Denver commemorates Chornobyl anniversary with two days of events (06/17/01)

Denver commemorates Chornobyl anniversary with two days of events

by Tatianna Gajecky-Wynar

DENVER - When nuclear disaster struck Chornobyl, Ukraine, on April 26, 1986, a group of women from the Ukrainian National Women's League of America in Denver, led by Daria Yaworiwsky, then president of Branch 38, resolved to memorialize this tragic event by planting an ash tree and dedicating a special commemorative bench in Denver's Cheesman Park. Local Ukrainians have since assembled there on numerous occasions, including 10 years later.

It seemed only appropriate to meet there again on the 15th anniversary of this tragedy.

Thus, on Saturday, April 28, at 4 p.m., on a beautiful Colorado day, the local community gathered once more in Cheesman Park to pray for the dead and remember the many Ukrainians still suffering from the aftereffects of the nuclear disaster. Unfortunately, the tree was no longer there, but the beautiful red-granite bench still stands. A babka and pysanky on an embroidered ritual cloth, courtesy of Olena Morozewych, were placed beneath it.

The ceremony was opened in English by the recently elected president of the local UNWLA, Lida Bihun, who welcomed those present and asked for a moment of silence for the dead, as the participants held lit candles. She then handed the program over to Tatianna Gajecky-Wynar, events chairman and coordinator of the Chornobyl commemorations.

The first event of the day was a memorial service (panakhyda) for the victims of Chornobyl, celebrated by the Rev. Petro Bohdanowycz, pastor of Transfiguration Ukrainian Catholic Church in Denver. (This had been planned as a joint effort with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, but their pastor left unexpectedly for Ukraine two days earlier.) Responses were sung by members of the Transfiguration Parish, led by Deacon Michael Bozio.

Next, Ms. Gajecky, one of the few remaining members of the Chornobyl Committee of 1986, reminisced, both in English and Ukrainian, about those terrible days 15 years ago when the world stood helplessly by as the terrible events unfolded, and recounted all the hard work done by Denver's UNWLA members to publicize and memorialize that tragedy.

Thousands of fliers had been distributed, a special button designed, the press and media had been alerted (and they showed up in full force) and government and local dignitaries were invited to the park, where a tree was planted and blessed. A special bench was designed and donated to the city of Denver, with then Mayor Federico Pena uncovering the bench and individuals such as U.S. Rep. Pat Schroeder and State Sen. Dennis Gallagher speaking publicly of their concern and outrage at the Soviet government.

Ms. Gajecky then introduced the guest speaker, Irene Zabytko, award-winning author of the first novel about Chornobyl, "The Sky Unwashed," who had specially flown in from Florida to be in Denver for the commemorative events. After a brief overview of her work, Ms. Zabytko proceeded to read several moving excerpts from her book.

The next two speakers were Dr. Jack and Carol Reeves, founders and directors of the Nadiya (Hope) Project, who spoke consecutively about their work in helping Ukraine in the past 10 years with medical aid and trained personnel, and recounted their impressions upon visiting the forbidden zone of Chornobyl.

Last to speak was 15-year-old Roxolana Wynar, a sophomore at St. Mary's Academy in Littleton, who has been a spokesperson for Ukraine, and particularly Chornobyl, countless times at her school and elsewhere. She spoke of the lack of adequate medical treatment in Ukraine and about the terrible impact that Chornobyl has had on her personally, claiming her 17-year-old cousin, Solomiya, who died of cancer of the intestines.

The ceremony ended with the release of 15 blue-and-yellow balloons, tied with black ribbons, to the music of Taras Petrynenko's "Hospody pomylui nas." The participants were reluctant to go home; many lingered to meet with Ms. Zabytko, buy her book, and have her sign it. A copy was presented by the UNWLA to Dr. and Mrs. Reeves in recognition of their work for Ukraine.

That evening, a clip of the memorial service in the park was aired on Fox 31 News.

Earlier in the day, Ms. Gajecky had taken Ms. Zabytko to a Barnes and Noble bookstore in Denver West, where the author met with staff members and did signings of her book. In the previous year, Ms. Zabytko had been chosen as a recipient of Barnes and Noble's Discover New Authors award.

On Sunday, April 29, the Chornobyl commemoration continued in the church hall of Transfiguration Ukrainian Catholic Church. The literary luncheon, planned by the UNWLA happily coincided with the parish's traditional Easter breakfast (Sviachene) prepared by the parish ladies headed by Vera Watowich, and the hall was filled to overflowing.

Ms. Gajecky's "Chornobyl Madonna" - an acrylic on wood painted in 1996, on the 10th anniversary of the calamity - decorated the stage. Once again, UNWLA president Bihun greeted those present, thanked the participants of Saturday's program, and asked Events Chairman Gajecky to introduce the guest author.

Ms. Gajecky introduced Ms. Zabytko in both Ukrainian and English, mentioning that they had both attended St. Nicholas grade school in the Ukrainian "ghetto" of Chicago, where Ms. Zabytko was born. She pointed out some interesting facts in the author's background, such as that her father, Ostap, though born in the United States, had gone to Ukraine as a child, finished school there, and came back to this country with his bride, Maria, in the 1930s - not your typical story of displaced persons.

After finishing high school, Ms. Zabytko went to Vermont, where she received both her B.A. and M.A. degrees. She has traveled to Ukraine several times to teach English and to research her book. Although she started writing poetry at age 9, and has since written numerous articles and reviews, "The Sky Unwashed" is her first published book. It has received high praise and very favorable reviews both in the American and Ukrainian press, and in such reputable publications as Library Journal and Booklist.

Ms. Zabytko is currently working on her next book, "Displaced Persons" - a collection of short stories about the neighborhood where she grew up.

Ms. Zabytko thanked Ms. Gajecky for the "wonderful" introduction, which, she quipped, was "longer than her book," and then proceeded to give a brief synopsis of her story about Marusia Petrenko and other characters in the fictional village of Starylis, whose lives were forever changed by the explosion of the nuclear reactor at Chonobyl on April 26, 1986.

Since Ms. Zabytko always starts her book readings with Taras Shevchenko's poem "Nevmyte nebo" (Unwashed sky), for which the book is named, she asked Ms. Gajecky to read it in the original Ukrainian, and then she read it in her English translation.

Next, Ms. Gajecky and Ms. Zabytko both read the Prologue to "The Sky Unwashed," alternating from Ukrainian to English. Ms. Gajecky read her own translation in Ukrainian, and Ms. Zabytko read her original English. After that, the author chose various touching excerpts from her book and read them in English. The audience seemed bewitched by the readings, and many a tear was shed.

A lively discussion followed the readings, and then the author signed more books. Denver City Councilman Dennis Gallagher, a longtime friend of the Ukrainian community, attended this session and was rewarded with an autographed copy of the book.

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