of the ;ecological association Z elenyi Svit (G reen W orld) h e ld

m a jo r e n v ir o n \u2013 m e n ta l h a z a r d s fa c in g th e r e p u b lic , a n d th e n

turn its attention to an increasing host of other projects and the predicam ent is report\u2013 ed to have w orsened over the past year.

s u c c e s s e sa c h ie v e d b y th e a s s o c ia tio ni n alm ost tw o years of e x is te n c e ,it p la y e d am a jo r p a r t, h ed e c l a r e d , inth e sto p \u2013

" s ta g e " o f th e C h o r\u2013 nobyl nuclear power plant (reactors 5 and6 ); the abandonm ent of the O dessa, C h y h y ry n a n d C rim e a n n u c le a r p la n ts , u n it 4 o f th e S o u th

b y o th e r e v id e n c e , in a re c e n t a rtic le , v . P o p o v , th e first d e p u ty c h a irm a n o f th e U k ra in ia n S ta te P la n \u2013 n in g C o m m itte e , m a in ta in e d th a t th e re h a d

in to th e a tm o s p h e re in the first half of 1989 w hen com pared w ith the safne

la rg e ly b e c a u s e m o s t o f th e p ro je c ts fo r w a te r c le a n s in g in th e lo c a tio n s o f s te e l energy and chem ical enterprises rem ain la rg e ly o n p a p e r .

" o u r n a tio n a l a n d s o c ia ld i s g r a c e " th a t at the approach to the end of th e present c e n tu r y , life e x p e c ta n c y in U k r a in e fo r m en is seven to 8 years and for w om en four to six years less than in developed co u n tries.

1 ,0 0 0 new born, and also the low est birthrate in th e u n io n . W o m e n m a k e u p o v e r 8 0 percent of those

p h y s ic a l la b o r w h ic h h a s le d t oa r is e in sicknesses during pregnancy, and a 400 t o

r e c e n t y e a r s . O n average, he noted, every year 4 0 ,0 0 0 w o m e n in U k r a in e d o n o t c a r r y their pregnancies to

h ig h -le v e l d e le g a \u2013 tio n s fr o m th e v a tic a n a n d th e M o sc o w Patriarchate of the Russian O rthodox C hurch

o f th e M oscow Patriarchate and the first joint m eeting

these officials and a d e le g a tio n o f th e H o lyS e e , r e p o r te d th e U krainian C atholic Press Bureau based

Press Bureau reported^ th e R u s s ia n O r th o d o x p a r tic ip a n ts d id a d m it th a t th e

C a th o lic s in la te 1989 m ay have been inaccurate. U krai\u2013 n ia n C a th o lic b is h o p s d e n ie dth ea lle g a \u2013 tio n s o f v io le n c e b o th p r iv a te ly w ith th e v a tic a n d e le g a tio n a n d in th e ta lk s w ith th e v a tic a n a n d

P a tr ia r c h a te d e le g a tio n s . T h e R u ssia n O r th o d o x d id n o t d e b a te th e

th a t they were not forcing any parishes or com m unities

to p ic sin c lu d e d th e p ro s p e c ts o f n o rm a \u2013 liz a tio nb e tw e e nth e U k r a in ia n C a th o lic C hurch,

of the archeparchy of Lviv. lvan Gel, head of th e

for the D efense of the U k ra in ia n C a th o lic C h u rc h in U k ra in e , w a s a ls o a m e m b e r o f th e d e le g a tio n a s w ere

C a rd in a l M yroslav lvan Lubachivsky,wasunable to

n a tio n a l a v e ra g e . S im ila rly , th e h ig h e s t num ber of deaths from cancer today are to b e fo u n d

U krainian A cadem y of Sciences elabo\u2013 ra te s o n th is in fo rm a tio n . D r. S h m a tk o v p o in ts o u t th a t th e c e n te r te s te d a g ro u p o f

and discovered that 80 percent of them w e re p ro d u c in g m ilk th a t h a d c h e m ic a ls in it th a t w e re h a rm fu l to th e ir c h ild re n , " it

D n ip ro p e tro v s k e , a n o ld e n te rp rise th a t "spews out tons of toxic gases." Here, a n d a t th e n e a rb y P ry d n ip ro v a th e rm a l electric statio n s, th e air is said to be so p o is o n o u s

expansion. Thus over the past2 5 years, U k ra in e h a s " lo s t" 1.25 m illio n h e c ta re s o f a ra b le la n d . T h e c o a l in d u s try a lo n e h a s a c c o u n te d

w e ll k n o w n . Z e le n y i S v it is a ls o c o n \u2013 cerned about the state of the A zov and B la c k s e a s .

N a tu re P ro te c tio n C o m m itte e is u n d e r fire fo r its fa ilu re to ta k e a p p ro \u2013 p ria te

i n M a riu p il, a P u b lic C o m m itte e to P re \u2013 serve the Azov

it is im portant, it was stated, to ensure that the A zov Sead o e s notg o the ro u te

K o lin k o , th e author of the film "M i-kro-fon!" how \u2013 e v e r, th e

The Prydniprova region has acted as a n e m p lo y m e n t m a g n e t, e m p ty in g v illa g e s o f th e ir p o p u la tio n s fo r in d u s\u2013 trial needs, and

D r . S h c h e rb a k c o m m e n te d b rie fly o n th e trag ic case of th e ch ild ren in th e city o f

m ajor ac\u2013 c o u n ts o f th e s itu a tio n in th is c ity o v e r th e

p la c e b e tw e e n in fo rm a l g ro u p s a n d th e p a rty and government authorities. No undis\u2013 p u te d

1 ,1 9 8 8 ,to O ctober1 ,1 9 8 9 ,3 4 3 cases of alopecia have been registered in Cher\u2013 n iv ts i a n d 4 9 4 in C h e rn iv ts i O b la s t a s a w h o le . S im ila rc a s e s , iti s re p o rte d , h a v e occurred w ell outside the confines of the C h e rn iv ts i re g io n .

H e a lth O rg a n iz a tio n , h a v e fa ile d to a m e lio ra te the situation. The consensus, how ever, is o v e rw h e lm in g : in d u s tria l p o llu tio n is th e u ltim a te s o u rc e o f th is d e b ilita tin g illn e s s .

"dead zone" could be found at a depth of 200 m eters; by the 1940s it had risen to 125 m eters; arid m ore recently it is at the level of 70 m eters, in his view , the se a w ill b e to ta lly d e s tro y e d b y th e y e a r 2040 if the present trend continues.

A s to the sources for such degrada\u2013 tio n o f a m a jo r v a c a tio n a re a fo r S o v ie t c itiz e n s ,

Given such alarming problems, it is hardly surprising that Zelenyi Svit has becom e

T h e in d u s tria liz a tio n of th e re p u b lic began in the past century, and present problem s have been acerbated both by th e

proper cleaning m echanism s or nature p ro te c tio n o b je c ts , a n d b y th e c o n c o m i\u2013 ta n t e x p a n s io n o f c itie s th a t h a s m e a n t th a t

lik e Z e le n y i S v it m ay not have answ ers to m any of the q u e s tio n s ra is e d

e c o n o m ic fu tu re ifa ll th e d a n g e ro u s in d u s trie s a re closed down.

the State N ature Com m ittee, the func\u2013 tio n s o f w h ic h it h a s la rg e ly u s u rp e d a n d expanded, it has becom e an authentic p o p u la r v o ic e .

th e public, released the first secretary of the re g io n a l

R a d io L ib e rty re p o rte d th a t re sid e n ts o f th e U k ra in ia n c ity o f C h e rn ih iv h a v e g o n e o n th e w a rp a th a g a in s t th e ir lo c a l le a d e rs , fo llo w in g a n in c id e n t o n S a tu r\u2013 day, January

6 , w h e n tw o p riv a te Z h i\u2013 guli cars crashed w ith a volga ow ned by th e o b la s t e x e c u tiv e c o m m itte e , re p o rt\u2013 ed Radio Liberty.

a n d in d e e d , b o th the driver and his passenger, an execu\u2013 tiv e

O n S u n d a y , J a n u a r y7 , th ef i r s t secre\u2013 tary of th e party oblast com m ittee, Leo\u2013 n id P a la z h c h e n k o , a n n o u n c e d th a t M r. Z a ik o h a d b e e n fire d

e x e c u tiv e c o m m itte e s , p lu s th e transform ation of adm inistrative build\u2013 in g s in to s c h o o ls a n d h o s p ita ls .

th e c ity th e p re v io u s d a y . J u d g in gb y h is s ta te m e n ts to th e ra d io , M r. K ra v c h u k seem s to have been

lo c a l c o u n c ils o ffic ia lly e n d e d o n J a n u a r y 3 , r e p o r te d th e

c a n d id a te s b y d is tric t e le c tio n c o m m it\u2013 te e s , w ill c o n tin u e th ro u g h F e b ru a ry 5 . S o m e3 ,6 5 0 in d iv id u a ls w e re n o m in a te d a s c a n d id a te s , a c c o rd in g to th e

c a n d id a te s w e re re p re s e n ta tiv e s o f th e C o m m u n is t P a rty a n d

republic apparatus, and 21 percent consisted of directors of enter- prises and collective farm s. Betw een 10 and 15 percent of the nom inated candi\u2013 dates were representatives of indepen\u2013 d e n t p u b lic o rg a n iz a tio n s o r th e D e m o \u2013 c ra tic

K ie v , th e s o - c a lle d D e m o c r a tic B lo c o f in d e p e n d e n t c a n d id a te s ,

o f inform al associations, m anaged to have a t le a s t a s in g le c a n d id a te n o m in a te d in every electoral okruh

in all b u t o n e e le c to ra l d is tric t in th e T e rn o p il O blast.

35-40 percent of all electoral okruhs in the K hm elnytsky O blast are fro m

nian Press A gency citing M r. O darych. O f all the elctoral districts in the K iev O b la s t,3 5 p e rc e n t h a v e c a n d id a te s fro m the D em ocraticB lo c , in the city of K iev, a s w e ll a s th e c ity o f L v iv , a ll e le c to ra l o k ru h s

C o m m itte e o f P h ila d e lp h ia h a s h o s te d S olidarity D ay program s to com m em o\u2013 ra te th e c o m m u n ity 's s p iritu a l a llia n c e w ith U k ra in ia n p o litic a l p ris o n e rs . T h e tra d itio n a l J a n u a ry

E d u c a tio n a l and C ultural C enter, w here m em bers of th e U k ra in ia n c o m m u n ity w e re a b le to m e e t w ith

o f p h ilo lo g y , a lite ra ry c ritic a n d a u th o r o f s ix b o o k s , is th e c h ie f id e o lo g u e o f th e P o p u la r

M azurkevich, D r. Briukhovetsky s p o k e a t s o m e le n g th a b o u t th e R u k h a n d its g o a ls , a b o u t th e c u rre n t p o litic a l s itu a tio n s

as a "grass\u2013 ro o ts m o v e m e n t" w ith a d iv e rse m em \u2013 bership as w ell as a broad and diverse support base in Ukraine, a movement w h ic h

of the Soviet governm ent to prom ote dissen\u2013 s io n

o f th e U k ra in ia n p e o p le w h o h a v e grow n accustom ed to react w ith distrust a n d d isb e lie f to a n y p o litic a l r h e to r ic .

A c c o rd in g to D r. B riu k h o v e ts k y , o n e of R ukh's earliest and m ost unexpected a llie s

A m e ric a n C o o rd in a tin g C o u n c il b e g a n its se c o n d fo u r-y e a r te rm o f a c tiv ity . T h e c o n v e n tio n w a s c o n d u c te d u n d e r th e m o tto o f " C o n ta c ts w ith U k r a in e ," a n d th e p a rtic ip a tio n a n d p re s e n ta tio n s o f re p re s e n ta tiv e s fro m

re g a rd in g n e g o tia tio n s w ith re p re s e n ta tiv e s o f th e U k ra in ia n C o n g re s s C o m m itte e o f A m erica

U k ra in e F a m in e (w h ic hi s s tu d y in g the causes and consequences of the 1932-1933 G reat F am ine in U kraine), the fo re ig n

U A C C ouncil m em bers and s u p p o rte rs w h o th ro u g h th e ir d u e s a n d d o n a tio n s e n a b le d th e e x e c u tiv e to c o n d u c t th is a c tiv ity a s w e ll a s to p a y th e U A C C o u n c il's d u e s to th e W o rld Congress of Free U krainians, a sum

A t th e c o n v e n tio n , m u c h a tte n tio n w a s fo c u se d o n e v e n ts in U k ra in e a n d id e a s o f h o w w e liv in g b e y o n d th e b o r d e r s o f U k ra in e c a n b e s t h e lp th o s e in U k ra in e s tru g g lin g fo r th e ir h u m a n a n d n a tio n a l rig h ts .

c o n ta c ts w ith o rg a n iz a tio n s in U k ra in e th a t s u p p o rt d e m o c ra tic p rin c ip le s a n d w ith v a rio u s n a tio n a litie s in th e U n ite dS ta te s ; to s u p p o rt b o th A m e ric a n p o litic a l p a rtie s in o rd e r th a t th e c o m m u n ity h a s a n in flu e n c e o n th e m ; to d e fe n d

good nam e of U krainians and to react im m e d ia te ly a n d e ffe c tiv e ly to in a c c u ra c ie s in th e p re s s a n d b r o a d c a s t m e d ia . A v e ry im p o rta n t m a tte r w h ic h th e e x e c u tiv e w a s d ire c te d to u n d e rta k e is"to c o m p ile , in

w ho a tte m p te d to d e s tro y th e U k ra in ia n n a tio n , in o rd e r to d e m o n s tra te to th e w hole w orld the true state of affairs and to bring to justice those responsible fo r su c h a tro c itie s , n o m a tte r w h e re th e y m a y b e .

in o rd e r to e n a b le th e e x e c u tiv e to fu lfill th e s e d ire c tiv e s a s w e ll a s to m e e t th e U A C C o u n c il's fin a n c ia l o b lig a tio n s to th e W C F U , th e e x e c u tiv e a p p e a ls to c o m m u n ity

m o v e m e n t w e re im m e d ia te ly in trig u e d a n d b e g a n to ta k e g re a t in te re s t in th e o rg a n iz a tio n a n d its id e a s .

fo r th e m s e lv e s a n do t h e r s , a n d as w ord of R ukh's ideas spread, so did th e n u m b e r o f its a d h e re n ts .

R ukh platform , R ukh m em bers w ere deluged b y n e a rly 3 0 0 ,0 0 0 le tte rs , m a n y v o ic in g a c tiv e s u p p o rt fo r th e R u k h , m a n y re - q u e s tin g

a m ore som ber note, D r. Briu\u2013 khovetsky addressed som e of the practi\u2013 c a l

of U\u2013 k ra in e 's in te llig e n ts ia w e re m u rd e re d b y S ta lin . H e in d ic a te d

th a t th e s e d e a th s le ft a v o id th a t h a s o n ly re c e n tly b e g u n to be filled .

a n d th a t th is p h e n o m e n o n is b e c o m in g m o re in c re a s in g ly e v id e n t in r e c e n t

m a jo r difficulties for U kraine lies in access to inform ation, in a dearth of com m unica\u2013 tions technology that m akes dissem ina\u2013 tio n

to the exclusion of c u rre n t n e e d s a n d fu tu re p o te n tia l. T h e q u e s tio n

it is h e r e , c o n tin u e d D r . B riu k h o v e t\u2013 sk y , th a t th e U k ra in ia n e m ig ra tio n c a n provide the m ost im portant assistance t o

farm ers, engineers, factory m a n a g e rs , e tc . to th e U n ite d S ta te s fo r tra in in g a n d e d u c a tio n in th e ir resp ec\u2013 tive fields.

A c c o rd in g to D r. B riu k h o v e ts k y , se n d in g c o m p u te rs to U k ra in e is effec\u2013 tiv e ,b u t tra in in g

U k ra in ia n s to b u ild th e ir o w n c o m p u te rs w o u ld b e im m ea\u2013 s u ra b ly

B riu k h o v e ts k y prom ised to send the U krainian H um an R ig h ts C o m m itte e a d e ta ile d

U k ra in ia n c o m m u n ity h a d fo llo w -u p q u e s tio n s o n various issues that had been raised by D r . B riu k h o v e ts k y . O n e q u e s tio n d e a lt w ith

to visit U\u2013 kraine as instructors or trainers in their respective areas of expertise.

w o u ld have to be organized and approved by th e

for re\u2013 c e iv in g h im a n d b y s a y in g h o w h a p p y h e was to see that young U krainians were in te re s te d in th e h o m e la n d th a t m a n y