Western Pennsylvania Ukrainians hold famine observances (10/23/83)

Western Pennsylvania Ukrainians hold famine observances

PITTSBURGH - The weekend of October 7-9 was the occasion for the Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania Ukrainian community's observance of the 50th anniversary of the Great Famine in Ukraine. The events were supported by all segments of the community and the many members of the Ukrainian Technological Society played pivotal roles in the organization and support of the events.

As the observances began, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published a feature article by Bohdan Hodiak titled "'Hidden,' Famine in Ukraine Killed Millions" on the front page of its Friday issue. Later in the evening, Dr. James Mace from the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute was interviewed on WPIT Radio, and the Roy Foxx Radio Program on KDICA Radio devoted one hour to callers responding to the Post-Gazette article.

On Saturday, an all-day symposium titled "Genocide in Ukraine" was held at the University of Pittsburgh at the Frick Fine Arts Building. University organizations sponsoring the symposium were the Office of Urban and Community Services, the Russian and East European Studies Program, the Pennsylvania Ethnic Heritage Studies Center, and the department of Slavic languages and literatures. Also acting as sponsors were the Ukrainian Student Organization of the University of Pittsburgh and the Ukrainian Famine Committee of Western Pennsylvania.

Dr. Bernard J. Kobosky, vice-chancellor for public affairs of the University of Pittsburgh, welcomed the invited speakers and symposium attendees. He then handed over the program to Dr. John Basarab, formerly program director of the Ukrainian section of Radio Liberty, who acted as moderator. Dr. Basarab introduced the first speaker, Dr. George Shevelov, professor emeritus of Columbia University, who spoke on the "Rise and Fall of the Policy of Ukrainianization." He indicated how the Soviets at first encouraged the growth of Ukrainian cultural and intellectual life, but then turned against the policy, accusing persons who carried out their initial policy of being bourgeois nationalists.

Marco Carynnyk, visiting fellow at the Kennan Institute in Washington, who is writing a book on the Great Famine, was the next to speak. His topic was "The Dogs that Did Not Bark: The United States and Great Britain and the Ukrainian Famine of 1933." In his talk, Mr. Carynnyk quoted extensively messages from the British Embassy in Moscow to the British Foreign Office in London and from petitions of Ukrainian groups to President Roosevelt and the U.S. State Department. These documents indicated that both the U.S. and British governments knew full well the extent of the famine, but did nothing about it because of economic and official reluctance to become involved in an "internal" matter of another country.

Concluding the morning session was Dr. Bohdan Bociurkiw of Carleton University in Ottawa, who spoke on the "Destruction of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Soviet Ukraine during the 1930s." He related in detail how the Soviets used the technique of the big lie to accuse the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church of being in collusion with the "League for Liberation of Ukraine," an organization claimed to be made up of nationalist counter-revolutionaries, but which was in fact a figment of the Soviet big lie propaganda. Confused and panicky church officials "confessed" to these accusations at a GPU-staged sobor in 1930. This effectively sealed the fate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as the Soviets used the "confession" at will and whim to destroy the Church as they pleased.

Dr. Mace, who is working on a book about the famine, presented the talk "The Man-Made Famine of 1933" to begin the afternoon session. He outlined how, by using demographic techniques, the currently accepted number of 7 million victims of the famine has been authenticated. He also related how eyewitness testimony is being used in writing the book he is working on. Following Dr. Mace's talk, a panel discussion between all four speakers and the audience was held. This lively session drew all the presentations together to show how the Soviets purposefully attempted to destroy the Ukrainian nation intellectually and culturally, economically and spiritually through planned genocide by famine.

Over 200 different individuals attended various parts of the symposium with more than 75 percent attending the entire symposium program. The symposium was videotaped by the university's audio-visual department, and after editing will be available to interested groups. Individual members of the UTS contributed financially to the videotaping project.

The symposium was covered by Channel 4 TV and a news story with an interview with Dr. Mace was shown on the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. telecasts. On Sunday two feature articles appeared in The Pittsburgh Press. Both were written by Robert Baird. One, titled "Ukrainians Recall 'The Forgotten Holocaust,'" appeared on the front page. At 2:30 p.m., a manifestation march from Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park to the Soldiers and Sailors Hall in Oakland took place. The march was organized by the Ukrainian Famine Committee of Western Pennsylvania, with UTS member Michael Komichak as general chairman. The Rt. Rev. Andrew Beck and Msgr. Russell Danylchuk served as honorary chairmen.

According to press estimates, more than 600 persons participated in the march. UTS members E. Manasterski and George Hanczar Jr. had the honor of carrying the proclamation banner which read "1932-33-1983; We Cannot Forget 7 Million Ukrainians that Died in Stalin's Organized Famine 50 Years Ago. Vichnaya Pamiat." Ukrainian Catholic and Orthodox clergy also marched as did units of the Ukrainian National Women's League of America, the Ukrainian Orthodox League and the Poltava Dance Ensemble. The marchers assembled on the patio and steps of Soldiers and Sailors Hall where Mr. Komichak read the text of the open letter that was read before the Soviet Embassy in Washington on October 2. Then he led the assembled throng in renditions of "God Bless America," the Ukrainian national anthem and chants of "Freedom for Ukraine." The people then entered the hall for an ecumenical requiem service and memorial program.

Participating in the panakhyda were Orthodox and Catholic clergy. Responses were led by the League of Ukrainian Catholics Kalyna Choir under the direction of Irene Vladuchick and the Ukrainian Orthodox Choir under the direction of Lesya Andrews.

Following the service, a memorial program was presented. The two regional choirs sang appropriate selections, as did Nadia Worobij. Dr. Mace gave a short presentation in English and Mr. Carynnyk spoke in Ukrainian. Mr. Komichak read telegrams of praise and remembrance from Sen. John Heinz (R-Pa.), Allegheny County Commissioners Chairman Thomas J. Foerster, and U.S. Reps. William J. Coyne (D), Joseph Gaydos (D) and Doug Walgren (D) of Pennsylvania.

Raymond Komichak read the resolution of the Western Pennsylvania Ukrainian Community on the Famine in English, while Yaroslawa Polataijko Komichak read the same resolution in Ukrainian. The resolution was unanimously passed by those present.

Sunday's march and memorial program were extensively covered by the print and broadcast media. All three local television channels presented stories with films of the march and interviews with Dr. Mace, Mr. Carynnyk and Kateryna Dowbenko. The Press and Post-Gazette ran follow-up articles with photos in Monday's editions.

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