| Ukrainian Canadian

Ukrainian news round-up – Sept 29 2008

September 28th, 2008 Andrew No comments

Olena Shurkho finished second in the women’s race of the Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

While President Yushchenko attended the 63rd Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in NYC this week, Ukraine withdrew its resolution recognizing the Holodomor as genocide – Russia was pleased.

Pirates holding a Ukrainian arms ship off the Somali coast are demanding 20 million dollars for its release, one of the crew members has died. Defense Minister Yuri Yekhanurov says the delivery of armaments to Kenya complied with Ukrainian laws.

Former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Steven Pifer does not think that Ukraine will join the NATO Membership Action Plan in December if early parliamentary elections are called in the country.

Western media keeps pumping out pro-Russian Crimea stories.

McCain and Obama in their first Presidential debate both supported NATO memberships for Ukraine.

Ukraine’s economy and public finances won’t be hit by the global financial crisis, the country’s Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said on Friday.

Viktor Yuschenko meets with President George W. Bush at the White House on Monday, he already met with John McCain last week.

Talk Is Free Theatre (TIFT) from Barrie, Ontario will be presenting excerpts of their English-language production of Bulgakov’s early 1930s play Molière, or League of Hypocrites at the Bulgakov International Art Festival in Kyiv. Bulgakov, the Kyiv-born playwright, author and doctor best known for his novel The Master and the Margarita, had plenty of reason to be disconsolate during his lifetime when his satires were banned in the Soviet Union. But is Bulgakhov, who spent most of his career in Moscow, to be celebrated as a Ukrainian writer or a Russian writer? It’s a question that has re-emerged since Ukraine’s independence.

Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Pavel Lazarenko, who fled his country after losing a power struggle and settled in a Bay Area mansion, won reversal of six of his 14 criminal convictions Friday but failed to persuade a court to overturn charges that he laundered more than $20 million through U.S. banks.

Yulia Tymoshenko said on Friday a gas price of $400 per thousand cubic metres, as has been suggested by Russia’s Gazprom, would be an ‘absolute shock’ for Ukraine’s economy.

With 40% of global wood production coming from illegal timber operations, your furniture might be coming from timber in Chernobyl.

BYuT hopes for a deal with pro-presidential political forces on a new “orange” coalition to prevent early parliamentary elections, a senior bloc member said on Thursday.

Categories: news Tags:

Holodomor on NPR

September 23rd, 2008 Andrew No comments

A few weeks ago Chicago Public Radio’s Worldview program broadcasted a great piece on the Holodomor. The show (which you can download or listen to) features segments with a survivor, clergy, academia, media and more! Definitely worth a listen to.

Vitalina Yushchenko, daughter of President Yushchenko and a 27-year-old mother-of-two fashion model worked the runway in Milan on Tuesday.

Edit: I just listened to this myself and it’s a great piece to listen to. It’s ideal for anyone who wants an introduction to the Holodomor in audio format.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Categories: holodomor, radio, usa Tags:

Borys’s stolen signs found on school grounds

September 22nd, 2008 Andrew No comments

From the Toronto Star:

In an act of early morning vandalism, about 150 signs for Liberal MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj were removed Sunday from lawns throughout Etobicoke Centre, with 30 of them placed in the shape of a giant penis on a hill in the grounds of Humber Valley Village Middle School.

Supporters reported hearing disturbances between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. Sunday along such major streets as Rathburn Rd., Islington Ave., Kipling Ave., only to notice their lawn signs had either been removed, or cut in half.

While I chucked reading the article, the Liberals have been popular in Etobicoke Centre for the past 15 years. Borys has been doing a fantastic job representing his riding, I don’t think he has much to worry about.

Categories: canada Tags:

Practice your Ukrainian with others online

September 20th, 2008 Andrew No comments

I found a neat little site who’s purpose is to practice your conversation skills with others in specific languagues, and they support Ukrainian! SharedTalk Beta is for language exchange and language learning, they say they will not tolerate its use for things like flirting, homework, etc. Give it a try!

Categories: language Tags:

Borys Wrzesnewskyj’s Official Campaign Launch tomorrow

September 20th, 2008 Andrew No comments

From his announcements:

Hello Supporters,

The offical campaign launch for Borys’ Re-Election campaign is TODAY at 3pm to 5pm. Food and refreshments will be served. Liberal MP Maurizio Bevilacqua will help launch the campaign.

The location of the Campaign office is 735 Renforth Dr. Unit #11
416-621-1060

Hope to see you there!