The Ukrainian Weekly (https://www.ukrweekly.com/uwwp/author/admin/page/9/)
During the final month before Ukraine will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its independence, the country is facing heightened anxiety and uncertainty in the external sphere.
CANNES, France – After a break in 2020, the 74th Cannes International Film Festival took place in France’s Cote d’Azur on July 6-17 with two Ukrainian films – “Olga” and “Babi Yar. Context” – premiering at the festival. Additionally, the State Agency of Ukraine for Cinema opened for the 15th time its pavilion that included the blue-and-yellow national flag and the hashtag #UkraineIsYourDestination in the heart of the festival’s International Village.
KYIV – In a move to protect the Ukrainian ethnic minority in Russia, the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) was compelled to suspend membership of all Ukrainian organizations and UWC leaders in Russia. The move comes after Vladimir Putin enacted draconian laws that impose criminal sanctions on Russian citizens for associating with “undesirable” organizations, including the Ukrainian World Congress.
WINNIPEG – Metropolitan Yurij (Kalistchuk), primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada (UOCC), announced on July 10 via Facebook (www.facebook.com/UOCCanada) his retirement from his episcopal responsibilities.
There are various ways to interpret Russian President Vladimir Putin’s lengthy article “on the historical unity of Russians and Ukrainians,” as his story is titled. But to cut through the clutter of the nearly 7,000-word English version of Mr. Putin’s history lesson on Ukrainians and Russians constituting “a single whole,” and after having read the piece in its entirety, one thing strikes us as plainly evident. Mr. Putin is scared.
Fifty years ago, on July 18, 1971, thousands of events commemorating the annual Captive Nations Week were held across the United States, with Ukrainians making up the largest contingent of ethnic groups that were represented at parades, rallies and other events throughout the weeklong observances.
We are beginning a new stage in relations with the Ukrainian diaspora. At the very least, our program shall simplify the circumstances of living in Ukraine for “foreign” Ukrainians (those from outside of Ukraine’s borders). At best, our program will include them as investors or members of supervisory boards.
commend Askold Lozynskyj’s logical and deductive reasoning in his article “What time is it?” in the June 13 issue of The Ukrainian Weekly. His article included a call to action in the last paragraph for our Ukrainian diaspora “to rise, demand a White House meeting with the president himself (not some surrogate), voice their discontent (to put it mildly) and insist on better behavior by their own president.”
NEW YORK – The production of Yara Arts Group’s “Virtual Forest Song” directed by Virlana Tkacz is not the first time she tackled an adaptation of Lesia Ukrainka’s classic play. It is, however, different from the previous productions of “Forest Song” by Yara Arts Group in that it took place on Zoom. This format is especially appropriate for the show. It emphasizes the connection between nature, humans and technology.
NORTH PORT, Fla. – Officials from the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States visited North Port, Fla., to provide services to Ukrainian nationals residing in the southeast United States. Kostyantyn Vorona, the head of the embassy’s consular section, and Hanna Babenko, the embassy’s third secretary responsible for adoption, citizenship and registration of permanent residence, were on hand to offer their help. Their two-day visit was extremely successful and productive.