What Ukraine's independence means to me: the top five English-language essays (08/19/01)

THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF UKRAINE'S INDEPENDENCE

What Ukraine's independence means to me: the top five English-language essays

Anne Sophia Maziak
Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Age 19
University of Michigan

I was only 9 years old when it happened, but there's no way I could forget August 24, 1991. For the first time in over seven decades Ukraine was pronounced a free country! A nation in its own right, Ukraine was no longer tied to the Soviet empire, to "Mother Russia," or to communism. Imagine the celebration that went on that day! My family heard the news over a Ukrainian radio program, and The Ukrainian Weekly and Svoboda proclaimed the news to all. Talk of the fall of the Russian empire and the newly freed countries abounded. And well it should have! The implications of this day and the following months were enormous.

Being only 9 years old, I did not understand everything that went into that day of rejoicing, but now, on the celebration of a decade of Ukrainian independence, I can look back with knowledge and understand how very much that day would come to mean to me.

The biggest part of my life is my Ukrainian culture. From the earliest part of my life, my parents stressed how important it was to know my culture and roots. Now I need no encouragement in celebrating my heritage; I love it and would never be able to turn away from it. As a result of Ukraine's independence, I believe that Ukraine as a whole is due much more respect than it has been shown in the past, and therefore so do its history, its art, its traditions and its beauty. The haunting beauty of "Ivan Kupalo," the delicate designs of a "pysanka," and the mighty power of "Volodymyr Velykyi" now more than ever deserve to be noticed by the world. Indeed, interest has piqued in Ukraine, and people are more aware of the country, its culture and its dealings.

However, simply because Ukraine has secured its independence from Russia over the past 10 years does not mean that Ukrainians can stop worrying about their country. On the contrary, now is the time to personally seize control and take the initiative to promote Ukraine's issues. For a Ukrainian in the United States or in another foreign country, this means keeping informed about political and cultural issues, this means being active in Ukrainian organizations, this means raising the next generation with knowledge of their roots, this means showing support for her country and, foremost, this means proudly proclaiming her love for Ukraine and by example encouraging others to do so. This is how I show my own love for my country and my pride in being a child of an independent Ukraine.

Peter Steciuk
Convent Station, N.J.
Age 20
Harvard University

When Ukraine declared its independence, three generations of my family shared in the happiness of the occasion, united by a sense of pride and thankfulness. Our estranged homeland, our fatherland, had finally become a free and independent nation. Only now, 10 years later, do I realize that we did not share a common experience on that August day.

When I was 10, I merely borrowed my parents' identity. But at age 20 this is no longer possible. My parents and grandparents all emigrated from Ukraine, while I have never left the American continent. They vividly remember their journeys to the new land, while I have never known any other. As wartime refugees, it is easier to say what independence means for them than for me. Sadly, for years I mistook their identity for my own, not able to tell the difference.

My parents and grandparents were Ukrainian, but I was only of Ukrainian descent. Learning to speak the language and memorizing a few poems is a start, but identity must be a conscious choice. Just as my parents could not become Americans until they resolved to do so, I cannot become a true Ukrainian until I do the same. Only then can I ever truly share in the pride of Ukrainian independence or the pain of its problems.

Ironically, the presence of an independent Ukrainian state has shown me the extent to which I have not made this choice. Opening the front page of Svoboda sometimes makes me feel guilty. I am embarrassed to acknowledge how unfamiliar I am with the people, places and events that shape the modern Ukrainian world. Had Ukraine remained the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, it would have been all too easy to yearn for independence with no real knowledge of the modern entity. An independent Ukraine presents us with the homeland that we longed for, yet Ukrainian news seems so distant and foreign. I feel even more ashamed when I think of all the times I refused to speak Ukrainian at home and all the copies of The Ukrainian Weekly and Svoboda that had gone unread.

I realize now that when Ukraine declared independence, I could not share in my parents' experience because I did not understand the events. Ukrainian independence can mean little until it ceases to exist only as an abstract idea. Thankfully, a person's identity is not set in stone. There is still time to make my parents' experience of Ukrainian independence my own. But this time it will be genuine and personal because it will be by choice. Although I can never be Ukrainian in the same way as someone raised in Ukraine, I am Ukrainian. I am beginning to bridge the gap between myself and my heritage. I intend to visit the country I have only read about in books. As a Ukrainian, I will be able to share in the dreams and disappointments of an independent Ukraine.

Nicholas Rudyk
Yorktown Heights, N.Y.
Age 17
St. Vladimir's Boys Prep High School

"Get Up!" Her voice was firm and I knew what it meant. No fooling around! It was time to get up without hesitation or I would be crucified. For 12 years I went through this routine with my Mama every Saturday morning before Ukrainian School. When I look back, I know I didn't mind getting up. I enjoyed the other life I had. Classmates in my weekday school never quite understood my other life. I am Ukrainian American and proud of it.

Today few nations around the world are fighting for their freedom. Those who are fight hard for what they believe. Independence to some means just a group of people that are selfish and want a piece of land. The core reason to fight for freedom is more than just land. A people fighting for their country include the expression of their own culture and religion. Ukraine has gone through centuries of freedom fighting. People might ask, "For what?" Those Saturday mornings taught me for what. The answer is, "For so much!"

I see the result of Ukraine's independence everywhere. Various artistic ensembles from Ukraine have entertained us in the United States over the last 10 years. Organizations, such as Plast and SUM, are growing in number in Ukraine. The United States has seen a large influx of Ukrainian immigrants settle into major cities, working hard to better their lives and the lives of loved ones left behind. They are able to settle in with the help of Ukrainian Americans who kept language, tradition and customs alive in their homes, churches and organizations. Many of these new arrivals are amazed to learn how passionately we have preserved our culture.

As a student of Ukrainian School and a member of SUM, I can think of many ways we helped Ukraine. We performed on stages near and far with Ukrainian song and dance, organized festivals, packed medical supplies and equipment, donated clothing to orphans, and attended rallies and demonstrations in New York and Washington. My ammunition in the fight for freedom was the poems I recited, songs I sang, prayers I offered and letters I wrote to various government officials. I can honestly say I am proud to have taken part in the movement for a free Ukraine. I realize this is not nearly as much as my ancestors accomplished. Still, I did contribute and now feel I must visit her to experience all I have learned through books.

This August I am flying to Kyiv to participate in the 10th anniversary celebrations of Ukraine's independence. As I step off the plane, my senses will be overcome with all she has to offer. My lungs will fill with her sweet air; my feet will touch her rich soil; my eyes will take in her exquisite beauty; I will savor her delicious foods and be enveloped by her vibrant sounds. I will witness a chapter of Ukraine's history. I am a part of her history.

Natalia Romas
Ottawa, Ontario
Age 22
York University

I am a second-generation Ukrainian Canadian, and I was 12 years old when Ukraine became independent. I have been able to see "Ukraine" on any world map for most of the time that I have been able to read a map. This year I started working with the children of Chornobyl fund in Toronto, where I attend York University. Their main goal is to provide Ukraine's orphans with medical and humanitarian aid. Through the year I worked as a volunteer in their offices, and now I have the opportunity to travel to Ukraine to deliver the medicine and other products to the orphanages. At this moment, I am packing for this mission and studying for my final exams.

To say that independent Ukraine means something to me would be an understatement. It means that I can visit the country of my family's roots, just like my French, Spanish or German friends. I will be able to visit the churches, museums, and historical monuments that I heard about every Saturday morning as a little kid in Ukrainian school. I will also be able to see the damage that Chornobyl has done to the environment, the illnesses that result from radiation poisoning, to see first-hand the plight of the children born in the shadow of Chornobyl, and to visit orphanages throughout Ukraine.

A few years ago my grandfather put it into a perspective that my sisters and I will never forget; he said that we would be the first generation to have the privilege to grow up in a world where an independent Ukraine is a fact of life, and that we would have the opportunity to see Ukraine in a way that he never could. For my grandparents, Ukraine was a memory and a dream. For my parents' generation, Ukraine's independence meant new opportunities and possibilities, and probably over-inflated expectations. To me, Ukraine is a reality, far from perfect, but a country trying hard to catch up with the rest of the Western world, a place where maybe we can make a difference.

Last year my oldest sister lived in Lviv for six months on a Canadian government-sponsored International Youth Internship. It was so hard for our grandparents to believe that she was there. Now I am going to Ukraine, for a different purpose, on a humanitarian assistance delivery route that will take me through eastern Ukraine, places where my grandparents once lived. We really are seeing Ukraine from a completely different perspective than any other generation.

Our parents and grandparents put in so much effort to ensure that we could speak Ukrainian and to raise us to be proud of our heritage. What a gift this has turned out to be! This summer we will all be there for the 10th anniversary of independence, my sisters for the SUM World Congress, and I will be in the Karpaty working at an orphans' summer camp. We will all be celebrating independence in our own way.

Nina Celuch
Saddle Brook, N.J.
Age 15
Immaculate Conception High School

On August 24, 1991, Ukraine declared independence from the USSR, making it a sovereign nation. What does this declaration mean to me and more importantly what does it mean for Ukraine and Ukrainians?

I grew up in the United States, in a country where people could worship God and practice any religion they wish; a place where people vote for the laws that govern them and the individuals who will represent them in government; in a country which allows individuals to speak freely and express their opinions without fear of being arrested.

Growing up in a Ukrainian household, I learned that not all people had the freedom to live like we do in America. I heard stories from my Baba and Dido about how they were separated from their families at an early age. How many Ukrainians were sent to Siberia and died of hunger or froze to death because they practiced religion or spoke against the Communist government! I also heard how the government would take land away from the people, leaving them with nothing. I know how grateful my cousins in Ukraine are for the help they receive from my family, since they have very little to live on in Ukraine.

I hope now, with independence, Ukrainians in Ukraine can enjoy the same freedoms we have in the United States; that they can worship as they want, vote for laws and representatives that will help the country grow.

But another important issue for me is that, as an independent country, Ukraine will be recognized by the rest of the world. Growing up and even until this day when I tell some people that I am Ukrainian, they think I am Russian. In April of this year, my friend and I went to a nearby park to play basketball. When we arrived at the park there were a couple of guys playing basketball and speaking Ukrainian. When I asked them what their nationality was, they said Russian. I told them I was Ukrainian and I also spoke the language; then they admitted that they were Ukrainian also.

By being independent, I think more people will acknowledge our Ukrainian nation and our heritage. The rest of the world will see how much beauty and culture Ukraine has and not confuse us with Russia. Just as we saw during the summer Olympic Games, the entire world saw the Ukrainian flag and the Ukrainian athletes receiving medals and on some occasions hearing the Ukrainian National anthem. To be independent provides all Ukrainians the opportunity to maintain our unique identity. I am very proud of my Ukrainian heritage, and am grateful to live in the U.S.A., a country that allows me the freedom to express my thoughts and practice my traditions.

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