BOOK NOTE: Political profile of President Leonid Kuchma (04/06/97)

BOOK NOTE: Political profile of President Leonid Kuchma

by Marta Kolomayets
Special to The Ukrainian Weekly

KYIV - Described as a political portrait of Leonid Kuchma, "The Third President" by journalist Yuriy Lukanov is a milestone in Ukrainian book publishing.

Not only is it being recognized as the first independent book about a leading Ukrainian government official to be published while that person is still in office, but it is also the first book that clearly presents the office of the president as a viable institution for building a democratic society in Ukraine.

"In this unbiased work, we not only see the rise of Leonid Kuchma to the post of president, but we also see the institution of the presidency laying firm roots in Ukraine," said Dmytro Markov, the president's press secretary, who attended the book launch on February 4 at the UNIAN news agency.

Mr. Lukanov, 38, a journalist who began his career at the newspaper Molod Ukrainy in 1982, went on to establish the press service of Rukh in 1989. At Rukh-Press he worked on Vyacheslav Chornovil's presidential campaign and the December 1991 referendum on Ukraine's independence.

He has been a featured reporter on Ukrainian State Radio and the popular television news program "Vikna." Mr. Lukanov also has worked abroad at Radio Canada International, traveled to the United States on various internships, and been a frequent contributor to Radio Liberty, Voice of America and BBC radio broadcasts.

While working for the Ukrainian National Information Agency - Novyny (UNIAN) Mr. Lukanov said, he was inspired to write something longer and meatier than the short news briefs and articles he churned out on a daily basis.

"But I wanted it to be something people would read and something I could make some money on," said the practical Mr. Lukanov.

He realized that readers of popular books in Ukraine today can be classified into two categories: those who savor detective tales of crime and corruption (these books abound in the Russian language throughout Ukraine), and those who thirst for books on current events involving today's political leaders (these are lacking in Ukraine, whether in Ukrainian or Russian).

Mr. Lukanov chose the latter topic for two reasons: it was much safer to investigate, and it was something he had been interested in since his early days at Rukh.

For 18 months, January 1995 to August 1996, Mr. Lukanov collected materials, analyzed hundreds of news stories, traveled around the country - to Mr. Kuchma's native village, Chaikine, to the Pivdenmash missile factory in Dnipropetrovsk - and interviewed tens of government officials, deputies as well as Mr. Kuchma's professional colleagues, childhood friends and relatives.

Then he began writing. His 158-page Ukrainian-language soft-cover book includes six chapters that cover Mr. Kuchma's childhood, his professional career, and his climb up the political ladder from prime minister to president in the years 1992 to 1996. Illustrating the book are a handful of photos provided by well-known Ukrainian photographer Vasyl Artiushenko.

Mr. Lukanov then talked to his friends at Taki Spravy Publishing House, with whom he had a close working relationship since the early days of Ukraine's independence, and they agreed to print the first edition of his debut work: 5,000 copies.

Although few of his Ukrainian colleagues believe Mr. Lukanov's book was not censored, both Mr. Lukanov and Mr. Markov said no government officials saw the book before it was printed.

Mr. Lukanov explained that he interviewed a handful of government officials, but they provided little insight: many refused to talk to him, while still others gave evasive answers. Mr. Lukanov said he did not interview President Kuchma at all.

"I saw him at a press conference, and obviously analyzed his speeches, but what good would an hourlong interview do me? And, I really couldn't expect more time from the Ukrainian leader," Mr. Lukanov said.

"When you read the book, you'll see that it presents no one else's vision of President Kuchma but my own," he noted.

Mr. Lukanov said the title of his book is the subject of heated debate, because Mr. Kuchma, in fact, is Ukraine's second popularly elected president. Mykhailo Hrushevsky was the chairman of the Central Rada and was not a popularly elected president of Ukraine in 1918. Former President Leonid Kravchuk has been the most vocal in this discussion, and this, Mr. Lukanov said, also provides publicity for his book.

Although not yet a bestseller in Ukraine, Mr. Markov told journalists that the book enjoys a certain popularity, based on his own experience. He explained that he bought the book and began reading it on a recent flight back to Kyiv. He got up to stretch his legs and when he got back to his seat, his book was gone.

The book has also not been financially lucrative for Mr. Lukanov; he has had to serve as his own manager of publicity and marketing, traveling to conferences and conventions to promote his own work.

U.S. and Canadian readers may obtain the book from the author - along with his autograph - by sending a check for $14 (U.S. funds) to: Yuriy Lukanov, 4 Volhohradska St., Apt. 61, Kyiv, Ukraine 252141. For additional information, interested individuals may call Mr. Lukanov at 380-44-277-3369, between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. (Kyiv time).

As for his future plans, Mr. Lukanov said he has been bitten by the writing bug and plans to start writing his second book, the topic of which is still to be decided.

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