Month: March 11, 2021 11:42 pm

While the origins of International Women’s Day date back to the early 20th century, it wasn’t until 1977 that the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 an official U.N. holiday for women’s rights. It has since been commemorated annually by the U.N. and much of the world, including in Ukraine where marches this year were held in Kyiv, Lviv, Kramatorsk, Kharkiv and Zaporizhia, among other cities.

Thirty years ago, on March 17, 1991, 80.16 percent of Ukraine’s citizens in a national referendum voted “yes” to sovereignty within a union of Soviet sovereign states, based on Ukraine’s July 16, 1990, Declaration of State Sovereignty. A surprising 70.5 percent of the voters were in favor of a renewed federation of Soviet socialist republics, as proposed by Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.

I have just finished reading a wonderful article by Alex Kuzma on Shevchenko. I understand that Ukrainians remember Shevchenko in a very serious and somber manner, but I have also spent time in Scotland and the Scots honor Robert Burns by having a dinner, a few drinks and reading Burns’ poetry (and listening to a tune on the bagpipes!).

Dear Editor:

Kudos for publishing the two recent think pieces by Slavko Martyniuk and George Woloshyn. Knowing both writers personally, I know their views often diverge. But they’re worth reading precisely because they express themselves coherently, factually and with old-fashioned good writing style. As a society, we could benefit from a return to civilized debate.

Dear Editor:

I enjoyed reading Ihor Selmach’s sports update on baseball umpire Nestor Chylak in the Weekly’s January 31 issue.

Dear Editor:

We are very grateful for the publication of The Ukrainian Weekly and Svoboda for so many years.

Dear Editor: Thank you, Alex Kuzma, for your excellent article “Rethinking Shevchenko” (March 5). The article, a keeper, should be…...

Dear Editor:

I believe that as a responsible, independent newspaper you have an obligation to demand from the writers to your editorial board factual information. Unfortunately, on at least two occasions, in letters to your editorial board, Mr. Mirchuk (January 17) and Mr. Martyniuk (January 29) made unsubstantiated, provocative allegations against our president, Joe Biden. They claimed that he blocked Ukraine’s military response to the Russian annexation of Crimea.

Dear Editor:

The commentary about the Heavenly Hundred (page 7) in the February 21 issue [“The heavenly hundred – the spirit that continues to motivate and drive”] contains the statement “The Youth Battle in Kruty in 1929 saw 300 students die …”

The spirit of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) leader Stepan Bandera lives on in Ukraine and internationally.

As a perennial exercise, a group of cowards once again defaced Bandera’s grave in Munich over the weekend, thinking that this somehow will diminish or eradicate his spirit. These actions only highlight and strengthen Bandera’s spirit and are a reminder of how strong this spirit is. If it was not, why would they bother to risk sneaking around a cemetery at night to deface a place of rest. Despicable!!

SOUTH BOUND BROOK, N.J. – A commemorative service (panakhyda) for the Heavenly Hundred was led by Archbishop Daniel of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. (UOC-U.S.A.) following divine liturgy on February 21 at St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Memorial Church. The hierarch led prayers for the victims who were killed seven years ago while protesting on Independence Square in Kyiv in what became known as the Euro-Maidan or the Revolution of Dignity of 2013-2014. Seats in the church held small posters with the photo, name and description of each fallen hero, with a votive candle illuminating each victim’s face.

ISTANBUL – Patriarchal Deacon Iakovos (Andrij) Krochak, who is a native Ukrainian Canadian, was ordained to the priesthood by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on February 24 at the Patriarchal Cathedral of Saint George at the Phanar. Patriarchal Deacon Iakovos was also awarded the offikion (title) of Grand Syncellus of the Great Church of Christ. The prestigious awarding of Grand Syncellus of the Great Church of Christ recognizes Patriarchal Deacon Iakovos as a close and valued advisor to Patriarch Bartholomew.