Events spotlight Ukraine’s role in the war and in today’s Europe
WASHINGTON – The commemoration of the 70th anniversary of V-E Day, marking the end of World War II in Europe, drew tens of thousands of people to the National World War II Memorial at the National Mall here on Friday, May 8.
Yaro Bihun
With Ukrainian World War II veterans sitting in the front row at the Ukrainian Embassy reception celebrating the 70th anniversary of the end of that war in Europe, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Eric Rubin speaks about the need to “support Ukraine’s determination to honor its past and set a clear course for its future.”
The event began with the laying of floral wreaths at the Memorial’s Freedom Wall by ambassadorial representatives of European Theater Allied Nations to honor the soldiers who died during the war. Among those present to pay their respect to the fallen and receive the respect for their participation in that war were the increasingly smaller number of old veterans still among the living.
Former Secretary of State Madeline K. Albright and other dignitaries addressed the gathering at the commemoration, which was concluded with the flyover of dozens of World War II military aircraft, ending with the “Missing Man” formation as the military band played “Taps.”
This commemoration and other events during that weekend were also special in the way they brought Ukraine’s role in that war and in today’s Europe into focus.
Among the representatives of the nearly 30 European embassies laying wreaths at the memorial was Yaroslav Brisiuck, Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in Washington, who later that afternoon hosted a commemorative reception at the Ukrainian Embassy that included representatives of other European embassies, the U.S. government, Ukrainian Americans and a few of the Ukrainian World War II veterans still alive today.
As Mr. Brisiuck pointed out at the Embassy reception, that war was the “deadliest conflict of humankind.” And that was especially true for Ukraine, which lost between 8 million and 10 million of its people – soldiers and civilians – and many ended up in concentration camps. He noted that Ukrainians fought not only in the Red Army but in other allied armies as well, including some 80,000 in the U.S. armed forces.
Halyna Mudra demonstrates how to make Ukrainian Easter eggs at the United Help Ukraine exhibit in the Lithuanian Embassy’s open house event in Washington.
“We should always remember their heroism, their valor, their sacrifice,” he said.
Mr. Brisiuck noted that after World War II, the world community – through the United Nations and other international organizations – worked to try and prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again. But now, 70 years later, “we see very chilling parallels between the events that are unfolding in our country, Ukraine – in the middle of Europe right now – to the events that preceded World War II in the late 1930s,” when Hitler moved into Sudetenland “to protect ethnic Germans.”
Pointing to Russia’s current aggression in eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea, he added: “The world community should unite to put further pressure on Russia to stop its aggression so that history does not repeat itself.”
Also speaking at the Embassy reception was Deputy U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Eric Rubin, who seemed to agree with that assessment. “For us, this is a very important opportunity to help show that we support Ukraine’s determination to honor its past and set a clear course for its future,” he noted.
“We see this as a decisive historic turning point toward justice,” he said, adding, “As Americans we stand with Ukraine in supporting [its] aspirations for a better, freer future, a more prosperous future.”
Among the many people present at the Ukrainian Embassy reception was a young Ukrainian soldier injured in the recent fighting in eastern Ukraine. Ihor Horoliychuk suffered severe back, neck and head injuries and is now being treated at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington.
Even though Ukraine is not yet a member of the European Union, its place and role in Europe were honored on the following day, Saturday May 9, at the “Shortcut to Europe: European Union Embassies’ Open House,” when the Embassy of Lithuania invited Ukraine to take part with a Ukrainian exhibit at its open house.
The Ukrainian exhibit, presenting aspects of Ukrainian arts and music, was prepared by United Help Ukraine, a charitable organization dedicated to providing funds, food and medical supplies to those affected by the conflict in eastern Ukraine. And among the thousands of visitors that came through the Lithuanian Embassy open house that day was Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires, Mr. Brisiuck.
Not yet being a member of the European Union, the Embassy of Ukraine had its own open house a week earlier, as part of the “Around the World Embassy Tour,” showcasing some 50 embassies from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas.
On Sunday, May 10, there was also a unique focus on Ukrainian-European ties in the field of music at two prominent Washington concert venues.
Ukrainian violinist Peter Sirotin brought the Mendelssohn Piano Trio he co-founded in 1997 to the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Steinway Series concert highlighting two of Ludwig van Beethoven’s piano trios. Joining him on stage was his wife, pianist Ya-Ting Chang, and cellist Fiona Thompson.
Later that afternoon, at the National Gallery of Art’s West Garden Court, Mykola Suk, a Ukrainian pianist who has performed at various venues in the capital area a number of times over the years, joined with pianist Pavel Gintov in a program featuring music by Bach and Mozart.