Ukrainian Canadian

Yanukovych’s new education minister believes Western Ukrainians ‘practically have nothing in common with the people of the greater Ukraine’

Andrew — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:49:08 +0000

Last week, Yanukovych’s hand picked parliament appointed a new education minister Dmytro Tabachnyk from the Party of Regions. Many are worried because of Tabachnyk’s xenophobic Russocentric comments he’s made in the past: The appointment of Dmytro Tabachnyk as education and science minister of Ukraine became a downright shock – he is [...]

Yanukovych brings oligarchs back to close down archives – no more Holodomor research and other refutes of Soviet propaganda

Andrew — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:02:58 +0000

Last Friday, Yanukovych promptly dismissed his predecessor’s appointed head of the SBU security service Vasyl Hrytsak. Surprisingly he was conspicuously replaced not by another qualified individual but rather media magnate & television network owner Valery Khoroshkovsky. It seems to have worked well for Italy! From the Kyiv Post via Steve Bandera’s site: One of Yushchenko’s most progressive [...]

Anti-Defamation League (ADL) going after Ukrainian politics again, attacks Heroes

Andrew — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:08:11 +0000

From the ADL press release: The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today called on Viktor Yanukovich, the recently elected president of Ukraine, to withdraw the “Hero of Ukraine” title awarded to two partisans who fought alongside the Nazis against the Soviets in World War II and who had direct involvement in atrocities against Jews and Poles. “The Ukrainian state [...]

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 [...]