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www.ArtUkraine.com Information Service (ARTUIS)
Kyiv, Ukraine, May 19, 2003
Kyiv, Ukraine, May 19, 2003-----The Ukrainian World Congress's
(UWC) initiative to erect a memorial/monument to the Great Famine in Kyiv
received much reaction. Almost immediately thereafter, President Kuchma
issued a decree that the Ukrainian state would erect a memorial, including a
monument and entrusted this task to the Ministry of Culture, according
to the May 2003 newsletter issued by the Ukrainian World Congress
in New York and Toronto.
UWC representatives met with Kyiv's City Council in October 2002 and
received oral assurances that three locations would be designated in the
centre of Kyiv for the diaspora project.
Additionally UWC representatives met with the Ministry of Culture in
February 2003 to inquire whether the diaspora could join the memorial
project by erecting a monument at its expense. No response has been
received from the Ministry of Culture, the UWC May 2003 newsletter
said.
Finally in March 2003, the UWC newsletter reported, the UWC received
an "incomprehensible letter from Mayor Omelchenko" (in Ukrainian), and
"at this juncture the UWC is uncertain of the status of this project nor
of the UWC's role in it."
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The letter from Kyiv Mayor Omelchenko, in Ukrainian, was made
public by the UWC with their newsletter. The Omelchenko letter as
translated into English by the www.ArtUkraine.com Information Service
(ARTUIS) in Kyiv, is as follows:
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"UKRAINE KYIV CITY STATE ADMINISTRATION
Vul. Khreshchatyk, 36, Kyiv, 01044;
tel.(044) 221-2255, fax. 229-8928
February 18, 2003. #001-113
To The President of Ukrainians World Congress
A. Lozynsky
Respected Mr. Askold!
Your letter regarding erecting the monument to the victims of famine
1932-1933 was considered by the Kyiv City State Administration.
We inform you that in accordance with the Instruction of the President of
Ukraine from December 6, 2002 #393/2002-rp "On Additional Measures
Regarding the 70th Anniversary of Famine in Ukraine" and with the purpose
of commemorating the Victims of Famine in Ukraine a monument to the
victims of famine and political repressions has to be erected in the city of
Kyiv.
To ensure a high artistic level of the memorial, the Ministry of Culture
and Art of Ukraine and the Kyiv City State Administration will conduct a
competition to determine the best sketch of the memorial. After conducting
of such competition and selecting the best sketch the project's blueprint
will be developed, and the construction costs determined.
There are several option as for the memorial's location offered: the
territory of the State Historical and Memorial Reserve on the corner of
Dorohozhytska and Simyi Khokhlovykh streets, and also Solomyanska
Square.
The final location of the memorial mentioned will be determined by the
commission including members of parliament, representatives of the Ministry
of Culture and Arts of Ukraine, and the Kyiv City State Administration.
With respect,
The Head O. Omelchenko"
The UWC indicated they will continue to monitor the situation to see what
action would be appropriate for them in the future regarding the Kyiv famine
memorial project they organized in the fall of 2002 though as they stated
in their May 2003 Newsletter the situation at this time is very uncertain.
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