Entries Tagged 'ukraine' ↓

A documentary film by a Latvian director that shows the Soviet Union helped Nazi Germany instigate the Holocaust.Furthermore,it’s a documentary about the Soviet crimes against humanity and its own people. More importantly, it underlines the similarity of Soviet and Nazi regimes and undisputed ways of how they helped and supported each other.

It ends with a conclusion of how Europe lacks political will to fully condemn Communist crimes against humanity because �this is not how the world works. With Germany and Russia building gas pipelines together, it is difficult to imagine one being vocal against the other, and requiring e.g extradition of former Soviet KGB interrogators who tortured many people to death. They continue to live in Moscow as decorated veterans.

The documentary “The Soviet Story” is directed by Edvins Snore, who spent 10 years gathering information and two years filming in several countries. Among those interviewed in the film are Western and Russian historians, as well as survivors of the Soviet Gulag. This is not a pure documentary and not a pure scholarly work. It injects drama and cinematography that goes beyond what we usually see in documentaries. 

Click here to watch it in its entirety.

• Eight heads of state are expected to attend an international forum on the Holodomor, Presidents of the Baltic States, Poland and Georgia have officially announced they will be attending, and confirmations were still to be received from two European countries.
• Yulia Tymoshenko said on Monday her government was working on a gas supply agreement with Russia that would keep the price at the current level.
• I can’t believe my eyes!  The Washington Times gets it right in Ukraine-Russian relations.
• The main militant group in Nigeria’s oil region said it freed a Ukrainian and three Nigerian hostages, while still holding two British nationals.
• The National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine is scheduled to perform traditional Persian music pieces in the Iranian capital of Tehran.
• After complaints to the city Buildings Department, and concern from the Urkainian (oh c’mon NY Times you have spellcheck) Ukrainian community in the East Village, Cooper Union removed a giant banner with a reproduction of a Picasso drawing of Jospeh Stalin.  Some of the kudos must go to Cyber Cossack who raised the issue immediately.  In another unbelievable moment, the article gets Holodomor issues right including Duranty denial

On October 18, 1918 Ukrainian nationalism came in its own right declaring an independent West Ukrainian People’s Republic from the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  The area consisted of Galicia, Transcarpathia and Bukovina which many of the Ukrainian diaspora emigrated from.  The Republic had a population of over 5 million people, and its government had 1/3 of its seats reserved for ethnic minorities (Poles, Jews, etc).  The official state language was Ukrainian, but the minorities reserved the right to communicate with their government in their mother tongue.  The state also confiscated vast estates from private landlords and distributed the land to landless peasants.  On January 22 1919 the state united with the Ukrainian People’s Republic.

Viktor Yushchenko recently took part in the celebration:

According to the Ukrainian president, the formation of the movement gave a push towards the national unity required for the formation of the Ukrainian state in 1919. It required, according to him, progressive democratic and Europe-oriented ideals which should dominate foreign policy today.
…
“If we stand united, if we do not step on politically secular paths, we will be able to achieve those values, which are the essence of our national ideal, the values of the Ukrainian spirit. The values of European civilisation, of fair and confident living. The values, which were proclaimed in Lviv 90 years ago – independence, statehood,
community and spirituality,” Yushchenko said.

• “Either we get the money or hold onto the ship. And if attacked, we will fight back to the bitter end.” is the word coming from the Somali-hijacked Ukrainian ship.  Russian warship, Neustrashimy, which is scheduled to arrive off the Somaliacoast any time now, and seeking approval to launch a strike to repossess the Ukrainian ship.  Meanwhile relatives of the passengers on the ship are raising money to pay off the hijackers.
• A European Parliament resolution on Thursday called the Holodomor “cynically and cruelly planned” by Moscow but stopped short of calling it a “genocide”.
• Ukraine, already a destination for unconventional kinds of tourism like political and sexual (see how they’re tackling that now), now has a new tourist attraction - abortion.
• With the world facing an economic crisis, everyone has been coming out of the woodwork to  blame Ukraine’s financial struggle on Yushchenko.  The Hryvnia has sunk to a new low at approx $6 USD and inflation is up at 20%.  Many Eastern European countries are on the verge of collapse.
• With Russia gaining a naval fleet in Georgian territory (Ochamchire base on the Abkhazia) after their conflict, they are looking yet again to extend their other Naval fleet lease in the Crimea.
• A Ukrainian warship, the Ternopil, will join the NATO-led Operation Active Endeavor naval antiterrorism exercise in November.
• A new Ukrainian government must be formed before January 1,2009, President Viktor Yushchenko.  This was said after Tymoshenko supporters blocked a parliamentary session on the president called on economic crisis funding.

• Pirates aboard the hijacked Ukrainian weapons carrying ship moored off the coast of Somalia have withdrawn their threat to blow up the ship if ransom is not paid.
• Ukrainian authorities pumped more money into the shaken banking sector as they prepared for talks with the International Monetary Fund about getting help with the country’s financial troubles.  Yulia Tymoshenko said Thursday the IMF is ready to lend up to $14 billion only if the President abandons plans for early parliamentary elections.  Will it really help though or just devalue the currency for regular Ukrainians? 
• Meanwhile Tymoshenko said she would accept any conditions set by the President and is team to salvage the ruling coalition and avoid early parliamentary elections, and she also refused to provide funds for it.
• More sad EuroCup 2012 news as an Austrian company has pulled out of a project to build a new stadium, which has come at the worst possible time.
• Ukrainian cinema is on the rise, after having its first pavillion ever at the Cannes film Festival“Illusion of Fear” by Alexander Kiriyenko will be Ukraine’s entry for the best foreign-language film Oscar race.  A special kind of press conference took place Tuesday as the first Ukrainian soiree at MIPCOM was unveiled.
• The 38th annual International Film Festival Molodist kicks off Saturday in Kyiv, while International Film Festival Pokrov 2008 wrapped up in the same city.
• Chernivtsi, the capital of Bukovnya celebrated its 600th anniversary.  Many of the Ukrainian diaspora come from this region, as well as Halychnya.

• I haven’t been able to keep up to date on the Georgia-Russia conflict, luckily Cyber Cossack hasn’t missed a beat.  There has been a lot of news coverage despite the Olympics.
• Ukraine picked up its first medal - Roman Gontiuk won the bronze in Judo (Men’s 81kg).  Sergiy Derevyanchenko advanced in boxing but others are not favouring so well due to the alledged bias of officials.
• Ukrainianization is flourishing!
  

  The number of schools using Russian as the language of instruction is rapidly diminishing even in Russian-speaking areas, and higher education is conducted in Ukrainian…   Ukrainian state television only broadcasts in Ukrainian, and the presence of Russian in radio and television is minimal, though many still rely on broadcasts from Russia... The progressing Ukrainianisation of the country has left many Russian speakers uncomfortable, but for several decades it was Ukrainians who complained of language discrimination, and only slowly has the Slavic language begun to erase the ‘peasant language’ tag.

• Last week, a Ukrainian Catholic Church in Utica, NY was broken into where the thieves broke the tabernacle to steal a gold plated chalice and incense burner. There have been no leads in the investigation (video)
• Thirty Ukrainian orphans arrived in the Orange County in hopes of being adopted by American families and educating them on their plight.
• Tufts University graduate students have launched the Child’s Right to Thrive Student Group leading a grass-roots effort to improve the lives of children living in congregate care in Ukraine among other countries.
• Kindness in Action, a nonprofit from Severna Park, MD, that sponsors an orphanage in Lviv, delivered 17 quilts during a visit from June 13 to July 3.
• This week’s Nash Holos (Vancouver) and Ukrainian Time (Montreal) radio shows are available to download.

From Ukrainian Canadian Social Services in Canada:

FLOOD DISASTER APPEAL:

Western Ukraine has been hit by storms and non-stop rain from July 23 – 25, 2008 causing the banks of rivers and tributaries to overflow and to flood villages throughout the regions of Vynnycka, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zakarpatia, Lviw, Ternopil and Chernivsti. 22 lives have been lost already. Buildings are roofless; roads, overpasses and bridges have been washed out; crops are destroyed. Local medical resources are stretched. Residents moving to higher ground watch as their homes and livelihood lay in ruin. And still the rain comes…

The volunteers and donors to Pomich Ukraini at Ukrainian Canadian Social Services are aware of the great need for humanitarian relief in western Ukraine as a result of this disaster. Please help us to bring this appeal to the attention of those of good will in our Churches, organizations and governments.

1. Your monetary donation can be conveniently made on-line: Click Donate Now throughCanadaHelps.org (also a French link)

2. Or, please feel free to send your cheque to Pomich Ukraini – Flood Relief. Send your cheque directly to the local branch of Ukrainian Canadian Social Services (addresses located on the home page for each UCSS branch) or to national headquarters at:

Ukrainian Canadian Social Services
2445 Bloor Street West
Toronto, Ontario
M6S 1P7
204 942 4627

Thank you for your generosity at this time of great need!

From United Ukrainian American Relief Committee in the US:

Help your Brothers and Sisters in Western Ukraine, who are suffering from a natural disaster that befell them: heavy rains, landslides and floods.

Tens of thousands Ukrainians are without a roof over their heads and have no means of subsistence.

22 people have perished and the number of victims is increasing daily.

Emergency relief requested

Bedding: sheets, blankets, pillows, pillowcases, sleeping bags
Items of personal hygiene
Rubber footwear

Financial aid is needed for purchase of food and other needed items in Ukraine, and to defray the cost of shipment of the above-mentioned articles.

Location of collection site:

UUARC Home Office
UNITED UKRAINIAN AMERICAN RELIEF COMMITTEE, INC.
1206 Cottman Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19111
215-728-1630

HELP OUR UKRAINIAN BRETHREN IN NEED!
All donations are tax-deductible
For more information see: www.uuarc.org

This is a commercial for Stingray Bay at the Toronto Zoo where two sailors are looking for the elusive Sting rays. One of the sailors reminds them they have to head back to Minsk first and the commercial ends with the Russian Anthem playing.

Perhaps someone should have pointed out to them Minsk is in Belarus and not Russia. Also the coordinates they show at the beginning of the commercial point to the Black Sea, where the Russian Black Sea fleet is stationed in Sevastopol, Ukraine until 2017. Ukraine has stated they will not renew the agreement to lease its Crimean base, but Moscow insists it will be there forever.

Former Soviet Republic + Tsar’s Anthem + Imperial Outpost begs the question… who’s making these ads?