Pumpkins and Horseradish

By Volodymyr Kish

Ukraine goes to the polls for parliamentary elections on October 28, and as with all Ukrainian elections since the breakup of the Soviet Union, there is a great deal of confusion and uncertainty as to what the end result of it all will be. Opinion polls are all over the board, predicting everything from a solid majority for the Yanukovych forces to a strong victory by the alliance of opposition parties.

Although there is little doubt that the popularity of President Viktor Yanukovych and his Regions Party has fallen considerably since the previous elections, he and his minions have managed to so control and subvert the electoral process, that they could realistically still come out as “winners” in these elections, despite the presence of some 10,000 foreign election observers. They have ensured that many of their strongest political opponents are in jail on dubious trumped up charges, managed to gain almost virtual control over the mass media, gerrymandered electoral boundaries to optimize their vote, created artificial opposition parties to divide the opposition vote, either gained control or neutralized electoral commissions that oversee the vote, and they have spent vast amounts of the financial resources they control on election campaigning. Rumours also abound about the various ways that votes are being “bought”. Even should all this fail to bring about a Regions majority in parliament, it is likely that we would see as in previous elections, a large number of elected deputies defect or change allegiances, no doubt given incentive by the vast wealth that the Regions oligarchs have at their disposal.

To add even more of an aura of surrealism and farce to the electoral process, two prominent sports figures, world champion boxer Vitaliy Klitschko and internationally acclaimed soccer player Andriy Shevchenko have become central figures in the current campaign. It says something of the sad state of the political and electoral process in Ukraine when a champion boxer like Klitschko can become leader of a political party that is now second in the polls in popularity, ahead of even Yulia Tymoshenko’s Batkivshchyna Party.

As always when I need some clarity on a troubling issue, I contacted my cousin Hryts from the definitely non-bustling village of Pidkamin, world famous (at least in the eyes of its inhabitants) for the quality of the garlic and horseradish that grows within fields on its fertile lands.

“So, Hrytsiu,” I began my Skype session, connected by the wonders of modern Internet technology to his cell phone as he sat under the ancient walnut tree overlooking his backyard. “What do you think will happen in the elections next week?”

“Meh!” he exclaimed with a note of disgust, “There is nothing much to think about. It doesn’t really matter what the results are, our Donbas Don of the Ukrainian Mafia will stick to power like manure on your boots! If he doesn’t win enough votes and deputies outright, he has enough money at his disposal to buy a majority afterwards. The only real question is whether Ukrainians have the stomach to take to the streets like they did in 2004, and this time do a more thorough job of disinfecting Ukraine’s corrupt political scene.”

“Hmm,” I reflected, “But what about all the efforts by the opposition political parties to consolidate into an effective alternative? Are there no parties or leaders that you can see being a hope for the political future of Ukraine?”

“Parties? Leaders?” he chuckled. “My deluded young turnip! You are making the mistake of equating our parties here to the type of political parties you have in the Western World. They are not the same thing. It’s like comparing pumpkins to horseradish. In the West, political parties are like horseradish – there is of course the frilly green stuff, the leadership so to speak above the surface in public view, but the essence is in the deep roots that they have - the ideology, the platforms and policy, the core beliefs, the traditions that provide substance and continuity. Our Ukrainian parties are more like pumpkins, all showy, inflated presence above the surface that is mostly hollow, with no real substance in its roots, no ideology, no core values. Our parties are all about leaders and very little about long-term substance.”

“I see what you mean.” I sighed after a while. “So do you think Ukrainians will take to the streets in protest after the elections?”

He pondered a while before replying: “Inevitably they will when they realize they have nothing more left to lose. And Yanukovych and his gang being who they are, will soon enough provide them with that opportunity!”

The fourth immigration from Ukraine came here after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It was an economic immigration. Most of those who arrived seem to have a weak sense of national identity. Some attend the established Ukrainian churches - Catholic (primarily old calendar), Orthodox and Protestant - but they tend to shun the established political organizations. A relatively large number joined established Protestant churches where God was more important than politics, and religious identity more significant than national identity.

Hardworking, many fourth wavers quickly learned how to take advantage of the economic opportunities available to them. Some became very affluent, purchased automobiles (preferring Mercedes and BMWs) and, in time, expensive homes. A few joined the established Ukrainian organizations; most, however, went their own way.

So where are America’s Ukrainians today? Thanks to Dr. Oleh Wolowyna, a demographer specializing in research on Ukrainians in the United States and Canada, and Vasyl Lopykh, an economist and the Executive Director of the Center for Demographic and Socio-Economic Research on Ukrainians in the United States, we now have an idea. The research was published in the September 23rd issue of The Ukrainian Weekly.

Pennsylvania and New York, with 112, 542 and 131, 391, respectively, are still the two states with the largest number of Ukrainians. A surprise for some of us is California, the third largest, with 91,279 Ukrainians. Most of the Ukrainians living there appear to be Protestants.

Florida (47,946), Illinois (47,246), Ohio (45,121) and Michigan (40,292) are next. The Midwestern States are traditional centres of Ukrainian American activity. Florida, the nesting destination of retirees (some of whom are Canadians) was to be expected. The big surprise is Washington (46,521) with a Ukrainian population larger than Ohio and Michigan.

Oregon (19,241) and Texas (19,212) have a Ukrainian population larger than Minnesota (15, 312), which is also somewhat surprising.

All of these statistics hold important implications for our leadership here in the States. It seems that religious and national questions are no longer significant. So where do we go from here? As of now, no one seems to have a meaningful answer.