Montreal Community Marks Chornobyl 25

UCC Montreal – The Montreal Ukrainian community joined with other communities worldwide in marking the 25^th anniversary of the Chornobyl Nuclear Disaster on Tuesday, April 26^th.  A Commemorative Service was held jointly with clergy of the Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches, followed by a solemn remembrance programme held at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church in Rosemount. Every year, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Montreal Branch marks Ukraine’s, Europe's and indeed the World's tragic nuclear disaster. 

Participating in the service were Rev. Oleh Korecky, Rev. Roman Lahola, Rev. Ihor Oshchipko and Nazar Yuriv from the Ukrainian Catholic parishes in Montreal, and Rev. Ihor Kutash and Rev. Wolodymyr Kouchnir from Ukrainian Orthodox churches.  Rev. Korecky delivered the sermon recalling the impact the Chornobyl disaster on Ukraine and its long term effects still being experienced by its people today.  The church choir was conducted by Marika Czolij.

The programme consisted of: trio singers Vera Turko-Kulycka, Oksana Kotskovych, Roman Kostyk; poetry readings by Sonia Kulyckya and Irena Pawliw; and a singing performance by bass baritone Wolodymyr Mota, playing accompaniment on his bandura.

UCC Cultural Chairperson and coordinator of the event, Bohdanna Klecor Hawryluk, in her concluding remarks brought to everyone’s attention that Evhen Czolij, President of the Ukrainian World Congress and former President of UCC Montreal, spoke at the United Nations in New York during a session on the 25^th Anniversary of Chornobyl. Reference was also made to Pavlo Grod, UCC National President who sent a press release to all media in Canada concerning this year’s Chornobyl commemoration events. The current President of UCC Montreal Branch is Zorianna Hrycenko-Luhova.

An article about the Chornobyl disaster appeared in the April 26^th Issue of Montreal’s The Gazette and a program was broadcast on CBC Radio, hosted by Loreen Pendera, who conducted an interview with Olena Kulishova now living in Montreal, but who was in Kyiv when the explosion took place.  Simon Kouklewsky, producer of Ukrainian Time community radio provided special coverage of the Chornobyl commemorative event.

Symbolically, at the end of the programme, a small procession placed individual white carnations in front of the church altar, in remembrance of the many children affected by Chornobyl’s radiation and with its health consequences still felt 25 years later.

PHOTO

1 -  (L. to R.: Wolodymyr Mota (seated front) with Rev. Oleh Korecky, UCC Cultural Chairperson Bohdanna Klecor-Hawryluk, Choir Conductor Marika Czolij and UCC Montreal President Zorianna Hrycenko-Luhova

2 - Priests from Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches

in Montreal together during the Chornobyl Commemorative Service