Ukrainian Canadian

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 to be glorified in the spirit of the Olympics:

A video of it is also available:

There are some groups already out there opposing the 2014 Sochi games, definitely check them out:

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 for turning on two TVs in the hall.

The screens went dark before the Canada-Slovakia men’s quarterfinal hockey game on Friday night after CTV asked for $8,000 because Ukraine House was rebroadcasting its signal to an audience.

“If we had to pay the full amount, we couldn’t pay and without the Olympics on TV, (the house) just wouldn’t work,” said organizer Adam Kozak.

“We’re just a little guy,” he said. “We’re going to lose money and we had a very limited budget and we didn’t know about the (fee).”

He said the $8,000 amounts to almost a quarter of the house’s entire operating budget.

Ukraine House, which charged no admission, offered home-cooked meals and a cash bar, isn’t expected to even break even after paying suppliers and rent for the hall on Ash Street near 16th Avenue.

“We didn’t have huge crowds, but we were the friendliest (of the countries’ houses),” said Kozak.

Kozak said after a call, CTV agreed to waive the $8,000 fee in lieu of a $1,500 donation to the Rick Hansen Foundation.

CTV’s Andrea Goldstein said she wasn’t able to provide an executive to comment on the fee or if other houses were charged similar fees for broadcasting the Games to their patrons.

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Shame on you CTV!

From the CBC:

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has cancelled his visit to Vancouver to attend the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics on Sunday evening, CBC News has learned.

The announcement comes as a surprise because Russia is the next host of the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014, and Medvedev had planned to attend.

…

Russia has also fared poorly in the medal count at the Vancouver Olympics, holding fifth place behind Canada as of Thursday morning with 13 medals — less than half of their predicted results.

…

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge called out Medvedev for his country’s repeated doping violations in cross-country skiing and biathlon.

The suspicions surrounding the Russians, who have had eight biathletes and cross-country skiers banned for doping since the end of the 2009 World Cup season, were raised repeatedly during Rogge’s media conference in Vancouver on Feb. 9.

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From the The Toronto Star:

The next Winter Olympics is shaping up as a Cold War-style battle between Canada and Russia after a blistering editorial in Pravda labeled us as a nation of cowardly, incompetent war criminals.

The editorial, entitled Vancouver: Mutton Dressed as Lamb, goes straight for the eyes from the outset. “Vancouver is not fit to hold the Winter Olympics,” it declares in the opening paragraph.

And that was before Canada whipped Russia in the hockey quarter finals. Today, the site was less expansive.

“The Red Machine Runs into a Maple Tree,” was Pravda’s headline. Other newspaper banners across Russia included “Nightmare in Vancouver” and “Down and Out.”

Reading back on Pravda’s screed, the schadenfreude will be thick for Canadian supporters. The website’s main athletic complaint is about a short-notice drug test issued to Russian skier Natalya Korosteleva. It neglects to mention that VANOC organizers have no input into the drug-testing regime of any particular sporting body.

It also impugns us for the decision to give the gold medal in men’s figure skating to American Evan Lysacek over Russian Evgeni Plushenko – as if we had some say in that, either.

…

“Even more diligent critics of Vancouver 2010 have been astonished by the editorial,” the Times of London wrote today.

Last night, Russian hockey stars were being … well … Russian about their loss.

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Looking for the story of 90 year-old Olga Yurechko’s memorial letter? Click here

Update: A video is available of Olga carrying the torch:

From Ukraine House 2010:

91 year-old Ukrainian Canadian, Olga Kotelko, appointed for Olympics 2010 Torch Relay

Olga Kotelko, known as the oldest long jump competitor in the world, was nominated as one of the 12,000 XXI Winter Olympic Games Torch Bearers. She will hold history in her hands, carrying the Olympic flame in the Vancouver 2010 Torch Relay.

Olga will carry the torch on Wednesday, February 10 at 7:45 p.m., on Marine Drive in West Vancouver between 15th and 17th Street.

“I am so very happy and so overwhelmed to have this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said an emotional Kotelko. “Carrying the Torch represents inspiration, dedication, hope, perseverance and community spirit. To me, this Flame is a shining symbol saluting good health and well being.”

This diminutive and personable former teacher from Burnaby, B.C., Olga is a role model for youngsters, masters and seniors. Since 1997, at the age of 77, Olga Kotelko has been running, jumping and throwing – and breaking Canadian and World records in the W80, W85 and W90 age categories.

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Besides having been named BC’s Masters Athlete of the Year, she has also won the Vancouver YWCA’s Women of Distinction in Sports award. In her West Vancouver community, she is sought after as a motivational speaker for seniors, and is well known in her local elementary school where she coaches the shot put. Olga Kotelko is also included in the Canadian Masters Athletics Hall of Fame.

“I am enjoying the benefits of doing what I started at the age of 77… track and field” she stated. “As the Chinese expression says: “It is not how old we are, it is how we get old!”

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About Ukraine House:

Official home of Ukraine’s Olympic team for the 2010 Winter Olympics is being run jointly by the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, Embassy of Ukraine in Canada and Ukrainian Canadian Congress. Ukraine House will be officially opened on February 11th, 2010 and will be open to the public from February 12th through to the 28th. Located at the Ukrainian Catholic Centre at 3150 Ash Street in Vancouver, BC.