Month: January 29, 2021 10:09 am

Ukraine’s relationship with its diaspora over the last almost 30 years has been manifestly positive, yet tangibly troubling. Meetings have been held on the highest levels, honors and trinkets bestowed, even joint efforts made in observances, celebrations and remembrances. Diaspora representatives have served in the government of Ukraine with some latitude as to legal requirements and limitations for such service.

Dear Editor:
I applaud Ihor Mirchuk’s insightful letter in the January 17 issue of The Ukrainian Weekly. Mr. Mirchuk pointed to three moments in recent history where Western powers betrayed Ukraine: (1) when Presi­dent Barack Obama’s emissaries, John Kerry and Joe Biden, dismissed the guarantees in the Budapest Memorandum, (2) when Mr. Obama refused to deliver lethal weapons to Ukraine and (3) when he [Mr. Obama] blocked Ukraine’s military from reacting to the Russian occupation of Crimea.

Dear Editor:
In his latest column, “The 2020 Election and Its Aftermath,” published in the January 22 issue of The Ukrainian Weekly, Andrew Fedynsky draws a comparison between Donald Trump’s alleged attempt to overturn the U.S. election results on January 6 and Lenin’s dissolution of the Russian Constituent Assembly in January 1918.

SAN DIEGO – St. Nicholas visited the parish of St. John the Baptizer Ukrainian Catholic Church here on December 8. It was a lovely warm southern California day and, while the parish was celebrating outside due to COVID-19, St. Nicholas had no problem locating the children who were waiting impatiently for him.

WHIPPANY, N.J. – For 54 years the annual Our Sport (“Nash Sport”) magazine, published by the Ukrainian Athletic-Educational Association Chornomorska Sitch, has highlighted the sporting events for not only local team action but also those occurring in Ukraine and across the globe.

The inscription on his Baseball Hall of Fame plaque says it all: “Considered by many to be the nonpareil umpire of the Post-War Era. A model of consistency with invariable accuracy both behind the plate and on the bases.” Nestor Chylak was an umpire in the American League from 1954 through 1978. He was immensely respected by league management, managers and players for his abilities at keeping the game moving and never being the center of attention. His posthumous election to the Hall of Fame was the ultimate testament to his superior umpiring achievements. At the time he was the eighth umpire inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. (Currently there are 10.)

WHIPPANY, N.J. – The Chornomorska Sitch men’s premier soccer team is in seventh place for the first half of the 2020-2021 season of the highly competitive Super Division of the Garden State Soccer League (GSSL), which is based in New Jersey. After 10 matches played, Sitch has four wins, one tie and five losses, with 13 points.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Ukrainian National Home (UNH) announced on January 14 its plan to re-open amid the governor-ordered shutdown of in-person dining in New York State due to a spike in the COVID-19 pandemic. The new policies that were outlined by the UNH board include the following: operating at 50 percent capacity for any given time; a maximum of four persons per table; mandatory face coverings except while seated, and masked staff; adherence to physical distancing measures; hand sanitizer stations are available throughout the building; no hall or large gatherings until further notice; and all patrons must be out of the building by 10 p.m.

Faced with lockdowns, travel restrictions and rules for distancing, Ukrainian artists and organizations modified their activities and presentations to address the new challenges of COVID-19. In-person events went on-line, often even including active participation of everyone via Zoom sessions.

Academia’s activity for 2020 was abbreviated when compared to its usual schedule of conferences, presentations, lectures, film screenings, etc. Many events moved online, while others had to be postponed or cancelled.

When the coronavirus struck in March, the sports world was thrown upside down. For many, many months it was the year that wasn’t. The 2020 Summer Olympics were postponed for one year. Some international sports competitions were canceled, others pushed back. Professional sports leagues saw their seasons put on hold for months. Eventually, after months of careful strategizing around and against a deadly pandemic, sports returned, albeit in most unique circumstances. Abbreviated seasons played out, tournaments played on, competitions resumed, some scheduled events in the latter half of the year were held, champions were crowned, and medals were distributed to victorious individuals and teams, mostly without spectators and fans.

KYIV – Starting on January 16, a provision in Ukraine’s language law went into force that stipulates all public service providers must first address their customers in Ukrainian and they must provide information for customers while browsing or shopping in the state language.

Aside from commercial transactions, the provision also applies to educational, medical and social services, the office of the language ombudsman’s website says. At the customer’s request, service may be provided in another language, such as Russian or English, if it is mutually acceptable to both parties.