THE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHORNOBYL NUCLEAR DISASTER

Candlelight vigil, photo exhibit mark anniversary in Chicago

by Katya Mischenko-Mycyk

CHICAGO - The Illinois Branch of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) marked the 20th anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster with a somber candlelight vigil on the evening of April 26 on the steps of Ss. Volodymyr and Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church in Chicago.

Orest Baranyk, president of the Illinois Branch of the UCCA, greeted the over 200 Ukrainian Americans who gathered to participate in the candlelight vigil.

The vigil began with an address by Chicago's new consul general from Ukraine, Vasyl Korzachenko. His address was followed by a speech by Dr. George Kuritza about the lasting impact and current challenges of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster. Dr. Kuritza is the president of the Illinois branch of the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America (UMANA) and is board certified in radiology.

Clergy representing the many Ukrainian churches of Chicagoland joined together to serve a short memorial service in honor of the victims of Chornobyl. The memorial was lead by the Rt. Rev. Mitred Ivan Krotec, pastor of Ss. Volodymyr and Olha Church.

After the memorial, the Illinois Branch of the UCCA invited the public to the Ukrainian National Museum to view the photo-documentary exhibit "Chornobyl: 20 Years Later" by Ukrainian American artist Luba V. Markewycz. Ms. Markewycz is the vice president of Chicago's Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art and a teacher at the LaSalle Language Academy in Chicago.

An online album of photos from the candlelight vigil can be viewed at http://www.UCCAIllinois.org.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, May 14, 2006, No. 20, Vol. LXXIV

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