- “The United States fully supports the right of Ukraine to build ever-stronger ties of cooperation and security throughout Europe and across the Atlanticâ€Â – Dick Cheney in Kyiv urging Ukraine’s leaders to unite against the threat posed by Russia  (some videos)
- Ukraine’s trade with the EU is worth more than half as much as its trade with Russia.
- In the Paralympics in Beijing: Alla Malchyk took the bronze in Women’s Discus, Roman Pavlyk won the gold with a Paralympic record of 12.25 seconds in Men’s 100m dash, and Oxana Boturchuk won the gold in 12.38 seconds in the Women’s 100m dash.
- The Ukrainian supreme Rada rejected recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states. Out of 450 MPs, only 167 voted for the recognition.
- Yulia Tymoshenko has been summoned by prosecutors for questioning on a treason charge.
- Ukraine’s place is in EU, says Kyiv’s ambassador to Moscow.
- Analysts are saying the political feud in the coalition is hindering NATO and EU bids, as the EU-Ukraine summit will not invite Ukraine to be a member of the EU.
- Ukraine is getting ready to give its arguments to International Court of Justice in Hague regarding the Black Sea continental plateau dispute with Romania.
All posts by Andrew
Gov’t of Canada to fund Holodomor site
From the Canadian Heritage Press Release:
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress will receive $50,000 in funding to create a section on its website called Holodomor: Honouring the Past for a Better Future. This site will highlight experiences of Holodomor survivors living in Canada. The site will also include cultural and artistic works by Canadian artists in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor.
“The Government is proud to participate in this project, which will educate the Canadian and international public about the Holodomor and honour its survivors who now live in Canada,” said Minister Verner. “This website will allow all Canadians join Ukrainians and the international community in commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor.”
That’s a good chunk of money for just ‘a section on its website’, they should look into getting its own domain. While I do appreciate all the great work done by the UCC and what they stand for, I’ll admit their website is in desparate need of a face lift. I hope their new Holodomor section is designed well, and that it will include some great content like video testimonials!
Holodomor school project
I found this on YouTube, a great video done by some students in Portland, Oregon. Their assignment was to learn about a genocide, and they chose the Holodomor. Great job!
Orwell’s Ukrainian edition of Animal Farm
In March of 1947, famous author George Orwell wrote a preface to his popular anti-totalitarianism novel Animal Farm for displaced Ukrainian citizens throughout Europe.
From Wikipedia:
This Ukrainian edition was an early propaganda use of the book. It was printed to be distributed among the Soviet citizens of Ukraine who were some of the many millions of displaced persons throughout Europe at the end of the Second World War. The American occupation forces considered the edition to be propaganda printed on illegal presses, and handed 1,500 confiscated copies of Animal Farm over to the Soviet authorities. The politics in the book also affected the UK, with Orwell reporting that Ernest Bevin was “terrified”.[6] that it may cause embarrassment if published before the 1945 general election.
You can read the Ukrainian preface online, as it and the rest of the book are now considered public domain in various countries (Canada, Russia, Austrailia but not USA).
Ukrainian news round-up – Sept 1, 2008
- I won’t be vacationing in Russia anytime soon – an anti-Kremlin blogger was taken into police custody and shot dead! His site responded with allegations that the Russian government was cracking down on Ingushetia, a small Muslim region trying to succeed from Russia. First regarded as ‘an accident’, now the official story is the website’s owner tried to wrestle a gun away (while in custody?) and then was shot in the temple.
- Ukrainian heptathlete Lyudmila Blonska was given a lifetime ban on Friday after testing positive for an anabolic steroid at the Olympic Games – she was given the stiffest punishment because it was her second doping offence.
An ammunition depot near Lozovaya caught on fire causing 6500 people to be evacuated in the area, lighting up the sky. The explosions did not spread out past the base, despite the neighboring forest fire that caused the incident. Luckily no casualties were reported. - A Ukrainian minister warned that if the European Union did not flash positive signals on Ukraine’s membership soon, it would send a message to Russia that it could influence policy by military actions. President Yushchenko warns ‘any country could be next‘.
- Meanwhile the EU has claimed it will give ‘support’ to Ukraine’s territorial inviolability and sovereignty, but have provided no real prospect for EU membership.
- Dick Cheney is coming!
- A Ukrainian window washer’s death in New York has re-sparked debate about the profession’s safety there.
- Ukraine and Romania have taken their dispute over their maritime border to the World Court and the UN to divide an estimated 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas and oil reserves under the Black Sea.
- Dima “DIMAGA” Filipchuk has gained in popularity, narrowly beating veteran Eugin “Strelok” Oparyshev in Kyiv at World Cyber Games Ukraine 2008.
- The secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council was expelled from the opposition Party of Regions on Monday after disputing the party’s support for Russia’s recognition of Georgia’s rebel regions.