Month: January 25, 2019 9:51 am

KYIV – More than 130 parishes subordinate to the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in Ukraine have voted to join Eastern Christianity’s newest canonically recognized Church: the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). 

KYIV – Kyiv’s Obolon District Court on January 24 sentenced ex-President Viktor Yanukovych, in absentia, to 13 years in prison on charges of treason and for abetting Russia’s war against Ukraine. 

KYIV – A human chain forms along Kyiv’s Paton Bridge over the Dnipro River on January 22 to symbolically mark the 100th anniversary of Unity Day, when the Ukrainian National Republic and the Western Ukrainian National Republic united into one independent Ukrainian state in 1919. Numerous events in Ukraine’s capital and throughout the country are held to commemorate the historic unification of eastern and western Ukrainian lands in the aftermath of World War I. Such human chains across the Kyiv bridge have become a tradition on Unity Day, which became a national holiday in 1991. The first human chain symbolizing Ukraine’s unity was formed on January 21, 1990, when 450,000 people united the cities of Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv and Kyiv.

On January 18, German Foreign Affairs Minister Heiko Maas submitted to his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in Moscow a freshened-up German proposal for Russia to “ensure” unimpeded shipping through the Kerch Strait. In that case, a German-French group would monitor the traffic to certify that it is free (Interfax, RIA Novosti, January 18, 2019).

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Represent-ative Mike Quigley (D- Ill.) released the following statement on his appointment to serve as co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Ukraine Caucus. Rep. Quigley will join fellow Co-Chairs Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Andy Harris (R-Md.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.)

Following is the text of a greeting from the Ukrainian Canadian Congress issued on January 22, celebrated as the Day of Unity in Ukraine.

OTTAWA – Growing up in Winnipeg, as the grandson of Ukrainian immigrants to Canada, touchstones to my ancestral homeland were everywhere – from my friends’ shared ethnic roots, to the food we ate and the traditions our families maintained.

After more than a decade of weekend liturgies at a transit garage in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood, Ss. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Parish opened its doors to an actual church in 1910 to serve immigrants who had come for jobs in the industrial valley just down the street and in businesses which sprouted within walking distance:  stores, restaurants, bakeries, saloons, agencies sending money to relatives in the village back home.  

Major anniversaries were marked this year by Ukrainians in the United States. The year began with celebrations of the centennial of the historic date, January 22, 1918, when Ukraine’s Central Rada, headed by historian Mykhailo Hrushevsky, declared independence and broke ties with Russia. The Central Rada evolved into the fundamental governing institution of the Ukrainian National Republic and established the precedent for Ukraine’s parliamentary democracy and national independence that formed the basis for national identity throughout the 20th century, as well as the declaration of independence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. 

Academia held many conferences about the Holodomor, and its place within genocide studies was often the topic of discussion this year. Ukrainian language offerings are becoming widespread at universities, as are Ukrainian studies programs. In addition, 2018 often saw Ukraine as the focus of many research projects, books and presentations.

Reactions to ongoing Russian invasions in eastern Ukraine continued to strongly echo across the content of Ukrainians working in film, music, art and theater during 2018. At the same time, today’s war ignited interest in similar defining moments in the past, sparking a desire to learn and preserve the truths about their history. Ukrainians in their homeland and the diaspora coordinated efforts to transmit this information to the world.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Onondaga County Family Court Judge Michael Hanuszczak was presented with the Mike Bristol Crystal Award by the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program in recognition of his judicial skills and temperament.