Ukrainian Canadian

Celebrate the life and times of Taras Shevchenko

Andrew — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:07:49 +0000

Yesterday was the 196th anniversary of the birth of Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko, and today the anniversary of his death: Shevchenko has had a unique place in Ukrainian cultural history and in world literature. Through his writings he laid the foundations for the creation of a fully functional modern Ukrainian literature. His poetry contributed [...]

Yanukovych offers to undo Orange Revolution for Russia – gets nothing for Ukraine in return (Updated)

Andrew — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:35:47 +0000

In a few words: Ukraine’s new president Viktor Yanukovich soothed Moscow Friday by suggesting he would reverse key policies of his pro-Western predecessor, but won no public promise that Russia will lower Kiev’s onerous gas bills. Yanukovych is already bending over backwards for Russia. First he removed a Holodomor memorial from the Presidential website the day of his [...]

European Parliament denounces Ukraine for Russian gas (Updated)

Andrew — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:08:32 +0000

On the day of Yanukovych’s Presidential inauguration, the European Parliament had already suspiciously prepared and presented a resolution on the situation in Ukraine. Some of them were nominal decrees to establish Ukraine as a neighbour (ie. not European or within the EU) and validating the recent questionable elections, but clause #20 took aim at former [...]

Weekend watching: Holodomor’s TV debut in Canada 1983

Andrew — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:31:47 +0000

Back in 1983, Radio Quebec’s Planète featured the first documentary on the Holodomor on TV. A very good programme, it featured many testimonials of heartbreaking stories from this intentional genocide. It even features James Mace, the prominent Harvard researcher who published works on how the Holodomor was in fact genocide. It also mentions the Walter [...]

Tymoshenko’s Government Ousted In Ukraine [Article]

Andrew — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:28:26 +0000

From the Associated Press: The Ukrainian parliament ousted the government of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in a no-confidence vote on Wednesday, dealing a final blow to the leadership of the pro-Western Orange Revolution and leaving her to lead the opposition in parliament. The vote followed weeks of shifting alliances in the parliament after the pro-Western Tymoshenko lost [...]

Communism returns in Sochi, Russia for Olympics

Andrew — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:22:54 +0000

Watching the Olympics closing ceremony last Sunday, a video clip for the upcoming 2014 winter games in Sochi, Russia aired. Shockingly among the Russian scenes was the Communist sculpture ‘ Worker and Kolkhoz Woman‘ featuring the dreaded hammer and sickle. It’s very disturbing how these images of oppression and murder, the darkest periods of modern history are [...]

Ukrainian PM’s Orange coalition dissolves [Article]

Andrew — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:18:13 +0000

From the Associated Press: Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s pro-Western Orange coalition dissolved Tuesday as her former allies turned against her, setting her up to be ousted in a no-confidence vote. The development spells the final repudiation of the Orange Revolution Tymoshenko helped lead in 2004, and paves the way for Ukraine’s new Kremlin-friendly president to consolidate his [...]

CTV sends fat bill, sinks celebrations at Ukraine House [Article]

Andrew — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:14:40 +0000

From the Province: The Olympic party may be over but at least one country’s hospitality house may be facing a stiff bill for broadcasting the Games to its visitors. Ukraine House, sponsored jointly by a local non-profit group and the country’s Olympic organizing committee, learned halfway through the televised Games it was infringing on CTV’s broadcast rights [...]

Ukraine’s Catholic University Is ‘the Right Institution at the Right Time’ [Article]

Andrew — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:44:14 +0000

From the National Catholic Register: LVIV, Ukraine — Just 20 years ago, in Moscow, some 200 Ukrainian Catholics initiated a hunger strike to dramatize their demand that the Soviet government legalize the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the largest Eastern-rite Catholic Church, which had been banned and persecuted by the Communists for 45 years. The bravery of these [...]

Ukrainian Canadian busker plays the Bandura at Toronto subway station

Andrew — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 18:02:44 +0000

From BlogTO: Out in the west end at Royal York station, you’ll often find TTC busker Yarko Antonevych calmly plucking away at a strange lute-like instrument. The scene so charming and anachronistic that it’s no wonder commuters are instantly drawn to him. “What is that you’re playing?” they’ll ask, and it has become such a common [...]