both U krainian gov– e r n m e n t o ffic ia ls a n d c itiz e n s in g a th e r– in g

s o l– diers and prisoners of w ar last seen on th e

D e c e m b e r 1 4 , to in v e s tig a te th e fa te o f m ore than 78,000 M lA s afterth e second w orld w ar, as w ell as 130 soldiers w ho d is a p p e a re d

A m bassador T oon, w ho w as accom – panied by another m em ber of the corn- m ission, R ep. Pete Peterson (D — Fla.), c a lle d o n a ll U k r a in ia n c itiz e n s to c o m e fo rw ard

th e c h a n g e of atm osphere in K iev sinceh e served as a m b a s s a d o r in M o s c o w

that over 22,000 soldiers during the second w orld w ar, w ho w ere lib e ra te d

B a se d o n c o n v e rs a tio n s w ith o ffic ia ls in Russia and archival data in M oscow, A m bassador

of w ar to d a y a r e b e in g h e ld a g a n s t th e ir w ill in R u ssian

pressed full confidence in the leadership of the C hurch electedb y the sobor."T he S o b o r

a d d re s s pronouncem ents m ade in recent m onths by Patriarch

P a rlia m e n ta ry e le c tio n s fa st a p p ro a c h e s , th e p e titio n d riv e fa lls m o re th a n

course, we will not garner the am ount needed, but w e are inspired by th e c a m p a ig n ," v y a c h e s la v C h o rn o v il, th e

U k ra in ia n P a rlia m e n t's a u th o rity fo llo w in g a p re– te r m

1 m illion s ig n a tu re s a re n e e d e d fo r a p o p u la tio n o f

is needed to start the process. (This law w as passed so that th e d e m o c ra tic b lo c in U k ra in e 's P a rlia – m ent

som e of w hom did n o t jo in th is c a m p a ig n a n d w h o d o n o t w ant

v a rio u s m a n u fa c tu rin g firm s d isp la y e d th e ir g o o d s a t th e c o n v e n tio n in a n tic i– p a tio n

introduced to A m erican businessm en for the first tim e w ere U kraine's design engineers, plant m anagers, m anufactur– in g

finance, m a- c h in e b u ild in g , m e d ic a l, tra n s p o rta tio n , p e tro c h e m ic a l, c h e m ic a l, fo o d p ro c e ss– in g ,

s tre n g th e n in g our business and governm ent relations w ith

p ro v id in g assis– ta n c e to w a rd th e p riv a tiz a tio n o f U k rai– n ia n

W ednesday, De– c e m b e r 2 , a t 5 p .m . fo r in v ite d g u e s ts a n d e x h ib ito rs . T h e p a rtic ip a tin g co m – p a n ie s fro m

th e U k ra in ia n F a s h io n H o u s e K hreshchatyk. This fashion agency w as th e le a d in g n a m e in th e fo rm e r S o v ie t U n io n a n d

p re s e n te d U k ra in ia n p ro d u c ts a n d m a n u fa c tu rin g c a p a b ilitie s

g o v e rn m e n t, th e S ta te D e p a rtm e n t o f th e U .S .A ., p o liti– cal and

in d u s try ^ te x tile s , m a c h in e b u ild in g , m e d ic a l, m e ta llu rg y , s c ie n c e ,

in b u s in e s s ventures in U kraine. T o p ic s ofdiscussion w ere: "D eveloping A Business Plan — F ro m

currency con- v e rs io n , a n d id e n tifie s o p p o rtu n itie s fo r c o m p a n ie s

T he first W orld C ongresso f U k ra in ia n L a w y e rs to o k p la c e b e tw e e n O c to b e r 18 a n d 2 2 in K ie v , in a d d itio n t o

U k ra in ia n la w y e rs in a tte n d a n c e , a b o u t 4 0 a tto r– n e y s

P o la n d p a rtic i– p a te d in fo u r d a y s o f p re s e n ta tio n s a n d m e e tin g s th a t c u lm in a te d in th e fo rm a – tio n

U k rain ian P rim e M inister Leonid Kuchm a prom ised to "toughen a n d

K u c h m a s a id p o w e r h a d fa lle n in to th e hands of the m anagerial corps because o f th e e c o n o m ic s itu a tio n .H e w a rn e d o f forthcom ing m oves on foreign exchange o p e ra tio n s , p ric in g , c u s to m s ta riffs

le a s in g , to g e th e r w ith m e a s u re s a g a in s t ta x e v a s io n a n d c a p ita l flig h t. (R F E ^ R L D aily R e p o rt)

w itnessed attem p ts by form er m em bers of the Com m unist Party of U kraine to lif t

the question on the session's agenda w as in tro d u c e d s e v e ra l tim e s a n d u ltim a te ly re je c te d .

proponents of the m ove m ay have been em boldened by the election of several of th e ir

T he ship repair facilities for the form er Soviet Black Sea Fleet have becom e the latest bone of conten– tio n

1TA R-TA SS reported on D ecem ber 14 that the U krainian M inistry of Defense h a d d e c re e d a ll th e p la n ts w e re tob e p u t u n d e r its fu ll ju ris d ic tio n . T h e R u s s ia n N avy's press center charges that such an a c tio n

o f th e a g re e m e n ts p la c in g th e fle e t u n d e r th e jo in t a d m in is tra tio n

h is m in is te r o f d e fe n s e , G en. Pavel G rachev, to seek U krainian agreem ent

th e S tra te g ic A rm s R e d u c tio n T re a ty (S T A R T ) a n d jo in th e N u c le a r N o n -P ro life ra tio n T re a ty . H e m a d e h is c o m m e n ts to

K iev, w hich w ere sum m a– rized by Radio U kraine W orld Service. T he

in th e n e w s p a p e r R e s p u b lik a , M r. Z le n k o w a s q u o te d a s s a y in g th a t U k ra in e

13, W estern agencies reported. T he U krainian Par– lia m e n t h a d v o te d

C h o rn o b y l com plex by the end of 1993.The plant w a s in d e e d s h u t d o w n e a rlie r th is y e a r, b u t

th e shortage of energy supplies, which have b e c o m e m o re a c u te fo llo w in gth e re d u c – tio n

s c ie n tific researchers in the form er S oviet U nion. M r.

T h is p la n w o u ld c o m p le m e n t th e a c tiv i– ties of th e recen tly form ed in tern atio n al C e n te r

a n d defense m inistry scientists in R ussia an d U kraine. M r. S oros saidh e w ould m ake S 85

h e s its . H e g r e e ts y o u a n d in s is ts y o u ta k e a s e a t. A s h e a d ju s ts h is ill-fittin g tr o u s e r s h e s lid e s o ff h is c h a ir , b u t h e

aP h ila d e lp h ia a g e n c y th a t a tte m p ts to fe e d th e in d ig e n t a n d n o t s o lu c k y . M r . S te fk o

a n d O u r W ord, w r ite a b o u t th a t. T h e ir y e llo w e d ,d o g -e a r e dp a g e s a r e h is o n ly fr ie n d s .

a ll, it b e c o m e s d iffic u lt to r e m e m b e r w h e n y o u 'r e o ld e r . H e h a s n o fa m ily . Theyw ere scattered about-

U k ra in ia n s to d a y liv e in m is e ra b le c o n d itio n s in th e ir " g o ld e n y e a rs ," left to fend for them selves w ith little frie n d s h ip o r s u p p o rt a t a tim e th e y n e e d it m o s t. T h e y a r e th e in d ig e n t a n d the "shut-in," who cannot get around lik e th e y o n c e d id . T h e y n e e d h e lp fro m c h a rita b le

re a c h th e o u ts id e w o rld th e y o fte n th in k th e y h a v e lo s t to u c h w ith .

o u r s e n io r c itiz e n s . T h e y p ro v id e m e a ls , o rg a n iz e arts and crafts a c tiv itie s , and counsel the e ld e rly o n h o w

to w a rd s th o s e w h o c a n m a k e it to th e ir c e n te rs . S h u t-in s ,

У е г а L a s h c h y k -S m u lk a , a U k ra in ia n A m e ric a n w h o w o rk s fo r th e P h ila d e l– p h ia

h is m e a ls , s tro n g ly believes U krainians need to start taking better care of their less fortunate elder– ly. "These people shouldn't have to be isolated," she says.

re a d y to v o lu n te e r. " W eh a v e v o lu n te e r– ed our sw eat and hard-earned m oney to U k ra in e —

w h y a rew e fo rg e ttin g th o s e w ho need our helph e r e ? " she says. "W e need to get m ore U krainians interested in

th e s e people. Y ou don't need to have specific tra in in g to b e a v o lu n te e r. Y o u sim p ly

as if little tim e exists to do w h a t is n e e d e d to h e lp th e in d ig e n t. S h e u se s c e rta in p la titu d e s re p e a te d ly . " Y o u have to invest in people," she says.

S h e e x p la in s th a t, in h e r o p in io n , U – krainian A m ericans over the years have lo o k e d o u tw a rd ly to w a rd s U k ra in e fo r so lo n g th e y h a v e fo rg o tte n th o s e in th e diaspora w ho also need their help, "it is a

says. "W e are U k ra in ia n s , C a th o lic s , O rth o d o x , B an– derites and M elnykites. B ut w e need to be people and m ake sure our own can s ta n d o n th e ir o w n tw o fe e t."

o u r p e o p le re a liz e s u c h a s e rv ic ee x is ts ? "sh e a s k s rh e to ric a lly . " Y o u

frie n d s h ip s w ith so m e o f th e U k ra in ia n s h u t-in s in th e P h ila d e lp h ia a re a th re e years ag o , w hen she w as assigned by the C o rp o ra tio n fo r A g in g to m a k e c o n ta c t w ith n o n -E n g lis h -s p e a k in g o ld e r a d u lts .

s h u t-in s s till lo o k to h e r fo r h e lp a n d frie n d s h ip . " 1 h e lp th e m

in d ig e n t w ith w h o m s h e h a s h a d c o n ta c t in a d irect, rap id -fires ty le , sim ilar to th e w ay she races her

m arks. He has w ritten, "Care for the needy, aged and sick is som ething that m a n y e th n ic g ro u p s p ro v id e . T h e re a re , how ever, very few

e v e n th e y h a v e n o t b e e n a b le to o b ta in a d e q u a te fu n d in g fro m th e a g e n c ie s th a t n o rm a lly

m a in - ta in s th a t s p re a d in g in fo rm a tio n a b o u t w h e re th e in d ig e n t a n d s h u t-in c a n g e t h e lp w ill b e g in to m a k e th e ir liv e s b e tte r. A s sh e p u ts it, " O n ly a n o p e n h a n d g e ts fe d ."

m ost any– body but the socialworker, whom she trusts if onlyb e c a u s e thatperson speaks U k r a in ia n . B u t

to o y o u n g , to o o u tw a r d ly s e lf-c o n fid e n t to b etr u s te d . S h e slam s th e d o o r s h u ta s th e s o c ia l w o r k e r p le a d s

is m a k in g a re n e w e d e ffo rt to s e a rc h o u t a n d id e n tify th o s e a g e d U k ra in ia n s in th e P h ila d e lp h ia

a s k fo r th e h e lp th e y n e e d . T h e U k ra i– n ia n E d u c a tio n a l a n d C u ltu ra l C e n te r, lo c a te d

O ry s ia H e w k a , e x e c u tiv e d ire c to r o f the center says, "The ones we w ant to h e lp a r e th e s h u t-in s , b u tw e m u s t lo c a te th e m ." T o w a rd th a t g o a l th e c e n te r h a s h ire d

m in o ritie s , U k ra in ia n , P o lis h , K o re a n and H ispanic A m ericans, and is appro– p ria tin g m o n e y to c e rta in o rg a n iz a tio n s w ith in th e g ro u p s to id e n tifyth e b a rrie rs th e

sh e is p a rtic ip a tin g n e e d s th e h e lp o f th e e n tire U k ra in ia n A m e ric a n c o m m u n ity , " it is v e ry slo w g o in g . W e a re o n ly o n e -th ird o fth e w a y to o u r g o a l (o f1 0 0 s h u t-in s ) a n d h a lf th e