Tag Archives: ukrainian

CBC funds lavish getaways while shutting down Ukrainian RCI

Fellow blog Ukemonde got a response from CBC in regards to them shutting down their Ukrainian language broadcast of their Radio Canada International service:

As I am sure you understand, it was made after extensive consultation and a great deal of careful consideration, and in response to the very difficult financial situation at CBC/Radio-Canada. Although it is bound to Foreign Affairs objectives, Radio Canada International remains fully accountable for its programming. We recognize that the Ukrainian section that opened in 1952 is one of the service’s oldest. We also realize how important it is to the Ukrainian community, in both Canada and the Ukraine. That said, RCI must pull out all the stops to fulfill its mission with a considerably reduced workforce now. Despite the closing of the Ukrainian section and the cancellation of programming in Cantonese, RCI will continue to faithfully carry out its mandate, which is to produce and distribute programming that targets international audiences, with a view to raising awareness of Canada, its values, and its social, economic and cultural life.

But another blog Nash Holos points out that CBC hosted lavish events for their top executives (April 22, 2009):

CBC’s top executives spent more than $60,000 over six months holding meetings in luxury hotels and resorts and expensing such items as sparkling wine and limousine rides. …

More than $21,600 was spent sending 21 CBC and Radio-Canada human resources managers and senior executives to the ritzy Chateau Beauvallon in Mont-Tremblant, Que., for two days. The limo costs alone for one vice-president amounted to $1,009.94.

Is the CBC justified in cutting their Ukrainian language broadcast while using tax-payer money for executive fun?  You can let them know.

Ukrainian on The Wire

From Episode 2×01 Ebb Tide:

Ziggy embarrasses Nick by talking too much and offending Sergei, a Ukrainian driver, by calling him Boris (and Russian)

The Wire is a critically acclaimed show that highlights the end of the American empire through the lens of the Baltimore police fighting the different faucets of crime in their city. This season has an interesting focus on human trafficking, where girls from Eastern Europe are funneled through Turkey to work as prostitutes in America.  A good book on the subject is The Natashas.

Ukrainian pavilion at Globalfest in Calgary for the next 2 weeks

Globafest 2008 starts tomorrow, running from August 11 – 23 in Calgary, AB:

“Vitiayemo!” Welcome! The Tradition of Tryzub is the tradition of Excellence. Let our music and dazzling entertainment keep your feet tapping and your heart racing. Returning from recent performances in Mexico, New York and Las Vegas, Calgary’s world famous Tryzub Ukrainian Dance Ensemble will again provide breath-taking, gravity defying acrobatic dance ntertainment. Take advantage of a rare opportunity! Tryzub’s performing Ensemble will be available in full costume for photo opportunities with visitors of the Tryzub Ukrainian Pavilion where you’ll find displays and information on Calgary’s Premier Ukrainian Dance Organization.

Here is the menu for the pavilion:

  • Perogies w/ butter onions
  • Sausage on a bun

Tickets are $15 per day and $50 for the entire festival.

‘So you think you can dance’ labels the Hopak as Russian

From UNIAN:

Last night, the very popular FOX TV show “So You Think You Can Dance” (watched by millions and millions of viewers) featured two of this year`s top male dancers wearing Ukrainian folk costumes and dancing a hopak while presenting it as a Russian dance “trepak.” The lame excuse that such a dance was used by Tchaikovsky in his ballet “The Nutcracker” does not justify such a glaring misinformation on the part of the producers and, in particular, a Russian choreographer who prepared this dance!

The League of Ukrainian Canadians have provided a petition to sign and are encouraging viewers to write to FOX tonight to have them acknowledge the error before tonight’s finale. Already available is a clip from last night’s dance.

Continue reading ‘So you think you can dance’ labels the Hopak as Russian

Holodomor Flame in South America

This month was a busy one for the International Holodomor Flame as it toured South America. It left Ottawa for one-day visits to Columbia, then Ecuador as well as Peru in its first week. Its second week was spent in Brazil and made several stops. Brazil has the third largest diaspora population, outside the US and Canada.

Next the Flame was in Paraguay for a few days where it received some media attention. Also a very nice amount of attention from the following stop in Argentina, including some videos here, here and here (there’s also a Ukrainian newspaper there in Spanish). The Flame is in Chile for the rest of the week and then it heads for Britain (where it is trying to get recognized as genocide and has been for some time) and a large tour in Europe for the next couple of months.

I apologize for the non-English articles, I hope someone’s Spanish & Portuguese is up to par! Thanks to reader Bogdano for the links.