1998: THE YEAR IN REVIEW: The noteworthy: people and events (12/27/98)

1998: THE YEAR IN REVIEW

The noteworthy: people and events

Some major happenings and achievements defy easy categorization, ergo this section, the noteworthy - people and events - of 1998 (listed in chronological order).

Manor Junior College celebrated its 50th anniversary between September 1997 and May of this year. The Ukrainian sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great founded the college in 1947 as St. Macrina College. Their goal was to establish an institution of higher education that would reflect Basilian educational teachings and offer a place where young Ukrainian women could obtain an education while preserving their Ukrainian culture. Today, Manor Junior college has some 650 full-and part-time students. The college offers career-oriented, two-year associate degrees, as well as transfer programs for the purpose of obtaining a baccalaureate degree through its three divisions: Liberal Arts; Allied Health, Science and Math; and Business. In all, there are 14 programs with 13 majors leading to associate degrees, six certificate programs, one diploma program and a transfer program. The Professional Development Department supports the non-traditional student by offering part-time day, evening and summer classes as well as non-credit and professional development workshops and seminars geared to the community needs. Manor Junior College maintains a Ukrainian Heritage Studies Center that promotes Ukrainian heritage and arts through its academic programs, museum collection and archives.
After his historic flight aboard the U.S. space shuttle Columbia, Ukrainian cosmonaut Leonid Kadenyuk and his back-up, Yaroslav Pustovyi, visited Ukrainian communities in Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Houston, New York and Newark, N.J., in early 1998. Independent Ukraine's first space-faring cosmonaut, Col. Kadenyuk, flew aboard the Columbia from November 19 to December 5, 1997, as a payload specialist. While in space he conducted various experiments to study the effects of microgravity on plant growth. His 16-day flight aboard the American space shuttle has been hailed as a symbol of the expanding strategic partnership between the United States and Ukraine. Col. Kadenyuk told the audience gathered at St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic School what he took into space aboard the shuttle: a Ukrainian flag; a portrait of Ukraine's greatest poet, Taras Shevchenko, and a copy of his Kobzar; and recordings of Ukrainian songs sung by famous Ukrainian artists such as Anatolii Solovianenko, Dmytro Hnatiuk, Sofia Rotaru and others; as well as a recording of the Ukrainian national anthem, "Sche Ne Vmerla Ukraina." Dr. Pustovyi emphasized, first of all, that "Ukraine and the cosmos have always been connected." He listed three Ukrainians who made immeasurable contributions to space exploration: Mykola Kybalchych (1853-1881), an inventor, foresaw space flight and developed the idea of jet propulsion; Yurii Kondratiuk (1897-1941/1942), a scientist and inventor, was a pioneer in rocketry and space technology who came up with the concept of multi-stage rockets; Serhii Korolov (1907-1966), an aeronautical engineer, designed the first Soviet guided missiles and spacecraft. He also noted that Pavlo Popovych, a Ukrainian, became the USSR's fourth cosmonaut in 1962. Thus, he said, it can be said that Ukraine always was a space-faring country. This space shuttle flight by Col. Kadenyuk, he continued, is "Ukraine's return to the cosmos."
Longwood College senior Raissa Czemerynski, a therapeutic recreation major, was one of 20 students nationwide selected to USA Today's 1998 All-USA College Academic First Team. Nearly 1,200 undergraduates nationally were nominated for the 1998 awards. The winners were invited to an awards luncheon on February 13 at USA Today headquarters in Arlington, Va., and were featured that day in a two-page color section of the newspaper, "saluting the best and the brightest." A check for $2,500 and a trophy were presented to each student. Ms. Czemerynski was accompanied by her parents, and several professors. Ms. Czemerynski, 21, is a Longwood Scholar; a member of the college's honors program, Phi Kappa Phi national honor society, and Mortar Board, an honorary leadership society; and a former president of the Therapeutic Recreation Organization. Ms. Czemerynski organized and partly financed a three-week internship last summer at Lviv Regional Specialized Children's Hospital in Ukraine to conduct therapeutic recreation activities with children age 8-10 who suffer health consequences as a result of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster.
John Demjanjuk regained his U.S. citizenship, thanks to a February 20 ruling by a federal judge who reversed his 1981 denaturalization, citing fraud on the part of U.S. government prosecutors. Judge Paul R. Matia of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, wrote that attorneys of the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Special Investigations (OSI) "acted with reckless disregard for their duty to the court and their discovery obligations" in failing to disclose evidence to the Demjanjuk defense. Ed Nishnic, spokesman for the Demjanjuk family, said: "We are thankful for the court and its ruling for reinstatement of Mr. Demjanjuk's citizenship. We're carefully reviewing this decision and deciding on what our next steps will be." Mr. Nishnic, who is a son-in-law of Mr. Demjanjuk, also said: "This is welcome news to the family. This has been a 21-year legal nightmare, and when we got word of the decision it was like waking up after the nightmare. Now we are back to an even playing field." Judge Matia cited a November 1993 ruling in the extradition portion of the Demjanjuk case, in which the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals held that "the OSI attorneys acted with reckless disregard for the truth and for the government's obligation to take no steps that prevent an adversary from presenting his case fully and fairly. This was fraud on the court in the circumstances of this case where, by recklessly assuming Demjanjuk's guilt, they failed to observe their obligation to produce exculpatory materials requested by Demjanjuk." Referring to new examples of evidence not disclosed to the defense - information that was revealed in this proceeding - Judge Matia wrote, "this behavior constitutes further fraud upon the court." The new information includes documentation referring to a February 1980 interview with Jacob Reimer, an ethnic German who served as a clerical official at Trawniki, and the Dorofeev Protocols received from the USSR in 1980, which include the statements of five Soviet citizens who served at Trawniki. In vacating the denaturalization order of June 23, 1981, Judge Matia also considered whether any sanctions should be applied. There were two possibilities: dismissing the case with prejudice, or dismissing it without prejudice. Judge Matia chose to dismiss the case without prejudice, which means that the U.S. government could reopen a case seeking to revoke Mr. Demjanjuk's citizenship. If he had dismissed the case with prejudice, the government would have been prevented from reopening any denaturalization proceeding against Mr. Demjanjuk.
Ukraine's new permanent representative to the United Nations, Volodymyr Yurievych Yelchenko, was welcomed at the Ukrainian National Home on February 22, during an informal dinner given by the Ukrainian community to greet and honor him as ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Ukraine. Mr. Yelchenko said that much work still needs to be done by the Ukrainian representation at the U.N. during the General Assembly's present session, including the creation of favorable conditions for Ukraine's election to the Security Council as a non-permanent member for the years 2000-2001, which will be voted on during the General Assembly's 54th session. Ukraine has been a non-permanent member of the Security Council twice before - in 1948-1949 and 1984-1985 - years when the possibilities for independent activity on the part of Ukrainian diplomats were restricted, explained Ambassador Yelchenko. At age 39, Mr. Yelchenko is serving his second tour of duty with the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations. He served as second secretary of the Ukrainian Mission from 1986 to 1992. Mr. Yelchenko became the permanent representative of Ukraine to the U.N. last October, succeeding Anatolii Zlenko, who was named Ukraine's ambassador to France.
The Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations commemorated its 40th anniversary on March 27 at an afternoon reception at the Mission for 150 guests, including U.N. diplomats, representatives of the U.N. Secretariat, U.S. businesspeople and representatives of Ukrainian American organizations. Although Ukraine was one of the 51 original member-nations to the United Nations and a signatory on the United Nations Charter at its founding conference in San Francisco in 1945, the government of Ukraine did not establish its Permanent Mission at the U.N. headquarters until March 24, 1958. At a press conference held on March 13, Ukraine's 10th ambassador to the U.N., Mr. Yelchenko noted Ukraine's consistent participation in U.N. activities, beginning with the efforts of Ukraine's first delegation, headed by Dmytro Manuilsky, towards drafting the U.N. Charter, to the present day, when Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Hennadii Udovenko holds the top post at the U.N. General Assembly. During its 52 years as a member-state of the U.N., Ukraine has belonged to many key U.N. committees and currently has membership in nearly 100 U.N. bodies, specialized agencies and committees. Since proclaiming its independence in 1991, Ukraine consistently has been among the top countries to participate in U.N. peacekeeping missions around the globe, sending 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers to participate in nine out of 17 U.N. missions. Last year Ukraine's U.N. contribution totaled more than $28 million, making Ukraine the 12th largest contributor to the organization.
Elected on March 29, Roman Zvarych became the first member of the Ukrainian Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, to have been born in the U.S. Earlier he had scored another first when he became the first American citizen to take Ukrainian citizenship, which he did in 1995. Mr. Zvarych, 45, whose parents were born in Ukraine but were forced to move to the West during World War II, was born in Yonkers, N.Y., in 1953, and lived in the New York area until 1990, when he moved to Ukraine. He renounced his U.S. citizenship in 1993. Mr. Zvarych, who has a Ph.D. in philosophy, taught at Columbia University and was an active member of Ukrainian Liberation Front organizations while he lived in New York. In Ukraine he headed the Center for Democratic Reform before being elected a national deputy. He is a member of the Rukh faction in the Verkhovna Rada.
St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral School in Parma, Ohio, celebrated its 50th jubilee with a dinner and ball held at the Astrodome, the parish hall, on Saturday, April 25. Over 500 alumni and guests attended the beautifully appointed affair. A tribute to the school was presented by three eighth grade students, after which guests joined in singing "A Hymn to St. Josaphat." Bishop Robert Moskal presented plaques expressing appreciation to the Rt. Rev. Michael Rewtiuk, who as pastor is sponsor of St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral School. Special recognition was granted by Bishop Robert to the Rev. Andrew Hanowsky for his accomplishments as administrator of St. Josaphat School and to Sister Miriam Claire OSBM, school principal.
When asked what they aspire to do in the future, few 36-year-old women reply "I want to do a space walk." Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper, however, is an exception to the rule. In April, Ms. Stefanyshyn-Piper completed two years of training and evaluation at the Johnson Space Center in Houston and is now officially a NASA astronaut. Ms. Stefanyshyn-Piper currently serves as a member of the Astronaut Support Personnel Team at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. She eagerly awaits a flight assignment, and hopes to complete a space walk with a division of the EVA (Extra Vehicular Activities) at the International Space Station, a new orbiting space station that is being funded by the U.S. and built by Russia. The space station will be receiving its first astronauts in the summer of 1999. Since Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon, Ms. Stefanyshyn-Piper has been fascinated with the prospect of space exploration. Initially, however, she did not have plans to become an astronaut. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she earned her B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering, she joined the Naval ROTC in the hopes of becoming a jet pilot. A failed eye exam prevented her dreams from coming to fruition and led to a career holding various posts in Navy salvage and diving operations. Ms. Stefanyshyn-Piper was born and raised in St. Paul, Minn., where she belonged to St. Constantine Ukrainian Catholic Church. She was a member of Plast and a local Ukrainian dance ensemble.
Cmdr. Stephen L. Szyszka of the U.S. Navy assumed the duties of commanding officer of the USS Henry M. Jackson as of June 26. Prior to his command, Cmdr. Szyszka completed a two-year assignment as the U.S. naval attaché to Ukraine (1995-1997), as executive officer of the USS Henry M. Jackson (1993-1994), as executive officer of the USS Henry L. Stimson (1992-1993) and as combat systems officer on the USS Dallas (1988-1991). The USS Henry M. Jackson is the fifth of the Navy's 18 nuclear-powered Ohio-class submarines. The Ohio class, at 560 feet long and almost 19,000 tons displacement, is the largest submarine ever built by the United States and is capable of speeds of over 20 knots and depths of more than 800 feet. The crew consists of approximately 157 officers and enlisted sailors. Each of these ships is capable of carrying up to 24 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). Cmdr. Szyszka, a native of Buffalo, N.Y., is active in Plast and its Orden Khrestonostsiv fraternity.
Behind the Blue Sky-VIFX (FOX) special effects studio doors, Marian Rudnyk, 32, spent a year and a half creating convincing illusions of a world-famous shipwreck. In James Cameron's "Titanic," simulated breathing, depiction of the ship's immense engine room, and the creation of an astronomically correct sky were among the special effects that utilized Mr. Rudnyk's expertise, we reported in our July 5 issue. Visual effects and digital animation aided in the authentic portrayal of the fateful night of the ship's sinking. Perhaps the most appropriate project aboard the "Titanic" for Mr. Rudnyk was the research and precise recreation of the sky that appeared on April 14, 1912. He was well-equipped to perform the historical research of the stars due to his varied past career experiences. Prior to his work in special effects animation, Mr. Rudnyk had worked as an astronomer and planetary photogeologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. During his 10 years at NASA, Mr. Rudnyk charted and named over 200 asteroids. He named the first asteroid he discovered "4601 Ludkewycz," in honor of his mother, whose maiden name is Ludkewycz. Following federal budget cuts in 1994, Mr. Rudnyk's days at NASA ended and he began cultivating his artistic talents by taking classes at the American Animation Institute. In January of 1997, Mr. Rudnyk enrolled in a federal program to retrain displaced aerospace workers to enter the entertainment field; the next thing he knew, his career had moved from asteroid hunting to special effects animation in what was to become the blockbuster hit, "Titanic." Mr. Rudnyk was born and raised in Monrovia, Calif., where he attended Ukrainian school and was a member of Plast. Marian's grandfather, Evhen Ludkewycz, was the founder of Plast in California.
On July 15 the Ukrainian American Broadcasting Co. (UABC) announced that DIRECTV, America's largest direct satellite system provider, had begun broadcasting Ukrainian television programs over its network, and that an agreement had been signed for distribution of the Ukrainian Broadcasting Network (UBN). "For Ukrainian Americans, this agreement means that members of our community can for the first time watch television programs from Ukraine and about Ukrainians on their home television sets at any time they wish," commented Ihor Dlaboha, general manager of the UBN. The Ukrainian Broadcasting Network also offers a 24-hour-per-day daily Ukrainian Radio Service, featuring programs of the National Radio Company of Ukraine, as well as original radio programming reflecting the life of the Ukrainian diaspora. Mr. Dlaboha noted that by providing television and radio programs from both Ukraine and the diaspora, the UABC "hopes to become the primary medium of Ukrainian information and entertainment on the North American continent." UABC is an affiliate of the Ethnic-American Broadcasting Co., the leading distributor of foreign-language programming in North America, as well as a producer of such programming.
After 30 years in the military, Col. Donald W. Hrynyshyn retired on July 17, at which time he was promoted to rank of brigadier general. Brig. Gen. Donald W. Hrynyshyn was awarded the Legion of Merit medal (among other awards) at his retirement ceremony. Brig. Gen. Hrynyshyn began his military career as a second lieutenant in June 1968 upon receiving his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of Delaware. He served in various positions in the United States and Korea, and most recently was director of personnel and deputy commander of the State Area Command in Delaware. Brig. Gen. Hrynyshyn is the son of the Very Rev. and Mrs. Paul Hrynyshyn. The Very Rev. Hrynyshyn is pastor of Ss. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Wilmington, Del.
In August The Weekly reported on an exciting yachting expedition dubbed "Discover Ukraine," which would take a crew of sailors and some VIP guests on a round-the-world voyage on two 25-meter yachts, one the schooner Batkivschyna and the other the brigantine Pochaina. Dmytro Birioukovitch, 59, who owns the two vessels, and his partner, Roman Maliarchuk, 34, who owns a travel agency in Kyiv, decided that they could let the world know about Ukraine and further their own sailing interests by sailing around the globe in Mr. Birioukovitch's two vessels and acting as goodwill ambassadors for Ukraine. The expedition plans 90 ports of call during its five-year journey. At each port, crew members will set up a pavilion with information on Ukraine, its history, geography, natural resources, industries, investment possibilities and agricultural potential. Mr. Maliarchuk said the emphasis will be on getting information about Ukraine out to the general public. "The governments of the world may know about Ukraine, but the average person doesn't," said Mr. Maliarchuk. Mr. Birioukovitch, who will captain the voyage of the two sailing vessels, is a civil engineer and master yachtsman in Kyiv. Along with his two older brothers, has been building ships with Ferro-cement hulls since 1960. The planned voyage has received the support of Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which will clear the way for entrance into the territorial waters of the countries and ports at which the two vessels will make calls, and the Embassy of Argentina in Ukraine, which has already extended a formal invitation for a visit by the Discover Ukraine expedition, whose ambassador is tracking the development of the effort. If all goes well, i.e., if funding is in place, Mr. Birioukovitch plans to begin his journey in May of 1999. "We would like to be in the United States for a major sailing regatta to mark U.S. Independence Day in the year 2000," he said.
At a reception at the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington, held on the occasion of Ukrainian Independence Day on August 24, in the presence of U.S. officials, diplomats, businesspeople and members of the Ukrainian American community, Ambassador Yuri Shcherbak also honored a longtime executive officer of the Ukrainian National Association, Wolodymyr Sochan, with the Ukrainian President's Award for Merit medal. Presenting the award, Ambassador Shcherbak noted that it was in recognition of Mr. Sochan's "personal contribution in promoting Ukrainian-U.S. cooperation and his activities in Ukrainian American institutions for many years." Mr. Sochan, now an honorary member of the Ukrainian National Association General Assembly, retired from the fraternal organization's Executive Committee in 1994 after 45 years of service at the UNA, including 28 years as supreme secretary. He is a former member of the Secretariat of the Presidium of the Ukrainian World Congress and was a member of the initiative group that laid the groundwork for the establishment of the World Congress of Free Ukrainians. Mr. Sochan is also a vice-president of the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council and is member of the board of directors of the Coordinating Committee to Aid Ukraine, which he helped found. Mr. Sochan was the UNA representative at the World Forum of Ukrainians held in Kyiv in 1992 and 1997, and, somewhat earlier, was the UNA's representative to Ukrainian Congress Committee of America.
The 53rd session of the United Nations General Assembly convened on September 9, electing Dr. Didier Opertti of Uruguay as the new president of the General Assembly and ending the one-year term of Ukraine's diplomat, Mr. Udovenko. The new president praised Mr. Udovenko's tenure as one in which great progress had been made in implementing U.N. reforms, a goal that Mr. Udovenko had set for himself at the beginning of his term. Similar praise was offered by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Mr. Udovenko had given his closing remarks at the final plenary of the 52nd session on September 8. Ukraine's Permanent Mission to the U.N. hosted a farewell reception for Mr. Udovenko at the Mission on September 16. Ukraine's ambassador to the U.N., Mr. Yelchenko, said Ambassador Udovenko, who is greatly admired by his diplomatic colleagues, received numerous accolades during the reception for his efforts in pushing forward the U.N. reform process.
A Crimean Tatar activist, Mustafa Jemilev, 55, received the 1998 Nansen Medal in recognition of his outstanding efforts to help Crimean Tatars reintegrate in their native Ukraine. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata presented the medal to Mr. Jemilev "for his commitment to the right of return of the Crimean Tatar people" at an October 5 ceremony in Geneva at the Palais des Nations. In 1961, at the age of 19, Mr. Jemilev joined the Union of Young Crimean Tatars and the peaceful struggle for recognition of the rights of the deported Crimean Tatar population. His name is also inextricably linked to the Soviet dissident movement. In 1969, with Andrei Sakharov and other human rights activists, he co-founded the Initiative Group for the Defense of Human Rights in the USSR. For 20 years between 1966 and 1986, he lived alternately under surveillance, in hard-labor camps, in forced exile and in Soviet prisons. While still in exile, Mr. Jemilev committed himself to defend the basic rights of his people. In 1987 he was elected to the Central Initiative Group of Crimean Tatars, and in May 1989 he was chosen to head the newly founded Crimean Tatar National Movement. That same year he returned to Crimea with his family, spearheading the return of more than 250,000 Tatars to their homeland. As president of the Council of Crimean Tatars (the Mejlis) and as a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, Mr. Jemilev has worked tirelessly side by side with UNHCR to help tens of thousands of Tatars to resettle in Crimea, to obtain Ukrainian citizenship and to uphold their basic rights. The Nansen Medal, awarded for exceptional service to the cause of refugees, is named after the Norwegian diplomat and explorer Fridtjof Nansen, the first high commissioner for refugees under the League of Nations. The prize was established to focus attention on refugees and to rally international support for the plight of forcibly displaced people. The Nansen Committee, which is chaired by High Commissioner Ogata, consists of representatives of the governments of Norway and Switzerland, the Council of Europe, and the International Council of Voluntary Agencies.
For four days, on October 6-9, 74 Ukrainian golfers from the U.S., Australia, Great Britain and Canada competed in the Inaugural Ukrainian World Golf Challenge on four of South Florida's best courses in the Fort Lauderdale area. The 28-man Australian contingent was victorious, defeating the U.S. by a wide margin on the final day. Forty golfers represented the Ukrainian Golf Association of America; three each came from England and Canada. This was the third competition between the U.S. and Australia, which began in the early 1990s after stories appeared in The Ukrainian Weekly and telephone contact was made by the officials of both organizations. Four years ago the golfers met in Hawaii, where the Australians were victorious. Two years ago the U.S. group visited Australia and won the cup. Now the competition has become a worldwide event. England will host the Ukrainian World Golf Challenge in 2001.
The 1998 Heorhiy Narbut Prize for the best Ukrainian philatelic design of 1997 went to Ukraine's bold stamp design for its first ever Europa entry. Europa issues are special annual releases of one or a few stamps produced by most European countries on a specific topic. Last year's theme was "History and Legends" and Ukraine's entry, in the form of a two-stamp souvenir sheet, depicted "The Founding of Kyiv" by the siblings Kyi, Schek, Khoryv and Lybid as related in the chronicle "Povist Vremennykh Lit" (Tale of Bygone Years). Europa issues as a souvenir sheet are a bit unusual, but Ukraine Post went a step further and reproduced the entire founding legend in microprint as a design feature along the sheet border. The inspired portrayal by winning artists V. Taran and O. Haruk also depicts scenes from the Povist chronicle along the top and bottom, and intricate design motifs along the sides. Dr. Ingert Kuzych is the prize initiator and donator of the monetary gift that accompanies the award, presented annually since 1993. A news story about this year's Narbut Prize appeared in our October 11 issue.
The Ukrainian Technological Society on November 28 presented its 1998 Ukrainian of the Year Award to Dr. Lubomyr T. Romankiw, IBM fellow and head of the Center for Electrochemical Technology and Microfabrication at IBM's Thomas J. Watson Research Center, in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. Dr. Romankiw has 47 patents and 130 published inventions, and has written four book chapters and more than 130 scientific papers. One of his major technology applications is the reader head that makes it possible to store and access vast quantities of information on any computer hard drive. As a member of the Ukrainian community, Dr. Romankiw was elevated to the position of chief scout of Plast, the highest honor bestowed by this Ukrainian youth organization. Dr. Romankiw fostered participation of Plast in the World Organization of the Scout Movement based in Geneva. Dr. Romankiw is a member of the Shevchenko Scientific Society (where he has served on the executive board since 1989) and of the Ukrainian Engineering Society. In 1995-1998 he was a member of the board of directors of the Environmental Education Technology Transfer Program, which he helped organize between the University of Connecticut and Ukraine.

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