Photo: Myroslava Oleksiuk Читайте нижче: На політичному роздоріжжі: бути чи не бути демократії - Частина ІІ

“A week ago, a special service was set up to protect children who have been abandoned. Along with the peasants who flock to the towns because there is no hope of survival in the countryside, there are also children who are simply brought here and abandoned by their parents, who then return to their village to die. Their hope is someone in their town will be able to look after their children…. So for a week now the town has been patrolled by “dworniki,” attendants in white uniforms who collect the children and take them to the nearest police station… around midnight they are all transported in trucks to the freight station at Severodonetsk. That’s where all the children who are found in stations and on trains, the peasant families, the old people and all the peasant who have been picked up during the day are gathered together… A medical team does a sort of selection process… anyone who is not yet swollen up and still has a chance of survival is directed to Kholodnaya Khora buildings, where a constant population of about 8,000 lies dying on straw beds… Most of them are children. People who are already starting to swell up are moved out in good trains and abandoned about forty mile out of town so that they can die out of sight. When they arrive at their destination, huge ditches are dug, and the dead are carried out of the wagons.”

This year we mark the 75th anniversary of the Great Famine of 1932-33, referred to as the Holodomor, during which some 7-10 million innocent Ukrainians perished. This great tragedy was genocide against the Ukrainian people perpetrated by Stalin’s regime in Moscow. In 1988 the United States Congress Commission on the Ukraine Famine concluded:

“The Genocide Convention defines genocide as one or more specified actions committed with intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group wholly or partially as such…One or more of the actions specified in the Genocide Convention was taken against the Ukrainians in order to destroy a substantial part of the Ukrainian people…Overwhelming evidence indicates that Stalin was warned of impending famine in Ukraine and pressed for measures that could only ensure its occurrence and exacerbate its effects. Such policies not only came into conflict with his response to food supply difficulties elsewhere in the preceding year, but some of them were implemented with greater vigor in ethnically Ukrainian areas than elsewhere and were utilized in order to eliminate any manifestation of Ukrainian national self assertion.”

We urge Ukrainians everywhere to honor the victims by organizing solemn requiem services, processions, exhibits and conferences. We look to our neighbors in the world community of nations to recognize our pain and offer solace by passing parliamentary resolutions and denouncing at international fora, the Holodomor as Genocide against the Ukrainian nation. We pray to God to protect us all from evil and grant us peace.

Toronto-New York
October 21, 2007

For the Ukrainian World Congress

Askold S. Lozynskyj
President

Stefan Romaniw
Chair Coordinating Committee

Victor Pedenko
General Secretary

У 1933 році італійський консул, який перебував у Харкові, колишній столиці УРСР, писав:

“Тиждень тому була створена спеціальна служба для того, щоб захистити дітей, яких покинули батьки. Разом з селянами, які втікали у міста через те, що не було надії вижити у селах, були також діти, кинуті батьками, які повернулися помирати до своїх сіл. Батьки сподівалися, що хтось у містах зможе доглянути їхніх дітей... Уже тиждень, як місто патрулюється “дворниками“, обслуговуючим персоналом у білих уніформах, які підбирають дітей та забирають їх до найближчого відділу міліції... близько півночі їх усіх везуть у вантажівках до товарної станції у Северодонецьку. Тут збирають разом усіх: дітей, яких знаходили на станціях, у поїздах, у селянських сім’ях, старих людей та всіх тих селян, яких підбирали удень... Група медиків сортує людей та проводить процес відбору... кожного, хто ще не спух та має шанс вижити, направляють до будинків на Холодній Горі, де на ліжках з соломи вмирає постійна кількість людей у 8,000... Більшість з них діти. Людей, які вже починають опухати, вантажать у поїзди та вивозять за сорок миль від міста, щоб ніхто не бачив, як вони вмирають. Коли вони прибувають на місце призначення, копають великі ями і мертвих скидають з вагонів“.

Цього року ми відзначаємо 75-ту річницю Великого Голоду 1932-1933 років, що називаємо Голодомором, під час якого загинуло 7-10 мільйонів невинних українців. Ця величезна трагедія була геноцидом проти українського народу, вчинена режимом Сталіна у Москві. У 1988 році Комісія Конґресу Сполучених Штатів Америки з Голоду в Україні зробила такий висновок: “Конвенція з Геноциду визначає геноцидом одну або кілька специфічних акцій, вчинених з метою знищити повністю чи частково національну, етнічну, расову чи релігійну групу як таку… Одного чи більше вчинків, точно визначених у Конвенції про Геноцид, застосовано проти українського народу з метою знищення значної кількості українців... Існує величезна кількість доказів, що Сталіна попереджали про неминучий голод в Україні, а він натискав з метою вжити всіх заходів, які б посилили цей голод та загострили його наслідки. Такі постанови не тільки суперечили його реакції на всеохоплюючу проблему постачання продуктами попереднього року, але деякі з них були втілені в життя з більшою завзятістю у етнічно українських районах, ніж будь-де, а також були використані з метою знищити будь-які прояви українського національного самоствердження“.

Ми закликаємо українців усього світу вшанувати пам’ять жертв Голодомору жалібними відправами, походами, виставками та конференціями. Ми звертаємося до наших сусідів - світової громадськості - визнати наш біль і заспокоїти наші переживання прийняттям парламентських резолюцій та засудженням на міжнародному рівні Голодомору як геноциду проти українського народу. Ми молимося Всевишньому, щоб він захистив усіх нас від зла та дарував нам мир.

Торонто – Нью-Йорк
21 жовтня 2007 року

За Світовий Конґрес Українців

Аскольд С.Лозинський
Президент

Стефан Романів
Голова Координаційного Комітету

Віктор Педенко
Генеральний Секретар

St. Vladimir Institute

invites you to a special culinary delight

Traditional Ukrainian Cuisine

Back by popular demand!
Have fun while eating your homework!
Make friends!

Join this one-of-a-kind course to learn how to cook delicious dishes like Baba used to make! Classes include hands-on Ukrainian cooking, sampling of prepared dishes, and sharing of highly prized and long-forgotten recipes for popular Ukrainian delectables

$35 each session or $160/course

Monday, 6:30 to 9:30 pm

2007

• October 15: Harvest Dishes
  
• November 12: Meat and Game
  
• December 10: Traditional Ukrainian Christmas Dishes

2008

• February 19 Lenten Dishes
  
• April 14 Easter breads: paska and babka

Five sessions with Michael Diakowsky, designed to show easy ways to make traditional dishes with local ingredients and commonly used utensils. Easy to read handouts with recipes and tips will help you to prepare tasty delectables for your friends and loved ones.

Michael Diakowsky, culinary instructor, is a professional Canadian chef, who obtained his highly acclaimed gastronimic experience working at famous European restaurants.

ST. VLADIMIR INSTITUTE
620 Spadina Ave
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2H4 (at Harbord Avenue)
P: 416-923-3318
E: svi@stvladimir.ca
W: www.stvladimir.ca

Ukrainian World Congress

Cordially invites the Ukrainian community of Toronto
and surrounding areas to a

Public Meeting

with

Askold Lozynskyj
President of the Ukrainian World Congress

In defense of the Ukrainian individual and nation

Saturday, October 27, 2007, 5:00 p.m.
Ukrainian Canadian Art Foundation
2118 A Bloor St. W.
Toronto, ON

For further information please call at: 416-323-3020

For more information about the film, please see www.actsofimagination.com

Taras Shevchenko School of Ukrainian Studies
St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral

invites members of the Ukrainian Community in the Greater Cleveland area

to

2007 Graduation Banquet & Ball

Saturday, November 3, 2007

BANQUET
6:30 until 7:30 p.m.

BALL TO THE MUSIC OF DIBROVA
Begins 7:30 p.m.

St. Vladimir's Grand Hall
3425 Marioncliff Dr.
Parma, Ohio

Admission: $35 per person -- Dinner and Ball
School Students (13 or older) - $15
$15 -- Ball only

For tickets please call one of the following people by Sunday, October 28, 2007 inclusive:

Dr. Volodymyr Bodnar (330-554-6429)
Mr. Walter Samijlenko (216-749-3848) *

* Table reservations (at least 6 people per table required)

We accept free will donations to support this festive event and our school. Please make checks payable to T. Shevchenko School of Ukrainian Studies.

Ukrainian Culture Center

Invites everyone to a

Concert

Song of Ukraine

Sunday, November 4, 2007, 2:30pm - 4:30pm
Alex Theatre
216 North Brand Boulevard
Glendale, CA

Contact Info Phone: 909.860.2102
Email: SMicevyc@thedoctors.com

Song of Ukraine is a whirlwind tour through the various musical genres of Ukrainian musical forms. This benefit program is being held to assist the building of modern state of the art medical facilities and training of medical personnel in Kiev, Ukraine. This effort is in conjunction with the base committee 'Project Ukraine 3000,' which is spearheading the development and implementation of this truly noble cause.

Stefan Szkafarowky, world renowned operatic bass, will be featured as the program's main soloist. Also featured will be Vasyl Nechepa, Bandurist Laureate and Lyric Tenor of Kiev, Ukraine.

The 'Kobzar' Ukrainian National Choir of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Doctors' Symphony Orchestra round out the performers on stage, totaling 140 singers and instrumentalists. The amazing sounds that will emanate from the stage promise to be grandiose and soul stirring!

The performance language is Ukrainian. Running time is approximately 2 hours with one intermission, and the performance is suitable for ages 6 and older. Photo/video recording by patrons is not allowed.

Reserve Seat Tickets:
Orchestra - $55, $45, $30
Terrace - $55
Balcony - $45, $30, $25

Purchase Tickets online or call the Alex Theatre box office at 818-243-ALEX (2539).

Special Discounts:
Groups (15 or more) - Discounted pricing available through Alex Theatre Group Sales Department. Call 818.243.7700 ext. 216 for information and purchase.

Students - May purchase discounted tickets in person at the Box Office Window only; must show valid current full-time student I.D. at time of purchase; maximum of 2 tickets per I.D.

Children (12 and under) - Must be accompanied by an adult. May purchase discounted tickets via Box Office Window, Phone, or Internet. Children age 2 and under who sit on a lap do not need a ticket; all persons 3 and older must have a ticket to enter the theatre.

The Alberta Council for the Ukrainian Arts (ACUA) Award ($500) is offered annually for a project that fosters a greater awareness of Ukrainian art in Alberta. This project may be in the form of an exhibit, tour, festival, educational program, or special project.

The International Initiatives in Deaf Studies Award ($500) is being offered to enable a post-secondary student (full or part-time) to pursue his/her interest in deaf studies and/or hearing impairment as it relates to an international context.

The Roger Charest Sr. Award for Broadcast & Media Arts ($500) is offered annually to applicants (individual or group) for an initiative to create a special program or series which may later be suitable for broadcast and may further the cause of multiculturalism in Canada.

The Roman Soltykewych Music Scholarship ($500) is available to applicants (individual or group) determined to pursue further studies in the field of Ukrainian choral or vocal music.

The Anna Pidruchney Award for New Writers ($1,000) is available annually to a novice writer for a work on a Ukrainian Canadian theme. Submissions for this year’s award must be in Ukrainian.

Media Contact:
Alice Chumer
Ukrainian Resource and Development Centre

Ph: (780) 497-4374; Fax: (780) 497-4377
E-mail: chumera@macewan.ca

Світовий Конґрес Українців запрошує українську громаду Торонто та околиць на зустріч з президентом СКУ Аскольдом Лозинськимна тему:

"Правозахист української людини і народу"

Зустріч відбудеться в суботу, 27 жовтня 2007 р., о 5:00 по полудні в Канадсько-українській мистецькій фундації, 2118 А Bloor St. W., Toronto За інформацією просимо дзвонити за тел. 416-323-3020

Нетоплені бібліотеки, зотлілі музейні цінності, закриті книгарні, екскаватори на історичних пам’ятках, бездомні художники, рейдерські атаки на галереї, розкрадені кіностудії, зруйновані кінотеатри, хмарочоси посеред історичних центрів, навала іноземного кітчу…

Це – Україна ХХІ століття. Це – наше сьогодення і майбутнє наших дітей.

І це – прямий наслідок злочинних дій та злочинної бездіяльності української влади усіх рівнів.

За 16 років в нашій країні було знищено кілька тисяч книгарень, уся кіноіндустрія включно з кінотеатрами та кіностудіями, потужна колись система мистецької освіти ледь жевріє, в країні, яка ще у ХХVІІ сторіччі дивувала європейців загальною грамотністю, сьогодні видається одна книга на трьох. Який Батий, який Боголюбський, зміг досягти більшого? Який Чорнобиль завдав народу такої шкоди?

З новою силою маховик нищення української культури закрутився в результаті прийняття ганебного бюджету-2007, який розв’язав руки місцевим варварам у тотальному культурному погромі. Стаття 118 велить переукласти орендні договори виключно на конкурсних засадах! І навіть державні установи не мають захисту – зокрема Інститут філософії виганяють з приміщення, яке знадобилося для організації Євро-2012!!!

В сьогоднішній Україні одна книгарня припадає на 100 тисяч населення. В Польщі – на 10 тисяч. У Києві 40 театрів, у Лондоні – 400. Ми ідемо в Євросоюз. А чи потрібна Європі навала 40 мільйонів варварів, які мріють лише про пиво і футбол?

Сподівання на “добрих і мудрих” керівників закінчилися. Ми більше не хочемо залицятися до неосвічених і некультурних людей, якими є насправді наші політики. Врешті-решт українській владі лише 16 років, а українській культурі – кілька сотень, якщо не тисяч. Культура вижила під час воєн, окупації, геноциду, етноциду, лінгвоциду. То невже ми не піднімемо голос на захист майбутнього нації? Невже ми тихо конатимемо з простягнутою рукою?

Усіх, хто не хоче коритися культурним погромщикам. Усіх, хто переживає за долю культури, кого виганяють з приміщення, утискають адміністративно, податково чи фінансово. Усіх, кого не влаштовує відсутність у місті кінотеатрів, книгарень, картинних галерей, книжок у бібліотеках, занедбаність музеїв та заповідників.

Усіх, хто хоче і не боїться бути почутим, ми закликаємо зібратися 30 листопада на Надзвичайні збори “Україна – зона культурного лиха”.

Шахтарі відстоюють свої права, таксисти вміють себе захистити перед державою, підприємці не бояться сперечатися з податківцями. Настав час об’єднатися і культурним людям. Поки нас не передушили поодинці.

Зареєструватися для участі можна за телефоном 80636179767.

Поінформувати про культурне лихо, яке відбувається у вашому місті можна за електронною адресою info@opora.org.ua.

Для реєстрації учасників зборів, складання переліку проблем та оперативного інформування створюється сайт cultura.net.ua.

Умови участі у зборах – повністю добровільні. Ми чекаємо на всіх небайдужих. На всіх, хто знайде час і фінансові можливості для того, щоб приїхати до Києва на один день. Ми не маємо коштів, але маємо уяви про честь та совість, і не наймаємо мітингувальників. Нам потрібні порядні і завзяті люди.

А політикам ми слова не дамо. Досить! Ми їх слухали 16 років. Тепер хай вони слухають нас.

Оргкомітет Надзвичайних зборів «Україна – зона культурного лиха!»

http://www.artvertep.dp.ua/news/4166.html

January 24-26, 2008

New Perspectives on Contemporary Ukraine: Politics, Society, and Culture

The University of Toronto’s Centre for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies (CERES) is pleased to announce a call for papers for the Third International Graduate Student Symposium “New Perspectives on Contemporary Ukraine: Politics, Society, and Culture” to be held in Toronto on January 24-26, 2008. This interdisciplinary Symposium will bring together aspiring young scholars for three days of presentations and intensive discussions centred around new perspectives on the study of contemporary Ukraine.

The goal of the Symposium is to present new research and innovative thinking that explores the political, socioeconomic, and cultural dynamics in Ukrainian society. The Symposium seeks to integrate and draw on a wide range of theories and new scholarly research by applying them to Ukraine as a case study.

The Symposium is open to graduate students and recent PhD holders (those who have graduated within the past three years) from North America and Europe. Proposals involving cross-national comparisons in the wider context of the post-communist space are encouraged. Submissions can focus on a variety of topics including, but not limited to, the following:

• Democratization and democracy consolidation;
  
• State-society relations;
  
• Political economy;
  
• Ukraine’s foreign relations and national security;
  
• Regionalism and identity;
  
• Rethinking Ukrainian literature and culture since independence;
  
• Rewriting the past: new approaches to Ukrainian history.

To be considered as a candidate for presentation at the symposium, please submit an abstract (maximum 750 words) and curriculum vitae by November 19, 2007. The abstract should include a statement of objectives, methods, expected results and conclusions. Submissions must be made via email to ukrainian.gradsymposium@utoronto.ca

Authors whose papers are selected will be notified by December 1, 2007. Presenters should seek external funding. Limited grants for travel and accommodation may be available for participants who cannot obtain full external funding. Further details about the conference may be found online at http://www.utoronto.ca/jacyk/gss2008/

The sponsor of the contest is the Strategic and Security Studies GROUP, facilitated by the Polish Ambassy in Ukraine. The call for papers is primarily directed at the cognizant regional journalists of Ukraine's mass media and at an assortment of experts . The papers' submission is due by this November 15, and their size limitation is to fall between 3,000 and 10,000 characters. The contents will be judged in large on the objectivity of the presentation and on the capture of NATO's ubiquitous aspects in providing benefits to the world in general, and to its members in particular. The top contest winners will be ranked from one to three, with the following associated monetary awards: [ 1] 1,650 HR? [ 2] 990 HR, and [ 3] 600 HR.

For more information, visit the following site (in Polish) or contact info@gsbs.org.ua.

http://finanse.wp.pl/kat,9231,wid,9180835,najnowsze_tresc.html?ticaid=1486b

23 October 2007
Winnipeg, Manitoba

The national coordinating body for Ukrainian Canadians – the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) - concluded its 22nd Triennial Congress in Winnipeg from 19-22 October 2007 under the slogan of “Connecting our Community.”

The Congress elected Toronto lawyer and business person Paul Grod as its national President. In his acceptance speech, Grod outlined a program of increasing the reach of the UCC to make it more active in Canadian society. He plans to ensure that the Holodomor Famine-Genocide in Ukraine 1932-33 is properly commemorated in this, the 75th Anniversary of this criminal act. Grod also pledged that the UCC will have a government and public affairs presence in Ottawa by October 2008. Grod thanked outgoing President Orysia Sushko for her tremendous work on behalf of the UCC and acknowledged the numerous successes that characterized her tenure as president.

Delegates at the well-attended meeting discussed a variety of issues including the preservation of Canada’s Ukrainian heritage, Ukrainian language education, UCC’s support for the continued development of Ukrainian Canadian culture and how Canada’s relationship with Ukraine will be further developed. Also a critical review was undertaken of how UCC can better serve its membership and the broader community. All the sessions produced important resolutions which were adopted by the convention and which will serve as a guide for the UCC Board of Directors for the next three years. These resolutions will be available on the UCC web-site (www.ucc.ca).

Particular attention was devoted to connecting Ukrainian Canadian youth to the work of the UCC. A highlight of the congress was the concurrent meeting of the Ukrainian Canadian Student’s Union, commonly known by its Ukrainian acronym SUSK, which for the first time in many years, held its national convention in conjunction with the UCC Congress. UCC committed itself to assisting SUSK in reinvigorating its network across Canada.

Changes to the UCC Constitution were adopted which will allow for more direct participation of UCC Branches in the working of the Congress’ central decision making organs and will see the election of all executive officers directly by the Triennial Congress.

During the convention, Taras Shevchenko Medals, UCC's highest form of recognition, were awarded to a number of deserving individuals. In the field of Culture and Arts, medals were awarded to James Temerty, Radoslav Zuk, Yosyp Hoshuliak, Robert Klymasz, and Halyna Kvitka Kondracki. For work in Community Development, Eugene Czolij, Orest Pawliw, Lesia Szwaluk and Michael A. Zaleschuk were honoured with medals. Drs. Peter and Doris Kule were honoured by the Congress for their contributions to Education. Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney also received this award at a ceremony in Ottawa earlier this year. Short biographies of the medalists can be found on the UCC website (www.ucc.ca).

For their contributions to the community, two students, Alexandra Kindrat and Artem Luhowy, received the Ukrainian Canadian Youth Leadership Award.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Ostap Skrypnyk
Executive Director
Ukrainian Canadian Congress

Tel: (204) 942-4627
Fax: (204) 947-3882
ostap.skrypnyk@ucc.ca
www.ucc.ca

Persons wishing to contribute to the project should make their donations out to the Ottawa Taras Shevchenko Monument and mail them c/o Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko 202 – 952 Main Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2W 3P4. Arrangements have been made with the Foundation to administer donations and issue tax receipt to all contributors. Additional information on the project can be obtained from the Infoukes website: http://www.infouke s.com/tarasinottawa or contacting Orest Dubas by phone (1-613-725-0006) or email at: orestdubas@rogers.com.

Ron Sorobey
Ottawa Shevchenko Monument Project Committee

On Sunday October 14, 2007, a symbolic milestone was reached in the establishment of a permanent monument to Taras Shevchenko in Canada's national capital Ottawa.

His Excellency Ambassador Dr. Ihor Ostash on behalf of the Government of Ukraine formally presented soil that had been transferred from Shevchenko’s grave in Kaniv, Ukraine, to Mr. Orest Dubas, Chair of the Ottawa Shevchenko Monument Project Committee. After the presentation, a blessing of the soil was conducted by Reverend Father Cyril Mykytiuk. The ceremony was held on the grounds of the Saint John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Shrine in Ottawa, which will be the site of the monument.

In August 2007, the National Shevchenko Museum Preserve in Kaniv had presented the soil to the Embassy of Ukraine in Canada. The soil will remain in a small ceramic repository at the Shrine until it is embedded at the base of the monument.

The project was initiated in the spring of 2005 with the founding of the Ottawa Shevchenko Monument Project Committee. It was apparent that Ottawa was one of the few national capitals that lacked a memorial that would reflect the contributions and sacrifices of its citizens of Ukrainian heritage and provide a link to the single individual who most embodies the national consciousness of Ukraine.

The first major task was to secure a suitable statue of Shevchenko, and world-famous Canadian sculptor and Officer of the Order of Canada, Mr. Leo Mol (Leonid Molodozhanyn) with his wife Margareth graciously donated not one, but a composition of four statues for the monument. The statues were imported from Germany and arrived safely in Ottawa (December 2006).

The main statue of the composition is three metres in height and depicts Shevchenko as a young man dressed in a long coat. The three smaller statues represent the key themes from Shevchenko's works: the Haydamaky, Kateryna with child, and a Banduryst.

Architectural design for the monument and site planning was established with Special Design Consultant Radoslav Zuk, Professor Emeritus - School of Architecture, McGill University, working with Derek Crain of Derek Crain Architects in Ottawa. It should be noted that Professor Zuk was also the chief architect of Leo Mol’s Shevchenko Monument in Washington, DC.

KYIV -- October 22 -- UKRINFORM. The French National Assembly registered a bill on recognition of 1932-1933 Holodomor as genocide against the Ukrainian people.

As the Ukrainian service of BBC reported, if the legislative initiative collects 100 signatures, the bill will be considered in short terms. The bill on recognition of the famine as the genocide was proposed by Christian Vanneste UMP Nord. Last year he already posed with the initiative, but in view of the parliamentary elections in France the bill was not considered.

According to estimations of some historians, the artificial famine, Holodomor, organized by the Communist totalitarian regime through confiscation of foods in early 1930s killed 7 to 10 million of Ukrainians, including some 4 million children, which was 25% of the country at that time.

Officially, the Day of Memory of Victims of Holodomor and Political Repression is marked each fourth Saturday of November in Ukraine.

Eleven countries recognized Holodomor in Ukraine as genocide.

The document suggests that the Holodomor aimed at deaths of millions of Ukrainians.

According to Slovak MPs, the declaration will strengthen Ukrainian-Slovak relations and spread ideas of human values. Europe should develop as a space of freedom and we should remember about violence in the passed, committed against Ukraine, which is our neighbour and partner, they said. The declaration will be considered by November 27.

http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=53722

http://www.sme.sk/clanok_tlac.asp?cl=3543024

The MP [Moscow Patriarchate] hierarchs not only informed against each other in the KGB, but they were also engaged in espionage. First of all, in Russian emigre communities. Even metropolitans had no aversion to espionage. For instance, Irinei, the metropolitan of Vienna and Austria, in 1969 recruited the American military intelligence officer, George Trofimoff, who is now serving a life sentence in the United States.

By Konstantin Preobrazhensky http://cicentre.com/Documents/
putin_espionage_church.html

Konstantin Preobrazhensky, a former Lt. Colonel in the KGB who defected to the United States in 1993, is an intelligence expert and specialist on Japan, about which he has written six books. This is a chapter of Konstantin Preobrazhensky’s forthcoming book, Russian Americans: A New KGB Asset.

1. Russian Victory Over America

On May 17, 2007, Russia has gained a historical victory over America. It has opened its province here, which is called the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Of Russia (ROCOR). On this day it has recognized Moscow’s superiority over itself by signing an Act of Canonical Community with the Moscow Patriarchate (MP). But in Russia the Church and state separated only on paper. In fact, the Moscow Patriarchate (MP) is controlled by the Russian neo-KGB state and has always been the pawn of the Russian intelligence.

Though a part of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Of Russia (ROCOR) has refused to come under Moscow’s rule and retained independence, many thousands of Russian Americans and their children are now nourished in the spirit of loyalty to authoritarian Russia, which is becoming hostile to America day-by-day. KGB-backed priests with Russian passports are replacing local clergy. Their churches have become insidious fronts for Russian state interests no matter how our relations evolve in the future.

Initially, ROCOR has been the Church of Imperial Russia, brought to the West by Russian ?migr?s after the Communist revolution of 1917. While the Moscow Patriarchate (MP) was founded by Stalin in 1943 for political purpose: enhancing patriotism in Russia and spying on the ill-hated West. In preparation of the seizure of ROCOR, the KGB has been infiltrated it for over 70 years! From 2000, President Putin has personally guided this mammoth KGB operation.

2. Confessions of Aleksey II

It is interesting, why do the Moscow Patriarchate (MP) hierarchs so persistently resist repenting their cooperation with the KGB? Metropolitan Chrysostom, after all, acknowledged his collaboration, and nothing happened to him. No one fired him. Why are others silent?

I used to think that they were silent because of their fear of new exposures. For instance, if you admit having collaborated with the KGB, that could lead to the exposure of also your membership in the CPSU (Communist Party of the Soviet Union). How would ROCOR react to that?

Yes, the leadership of the MP all were members of the Communist Party, which has been skillfully concealed. They say that the first Communist within the church was Patriarch Pimen. He was a Senior officer of the Red Army, and joined the Communist Party at the front.

There could not have been any officers who believed in God, nor officers who were not Communist Party members. More than that, they were all forced to fight religion. That means that the future patriarch of the MP renounced his faith.

High-ranking workers of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, had let me in on this secret when I was an officer of Intelligence. They used to practice a sort of crude joke on the MP hierarchs. Seeing a person in episcopal clothing at a Kremlin party or at a conference for peace fighters, they would clap him on the shoulder and inquire loudly: “Tell us, Father, which pocket of your cassock holds your party membership ID card?” The bishop would smile a bit sheepishly, but he never objected, since everyone at that gathering was of the same background.

But they keep quiet for another reason. A well-known former general of the KGB, Oleg Kalugin, recently told me this. In 1990 he became the deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and he was the first person to begin exposing KGB agents in cassocks.

The MP became greatly disturbed. They were not afraid of individual exposes, but they were petrified that their main secret – that the MP had intentionally been created by Stalin to be a liaison with the KGB, just as other Soviet organizations of the State, would be revealed. No one would ever dream of bringing to light the fact that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has KGB agents working in it. That’s understood. But if you were to admit that the same thing is in the MP, then where is its sanctity?

Soon after my talk with him, General Kalugin was invited to a private luncheon with the Patriarch. Patriarch Alexey II told Kalugin the following: “Why are you exaggerating what happened? Yes, we collaborated with the KGB, even I did. But it was a struggle for peace, for disarmament! There’s nothing wrong with that!”

To say that a KGB informer is fighting for peace, now that is truly unbelievable. No one has ever portrayed it that way before. The KGB didn’t have any specialties in that vein – no struggle for peace departments. These words are propaganda nonsense! On the contrary, we fought for war! Results of our activity were military conflicts one after the other – in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Angola. This led to a bloating of the military-industrial complex, of which Intelligence was a part. The country was unable to sustain the weight of it all, and the USSR collapsed.

Alexey II let me know in no uncertain terms that he does not consider his collaboration with the KGB something shameful, and has no intentions of repenting of it. On the contrary, he is proud of it, just as Putin is proud of his work in the KGB during the Soviet years. The complete absence of repentance lays down a bridge for future cooperation of the MP and the KGB of today. Why would a well-bred nobleman Ridiger (Alexey II family name is Ridiger) be so dedicated to the Soviet authorities? What has bound them so tightly?

In the distant 1996, my journalistic destiny brought me to a Communist meeting in Novocherkassk. Presidential elections were underway in Russia, and the head of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Zyuganov, appeared to be a serious contender to Boris Yeltsin. He came for support to this Cossack region, where his predecessors in the 1920s conducted mass executions. Now the area is known for its pro-Communist sentiment.

An elderly priest, Father Vladimir, from a local cathedral also spoke at this meeting. He, too, spoke out in favor of Zyuganov, which brought about immense surprise on the part of foreign journalists. But Father Vladimir firmly declared:

“In order for us to study in the Seminary, we were recalled from the Front! To this day we arerateful to the Communist Party for it. Therefore we accepted our studies in the Seminary as one would accept an assignment at the Front. That’s how we referred to ourselves our whole life – the non-party-ticketed Communists!”

Which department had the authority to recall people from the Front, especially during such critical years of the war, when even the sick and feeble were dragged into the army? It could only have been the NKVD (“People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs”, the precursor to the KGB). On whom would she have bestowed this unheard of privilege, which could have saved the person’s life? Only on those who had already been proven reliable and trustworthy, the agents.

Stalin created the MP with the hands of the KGB. This department became her mother. The genetic ties with the KGB in the Moscow Patriarchate are just as strong as the ties between ROCOR and the White anti-Communist Movement.

For approximately thirty years, the KGB residence in Israel was located inside the Jerusalem Mission of the MP. There were no other Soviet offices in that country after the break of diplomatic relations in the mid -1960s. On the staff of the Mission, Intelligence officers worked as priests and laity ...

3. THE Lubyanka Consecration

Informing to the KGB within the Moscow Patriarchate has been a serious obstacle against the unification with the MP of the Church Abroad (ROCOR). What if it continues to this day, the informing? Who can say that it no longer takes place?

Those who side with unification try to minimize the collaboration and to make it look like just individual cases, not a global phenomenon within the Church, that it truly was. They say, for instance, that only some priests became KGB agents within the overall independent life of the Church. Here in the West this bait is swallowed easily.

The rector of the Saint John the Baptist Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Archpriest Victor Potapov, states the following in the August, 2004 issue of the magazine, “Prihodskaya Zhizn” (“Parish Life”): “ Within the confines of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia hot disputes are occurring regarding the future path of the Church and regarding the reunion with the Moscow Patriarchate. In reference with this, I find myself hearing sharp attacks against individual bishops and certain church activists. Objections sometimes are simplified to this – it is impossible to unite with the church in Russia because some of the priests have been corrupted and collaborated with the KGB and haven’t repented of their collaboration. It cannot be possible that the sins of individual people would throw a shadow on the sanctity of the Church.”

Dear Father Victor! It is not so at all. It is not individuals. It is, in fact, some individuals who escaped recruitment by the KGB! Absolutely all bishops and the overwhelming majority of priests collaborated with the KGB. You have to understand that the Church was considered a hostile environment, and it needed, therefore, to be controlled via agents. Even the mechanism of choosing a bishop, only pushed through its agents.

Bishops were part of the nomenclature of the CK KPSS (Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union), and therefore each individual had to be approved by the Ideological Department. And which organization, do you think, would send documentation to the Central Committee for important staff appointments? That’s right, it was the KGB. The recommendation for the future bishop would have been prepared by the Fifth Department, which had general responsibility over the Church, and Intelligence, if he had ever been overseas. Each of the recommendations ended with the phrase: “Collaborates since such a year.”

It was this phrase that was most important for the Central Committee. This phrase testified to the fact that the future bishop was not only loyal to the Soviet authorities, but that he also hangs on a hook: since each agent invariably has compromising materials in his file! This means that this bishop can be trusted not to play any dissident tricks. The astuteness of this observation is evident even today – all the bishops sacredly keep their vow of silence.

Ecclesiastical merits of a candidate for bishop did not interest the Ideological Department. To the contrary, they were hostile to them. The less merits, the better. After this, the Central Committee sanctioned the consecration. Just one thing, is it possible to consider it as such?

However, the consecration was only the beginning. Afterward, it was necessary to be registered as a Bishop in the Council on Religious Affairs. This was granted after a confidential interview with its chairman, Vladimir Kuroyedov, a KGB Lieutenant General.

He used to like to come dine in the General’s dining hall at Lubyanka. Entering, he would show everyone his pass into the Kremlin dining hall and would say: “See, I could have been dining with Brezhnev himself! But I prefer to eat with my guys!”

The Generals replied with a responsive roar and each would move his chair back, inviting Kuroyedov to his table. Not infrequently his table partner would wind up being my father, the Deputy Chief of the KGB’s Border Troops. In the evenings he would retell some amazing stories from church life, which at that time was completely confidential. And all the bishops, blessed by Kuroyedov, still hold their posts and are even attempting to attach the Church Abroad to the MP.

To this day, they all remain, as before, a part of the agency network. They would have been excluded from the network for decoding, had they brought a public repentance. But there was no such repentance. That means that their files still remain active in the safes of Lubyanka. Not in its archives, but in its working files.

The MP hierarchs not only informed against each other in the KGB, but they were also engaged in espionage. First of all, in Russian ?migr? communities. Even metropolitans had no aversion to espionage. For instance, Irinei, the metropolitan of Vienna and Austria, in 1969 recruited the American military intelligence officer, George Trofimoff, who is now serving a life sentence in the United States.

For approximately thirty years, the KGB residence in Israel was located inside the Jerusalem Mission of the MP. There were no other Soviet offices in that country after the break of diplomatic relations in the mid -1960s. On the staff of the Mission, Intelligence officers worked as priests and laity, whereas “real” clergy were relegated to ... The Secretary of the Mission and KGB Major Dubov fled to the West in the late 1980s, and the MP did everything it could to avoid publicity.

4. The Church of Special Purpose

A priest in epaulets – isn’t such a strange sight in the Moscow Patriarchate. I don’t mean that literally, of course. I met one of them on my first day on the job in the KGB’s Intelligence Headquarters in Yasenevo in 1977.

I remember how amazed I was by the long corridors, seemingly kilometers-long, along which scurried hundreds of men in business suits and ties. Their coat jackets were perfectly buttoned-shut, their hair was parted neatly in the middle. Their overall slicked-back appearance was supposed to attest to their highest level of loyalty. And suddenly an officer with a bushy red beard passed me in the corridor. What a remarkable appearance, so totally out-of-place for a Communist-chekist?!

“Don’t be alarmed, he has grown a beard at the instruction of his Intelligence supervisor!” a friend of mine explained laughing. He worked in the personnel department. “Right now this high-level employee is gaining experience in the foreign section of the Patriarchate, and soon he’ll be leaving for an overseas assignment. . .”

My friend didn’t disclose exactly where the bearded KGB officer was being sent, in keeping with the KGB’s conspiratorial protocol, however, he did tell me a story about a professor he knew in the Red-Bannered Institute of the KGB, (Today it is the Academy of Foreign Intelligence) who kept a cassock next to his KGB Colonel’s dress-jacket hanging in his closet. When Patriarch Pimen would travel overseas, the professor/colonel would don the cassock and join his entourage.

In those years a young supervisor of external Counter-Intelligence, General Oleg Kalugin, arrived in East Berlin to inspect the KGB residence. On one of those days, Colonel Ivan Nazarovich Gumeniuk, came up to him and invited him to stop by at the Russian Cathedral that evening.

“I will be serving there,” explained Gumeniuk.

He served in church so professionally, that the parishioners who came up to get his blessing, were convinced that they were kissing the hand of Father John, and not the hand of Colonel Gumeniuk.

“Wow, you really came across great! Just like a real priest.” General Kalugin told him enthusiastically the next morning when they met at the residence.

Such “just like the real thing” priests formed the staff of MP churches all over the world, although in the friendly Arab countries, they practically made up the entire clergy there. The local Muslim counter-intelligence closed their eyes to it, since the priests-chekists worked against the West.

These people didn’t always have a happy life. The Lord sent them many trials and tribulations. The children of some began to have faith in God, which was considered unacceptable in the family of a chekist. Others themselves began to believe. Their chekist-colleagues would sniff it out immediately, and that would be the end of their careers. In my book, “KGB in Japan” (Moscow, “Tsentrpoligraph”, 2000), I wrote in detail about the KGB’s pseudo-priests.

Where are these pseudo-priests now? Have they remained among the clergy of the Moscow Patriarchate?

In the West it is customary to assume that these clerics have evaporated into thin air. But why? Is there even one Russian State enterprise which has purged itself of its KGB agents, as had taken place in some other former socialist countries after the fall of Communism? Unfortunately in Russia this was squashed by the powerful Communist lobby. There definitely were no purges of the KGB within the MP, today’s greatest fan of the Soviet past.

I am aware of only one attempt. It took place in the newspaper “Izvestia” (“News”) right after the fall of the August putsch in 1991. The then editor-in-chief, Igor Golembiovsky, called all the chekists into his office, all those who were working in his newspaper as journalists, and suggested that they either resign from the newspaper or from the KGB. He told them that he was no longer willing to put up with them working in both capacities.

Golembiovsky was never forgiven for his independent thinking, and in Putin’s Russia he is persecuted. Aleksey II, on the other hand, remains at the peak of his glory. The conclusion one can make, of course, is that no chekists were ever expelled from his ranks.

The collaboration of the MP with the KGB, unfortunately, is not a thing of the past, as many prefer to believe in the West. With Putin in power, it has even increased. The reason for this is the new social structure, which Plutin has managed to create in Russia: the State of Special Services. Internal policies and propaganda is under the FSB, whereas the external is under the SVR. All other departments report to them. Participating in today’s Russian political life, it is impossible to avoid contact with Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence. The MP gladly utilizes its Soviet experience within them.

For instance, Putin’s flirtation with the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Il, is held in strictest confidence, in order to keep Americans in the dark. The MP, however, is involved, and takes a most active role in it.

In August, 2006 an MP church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, was opened in Pyongyang, although religion is forbidden in North Korea, and belief in God is considered a political crime. But Kim Jong Il made an exception for his Russian friend. The construction was financed mostly by Russian money, but Kim Jong Il also kindly carved out about a million dollars from the budget of his poverty-stricken country for the construction of the church. This gave him the privilege of being considered a “founder of this temple”.

“For the founder of this temple, let us pray to the Lord!” the Russian deacon will proclaim at each service daily. To make the North Korean dictator an object of religious worship – this is something previously unattainable by any Western president! The appearance on a Russian church in the capital of North Korea, the first stone of which had been laid in June of 2003, is a sign of a great personal friendship between Kim Jong Il and Putin, to spite the Americans.

On this occasion, Kim was so kind as to establish a new government office, “The Orthodox Committee of the DPRK” although there have not been any Orthodox believers in this country for more than fifty years.

A delegation of this bogus Committee recently went to Moscow. Within the MP, the delegation only visited one office, besides the Department of External Church Relations. And what might that be? The Department on Collaboration with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies. It’s interesting, what did this delegation need there? It looks like Kim Jong Il considers the MP a militarized organization, meant for resolving special tasks.

The appearance of the Russian church in Pyongyang creates a channel for secret contacts for both leaders, a channel inaccessible to international control. No one could possibly know what type of epistles the silent priests in black robes will begin to bring into Pyongyang.

This channel is especially valuable because all other channels are open to scrutiny by the Americans. For instance, Bush could ask Putin at one of their meetings:

“Tell me, my friend Vladimir, are you engaged in some kind of clandestine hanky-panky with Kim Jong Il?”

And Putin would be forced to explain himself, because Intelligence checks everything. But in questions regarding religious contacts, Putin will have the right to reply:

“Well that, my dear friend, is non of your business. Faith – is sacrosanct!”

And Bush will have no come-back because his government truly does not get involved in matters of the Church.

In the Moscow Theological Academy, presently there are students from North Korea. Where did they come from? If they were truly believers, they would have been imprisoned. The answer is obvious – they are from the Ministry of State Security. Kim Jong Il is creating an Orthodox Church patterned after Stalin’s church, with the hands of the chekists, the security forces.

But all of the officers of friendly Special Services accredited in Russia, are under the inconspicuous patronage of the Service of Foreign Intelligence. They are invited to resorts, to closed meetings, to banquets. It is interesting whether the North Korean seminarians, leaving the Lavra (monastery) for Moscow, tell their spiritual advisor something like the following: “Bless us, Father, to go to the Reception House of the Service of Foreign Intelligence, which is located in Kolpachniy Lane”?

The MP also “lit up” in the spy scandal which erupted after the murder of the former Chechen leader, Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev in Qatar by Russian agents. In February, 2004 they blew up the car Yandarbiyev was entering after he left a mosque, and were subsequently arrested.

There definitely were no purges of the KGB within the MP, today's greatest fan of the Soviet past. I am aware of only one attempt. It took place in the newspaper “Izvestia” (“News”) right after the fall of the August putsch in 1991. The then editor-in-chief, Igor Golembiovsky, called all the chekists into his office, all those who were working in his newspaper as journalists, and suggested that they either resign from the newspaper or from the KGB. He told them that he was no longer willing to put up with them working in both capacities. Golembiovsky was never forgiven for his independent thinking, and in Putin’s Russia he is persecuted. Aleksey II, on the other hand, remains at the peak of his glory. The conclusion one can make, of course, is that no chekists were ever expelled from his ranks. The collaboration of the MP with the KGB, unfortunately, is not a thing of the past, as many prefer to believe in the West. With Putin in power, it has even increased. The reason for this is the new social structure, which Plutin has managed to create in Russia: the State of Special Services. Internal policies and propaganda is under the FSB, whereas the external is under the SVR. All other departments report to them. Participating in today’s Russian political life, it is impossible to avoid contact with Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence. The MP gladly utilizes its Soviet experience within them.

One of the arrested Russian agents happened to be the local resident of the GRU (Military Intelligence). Since his diplomatic immunity did not allow for him to be imprisoned, he was released. But two others didn’t have diplomat immunity, and were retained for a long time. They immediately admitted to their membership in the GRU, attesting to the fact that Russia is involved in international terrorism. The same terrorism, with which it so passionately appeals for the world to fight. Putin was furious. He applied tremendous efforts to get the unfortunate terrorists released, but his efforts were futile.

Then a stream of Russian representatives began to flow into Qatar. Many officials under various pretexts all tried to break into the jail cell, but the Qatar authorities would allow no on to see them due to security precautions. They were so right in doing so since the killers needed to be liquidated. All that was needed was to smuggle a tiny ampoule under one’s finger nail into the prison cell. Then you would break it open, emitting a colorless substance inside the cell. Within minutes, the person is gone, and as Comrade Stalin used to say: “No person, no problem”.

In despair, Moscow decided to utilize its most unfailing helper for tricky assignments – the Moscow Patriarchate. Bishop Theofan, of Stavropol and Vladikavkaz, flew to Qatar, making it look as though the poor suffering officers imprisoned there, were so deeply religious, that they would rather listen to sermons of a bishop than to break bread. And not just any bishop, but specifically Theofan, known for his contact with Intelligence. Prior to this, he served for many years in the Department of External Church Relations, where he was an intimate of Metropolitan Cyril, whose code name in KGB files says: “Mikhailov”.

Qatar did not let him in either. It is possible that they knew that the MP is a cover for espionage. Besides, the faith of the agents had left great doubts, since inside the exploded car, Yandabiyev’s young son had also been injured. It is unlikely that a believing Christian would decide to kill an innocent child. Even the socialist-revolutionary terrorists who, in 1905, blew up the car with Grand Duke Sergey Alexandrovich, who was the Governor-General of Moscow, at first refused to make the attempt on his life, seeing that he was in the car with his children. Yet these loser-terrorists had been to Chechnya, where the GRU tortures and kills people. Since they were sent to Qatar to do the assignment, it is reasonable to assume that they did everything themselves. The resulting problems, one can attribute to the punishing hand of God. It would have been better for Bishop Theofan to visit the thousands of innocent people, rotting in Russia’s prisons.

The Moscow Patriarchate is amazingly merciful toward murderers fulfilling presidential orders. In 2004, Aleksey II awarded Dmitry Pavlichenko, a Colonel of the Belorussian Special Services, with the Medal of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir. He was the infamous organizer of the “squadrons of death”, which liquidated political enemies of President Lukashenko. The MP Exarch (Representative) in Byelorussia, Metropolitan Philaret, personally petitioned for this award. His stated reasoning was that in a garrison under Pavlichenko’s control, a church had been built. The occasion was clearly not synchronized with the high status of the Medal he received.

“Novaya Gazeta” (“New Newspaper”) published an article about this under the heading “Church of Special Purpose” in August, 2004. “The awarding of Dmitry Pavlichenko with the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir Medal is beyond any logical explanation. Because you don’t need to travel to Belarus to see newly- constructed churches scattered on garrison and prison territories. There are more than enough of those in Russia, as well. But for some reason those, who construct churches in Russia do not receive medals for it. Could it be that the Patriarch and his Metropolitan have decided that he, who, with his own hand sends people to God, is worthy of this high church award?” wrote the newspaper.

“No one in Europe doubts that Pavlichenko, as well as Sheiman and Sivakov, the former Secretary of the Security Council and the Minister of Internal Affairs respectively, were participants in the organization and execution of the murders.” continues the newspaper. “That’s why the Greek authorities refused to allow Sivakov, who now holds the position of Minister of Sport and was supposed to head the Olympic delegation, entry into Athens. The European Community made a special declaration on this point. And exactly in three days, the Russian Orthodox Church awards Pavlichenko this medal. A coincidence, one could say. Or is it the Russians’ “reply to Chamberlain”?

Svetlana Zavadskaya, the wife of Dmitry Zavadskiy, the ORT (Russian Television) camera man who was kidnapped on July 7, 2000, said: “It is very sad that the Russian Orthodox Church awards its second highest Medal in Russia to Dmitry Pavlichenko, who is known in the civilized world as a person suspected of being an accomplice in kidnappings and murders of people. As a believer, I am deeply offended by this. The Orthodox Church in Russia and Belarus is so highly politicized, that for me, clearly, it would be better to commune with God directly, without intermediaries.”

Yet here, among Russian immigrants, the sentiments are diametrically opposite those just expressed -- many have dreamed of unifying with the Moscow Patriarchate. Why?

14 жовтня ц.р. Посол України Канаді Ігор Осташ офіційно передав землю з Канева Голові Організаційного комітету з питань встановлення пам’ятника Кобзареві в Оттаві Орестові Дубасу. Ця подія стала символічною віхою у справі встановлення пам’ятнику Тарасові Шевченку в столиці Канади.

У серпні 2007 представники Шевченківського Національного заповідника з міста Канева передали до Посольства України в Канаді землю з могили Тараса Шевченка для подальшого її закладення в фундамент пам’ятника поетові. А до цього земля залишатиметься у керамічному контейнері, який зберігатиметься у Соборі Святого Івана Хрестителя. Після передачі землі її освятив отець Собору Святого Івана Хрестителя Кирило Микитюк.

Проект встановлення пам’ятника Тарасові Шевченку в Оттаві був започаткований навесні 2005 року. Усвідомлюючи, що Оттава є однією з світових столиць, в якій відсутній монумент видатному українському поетові, пророку та митцю Тарасові Шевченку, який би вшановував внесок громадян цієї країни українського походження у розвиток Канади, українською громадою було прийнято рішення про реалізацію такого проекту. Навесні того ж року був утворений відповідний Організаційний комітет.

Відомий канадський скульптор, офіцер Ордену Канади Лео Мол (Леонід Молодожанин) та його дружина Марґарет подарували Оттавській громаді 4 скульптури, які були відлиті у Німеччині та доставлені до Канади у грудні 2006 року.

Бронзовий монумент зображує молодого Кобзаря у повний зріст в оточенні персонажів його творів. Постать Кобзаря вдягнута у довгий плащ із накидкою, які були характерні для епохи Шевченка. У лівій руці Тарас тримає палітру та три пензлі. Права рука - вільна. Постать дивиться у далечінь. Висота скульптури складає 3 метри, а її маса - 630 кг. Три барельєфи, що доповнюють композицію, зображують гайдамаків, Катерину з немовлям та бандуриста.

Стати архітектором встановлення пам’ятника Тарасові Шевченку в Оттаві був запрошений Дерек Крейн з Derek Crain Architects - відомої оттавської компанії, що здійснює проекти у сфері міського проектування та планування. Дизайнером-консультантом у даному проекті виступає Радослав Жук - почесний професор Школи архітектури Університету МакДжіл та Київського технічного університету будівництва і архітектури. Радослав Жук також був архітектором встановлення пам'ятнику Тарасові Шевченку роботи Лео Мола у м.Вашингтон, відкриття якого відбулося у 1964 році.

Всі, хто прагне фінансово підтримати проект встановлення пам’ятника Тарасові Шевченку в Оттаві, можуть надсилати пожертви на адресу Українсько-Канадської Фундації Тараса Шевченка: 202-952 Main Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2W 3P4. Організаційний комітет має домовленість з Фундацією Тараса Шевченка Квитанція про видачу жертводавцям квитанції про звільнення від податку.

Детальну інформацію щодо проекту встановлення пам’ятнику Тараса Шевченка в Оттаві Ви можете знайти на веб-сайті http://www.infoukes.com/tarasinottawa. Ви також можете звертатися до Голови Організаційного комітетe Ореста Дубаса за телефоном (1-613) 725-0006 або електронною поштою orestdubas@rogers.com.

УВАГА! Знімки з урочистої церемонії передачі землі з Канева доступні на веб-сайті Посольства України в Канаді http://www.ukremb.ca. При необхідності отримання фотокартки високої якості для друку необхідно звертатися за адресою press@ukremb.ca

October 2, 2007 (Regina, SK) August 9 to17, 2007 was the seventh anniversary of the Adult Ukrainian Language Immersion Camp (AULIC) held at Trident Camp at Crystal Lake, Saskatchewan. AULIC 2007 retained the major enhancement to the program, that was introduced in 2006 where participants had the option of staying for the Extended Program (the weekend plus and an extra five days) after the traditional four day weekend. And they were not disappointed - it was a great opportunity for the participants to improve their Ukrainian grammar and speaking skills and have fun at the same time!

Enrollment numbered 21 this year, nearly half of whom stayed on for the Extended Program. They came from all over - four Canadian provinces and one U.S. state were represented. More than half of the participants attended AULIC for the first time and the remaining at least twice, some of which have been to AULIC every year since its implementation! Many new participants learned of the project through AULIC’s web site www.aulic.ca

The AULIC program offered three levels (Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced) of Ukrainian language instruction throughout the day. Instructors this year included Anita Drebot of Regina, a Ukrainian language teacher; and native Ukrainians: Olena Akulov of Regina, a linguist by profession, working at SaskLearning and Victoria Muzychuk, a teacher by profession, working at the University of Regina. Participants enjoyed a trip to Veregin to see the Doukhobor Heritage Village.

Evenings were spent singing, dancing, watching Ukrainian videos and participating in Ukrainian cultural activities. Anita Drebot instructed participants on Ukrainian embroidery.

On Saturday night, special guests were invited to AULIC to enjoy the Marusia Restaurant Program. After dining on a delicious meal, the guests witnessed the many talents of the instructors and participants throughout the evening as they played musical instruments, sang songs, performed skits, and danced.

AULIC 2007’s Organizing Committee consisted of Tony Harras, Wayne Hydeman, Ed Lysyk, Ken Mazur, Katie Oleski and Rhonda Slugoski. This year’s modest early registration fee was $185 for the four-day weekend and $310 for the Extended Program. AULIC would not be possible without the sponsorship of the Ukrainian Orthodox Men’s Association of Regina (UOMA) and the Ukrainian Canadian Professional & Business Association of Regina (UCP&B), and the financial support of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress - Saskatchewan Provincial Council & Regina Branch, the Saskatchewan Organization for Heritage Languages and the Taras Shevchenko Foundation.

Please visit our web site at www.aulic.ca or contact Tony Harras at (306) 586-6805 or harras@sasktel.net for further information.

Planning is already underway for 2007 (tentatively booked for August 8 to 16)!

Submitted by:
TYC/UOMA of Regina and the
UCP&BA of Regina,
'07-Oct-02

The first manmade object to orbit earth was Sputnik in October 1957.

We should remember that the father of Sputnik was Ukrainian scientist Serhii Korol'ov.

Serhii Korol'ov was born in one of the most beautiful parts of Ukraine, Zhytomyr, just west of the Kyiv region, on 27 January, 1907.

After studying engineering in Odesa, Kyiv and Moscow, he began to design gliders and aircraft at the Central Aerodynamics Institute.

By 1933 his interest in rocketry led him, with F. Tsander and others, to launch the first Soviet liquid-fuelled rocket, the /GIRD-09/.

He was arrested in 1938 accused of " subversion in a new field of technology" and imprisoned in the Kolyma Gulag in Siberia, where he was treated severely, tried to escape, and almost died more than once (the expected survival rate at the Kolyma Gulag was only 2-3%).

Thanks to the intervention of one of his former professors, A. Tupolev, Korol'ov was eventually transferred to a /Sharaga/, a special work camp for scientists.

There he worked on rocket boosters. After the war he headed many research and design teams developing ballistic missiles, launch vehicles, and spacecraft.

Rockets developed by him launched:

the first artificial earth satellite, Sputnik,
the first astronauts in earth orbit,
the world's first probes to the moon, Mars, and Venus; and
the first un-manned soft landing on the moon.

In 1966, while undergoing a medical operation in an attempt to deal with some of the physical abuse he suffered in the Kolyma Gulag back in the 1930's, Serhii Korol'ov died. He had just turned 59. Under a policy initiated by Stalin then continued by his successors, the identity of Korolyov was never revealed until his death. The purported reason was to "protect" him from foreign agents from the United States. As a result the Soviet people didn't become aware of his accomplishments until after his death. His untimely death proved to be a serious setback to the Soviet space program, so much so that it has been argued that had he not died, the Soviets could have likely landed men on the moon before the Apollo mission.

Commentary from Andy <acszul@gmail.com>: Cronenberg's lastest film, Eastern Promises, is recommend. It's gritty and rough at times --both in content and scenes-- though the director doesn't unnecessarily drag any of it out. Viggo Mortensen as a Russian mafia thug and Naomi Watts as Anya, the tenacious midwife who stumbles upon a terrifying secret, are both outstanding and keep the film moving. Several annoying stereotypes but that's expected in this kind of film. I had troubling hearing Mortensen's "Da, da" everytime (did he throw in a "Tak, tak"?). And, did Anya have to come across as so naive?

http://movies.nytimes.com/2007/09/14/movies/14east.html

Eastern Promises (2007)
This movie has been designated a Critic's Pick by the film reviewers of The Times.

Peter Mountain/Focus Features
Viggo Mortensen and Naomi Watts
in “Eastern Promises.”
September 14, 2007

On London’s Underside, Where Slavery Survives
By A. O. SCOTT

Published: September 14, 2007

The story told in “Eastern Promises” is a grim and violent one, set in London’s expatriate Russian underworld. The film, directed by David Cronenberg from a script by Steve Knight, revisits a number of themes and motifs that are staples of the genre: the ties of family and culture that bind criminal organizations; Oedipal drama; honor among thieves. The audience stumbles into this realm in the company of an innocent outsider (Naomi Watts) who finds herself at once fascinated and repelled by it, as well as in considerable danger.

But even as the turns of its narrative and the contours of its characters are recognizable, very little about “Eastern Promises” feels predictable or secondhand. From his early days making low-budget horror movies in Canada to his current ascendancy as a favorite of the international critical cognoscenti, Mr. Cronenberg has always been a master of estrangement. He and his cinematographer, Peter Suschitzky, shoot the dark, rain-slicked London streets in tones that turn the city into a sinister, palpitating presence. Mr. Cronenberg’s deliberate, almost stately pacing — the way he lingers in scenes for an extra beat or two, as if studying the faces of his actors for clues — transforms what might have been a routine thriller into something genuinely troubling.

Mr. Knight deserves a lot of credit as well, since he is clearly as interested in the social and ethical implications of the story as he is in its twists and reversals. Among the other screenplays he has written are those for “Dirty Pretty Things,” another peek into the murky byways of multicultural London, and “Amazing Grace,” a stirring biography of the 18th-century British abolitionist William Wilberforce.

“Eastern Promises,” like those earlier movies, is fundamentally about the moral scandal of slavery, the traffic in human bodies and human misery that persists, in secret and in the shadows, even in the modern, cosmopolitan West.

The plot of “Dirty Pretty Things” turned on the sale of organs for transplant. “Eastern Promises” glances at the consequences of the global sex trade, particularly as it involves women and girls from the former Soviet Union. Ms. Watts’s character, Anna, is a midwife at a London hospital — the daughter of a Russian father and a British mother (Sinead Cusack) — obsessed with the background of a baby she has delivered. The infant’s mother was a teenage girl who died in childbirth, leaving behind a diary that chronicled her horrific exploitation and that may contain information about the identities of her tormentors.

Rather guilelessly, Anna follows a trail that leads her to an elegant Russian restaurant, whose proprietor, Semyon (Armin Mueller-Stahl), is a soft-spoken monster with twinkly blue eyes. When he is not decorating birthday cakes for exiled dowagers, Semyon leads a local chapter of the Vory v Zakone, the Russian Cosa Nostra, born in Stalin’s prison camps, whose members are known, like Japanese yakuza, by the tattoos that cover their skin.

Anna, who speaks no Russian, is innocent of the ways of the Vory, but her irascible uncle Stepan (played by the veteran Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski), warns her to steer clear of them.

Several forces combine to pull her into their orbit, though. In addition to her desire to honor the dead girl and protect the baby, there seems to be a trace of the sentimental curiosity that an assimilated, second-generation immigrant might feel about the old country. And then there is Nikolai, the well-mannered, ambitious ex-convict with slicked-back silver hair who serves as driver and wingman for Semyon’s impulsive, unhappy son, Kirill (Vincent Cassel).

Nikolai, who presents himself to Semyon as both loyal and ambitious, is played, with flawless control, by Viggo Mortensen. The immovable hair and the deep dimple in his slightly crooked chin suggest a young Kirk Douglas, but Mr. Douglas was never this quiet. In “A History of Violence,” Mr. Mortensen seamlessly impersonated an ordinary, decent small-town guy who was also a cold, professional killer. Nikolai is a similarly ambiguous — or perhaps divided — character. He is all hard, tense muscle, and yet an almost subliminal hint of compassion occasionally shines through his icy, impassive face.

“Eastern Promises” is itself an intriguing, not always stable mixture of moods and attitudes. There are, as usual in Mr. Cronenberg’s films, scenes of intimate brutality that you almost absorb physically, rather than with your eyes. (One, a grisly knife fight in a steam room, with Mr. Mortensen wearing only his tattoos, is likely to become a touchstone for cinema fetishists of various kinds.)

The rigor of Mr. Cronenberg’s direction sometimes seems at odds with the humanism of Mr. Knight’s script, but more often the director’s ruthless formal command rescues the story from its maudlin impulses. Mr. Knight aims earnestly for your heartstrings, but Mr. Cronenberg insists on getting under your skin. The result is a movie whose images and implications are likely to stay in your head for a long time.

When you have a moment, please check out Radio-Canada's website and vote in the Digital Diversity Competition that my film, Dedashka, is running in...

The link is:

http://www.rcinet.ca/rci/en/concours.asp?pauseatstart=1
(and click on LAUNCH THE SITE)

About Dedashka:
Montreal, QC
Documentary, 2007

An elderly man of Ukrainian origin, Michael Scherbak, tries to hold onto his memories of time spent at a forced-labour camp in Germany during World War II.

Director: Tamara Scherbak

Tamara Scherbak is a Montreal filmmaker of Ukrainian-Austrian descent. Her previous work, an experimental short entitled "Raya," has been screened at various festival, most notably the Montreal World Film Festival in 2005.

Thanks!
Tamara

Information about the contest from Radio-Canada:

Thank you to those who take time to invite their friends and contacts to watch/to listen and to rate the films and the podcasts (audio files).

In only 4 days of the online competition, we've got over 5000 viewings of the films and podcasts!

Also, we want to tell you that everyone from all around the world can participate to rate the works!
But for the ratings, it's OPEN to ALL surfers on the Planet.

By Inna BIRIUKOVA, The Day Weekly Digest, #29
Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, 9 October 2007

"Mayor Chernovetsky, history will not forgive you the defacement of the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life in Pyrohove!," "No to gambling in the historical land!," "Yes to the museum! No to casinos!"

These slogans were brought to the Kyiv city council's building last week by the employees of the museum, scholars from the National Academy of Sciences and Rylsky Institute of Art Criticism, Folklore, and Ethnology, and other people who are worried about how Ukrainian cultural heritage is going to be preserved.

The picketers demanded that Kyiv's top officials cancel the resolution of the Kyiv City Council allowing the construction of a hotel and entertainment complex and a horse-racing and sports club on nearly 10 hectars of the museum's territory.

"In October 2006 the Kyiv City Council passed a resolution to rent to Ukrinvestbud, a research and production limited company, nearly 10 hectars of land for 25 years for this purpose," says Oleksii Dolia, Deputy Director of the museum. "When our employees and scholars picketed the council, the resolution was scrapped.

The council's deputies lent an ear to our demands and repealed their resolution. However, our joy was short-lived: in May 2007 the Kyiv City Council returned to this issue and cancelled its last resolution, thus permitting construction on the museum's territory.

Witnesses told me that the council's secretary Oleksii Dovhyi put this question to vote twice during a single session. At 12:30pm the councilmen voted against but two minutes later the developer got the go-ahead to use our land."

Dolia explained that the object of the dispute is the land in front of the entrance to the museum. In their quest for justice, the employees of the museum turned to President Viktor Yushchenko and the Kyiv prosecutor's office.

The president reacted by Edict No. 553/2007 on taking measures to stop unlawful use of the museum's land and even ordered that a way to expand its area be found. The prosecutor's office, in its turn, issued a protest against the resolution of the Kyiv City Council.

Borys Paton, President of the National Academy of Sciences, also filed a protest to the council and pointed out that any construction in the protected area of the museum, as approved by the Ministry of Culture, is unacceptable. However, this time the councilmen were deaf to the voice of scholars and community.

"We are not going to give up and, in addition to all kinds of appeals to top officials, we have filed a lawsuit. The court will consider it shortly," said Dolia.

"I believe we will succeed in asserting our rights because this is our land. We will not let anyone abuse the values cherished by the Ukrainian people. Furthermore, we have secured the president's support," said Natalia Orobchenko of the Rylsky Institute of Art Criticism, Folklore, and Ethnology.

Leonid Shurko, an associate professor at the Department of Culture Studies in the Institute of Philosophy, Shevchenko Kyiv National University, also came to the council's building to support the picketers.

"The professors and students of our university are against construction in historical lands. If the city council continues to pursue its current policy, Kyiv may soon turn into one grand casino. What kind of heritage will we leave for the next generations?"

To make themselves heard, the protesters sang Ukrainian songs and recited poems under the windows of the officials' offices. "Let us say again to the city council- hands off Pyrohove!," they chanted. We don't know whether Kyiv's councilmen heard them, but no one from the council came out to the picketers.

COMMENTARY
By Volodyyr BONDARENKO, a councilmen of the Kyiv City council:

"In the case of construction on the territory of the Pyrohove museum, scholars gave me a petition addressed to the Kyiv City Council and signed by three thousand people.

"Ethnic centers like Pyrohove are found in all countries of the world. For example, in Germany tens of thousands of people live in settlements built after the medieval pattern. However, this petition did not change the opinion of those councilmen who had voted for construction.

"The resolution was passed due the efforts of the so-called majority comprised of the councilmen from the Leonid Chernovetsky's bloc and some councilmen representing Our Ukraine. It is a known fact that councilmen's votes are being bought. The prosecutor issued a protest against this resolution but the council's secretary Oles Dovhyi did not put it on the agenda.

"The prosecutor's protests which are at variance with the interests of the pro-Chernovetsky majority are, as a rule, either passed over, or rejected.

In addition to Pyrohove, the Kyiv City Council is soon going to engage in the deryban (misappropriation) of the protected lands in Feofania. In my opinion, the situation with the distribution of land can be changed only if we change the Kyiv City Council."

LINK: http://www.day.kiev.ua/189273/
Source: Action Ukraine Report

by Alexandra Matoshko, Kyiv Post Guide Editor
Oct 17 2007, 22:28
www.fashionweek.com.ua

Following the Fashion Weeks in New York, Paris and Milan, Kyiv fashion fans were able to attend one of their own – Ukrainian Fashion Week, which took place from Oct. 11 till Oct. 17. The fashion festival became the tenth in history, and this year moved from the Alta Center shopping mall to a pavilion at Park Pushkina.

Ukrainian Fashion Week was opened by Lilia Poustovit – one of the most successful Ukrainian designers, whose collections recently appeared at boutiques in London and Tokyo. Her spring-summer 2008 collection had some “discreet charm of bourgeoisie” to it, with asymmetric dresses and costumes of black and grey, as well as bright color combinations. Viktoria Gres presented the most romantic collection of Fashion Week, offering girls’ fashion in the style of the ‘40s –lacy dresses and silk shoes with massive heels.

Lviv designer Oksana Karavanska themed her outfits after playing card suits, and dressed her models in chiffon dresses, white blouses, and embroidered skirts, all of which bore depictions of spades and clubs. Aleksey Zalevskiy dubbed his collection “Truth is in Lies” and got inspiration from the famous character Baron Munchausen – models wore burning candles on their heads that symbolized his famous wig. As usual his show was built around combination of couture and sport, which featured sleeveless canvas jackets in combination with T-shirts . Nota Bene&Karavay exploited the theme of Greece and offered high Greek sandals on a flat sole, pleated skirts, and short disco-style shiny dresses. Anna Bublik presented a collection of violet and purple shades, with dresses of various kinds – short and long, broad and tight, with hoods – shaped as dressing gowns. Finally, Andre Tan, whose much advertised public image always draws excessive attention, failed to surprise the audience – his collection “Sky Butterflies” repeated his theater-themed previous collection, and the resemblance was reinforced by a gymnastic performance to open the show.

Дмитро Дроздовський

Коли хочеш розпочати діалог із Лесею Українкою, то, передусім, потрібно поставити собі запитання: а про що б хотіла поговорити з тобою вона?

Коли ми розпочинаємо діалог, то завжди ризикуємо перетворити його або на вічне сходження до істини, як у розмові Понтія Пілата з Єшуа Га-Ноцрі, або на змагання, або на гру, в якій хтось обов’язково мусить вийти переможцем. Діалог насправді — це здатність почути (текст, голос, емоції) у формі запитань іншої людини і спробувати відшукати подібні запитання в собі. Лише тоді, коли поле проблеми є спільним, можна вимовляти перше слово, з якого має розпочатися щось надзвичайне, тобто розуміння. Інтелектуальні потоки співбесіди, які залучають до свого русла тисячі потічків, — явище, якого сьогодні, як і Синього Птаха, не побачити. Але вже не тому, як співає Андрій Макаревич, що цей Птах тепер полохливий, бо багато ласих його спіймати, а тому, що він уже нікому не потрібен. Головне тепер не Синього Птаха знайти, а показати себе, бажано, на тому місці (а краще, в золотій клітці!), де колись Він мешкав.

Часто в діалозі обрії людського інтелекту замикаються під тиском власних емоцій, і тоді людина, навіть працюючи із найвишуканішим матеріалом, опиняється в полоні власних внутрішніх афектів і комплексів. Теорія стара як світ, адже від часів Монтеня, Бодена й Макіавеллі та по сьогодні написано томи праць про природу людини. Бажання ж звергнути Бога (що тягнеться шлейфом гріхів і, водночас, катастроф іще від Ренесансу) часто перетворює діалог із великим на видряпування на Олімп.

Питання етики в такому просторі є неголовним, адже прагнення перекричати співбесідника затьмарює всі нюанси голосу. Тоді вже немає сенсу зважувати слово, потрібно лише взяти таке, що має сильну амплітуду звукових коливань при взаємодії з іншими словесними барабанними механізмами. Але знаючи про те, що енергетика твого слова — не більше, ніж хвиля від удару двох гонгів, хочеш довести, що твоя мова в онтології є істинною.

Нова книжка Оксани Забужко “Notre Dame d’Ukraine: Українка в конфлікті міфологій” — артефакт доби, книжка, що не вкладається в прокрустове ложе сучасних гуманітарних досліджень. Насамперед тому, що є результатом інтердисциплінарного погляду на проблему. “У ході роботи “материк” дедалі увиразнювався й оживав, заселяючись новими й новими постатями з пантеону “забутих і зневажених” героїв, — і дедалі наочніше виявляв свою “катакомбну” включеність, на багато поверхів углиб, у контекст ширшого — транс’європейського — культурного материка, а відтак і пряму свою причетність до найбільших історичних драм християнської культури, про перебіг яких “на нашому, на данському ґрунті” сучасному читачеві вже нічого не відомо”1 (С.11).

1 Цит. за вид.: Забужко О. Notre Dame d’Ukraine: Українка в конфлікті міфологій. — К.: Факт, 2007. — 640 с.; іл. Далі номер сторінки в дужках після цитати.

Решта статті знаходиться тут:
www.vsesvit-journal.com/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=329&Itemid=41

http://www.bkm.org.ua/index.php

Створено сайт Білоцерківського краєзнавчого музею. Працює в тестовому режимі. Просимо відвідати, підтримати українську культуру! Журнал "Музеї України"

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Вихідний день – середа

Думаючи про весну та літо-2008

Маша ТОМАК, фото Бориса КОРПУСЕНКА, «День»

ІРИНА КАРАВАЙ ОДЯГЛА МОДЕЛЕЙ В «КИСЛОТНУ» ЛУСКУ В СТИЛІ 80-х. ФРАГМЕНТ КОЛЕКЦІЇ NOTA BENE & KARAVAY СЕЗОНУ ВЕСНА/ЛІТО-2008

Протягом п’ятниці, суботи та неділі було представлено 19 колекцій. Серед «найрейтинговіших» — роботи визнаних фешн-майстрів: Олексія Залевського, Анни Бублік, Світлани Тєгін, Тетяни Земськової і Олени Ворожбит, Андре Тана, Діани Дорожкіної, Роксолани Богуцької, а також торгових марок «Nota Bene & Karavay» і «Viktoria Gres Denim».

Наприклад, Ірина Каравай присвятила свою колекцію грецькiй тематиці, про що засвідчили типові сандалії на манер взуття давніх богів із Олімпу. От тільки яскравий колір «видавав» їх сучасність. Дизайнер додала колекції трохи «кислотних» кольорів із епохи диско, в крої ж одягу прочитувалася знайома нам Каравай. Олексій Залевський знову зробив «хід» епатажем, оздобивши подіум величезною кількістю свічок, а одяг — принтами у вигляді комп’ютерних качечок і оленей на ядрі, що мало нагадати глядачам про пригоди Барона Мюнгаузена. Росіянка Світлана Тєгін показала спідниці-балони, які як раз зараз «на пiку моди», і сукні з об’ємним низом. Серед топ-кольорів — класичні чорний, рожевий, білий, сірий. Андре Тан збирався зробити «духовну» колекцію, але за власними ж словами, це в нього не зовсім вийшло. Відкриті і відверті сукні, жіночні сукні-сорочки, як виявилося, народжені уявою дизайнера у мандрівках історичною Європою. Треба сказати, що така концепція досить нетрадиційна для прихильника «інтелектуальної» моди Тана.

ОСНОВУ КОЛЕКЦІЇ АННИ БУБЛІК СЕЗОНУ ВЕСНА/ЛІТО 2008 СКЛАЛИ СУКНІ

Роксолана Богуцька створила нову колекцію на основі традиційної української вишивки, при чому автентичної — використовувала вона виключно старі 50-60-ти, а то і сторічні бісерні вишиванки, якими дизайнер оздоблювала легкі і «летючі» сукні, а також традиційну для Богуцької шкіру. Вікторія Гресь у своїй другій лінії «Viktoria Gres Denim» звернулася до теми іміграції, прослідкувавши її характерні образи починаючи з 20-х років і до сьогодення. Сучасних іммігрантів дизайнер уявляє собі припанкованими, вбраними в чорне стилягами із китайськими клітчатими сумками на плечах. І аж ніяк не з Louis Vuitton... Діана Дорожкіна представила дещо «гастрономічну» колекцію, використавши у якості декору подіуму продукцію своїх спонсорів — холодильники і кондитерські вироби. Цього разу у її колекції мало шкіри, але, як завжди, багато корсетів.

Як бачимо, уявлення дизайнерів про сезон весна/літо- 2008 у розрізі модному досить різні. Детальніше про ці та інші колекції, а також цікаві роздуми українського бомонду про моду загалом і останні тенденції зокрема читайте у «Дні» в п’ятницю.

№176, вівторок, 16 жовтня 2007

середа, 17 жовтня 2007 p.
Світлана Пиркало
Бі-Бі-Сі, Лондон

У Лондоні розпочинається 51-й Лондонський кінофестиваль, на якому цього року представлено український фільм "На річці" - дебют режисерки Єви Нейман.

Цю стрічку знято на Одеській кіностудії за підтримки Міністерства культури й туризму.

Це не перший український фільм на лондонському кінофестивалі, але цього року українська тема представлена не лише ним - дія ще трьох фільмів відбувається в Україні.

Це стрічки "Англійський хірург", "Конокради" та "Імпорт-Експорт". Я запитала Пітера Хеймса, радника з питань східноєвропейської програми Лондонського кінофестивалю, чи це вперше Україна так помітно представлена на Лондонському кінофеестивалі?

Пітер Хеймс: Так, відповідь на це питання - так. Представлено три фільми на українську тему, британський, бельгійський та австрійський. І представлений також український фільм На річці, дебют режисерки Єви Нейма. Так що можна сказати, що цього року Україна присутня більше, ніж раніше.

Але це вже не перший український фільм у програмі Лондонського кінофестивалю. У нас були стрічки Кіри Муратової, кілька років тому ми обрали також фільм "Водій для Віри", спільного виробництва з Росією. Але цього року, здається, українських тем куди більше. Фільми Муратової, скажімо так, є частиною традиції авторського фільму, але цьогорічна стрічка Єви Нейман мені здалася іншою і дуже цікавою.

Бі-Бі-Сі: До речі, ця молода українська режисерка Єва Нейман, - вона отримала освіту в Німеччині, але працювала і з Кірою Муратовою, чи не так?

Пітер Хеймс: Здається, це проявляється в фільмі, думаю, в ньому є сцени, які досить-таки нагадують фільми Муратової, але фільм На річці має і свій індивідуальний характер.

Бі-Бі-Сі: Фільм Єви Нейман, знятий за оповіданнями Фрідріха Горенштайна, уже вийшов на екрани в Україні. Кінокритики часто говорять про традицію українського поетичного кіно, і рецензенти цього фільму кажуть, що він також досить поетичний - дія відбувається в такій собі позачасовій реальності... (що його дві героїні - старі мати й дочка - могли б існувати де й коли завгодно...)

Пітер Хеймс: Так, це справді історія поза часом. Це історія двох старих жінок, одна з яких - мати, а інша донька. Одній уже майже 90 років, іншій уже десь під сімдесят, і різницю між ними не так сильно й видно. Вони дуже залежать одна від одної, і на цій прогулянці по річці шукають шлях назад до життя зі свого клаустрофобічного усамітнення. Це дуже рефлективний, вдумливий і часом ліричний фільм. Часом дуже смішний та іронічний, але й трагічний. Це фільм із повільною дією, він не є комерційним.

Бі-Бі-Сі: Говорячи про комерційні фільми - схоже, що українське кіно за межами України відоме лише як фестивальне кіно, переважно завдяки фільмам Кіри Муратової, до якої зараз долучилася Єва Нейман - бо її фільм уже успішно проїхався кількома фестивалями. Чи ви вважаєте, що це гарний чи правильний план для українського кінематографу - виробляти майже виключно фестивальні, артові фільми, - чи є все-таки ринок для більш комерційних стрічок з України?

Пітер Хеймс: Дуже важко відповісти на це питання, бо це не лише проблема - якщо це можна назвати проблемою - українського кіно. Це проблема багатьох кінематографів, що їх переважно знають через фестивальні фільми. Комерційним фільмам дуже важко здобути популярність в інших культурах та інших країнах світу, хоча росіяни довели своєю Нічною вартою, що це насправді можна зробити. Але це трапляється дуже рідко, і дуже мало фільмів досягають такого комерційного прориву.

Бі-Бі-Сі: В Україні час від часу виникають ідеї щодо створення кінематографічної бази для закордонних кінокомпаній, щоб можна було заробляти гроші орендою українських площ та технічних можливостей. Чи це можливо взагалі, чи може Україна стати знімальним майданчиком для іноземних фільмів?

Пітер Хеймс: Це дуже цікавий аспект, бо кожна країна в центрально-східній Європі зараз має ту саму ідею в той самий час. Питання в тому, скільки фільмів можна таким чином назнімати. Нещодавно я чув про плани побудувати кіномістечко в Польщі, наприклад, і здається, в Будапешті вже є нова студія, розроблена спеціально для таких проектів. Так що теоретично можливість є, але якщо усі східноєвропейські країни матимуть великі студії, то не всі ці студії будуть успішними.

Бі-Бі-Сі: отже, програма цьогорічного - 51-го ЛОндонського кінофестивалю має в собі куди більше українського, аніж раніше. Чи це може бути пов'язано з тим, що майже три роки тому по всьому світу дуже багато говорили про Україну у зв'язку з помаранчевою революцією, і ось цей інформаційний поштовх дійшов до кіна?

Пітер Хеймс: Я думаю, що це просто збіг обставин, але можливо, і елемент цього тут також є.

In general, Poltavetz is distressed by the tendency to treat most economic issues as new developments by ignoring the contiguity factor typically residing between the two administrations-cabinets in process of replacing each other.

http://epravda.com.ua/news/2007/10/22/57524.htm

EmKay <persuit41@yahoo.com>

“Auditing Functions Survey” project came to an end. The result was a detailed analytical report that covered various issues of legal and institutional support for auditing budgets, how to verify the qualifications of internal and external auditors, and compliance with international standards for control and audit. The main conclusion of this study was that establishing a system for local internal financial control must be an integral part of the reform of interdepartmental relations that must, in turn, accompany fiscal decentralization. ...

Complete article: nl_eng_20071015_0381.pdf

Стаття тут: nl_eng_20071015_0381.pdf

Стаття тут: nl_eng_20071015_0381.pdf

Elderly Ukrainians, who fought against the Red Army with the anti-Soviet Ukrainian Insurgent Army during and after World War II, march to mark the 65th anniversary of the army's establishment, Kyiv, Sunday, Oct. 14, 2007.

The Ukrainian Insurgent Army, or UPA, battled both Soviet and Nazi forces during the war, and for several years after the war continued to carry out raids against the Soviets and to disrupt efforts to collectivize farms.

Since the 1991 Soviet collapse, the former partisans have sought financial and moral recognition similar to what Red Army veterans have long enjoyed.

"We needed our government to recognize us and nothing else," said UPA veteran Stepan Babii, 83, who came to commemorate the anniversary of the army's creation in 1942. The crowd of several thousand included uniformed veterans, their relatives and many young Ukrainians.

Hostility toward the partisans runs deep in Ukraine because they initially sought support from the Nazis, believing the Germans would grant Ukraine independence. The country was overrun by Nazis before the Soviets drove them out in 1944. An estimated 7 million Ukrainians died in the fighting, and 2.4 million people were sent to Nazi concentration camps.

During Soviet times, schoolchildren were taught that members of the insurgent army were enemies of the people and that they committed atrocities alongside Nazi troops.

Western-leaning Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko signed a decree Thursday on celebrating the 65th anniversary and ordered the government to improve medical care and other social benefits for the former partisans.

The president — whose father was a Red Army soldier who spent four years in a Nazi camp — called for further study of the historical role played by the 100,000 partisans.

Yushchenko has long been trying to win recognition for the partisans, but his efforts have met resistance from communists and Red Army veterans.

The question of how to treat the nationalists in Ukrainian history — as freedom fighters or traitors — has polarized Ukraine. The west of the country supports them, while in the Russian-speaking east, support for the Soviet fighters is stronger.

Members of the Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine tried Sunday to prevent the former partisans and their supporters from reaching the central square, and a few were detained while trying to push through police barriers. Communist Party members stood along the approaches to the square with posters reading "Fascism will not come."

Source: AP

For the last year or so, I have been posting various short video clips of services offered at St. Elias Ukrainian Catholic Church (Brampton, ON) on YouTube. Its purpose was to show the world the beauty of the Eastern Liturgy and its unique form of prayer. What you see is familiar to both Eastern Catholic and Orthodox viewers. For those unable to attend Compline at Christmas, Vespers on Good Friday, the Feast of the Dormition or even Sunday Liturgy, it provides a way to participate, if only in a virtual way. Positive dialogue and expression is encouraged via "Comments" and the links to clips from other "directors" opens up a whole new world.

Give us a look at

YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=tsyhan
St. Elias Website: http://www.saintelias.com/ca/index.php

Andrei Komar

KYIV, Ukraine: Rival Orthodox Christian churches clashed on Thursday over the handling of a treasured 11th-century monastery, with a Kyiv-based church accusing a rival loyal to Russia's main church of destroying a landmark arch.

In an angrily worded statement, the Kyiv Patriarchate alleged that the Ukrainian branch of the Russian Orthodox Church had dismantled the 19th-century arch because it was hampering construction work, calling it a "blatant insult of the history and culture of the Ukrainian people."

The golden-domed Kyiv Pechersk Lavra that dominates the Kyiv skyline is controlled by the Moscow Patriarchate, which answers to Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II. But it is considered a sacred symbol by both rival churches.

Archbishop Pavel of the Moscow Patriarchate denied the accusations, saying the arch was brought down in order to prevent an accident after parts of it collapsed, according to his press office. He said the arch would be restored soon.

Archimandrite Yevstratiy of the Kyiv Patriarchate also accused the Moscow Patriarchate of pursuing commercial rather than spiritual aims, and endangering the holy monastery by allowing its officials and parishioners to drive cars on its grounds and using heavy construction equipment.

"I estimate that soon the number of shops on the grounds of the Lavra will equal the number of cathedrals or even be higher," Yevstratiy was quoted as saying by the Unian news agency.

The Kyiv Patriarchate split from the dominant Moscow Patriarchate after the 1991 Soviet collapse. Since then, the two churches have fought over control of parishes, influence and property in the mostly Orthodox Christian nation of 47 million.

На території Києво-Печерської Лаври в ніч проти понеділка була знесена пам’ятка архітектури без відома дирекції заповідника.

Як повідомляє “Радіо “Київ”, зруйновані брама та огорожа на в’їзді до Нижньої Лаври. Відсутність пам’ятки архітектури, яку було зведено ще 1850 року, помітили працівники Києво-Печерського заповідника зранку, коли йшли на роботу.

Так виглядала територія до знесення воріт

а так зараз...

Цегла, і деталі воріт в перемішаному вигляді звалені на території Єленівського подвір`я Гостиного двору.

Дирекція заповідника стверджує, що ніякої проектно-кошторисної документації вони не бачили, і пам’ятку знесли без їх відома.

«В цей понеділок я йшов на роботу. Ну, і як всі наші співробітники, був дуже здивований тим, що не побачив в’їзну браму на нижню територію. Вона повністю була знесена і уламки, тобто цегла і металева якась конструкція, арматура лежить поруч в сусідньому подвір’ї. А натомість на шлагбаумі висить табличка, на якій було написано, що в’їжджати на нашу територію треба через паркову алею, оскільки західна брама знаходиться на реставрації», - так прокоментував події завідуючий відділу історії Києво-Печерської Лаври Роман КАЧАН.

Фото з сайту kplavra.kiev.uа

I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that our Holy Ukrainian Orthodox Church has launched a new web site. Please, take your time to review the contents of the site and let us know your opinion and suggestions.

http://www.uocofusa.org/

With prayers,
Fr. Daniel