40,000 Marchers Participate in Colorful Shevchenko Memorial Parade (06/27/04)

ARAS SHEVCHENKO IN WASHINGTON: 1964-2004

The Ukrainian Weekly, July 3, 1964

40,000 Marchers Participate in Colorful Shevchenko Memorial Parade

by Zenon Snylyk

WASHINGTON, D.C. - "One of the most colorful and orderly parades Washington has ever seen," said Police Inspector Charles L. Wright in reply to a question, thus voicing the opinion overwhelmingly shared by close to 1,000 police officers on duty in Washington during the day-long festivities in connection with the unveiling of the Taras Shevchenko Memorial in the nation's capital.

This was indeed "Taras Shevchenko Day," in the full sense of the word! And the march was as momentous a beginning as any day could have.

Arrive Early

At the early break of dawn, the marchers started gathering at the Ellipse, the designated assembly area in back of the White House, from where the parade was to originate. Those who had arrived on Friday came on foot from all sides of the spacious park. Soon the first buses began arriving, then cars all bearing blue-yellow-white signs, stickers and flags with the Shevchenko Monument insignia printed on them. They came from everywhere, from points throughout the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe and even faraway Australia. They seemed to know that time was not to be wasted, that this was the day they had all been waiting for, that everything had to go off properly, on schedule and without unnecessary digressions from original program. They obeyed every order of the police and the uniformed parade attendants with a sense of responsibility and unquestionable subordination, as if determined to make this the greatest Ukrainian day in the history of America. Their faces alighted with joy and excitement in undisguised anticipation of the historic moment that was to come, they seemed to show no signs of travel fatigue nor any concern that the long march from the Ellipse to the monument site in the sweltering heat would require all of their physical stamina with yet some to be saved for the actual unveiling ceremonies. With almost military-like discipline, they sought out their places in the rapidly forming columns of marchers: the uniformed youth of PLAST, SUMA, ODUM, SUSTA, TUSM, ZAREVO, Athletic Associations, thousands of them, with their banners and orchestras. Their parents, as if inspired by the young ones, hurried to their respective groups and organizations, others to their community groups assembling according to states of the union in alphabetical order.

Parade Begins

The ranks rapidly selling and new bus-loads and car-loads constantly arriving, the first columns of marchers started moving out: first, the flag bearers, proudly hoisting their banners then the representative of all Ukrainian central, national and local organizations, delegates of other nationalities, thousands of uniformed youth of all ages and finally masses upon masses of people, men, women and children parading to the tunes of Ukrainian and American marching songs, occasionally drained out by the spontaneous applause of the onlookers that lined the sidewalks along the route. Among the first in the parade, unmistakably conspicuous by the colors of their uniforms and the uniquely melodic sounds of their bugles, was the all-Negro Royal Sabres drum and bugle corps - only one of the many non-Ukrainian groups participating in the Shevchenko parade.

What an array of colors! Young girls dressed in Ukrainian national costumes from all areas and regions of Shevchenko's vast land. Young men - nay, even older gentlemen - dressed in Kozak uniforms, ladies of the SUA and other women's organizations adorned in beautifully embroidered dresses and blouses, perhaps especially made for this great occasion. Yes, this was indeed Taras Shevchenko Day, the day of proud manifestation of strength, glory and unity, the day of reaffirmed faith in his ideals of freedom and justice, the day of solemn tribute to the greatest among the truly great heroes of Ukraine's glorious past, the day of firm resolve that his prophey must and will come true.

Endless Sea of People

Close to 40,000 marchers, with yet another 40,000 swarming at almost every street along the route, filed along the famous Pennsylvania Avenue up to the sky-spanning George Washington Monument, then turning north along 23rd Street to the Shevchenko Monument site, where they took up their positions, filling every inch of available space, a seemingly endless sea of people. Four full hours they marched. And they all assembled at the statue of their prophet: those from near Canada and those from faraway Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay; those from Western Germany, England, from New York, Chicago, Cleveland, San Francisco, Detroit. They were all here, with but little time to exchange a passing greeting, a surprised "hello" or a quick handshake. But they were all united in one spontaneous and heart warming greeting that made others seem superfluous if not irrelevant - all 100,000 of them - the greeting of Taras Shevchenko in the capital city of the Land of the Free, as their voices rose in song of the poet's "Testament."

Now they were all here, the parade had ended, the big moment had arrived. Soon the second part of this memorable Taras Shevchenko Day in Washington will have begun. General Dwight D. Eishenhower had just arrived amid a rousing ovation to officially unveil the Monument in honor of Ukraine's Poet Laureate and universal Champion of Freedom.

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