian Crimea

RTR Russia TV, Moscow, in Russian, 22 Feb 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Feb 22, 2004

MOSCOW - Russia is returning to Crimea in the guise of private business,
Russia TV reports. Russian companies are buying up bankrupt facilities,
turning them into flourishing businesses. The report says that, although
nobody in Crimea is thinking of redrawing the borders, what really matters
is the economy and there Russian money is more than welcome. The following
is an excerpt from report by Russia TV on 22 February:

[Presenter] There is a document in Russian archives, which should have never
been signed. However, it was signed. A decree of the Presidium of the
Supreme Council of the USSR, on the transfer of the Russian Crimea to
Ukraine, signed 50 years ago, is kept in the State Archive, Moscow. The
document was printed on stamped paper and signed by [chairman of the
Presidium of the Supreme Council of the USSR Klementiy] Voroshilov.

It symbolizes legalized political separation. And now, half a century later,
there is a second Russian coming to the Ukrainian Crimea. What is it about?

Our correspondent Yevgeniy Rozhkov reports from Crimea:

[Correspondent] Crimea has already been Ukrainian for half a century.
However, Russians still make more than half of its population with Russian
speakers accounting for over 80 per cent of it. Until recently, Russians
were only leaving Crimea. Now, quite the opposite: they are coming, and not
with empty hands. They are bringing capital and ideas - to reconstruct the
former all-USSR resort on a market basis and also to make a new life for
themselves there.

Santa-Barbara is a small village not far from Alushta, on the very coast of
Black Sea. It is now being intensively built up and is looking more and more
like its American namesake. Three- and four-storey houses are popping up all
over the place, despite the fact that the price of a square metre of land
starts at 100 dollars here. The Crimean Santa-Barbara has turned out quite
international: its residents come from Donetsk, Kharkov and Moscow.

The latter category is growing in number every year. Out of season, their
cottages are guarded by taciturn guards. [Passage omitted: a guard comments
on the value of the houses]

The More [sea] sanatorium went bankrupt three years ago and was put for an
auction. It is now the first, and for the time being the only, four-stars
holiday resort in Crimea with a beach, swimming pools and villas decorated
with statues of swans. All that appeared after a large Russian bank bought
it.

[Nikolay Stasyok, More sanatorium general manager] There is absolutely
nobody in Ukraine at the moment who could in the space of three years invest
up to 20m dollars in construction and upgrading work. [Passage omitted]

Meanwhile, Hotel Levant has been recognized as the best, first in Crimea and
then in the whole of Ukraine. The owner is a Moscow businessman, who is
incidentally a designer. But he prefers to keep a low profile. The business
is being run by Ukrainians but most guests are Russian.

[Sergey Alekseyev, the Levant hotel general manager] Not only Russian money
is coming here, you know, but also [Russian] experience, management and
working style. It is not less important than the money. [Passage omitted]

[Correspondent] And this is Yalta's dream factory - the one where [Soviet
film director Andrey] Tarkovskiy shot his Solaris and Aleksandr Rou created
his fairy tales. The film studio was closed down in 1999 because of huge
debts, and in 2000 it was bought by another Russian commercial bank. A
Russian film director became head of the studio.

[Valeriy Pendrakovskiy, Yalta film studio general manager] It had not been
for Russia, the studio would have been sold at an auction to raise money to
pay off its debts. I think this site would have been divided between some
local groups.

[Correspondent] Currently there are about 20 films shot in Yalta. [Passage
omitted]

Yalta's fish cannery is now also Russian. It once supplied fish for the
table of General Secretaries and is now recovering once-lost positions.
[Passage omitted]

Together with the title of the leading sea-food producer in Ukraine, the
Russian-owned Yalta fish cannery took on extra responsibilities: to heat
local public facilities such as schools and hospitals, which it has been
carrying out successfully.

Some people are already calling the influx of Russian capital the beginning
of Russia's return to Crimea. However, the Russians who live here are not
satisfied. They are demanding that authorities respect them, as they
represent the largest ethnic group there. As the Crimean beau monde is
celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Crimean Peninsula's transfer to
Ukraine, the masses are describing this date as a case of historical
unfairness.

However, nobody here is seriously thinking about changing the political
geography because of history. The main concern now is the economy. That is
why the Russian capital is welcome here. And that fact that Russia is the
largest investor here is not surprising: the Crimean coast does not feel
like a foreign land to it. (END) (ARTUIS)
========================================================
UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 30: ARTICLE NUMBER EIGHT
Arts Gallery: http://www.artukraine.com/artgallery.htm
=========================================================
8. ACCUSATIONS BY UKRAINIAN INTELLIGENCE GENERAL
IN GERMANY GO MOSTLY UNREPORTED INSIDE UKRAINE

INSIDE UKRAINE, Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb 23, 2004

KYIV - The sensational public attack on Kyiv's intelligence leadership by
one of Ukraine's most senior and respected external intelligence generals,
Maj. General Valeriy Kravchenko, reported widely by the world media,
had remained a secret to most Ukrainians and was not reported by a single
Ukrainian newspaper until the Sunday edition of Zerkalo Nedeli - Mirror
of the Week.

The event first became public on Wednesday when Kravchenko, assigned
as a counselor at Ukraine's embassy in Berlin, marched into the studios of
the German national radio service, Deutsche Welle, where he requested that
the network broadcast a statement critical of his superiors in Kyiv who had
ordered him to spy on Ukrainian politicians visiting in Germany.

Kravchenko, a veteran of long external intelligence service in Afghanistan
and Germany, not only criticized his bosses but also said that he was
willing to provide copies to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office (PGO)
of dispatches directing him to engage in what he considered illegal and
inappropriate activities.

Kravchenko's statement was not only broadcast immediately on the Russian
service of Deutsche Welle, it was transcribed and placed on the network's
publicly available website.

Subsequently, the BBC and other international news organizations carried the
news plus commentary and speculation about the matter.
However, in Kyiv, hardly a word about the story had been heard via local
news media.

Finally on Sunday, Feb. 22, Zerkalo Nedeli carried two interviews with
Kravchenko, making that newspaper the only one brave enough to buck the
pressure coming from high administration sources.

In the interviews with Zerkalo, Kravchenko not only confirmed his statement
given to Deutsche Welle but provided additional details to explain his
actions. He said that he had been warned by his colleagues that an order for
him to come to Kyiv after failing to obey orders to spy on Ukrainian
opposition politicians and members of the Ukrainian government had been just
a pretext that might lead to his prosecution and possible detention.

Kravchenko emphasized that under the current SBU chairman, Ihor Smeshko, the
atmosphere in the SBU has begun to resemble the purges under Stalin in 1937
when no officer could feel confident in his future, no matter how good his
professional record had been. Kravchenko also said that he would be ready to
provide MPs Boris Olyinyck and Ihor Yukhnovskiy with copies of the orders he
had been given to spy on parliamentarians and state officials.

In Sunday's broadcast of 1+1 Television's weekly news program, Epicenter,
the Kravchenko affair was passed off as nothing more than a classical
example of "an obvious standard special operation preceding the presidential
visit to Germany." However, the program's presenter, Vyacheslav Pikhovshek,
avoided even mentioning the charges put forward against what Kravchenko
called, "Kuchma's regime." (END) (ARTUIS)
========================================================
UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 30: ARTICLE NUMBER NINE
Support Ukraine Gallery: http://www.artukraine.com/uasupport/index.htm
=========================================================
9. UKRAINIAN PRO-PRESIDENTIAL TV SAYS PERSONAL
VENGEANCE BEHIND SECURITY SERVICE SCANDAL

Inter TV, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 22 Feb 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Feb 22, 2004

The pro-presidential Ukrainian Inter TV channel has said that Ukrainian
Security Service general Valeriy Kravchenko, who accused the Ukrainian
secret service on 18 February of spying on opposition leaders and top
officials during their foreign trips, was merely trying to protect his
personal interests.

It said the allegations were made after Mr Kuchma issued a decree recalling
secret service agents from government agencies - a move described by
Kuchma as "deKGBzation of Ukraine. The TV did not say what the nature
of Kravchenko's allegations was.

The following is the text of report by the Ukrainian Inter TV on 22
February:

Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma on Wednesday [18 February] signed a
decree, in the presence of the Security Service chief [Ihor Smeshko], on
additional measures aimed at further democratization of society and
strengthening public monitoring of the activities of law-enforcement and
intelligence agencies. The president described it as the decree on Ukraine's
de-KGBization.

All Security Service representatives working in high-level government
agencies must be recalled and the practice of confidential cooperation
stopped once and for all, the decree said. This should be done right now,
not in the vague and distant future. The president gave only a month to
introduce relevant changes to legislation.

At the moment of signing the decree, it was already clear that not all
employees of old school would like such measures. However, few could
predict that some of them would try to settle scores with their bosses
through the foreign media. It seems that the [Ukrainian] Security Service
general, Valeriy Kravchenko, decided to do this when he had been
recalled from Germany to his motherland.

He simply walked into the newsroom of the Deutsche Welle radio [on 18
February] and accused the Security Service leadership and its main
intelligence directorate of insufficient professionalism and violation of
legislation on security services.

Kiev confirmed that the general was a real one but denied all his
accusations. Somebody has already noticed that Kravchenko's demarche
was not as simple as it looked. They say it is quite possible that this was
an operation of the secret services of a big country to play a dirty trick
on official Kiev because it occurred right before a meeting between
Kuchma and [German Chancellor] Gerhard Schroeder [Kuchma visited
Germany on 19-20 February].

However, the incident did not affect the summit's agenda. The Ukrainian
president reaffirmed in Berlin that the policy of decisive de-KGBization
would be continued and would not be stopped by provocations. (END)
=========================================================
UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 30: ARTICLE NUMBER TEN
Current Events Gallery: http://www.artukraine.com/events/index.htm
=========================================================
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Daily New TV and Video Programming in Ukrainian
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UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 30: ARTICLE NUMBER ELEVEN
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11. "OUR UKRAINE" LEADER YUSHCHENKO MEETS WITH FORMER
US SECRETARY OF STATE MADELINE ALLBRIGHT

"Our Ukraine" Press, www.razom.org.ua, Kyiv, Ukraine, February 20, 2004

KYIV - The leader of "Our Ukraine" coalition Victor Yushchenko met with the
former US Secretary of State, now chairperson of the NDI board of directors
Madeline Albright. Answering questions after a half-an-hour meeting,
Yushchenko noted that two main issues were discussed during the meeting:
political situation in Ukraine and the conference "Ukraine in Europe and the
World," which will be held tomorrow and in which Madeline Allbright will
participate.

According to the leader of "Our Ukraine," the representative forum,
organized with the help of many European countries, has to answer the
questions of Ukraine's place in the world and the prospects of our country
as well as the nature of relations with our partners and the key values of
the national domestic and foreign policies.

Yushchenko noted that, when he headed the government three years ago, the
issue was raised that the resolution of many of important issues for our
country depended on the dialogue between the government and the society, on
the government's openness and willingness to solve problems. "It is a pity
that the current government does not have the will to come to the
negotiations table with its opponents and political elite and discuss
possible ways out of the deep ongoing crisis of the system," remarked the
leader of "Our Ukraine."

According to Yushchenko, he sees this conference as an important step
towards public dialogue. "The level of representation could have been much
higher had Ukrainian government not continued acting with its usual style.
In this case, it caused a number of problems during the organization of this
event. Nevertheless, despite obstacles created by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and other government institutions, the conference will take place,"
declared Yushchenko, adding that presidents, prime ministers, and ministers
of foreign affairs were to participate in the forum.

At the same time, "Our Ukraine's" leader reported that over 40 participants
from different countries would participate in the event the following day.
"We expect to hear the governments position on the events that have been
happening in the country and plan to explain our own position. We hope that
this dialogue will answer the challenges that have been recently raised
before Ukraine. We have to find an answer to how to stop the abuse of the
Constitution, manipulation of public awareness, and discuss other important
issues," said Victor Yushchenko.

Answering a question whether Madeline Allbright knew anything about the
obstacles the government placed before the organizers of the conference,
Yushchenko noted that much did not surprise her in her preparation for the
visit since she was well informed on the situation in Ukraine and understood
the difficulties, connected to the constitutional reform and the unequal
positions of political forces and knew what had been happening with Radio
"Freedom" and oppositional newspapers.

Commenting on his position towards the constitutional reform, Yushchenko
stressed that, "if the legitimate procedures of amending the Fundamental Law
are violated, it will make the changes themselves illegitimate and, as a
result, make the government illegitimate too. He gave Belorus, where the
government first ignored the will of the voters, then - the Law, which
resulted in isolation of this country from the world, as an example. (END)
========================================================
UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 30: ARTICLE NUMBER ELEVEN
========================================================
12. FRIENDS OF UKRAINE COMMITTEE WILL BE ESTABLISHED
AT THE "UKRAINE IN EUROPE AND THE WORLD" CONFERENCE
Will include prominent European and international politicians.

"Our Ukraine" Press, Kyiv, Ukraine, February 20, 2004

People's deputy of Ukraine Boris Tarasyuk reported that an international
conference "Ukraine in Europe and the World" is being held on February 20-21
in Kyiv. According to him, the idea for this conference occurred several
months back to non-government organizations and analytical centers, which
deal with foreign policies.

"Co-organizers of this conference met on December 15 of last year in Prague
in order to develop the agenda and the concept of the conference. It is
expected that the conference will gather the leading international
politicians, experts in the field of international politics, and
representatives of Ukraine's elite.

The purpose of the conference is, first of all, to help the Euro-Atlantic
elite understand where Ukraine is going and, secondly, give Ukrainian
political elite an opportunity to rise above the mundane and look into the
future. Thirdly - to generate interest among European and international
communities towards Ukraine, positive - not negative interest," stressed the
people's deputy.

The distinguishing feature of this conference is that it was organized by
non-government organizations from Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Germany,
Poland, Romania, and France. The conference is supported by President of
Poland A. Kvasnevskiy, the former president of the Czech Republic Vaclav
Havel, ex-president of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus, the former United States'
Secretary of State Madeline Albright, and many other influential ad famous
European and international politicians.

Tarasyuk is convinced that Ukraine's existing European and international
image requires immediate and close review: "Ukraine is the largest European
country territory wise with the fifth largest population. It has industrial,
agricultural, and military potential - everything to play one of the leading
roles in European and global relations."

"It is very important for the conference to concentrate attention on the
role of Ukraine in Europe and in the World. Taking the high level of
participants who have already confirmed their participation, we do not doubt
that this will be a unique international event not only for Ukraine,
Ukrainian political elite, and Ukrainian community but also for the entire
Euro-Atlantic community," stressed B. Tarasyuk, "We hope that the conference
will prove and show that the fate of Ukraine and democracy is important to
the entire World."

Tarasyuk also reported that the conference would end with the foundation of
Friends of Ukraine Committee, which would include prominent European and
international politicians. (END) (ARTUIS)
========================================================
UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 30: ARTICLE NUMBER THIRTEEN
========================================================
13. LANGUAGE USE IN UKRAINE HAS CHANGED LITTLE
SINCE INDEPENDENCE IN 1991 STUDY SHOWS

INSIDE UKRAINE, Kyiv, Ukraine, February 22, 2004

Inside Ukraine - Studies going back to 1991 have led the Kyiv International
Institute of Sociology (KIIS) to conclude that language usage in Ukraine has
changed little since independence, the highly respected polling organization
revealed in a recent news conference in Kyiv. Although only 17.3 percent of
Ukrainian citizens consider themselves ethnically Russian, KIIS' most recent
study in 2003 revealed that 48 percent of Ukrainians use Russian in their
daily communications, 40 percent use Ukrainian and the remaining 12 percent
employ "surzhik", a mixture of the two languages. These results are similar
to poll results in the mid-1990s.

In a recent exclusive interview with Inside Ukraine, Prof. Valeriy Khmel'ko,
a KIIS research principal, said that the conclusions are based on the
results of an informal interview technique. Since 1991, KIIS interviewers
have begun interviews by asking the person being interviewed which language
they preferred to be interviewed in. Researchers found that while persons
being interviewed might state a preference for one language at the beginning
of the interview, almost invariably at some point during the interview, the
interviewee would begin responding in the language in which they conducted
their everyday business.

KIIS researchers have conducted 77 polls since 1991 involving about 177,000
respondents, 22,000 of them in the last year, in all regions of Ukraine.

Khmel'ko expects to soon complete a report "Linguistic and ethnic structure
of Ukraine, Trends of changes during the independence years," that will be
made available to the public in Ukrainian on the KIIS web-site
(www.kiis.com.ua) or by request from the KIIS office, e-mail:
office@kiis.com.ua.

There were some earlier publications on the same issue, in particular: V.
Khmel'ko "Regionalism and ethnic and linguistic changes in Ukraine" in the
collection of selected works "Sociology in Ukraine" published by the KIIS
in 2000 (pp.63-79); and a survey presented by Khmelko together with
Dominique Arel in the Harriman Review, vol.9, #1-2, pp. 81-91. (END)
========================================================
ARTICLES ARE FOR PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC USE ONLY
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NEW BOOK: Three Hundred Eleven Personal Interviews, Famine 32-33.
"UKRAINIANS ABOUT FAMINE 1932-1933," Prof. Sokil, Lviv, Ukraine
http://www.artukraine.com/famineart/sokil.htm
========================================================
WEBSITE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION ABOUT UKRAINE
LINK: http://www.ArtUkraine.com
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New Issue Just Published...Year 2003, Issue 3-4
FOLK ART MAGAZINE: NARODNE MYSTETSTVO
LINK: http://www.artukraine.com/primitive/artmagazine.htm
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