Ukrainian World Congress comments on marking Pereiaslav Treaty anniversary

Following is the text of a statement released by the Ukrainian World Congress on July 16.

In January 1654 in the city of Pereiaslav, Bohdan Khmelnytsky convened a Kozak council, summoning the officers' corps from generals to colonels, to ratify the protectorate of the Russian czar. On that day, January 18, the residents of Pereiaslav, the Kozaks leadership and Cossacks themselves gathered at the main square and learned of Hetman Khmelnytsky's decision.

Many renowned Ukrainian historians and scholars have concluded that this treaty brought Ukraine no good and much ill. Because of this treaty Ukraine lost its independence and suffered a multitude of wrongs that lasted 337 years - enslavement, deportation and exile, terror, famines and the deprivation of the Ukrainian language.

From the start, initially in tsarist Russia and then in the Soviet Union, the events of 1654 were portrayed inaccurately and subjectively. Russians refer to the Pereiaslav treaty, as the "eternal reunification of Ukraine with Russia."

Taras Shevchenko in his "Kobzar" often referred to this decision of Khmelnytsky to create the alliance, calling Khmelnytsky "an irresponsible son." One of many examples may be found in the poem "Subotiv," where Shevchenko wrote: "And so Bohdan, you abused poor, orphan Ukraine!"

Today, in independent Ukraine, we still feel the negative repercussions of this shameful treaty. There is no doubt that because of it Ukraine lost its independence and was enslaved until 1991.

On March 13 of this year, Ukraine's President Kuchma issued a decree on the "observance of the 350th anniversary of the Pereiaslav Kozak Council of 1654." Volodymyr Lytvyn, who today chairs Ukraine's Parliament, was named chair of the Organizing Committee. The "observance" is to include scholarly conferences, roundtables, publication of scholarly historical material and airing of television and radio programming. In April of this year the president of the UWC met with Volodymyr Lytvyn, then chief of the presidential staff, and discussed the subject of the presidential decree. Mr. Lytvyn assured the UWC President that the observances will be limited to historical-academic discussion and, certainly, would not be an acclamation of the event.

Nonetheless, this presidential decree is a striking example of national irresponsibility. The government of an independent country has decreed to officially observe an event that resulted in its people's enslavement and loss of statehood. Such events should be studied seriously and learned from - certainly not "observed."

The UWC Secretariat plenary session held on June 1 of this year, decided that the UWC should intervene so that this "observance" may become a forum for genuinely objective study of the Pereiaslav Treaty and its longstanding and painful results for Ukraine. The UWC, through its Scholarly Council, plans to publish a monograph on the Pereiaslav Treaty, as well as the tragic history that ensued. The UWC will seek to include Ukrainian historians in the diaspora in planned scholarly conferences, roundtables, and radio and television programs in order to expose this tragic event in Ukraine's history.

The UWC dare not stand on the sidelines when issues of Ukraine's history are addressed. We must exert substantial effort so that future generations of Ukrainians study from history texts that accurately portray the past of our people, our accomplishments and longings, as well as bright and tragic pages of that past. It is imperative to conclude that the Pereiaslav Treaty was not a "voluntary reunification" but the beginning of a long period of enslavement of Ukraine by Russia. The UWC urges all Ukrainian scholarly societies and institutions, as well as Ukrainian historians in the diaspora to join in this process. Only in this manner, through dynamic and informed participation, will we succeed in healing our nation's wounds, which, unfortunately, will be reopened inevitably as a result of this "observance."

May all our Ukrainian people recognize whose truth, whose pain and whose children we are.

For the Secretariat Presidium of the Ukrainian World Congress:
Askold S. Lozynskyj, President
Victor Pedenko, Secretary

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, July 28, 2002, No. 30, Vol. LXX

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