7^th Annual Ukrainian Best & Worst List 2009

By Oksana Bashuk Hepburn

Almost everyone has a favourite list this time of year- best movies, books, person of the year.  For the 7^th year running, here is my Best & Worst list comprising governments, individuals, publications and organizations which had an impact on the global Ukrainian community in 2009.

 10 BEST

1. United States Vice President Joseph Biden - for stating the U.S. does not recognize any sphere of influence claimed by Russia over Ukraine, and that President Obama`s bid to “reset” relations with Russia “will not come at Ukraine`s expense.”

2. Timothy Snyder - for The Red Prince, a WWI to the Orange Revolution historic masterpiece about the ambitions of Prince Wilhelm of Habsburg, heir to Europe’s longest reigning royalty, to become the King of Ukraine.

3. The utilization of Ukrainian motifs by global brand leaders like fashion designer Gucci - for glorious renditions of stylized pysanka (Easter Egg) designs for a collection; and Honda - for calling the colour of its fiery car Revolution Orange.

4. Individuals who use personal wealth to assist Ukrainian institutions - Dr. Maria Fischer-Slysh for donating $1,000,000 to the Ukrainian Catholic University, Lviv.

5. The Royal Shakespeare Theatre - for staging a poignant production of The Grain Store depicting the Kremlin’s famine starvation-genocide of some 10 million Ukrainians.

6. Ukrainians who bring international recognition and pride to their country like the Klitschko Brothers - for holding most of the world’s boxing titles; and the Bondarenko Sisters - for success in tennis.

7. Ukraine’s media - for maintaining a high level of public scrutiny over Ukraine’s political, economic, religious and social issues.

8. The Ukrainian people - for getting on with it despite four years of broken promises of the Orange Revolution and the lack of political leadership.

9. Political Analyst Taras Kuzio - for ongoing interpretation of political events in Ukraine through the eyes of a Western academic.

10. Global media - for better coverage of under-represented Ukrainian issues like Holodomor Famine-Genocide and more sympathetic treatment of John Demjanjuk’s repeat trial for alleged crimes for which he has been exonerated.  

 10 WORST

1. Ukraine’s President Viktor Yushchenko - for confusing pro-West presidential voters by running despite 5% ratings and public professions of “hate” for politics.

2. Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev - for creating tension between neighbours through anti-Ukrainian acts - energy crisis - and rants like those in the letter to Ukraine’s President.

3. Russia’s former ambassador to Ukraine, Viktor Chernomyrdin - for mocking Ukraine’s politics as “dog fights”. 

4. Canada’s National Capital Commission - for balking at calling the monument to 100 million victims of Communist regimes what it is.  (Ultimately reconsidered)

5. The Liberal Party of Canada - for denying representation to Canadians of Ukrainian descent in its shadow cabinet by ousting MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj while granting over-representation to other groups.

6. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow - for failing to honour the separation of Church and State in democratic societies by preaching union of Orthodox Churches under Russia’s control at the expense of religious freedom in Ukraine.  

7. Faux pas in Canada: – Stephen Carter, Chief of Staff, Alberta Wildrose Alliance - for mocking Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach’s Ukrainian accent (Carter resigned); 

Opposition Leader Michael Ignatieff for half apology for inappropriate words about Ukrainians in earlier writings, and;

Jason Kenny, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, for misinterpretation of Canada’s Multiculturalism Act and Charter of Rights and irritating Ukrainians, and others, by instructing them to pay for mother tongue lessons - other than English and French.

8. The governments of the United States for extraditing John Demjanjuk to stand trial for a previously dismissed case by Israel; and Germany – for putting him on trial for Nazi crimes while protecting its own citizens from similar prosecution by law.   

9. Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin - for proposing a law to prosecute those who expose Communist Russia’s murderous past.

10. The Government of Ukraine - for reinstating Olga Ginsberg, a Communist determined to protect its murderous past, as Head of Ukraine’s Archives.

Oksana Bashuk Hepburn is an international commentator and editor of a quarterly magazine.