"Ukrainian-American Citadel": from the pages of UNA history

Following is part of a series of excerpts from "Ukrainian-American Citadel: The First 100 Years of the Ukrainian National Association," by Dr. Myron B. Kuropas, published in 1996 by East European Monographs of Boulder, Colo. The excerpts are reprinted with the permission of the author.

The book is available from the author for $25, plus $2.50 shipping, by writing to: Dr. Myron B. Kuropas, 107 Ilehamwood Drive, DeKalb, IL 60115. Also available is a newly released Ukrainian edition of the book; price: $25 (including shipping).

Chapter 13

Toward the 21st Century

The UNA in Ukraine

In October 1990, the UNA received an invitation to attend the Second Rukh Congress in Kyiv. Supreme President Ulana Diachuk, Supreme Secretary Walter Sochan, Supreme Advisors Eugene Iwanciw, director of the UNA Washington office, and Roma Hadzewycz, editor of The Ukrainian Weekly, made the trip. During their stay, they discussed the UNA's intention to open a press bureau in Kyiv with the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. On January 13, 1991, Marta Kolomayets, associate editor of The Ukrainian Weekly, moved to Kyiv to serve as the UNA press bureau's first correspondent in Kyiv. During her pioneering six-month assignment, she provided information for both The Ukrainian Weekly and Svoboda. ...

Responding to a resolution passed at the 1990 convention, the UNA established the Fund for the Rebirth of Ukraine. By the end of 1991, UNA members donated $280,000 and the UNA set aside the sum of $200,000. By the end of 1992, $360,527 had been donated and $288,981 had been paid out. Consistent with the guidelines developed during the special meeting of the UNA Supreme Assembly in September 1990, the aim of the fund was to support various activities of a religious, charitable, educational, and scholarly nature as set forth in the UNA Constitution and By-Laws. All applications for aid required approval by the Supreme Executive. ...

The UNA and America's political arena

Concerned with the posture of the Bush administration regarding developments in Ukraine, UNA Supreme Auditor Taras Szmagala arranged a meeting with the president on November 27, 1991. A number of present and former UNA leaders, including Szmagala, Ulana Diachuk, Eugene Iwanciw, Joseph Lesawyer, Bohdan Futey and Askold Lozynskyj, met with [George H.W.] Bush and made it clear that, on the eve of the Ukrainian referendum, U.S. recognition of Ukraine was the "gut issue" in the community. Not long into the meeting, which was also attended by Veterans Administration Secretary Edward Derwinski, Chief of Staff John Sununu and Brent Scowcroft, President Bush announced his decision. "We will salute the passage of the independence referendum on December 1," declared the president, "and immediately start moving expeditiously to full recognition."

The news soon hit the press and [Soviet leader Mikhail] Gorbachev was stunned. He called Bush and, controlling his temper, indicated his disappointment, adding that many in Moscow believed the American president was attempting to "stimulate separatism in Ukraine." Secretary of State James Baker wrung his hands and told his aides that Gorbachev's complaint had some merit. Scowcroft agreed. "I think we've signaled a more forward-leaning policy than we had in mind," he moaned, telling Bush that the shift "may prejudice relations between Kyiv and Moscow." It was too late. The people of Ukraine apparently heard the message and voted for independence.

* * *

This concludes The Weekly's series of excerpts of Dr. Kuropas's book. Next week the UNA will mark its 111th anniversary.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, February 13, 2005, No. 7, Vol. LXXIII

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