T H E U K R A IN IA N W E E K L Y
S U N D A Y , JA N U A R Y1 ,1 9 8 9
N o .l
A
G L IM P S E O F S O V IE TR E A L IT Y
O ffic ia l o ffe rs s u rp ris in g d e fe n s e
o f tfieD a n u b e -D n ie p e r riv e rc a n a l
IN T E R V IE W : L e o n id
M ilia v s k y
o n U k r a in ia n
D e m o c ra tic
U n io n
b y D r . D a v id M a r p le s
A
su rp risin g
d e fe n s e
of the con\ue000
tro v e rs ia l p la n to b u ild a c a n a l th a t
lin k s
th e
D anube
t o
th e
D n ie p e r
R iv e r in U k ra in e h a s b e e n o ffe re d b y
an official of th e U k rain ian M in istry
o f W a te r E c o n o m y .
T he
o ffic ia l,
L .
M oroz, was re\ue000
sponding to a series of articles in the
K ie v
new spaper,
R adianska
U -
k r a in a , w h ic h , h e m a in ta in s , o ffe re d
a o n e -s id e d o u tlo o k , d e p ic tin g th o s e
in v o lv e d
in p la n s fo r la n d im p ro v e \ue000
m e n t in th e re p u b lic a s " e n e m ie s o f
th e p e o p le ." M r. M o ro z c la im s th a t
m a n y o f th e a rg u m e n ts p u t fo rw a rd
a g a in s t
th e
b u ild in g
o f
th e
c a n a l
e m a n a te
fro m
p e o p le
w ho
a re
n o t
q u a lifie d to m a k e ju d g m e n ts .
M r. M oroz notes that the idea of
using the w aters of the
D anube
t o
irrigate arid
U k ra in ia n fa rm la n d s is
n o t n e w , b u t o rig in a te d b e fo re W o rld
W ar II. B y1 9 6 1 , such a schem e had
b e e n
a p p ro v e d
b y
m em bers of the
C o u n c il fo r
M u tu a l E c o n o m ic A id
(C M E A ), an d
tw o
y e a rs la te r, th e
U SSR
G osplan
reaffirm ed
th a t th e
S o v ie t U n io n w a s in n e e d o f s o m e 3 0 -
3 5 b illio n c u b ic m e te rs o f w a te r fro m
th e D a n u b e to irrig a te th e re p u b lic s
o f
M o ld a v ia , U k ra in e
a n d
R u ssia.
T he
p la n
fo r
th e
D anube-D nieper
C anali t s e l f , notes M r. M oroz, w as
e la b o ra te d
by the CM EA
som e 14
years ago, and
a p p r o v e d
b y
a n
E x p e rt
C o m m issio n
o f
th e
U SSR
G o s p la n in 1 9 7 4 .
A lth o u g h th e s e p la n s d a te fro m a n
earlier era, M r. M oroz
c o n n e c ts
th e m w ith th e J a n u a r y 1988 decree o f
th e C C C P S U a n d U S S R C o u n c il o f
M in is te rs , ''C o n c e rn in g
e s s e n tia l
m easures to im prove the use of w ater
resources in the country." The canal
h a s b e e n e x a m in e d fo r its fe a s ib ility
b y
several institutes and
o rg a n iz a \ue000
tio n s ,in c lu d in g
th e
A cadem y
o f
S c ie n c e s o f th e U k ra in ia n S S R , th e
U k ra in ia n
M inistries of W ater E co\ue000
n o m y a n d H e a lth P ro te c tio n , a n d th e
U k ra in ia n S S R
S ta te A g ro p ro m .
T he
U k ra in ia n
A cadem y
o f
Sciences in particular has baulked at
th e c o s ts o f th e c a n a l a n d th e lik e ly
dam age it w ould cau^e to the natural
e n v iro n m e n t
o f
th e
re p u b lic .
M r.
M o ro z , h o w e v e r, d e fe n d s a p e titio n
put forw ard by his m inistry to delay
th e g ro u n d w o rk
fo r th e c a n a l fro m
th e y e a r 1990 to 1995 in o rd e r th a t th e
s c ie n tific
in v e s tig a tio n
c a n
b e
p ro \ue000
p e rly c o m p le te d .
M r,
M o r o z 's
m ain
argum ent
t o
s u p p o r t th e b u ild in g o f th e c o m p le x
is th a t irrig atio n is th e only an sw er to
th e
U k ra in e 's
w a te r
s h o rta g e
p ro \ue000
blem s. Of
th e
past 20 agricultural
y e a rs ,
h e
p o in ts
o u t, d ro u g h t
h a s
o c c u rre d
in no fewer than eight of
th e m ,
re s u ltin g
in
a n
a g ric u ltu ra l
p ro d u c tio n
sh o rtfa ll
o f
som e
1 8 ,5
b illio n ru b le s in v a lu e .
H is re m a rk s a re p a rtic u la rly p e rti\ue000
n e n t
t o
th e
C rim e a
w here, it is
re p o rte d , th e a n n u a l ra in fa ll ra re ly
e x c e e d s
3 5 0
m illim eters, an d
th re e
out of every five years are "drought-
rid d e n ."
B e c a u se o f th is s itu a tio n , a n e a rlie r
schem e w as devised
to b u ild
th e
N o rth
C rim ean
C anal (an idea first
d e v is e d
in
1 8 4 6 ), w h ic h
is a
fo re \ue000
runner of the present schem e for the
D a n u b e -D n ie ije r C a n a l.
T he
s e rie s
O ft t h e
itie w
c a n a l in
R adianska
U k rain a, w ritten
b y
D .
D o n s k o i,
w as
v e ry
c ritic a l
o f
th e
p la n s ,w h ic h , th e a u th o r claim s, h a v e
n o t b e e n p ro p e rly th o u g h t o u t. T h e
D anube-D nieper
C a n a l, n o te s
M r.
D o n s k o i,
w o u ld
b e
u n iq u e
in
th e
w o rld . T h e 3 0 0 -k ilo m e te r c a n a l
w o u ld
encom pass
O dessa,
M yko-
la y iv a n d
K herson
o b la s ts a n d
ru n
fro m
th e m o u th o f th e D a n u b e to th e
D n ie p e r-B u g e s tu a ry in
s o u th e r n
U k ra in e .
I n
its first
stage, a
h u g e
h y d ro \ue000
e le c tric s ta tio n is to b e c o m p le te d o n
th e
D n ie p e r-B u g e s tu a ry , lin k e d
t o
w hich is to be a large dam
th a t w ill
s e p a ra te th e D n ie p e r R iv e r fro m
th e
B la c k
Sea. In
the first stage of the
c a n a l, w h ic h e n d s in th e y e a r 2 0 0 0 ,
th e
p la n
i s
t o
g a th e r
s e v e n
a n d
u ltim a te ly
2 5
c u b ic
k ilo m e te rs
o f
w ater, 8 0 -8 5 percent of w hich is tob e
used to irrigate the steppe lands.
T he
U k ra in ia n
p u b lic
h a s
lo n g
b e e n
u n h a p p y
w ith
th e
g ra n d io s e
plan. References have been m ade to
th e s a lin iz a tio n o f L a k e S a sy k d u rin g
th e
c o n s tru c tio n
of the N orth
C ri\ue000
m e a n C a n a l. W a te r filte re d
th ro u g h
th e w a lls o f th e N o r th C rim e a n C a n a l
s o
th a t
k a r s t
c a v e s
in
th e
C rim e a
to d a y
a re
s a id
t o
b e flo o d e d
w ith
w a te r, w h ic h is d e s tro y in g th e m .
A t the behest of a C om m ission for
th e S tu d y o f P ro d u c tiv e F o rc e s a n d
N atural Resources of the U krainian
A cadem y
o f
Sciences, a
g ro u p
o f
scientists traveled along the route of
th e fu tu re c a n a l th is su m m e r, p a rti\ue000
cularly in the Lake Sasyk area. They
n o te d
the "gross ignorance" on the
part of the planners, and
rem arked
th a t
L a k e
S a s y k
has not yet been
d e s a lin iz e d .
S u lfu ric
a c id
w a s b e in g d u m p e d
in to th e c a n a lsi n a n a tte m p t to p u rify
th e
w ater. The specialists observed
th a t
th e
soil in
th e
re g io n
w as
" d y in g ."
At the
b o tto m
o f
th e
D n ie p e r-B u g
e s tu a ry ,
moreover, a
la y e r o f s a lin iz e d s ilt w a s s a id t o b e
v is ib le , te s tify in g
t o
th e
dam age
caused by irrigation schem es.
T h e w e e k ly N e w s F r o m
U k ra in e ,
w h ic h is p u b lis h e d in K ie v fo r U k r a i\ue000
n ia n s
liv in g
abroad, concurred
re \ue000
c e n tly
w ith
th e
o p in io n s o f th e
U k ra in ia n p u b lic a b o u t th e p ro p o s e d
fu tu re c a n a l. In its v ie w , th e p ro je c t is
an echo of th e "period of stagnation"
th a t is asso ciated w ith th e tim e of th e
general secretaryship
of the
la te
L e o n id
Brezhnev. In
th is p e rio d , it
stated, "huge sum s (w ere) invested in
la r g e - s c a le
p ro je c ts
a n d
n o b o d y
th o u g h t a b o u t th e c o n s e q u e n c e s ."
A lth o u g h th e re h a s b e e n a d e b a te
a b o u t
th e
e x p e d ie n c y
of the
c a n a l
th ro u g h o u t U k ra in e fo r so m e tim e ,
th e y e a r 1 9 8 7 m a rk e d th e b e g in n in g
o f m a jo r p u b lic c o n c e rn . In th is y e a r,
o n e
K ie v
new spaper,
R o b itn y c h a
H a z e ta , in v ite d its re a d e rs to w rite in
a n d
com m ent on
th e p la n . A m o n g
th e
o v e rw h e lm in g ly
n e g a tiv e
re \ue000
sponses w as one from
a raion prose\ue000
cutor, V . B ocharov, w ho recalled the
" s a d
lessons" of
L a k e
B a ik a l, th e
V o lg a , th e
S e v a n
e s tu a ry
a n d
th e
D n ie p e r-B u g h y d ro e le c tric s ta tio n .
H e m a in ta in e d th a t th e la tte r h a d
never received official approval, but
that over
100 m illion
ru b le s h a d
a lre a d y
b e e n
e x p e n d e d
o n
i t .
H e
bem oaned the lack of concern for the
re p u b lic a n
e c o lo g y
a n d
b itte rly
a t-
^
(C iw itiin u e d o n p a g e 3 )
'
'
The London-based
U k r a in ia n
P ress
A g e n c y
r e c e n tly c o n d u c te d
a n in te r v ie w
w ith a le a d in g m e m b e r o f th e U k r a in ia n
D e m o c r a tic
U n io n , L e o n id
M ilia v s k y ,
w h o liv e s in K ie v , T h e D e m o c r a tic U n io n
w a s fo u n d e d
e a r lie r th is year at a c o n g r e s s
in M o s c o w . A
tr a n s c r ip t o f th e in te r v ie w
(p r o v id e d
i n
E n g lis h
tr a n s la tio n b y
th e
U P A )fo llo w s ,
W hen
was the
U k ra in ia n
D em ocratic
U nion (U D U ) form ed?
O n e c a n n o t re a lly sa y th a t th e U D U h a s
b e e n
o ffic ia lly
fo rm e d . F o llo w in g
th e
fo rm atio n
in M o s c o w
of the D em ocratic
U nion, sm all groups were established
in
J u ly
in
U k ra in ia n
c itie s
s u c h
a s
K ie v ,
D n ip ro p e tro v s k e ,
O dessa,
K h a rk iv
a n d
R iv n e .
T he K iev group decidedt o separate from
th e
[R ussian] D em ocratic
U n io n
a n d
e s ta b lis h
i t s
ow n
in d e p e n d e n t
g ro u p ,
w h ic h
w o u ld
w o rk in a p u re ly U k ra in ia n
n a tio n a l-d e m o c ra tic d ire c tio n .
O n J a n u a r y 2 2 -2 3 th e r e w ill b e a c o n \ue000
g re s s
w here
a ll th e s e
U D U
g r o u p s w ill
p a rtic ip a te . D u rin g
the congress we will
p u t
fo rw ard
o u r
p ro p o s a l
of form ing
a
separate organization, perhaps even under
a
d iffe re n t
n a m e , w h ic h
w o u ld
w ork
in d e p e n d e n tly o f th e th e [R u s s ia n ] D U . It
w ill b e a n
o rg a n iz a tio n
w ith
a
n a tio n a l-
d e m o c ra tic p ro file .
T here's a suggestion thatw e should join,
a s
a
c o lle c tiv e
g ro u p ,
th e
U k ra in ia n
H e ls in k i U n io n . T h e y w o u ld w e lc o m e s u c h
a m ove.
D o y o u h a v e a n y re la tio n s h ip w ith th e
M oscgw
D U ?
Y es, w e h a v e c o n ta c ts w ith th e M o s c o w
D U . W e travel and m eet their m em bers.
D o you have your own program ?
Y es,w ed o .
H ow
d o e s it d iffe re n tia te
fro m
th e
M oscow
D U
p ro g ra m ?
O urs
is
a
p ro g ra m
g e a re d
p u re ly
t o
U k ra in e , fo r
e x a m p le
s o v e re ig n ty
fo r
U k ra in e , in c lu d in g q u e s tio n s su c h a s w h e \ue000
th e rw e w a n t to re m a in a p a rt of th e U S S R ,
a s a fe d e ra tio n , c o n fe d e ra tio n
or to
s e p a r a te c o m p le te ly a s a s e p a ra te re p u b lic ?
A lso, th e in te rn a l p o litic s o f U k ra in ea s a
re p u b lic ,
a s
a
d e m o c ra tic
re p u b lic , re \ue000
c o g n itio n o f th e p rin c ip le s o f p lu ra lis m in
p o litic s , c u ltu re a n d e c o n o m ic s , fu ll rig h ts
fo r n a tio n a l m in o ritie s . T h e y b e lie v e th a t
" th ep e o p le " w ill d e c id e a ll th e a b o v e p o in ts
b y e ith e r a re fe re n d u m
o r s o m e th in ge l s e .1
th in k
th e
b e s t
o p tio n
w o u ld
b e
a n
in \ue000
dependent U kraine.
W here
a re
th e
n ia in
U D U
g ro u p s lo \ue000
c a te d in U k ra in e ?
M ain ly
in eastern
U kraine, except for
R iv n e .
H ave
th e
d iffe re n t
g ro u p s in
U k ra in e
a d o p te d y o u r p ro g ra m ?
S o fa r, w e h a v e n o t p u t th is q u e s tio n o r
d e m a n d to th e m . W e 'll d is c u s s th is a t th e
congress. They have contacts with us and
w ith th e M o s c o w D U .I fo re se e th e c o n ta c t
w ith
u s
w ill
b e
s tre n g th e n e d
a n d
w ith
M oscow
w e a k e n e d . T h e r e w ill b e a t e n \ue000
d e n c y
to w a rd s
in d e p e n d e n c e
fro m
th e
M oscow
D U .
W ill
y o u
b e g in
p u b lis h in g
y o u r
ow n
jo u rn a l?
Y es, next year.
W hy was there a need for a U krainian
D e m o c ra tic U n io n ?
I th in k
th a t
th e
tim e
has com e
fo r
U k r a in e to d e c id e h e r o w n is s u e s ju s t lik e
th e B a ltic re p u b lic s , fo r e x a m p le . S e p a ra te
g ro u p s
a re a p p e a rin g w h o a re lo o k in g a t
d iffe re n t
ways of achieving
this. T his
p ro c e s s
in e v ita b ly
g iv e s
r is e
t o
p o litic a l
g ro u p s .
B u t w h y d id y o u c re a te th e U D U w h e n
th e re
is
th e
U k ra in ia n
H e ls in k i
U n io n
(U H U ) in
K ie v ? D o
y o u
th in k
th a t th e
U H U
fails to satisfy
your needs?
N othing of the sort. Firstly, w e form ed
o u r g ro u p b e fo re th e H e ls in k i U n io n . S o
th e re is n o c o m p e titio n . S e c o n d ly , w e a re
p u re ly p o litic a l \u2014
a n o p p o s itio n p o litic a l
o rg a n iz a tio n . T h e U H U
is n o t a p o litic a l
o rg a n iz a tio n . It is a fe d e ra tio n
of hum an
rig h ts
g ro u p s
t o
w h ic h
m em bers
of the
C o m m u n is t
P a rty
a n d
m em bers
o f
th e
U D U
m ay
b e lo n g .
T h e y
h a v e
a
w id e r
p ro g ra m
lik e th e
E s to n ia n P o p u la r F ro n t
o r th e L a tv ia n o n e . It is re a lly a n u n o ffic ia l
p o p u la r fro n t
b e c a u s e
a n
o ffic ia l
o n e
c a n n o t, a s y e t, b e re c o g n iz e d .
W e
h a v e
a
p u re ly
p o litic a l
p ro g ra m
w h ic h
is id e o lo g ic a lly
m o tiv a te d . T h e
U H U
does not address itself to the M arx-
(C o n tin u e d o n p a g e 1 6 )
Ukrainian W eeldi
FOUNDED 1933
A n
E n g lis h - la n g u a g e
U k r a in ia n
n e w s p a p e r
p u b lis h e d
b y
th e
U k r a in ia n
N a tio n a l
A s s o c ia tio n
In c ., a
n o n - p r o fit a s s o c ia tio n , a t 3 0
M o n tg o m e ry
S t., J e rs e y
C ity , N J .
0 7 3 0 2 .
S e c o n d -c la s s p o s ta g e p a id a t J e rs e y C ity , N .J . 0 7 3 0 2 .
(IS S N -
0 2 7 3 -9 3 4 8 )
Y e a rly s u b s c r ip tio n
ra te : S 2 0 ; fo r U N A
m e m b e rs -
S IO .
A ls o p u b lis h e d
b y th e
U N A : S v o b o d a , a U k ra in ia n -la n g u a g e d a ily
n e w s p a p e r.
T h e W e e k ly a n d S v o b o d a :
(2 0 1 ) 4 3 4 -0 2 3 7 , -0 8 0 7 , -3 0 3 6
U N A :
(2 0 1 ) 4 5 1 -2 2 0 0
P o s tm a s te r, s e n d a d d re s s
changes to:
T h e U k r a in ia n W e e k ly
P .O . Box 346
je r s e y C ity . N J . 0 7 3 0 3
E d ito r: R o m a
H adzew ycz
A s s o c ia te
E d ito rs :
M a rta
K o lo m a y e ts
C h ry s ty n a
L a p y c h a k
T h e
U k r a in ia n
W e e k ly , J a n u a ry
1 , 1 9 8 9 , N o . 1 . V o . L V II
C o p y rig h t
1 9 8 9
by T h e
U k r a in ia n
W e e k ly
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