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Trip of the First Lady to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, and Ukraine, November 9-8, 1997 (Laura) [Binder][6]
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Trip of the First Lady to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, and Ukraine, November 9-8, 1997 (Laura) [Binder][6]
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Records of the First Lady's Office (Clinton Administration)
Noa Meyer's Files
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Withdrawal/Redaction Sheet
Clinton Library
DOCUMENT NO.
SUBJECT/TITLE
DATE
RESTRICTION
AND TYPE
001. reports
bios (13 pages)
c 1997
P1/b(1)
002. report
Government Structure (1 page)
nd
P1/b(1)
COLLECTION:
Clinton Presidential Records
First Lady's Office
Speechwriting (Noa Meyer Subject Files)
OA/Box Number: 13007
FOLDER TITLE:
The Trip of the First Lady to Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Uzbekistan, Russia, and Ukraine,
November 9-18, 1997 (Laura) [Binder] [6]
2012-0869-S
kc965
RESTRICTION CODES
Presidential Records Act - |44 U.S.C. 2204(a)]
Freedom of Information Act - 15 U.S.C. 552(b)]
P1 National Security Classified Information |(a)(1) of the PRA]
b(1) National security classified information [(b)(1) of the FOIA]
P2 Relating to the appointment to Federal office |(a)(2) of the PRA]
b(2) Release would disclose internal personnel rules and practices of
P3 Release would violate a Federal statute |(a)(3) of the PRAJ
an agency [(b)(2) of the FOIA]
P4 Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or
b(3) Release would violate a Federal statute |(b)(3) of the FOIA]
financial information |(a)(4) of the PRA]
b(4) Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential or financial
P5 Release would disclose confidential advice between the President
information [(b)(4) of the FOIA]
and his advisors, or between such advisors [a)(5) of the PRA|
b(6) Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
P6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy |(b)(6) of the FOIA]
personal privacy |(a)(6) of the PRA]
b(7) Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement
purposes [(b)(7) of the FOIA]
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed
b(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of
of gift.
financial institutions [(b)(8) of the FOIA]
PRM. Personal record misfile defined in accordance with 44 U.S.C.
b(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information
2201(3).
concerning wells |(b)(9) of the FOIA]
RR. Document will be reviewed upon request.
BACKGROUND
ON UKRAINE
U.S. Department of State
Background Notes: Ukraine, June 1997
Bureau of Public Affairs
Official Name: Ukraine
PROFILE
Geography
Area: 233,000 sq. mi..
Capital: Kiev (pop. 2.6 million); other cities: Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Lviv.
Terrain: A vast plan bounded by the Carpathian mountains in the southwest and by the Black Sea and the
Sea of Oziv in the South.
Climate: Continental temperate.
People
Population (est.): 51 million.
Nationality: Noun--Ukrainian(s); adjective--Ukrainian.
Ethnic groups: Ukrainians, Russians, Jews, Belarusians, Moldovans, Bulgarians, Poles, Hungarians,
Romanians, Crimean Tatars.
Religions: Ukrainian Orthodoxy, Ukrainian Greek Catholicism, Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Islam
Languages: Ukrainian, Russian, others.
Education: Literacy--100%.
Health: Infant mortality rate-21/1,000. Life expectancy--65 yrs. males, 75 yrs. females.
Work force: 24 million. Industry and construction-33%. Agriculture and forestry--21%. Health,
education, and culture--16%. Transport and communication--7%.
Government
Type: presidential-parliamentary
Independence: August 24, 1991.
Constitution: First post-Soviet constitution adopted June 28, 1996.
Branches: Executive--president, prime minister, cabinet. Legislative--450-member parliament, the
Supreme Rada (members elected to four-year terms). Judicial--people's courts, regional courts, Supreme
Court, and Constitutional Court.
Political parties: wide range of active political parties, from leftist (communist and socialist) to center and
center-right (Liberal, Democratic, Rukh, and Republican) to ultra-nationalist (UNA and OUN).
Suffrage: Universal at 18.
Administrative subdivisions: 24 provinces and 1 autonomous republic.
Economy
GDP (est): $204 billion.
Annual growth rate: -14.2%.
Per capita income: $3,900.
Natural resources: Vast fertile lands, coal, natural gas, various large mineral deposits, timber.
Agriculture: Products--Grain, sugar.
Industry: Types--Ferrous metals and products, coke, fertilizer, metallurgical equipment, diesel locomotives,
tractors.
Trade: Exports--$12.7 billion: coal, electric power, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, chemicals, machinery,
and transport equipment. Imports--$15.3 billion: Machinery and parts, transportation equipment,
chemicals, textiles.
PEOPLE
The population of Ukraine is about 52 million, which represents about 18% of the population of the former
Soviet Union. Ukrainians make up about 73% of the total; ethnic Russians number about 20%. The
industrial regions in the east and southeast are the most heavily populated, and the urban population makes
up about 70% of the population. Ukrainian and Russian are the principal languages, but about 88% of the
population consider Ukrainian their native language. The dominant religions are the Ukrainian Orthodox
Church, much of which retains its links to the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic
Church. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kiev Patriarchate) is independent of Moscow.
The birth rate of Ukraine is diminishing. About 70% of adult Ukrainians have a secondary or higher
education. Ukraine has about 150 colleges and universities, of which the most important are at Kiev, Lviv,
and Kharkiv. About 70,000 scholars in 80 research institutes make Ukraine a leader in science and
technology.
HISTORY
The first identifiable groups to populate what is now Ukraine were Cimmerians, Scythians, Sarmatians, and
Goths, among other nomadic peoples who arrived throughout the first millennium B.C. These people were
well known to colonists and traders in the ancient world, including Greeks and Romans, who established
trading outposts which eventually became city states. Slavic tribes occupied central and eastern Ukraine in
the sixth century A.D. and played an important role in the establishment of Kiev. Situated on lucrative trade
routes, Kiev quickly prospered as the center of a powerful state of Kievan Rus. In the 11th century, Kievan
Rus was, geographically, the largest state in Europe.
A Christian missionary, Cyril, converted the Kievan nobility and most of the population in 988. Conflict
among the feudal lords led to decline in the 12th century. Kiev was razed by Mongol raiders in the 12th
century.
Most of the territory was annexed by Poland and Lithuania in the 14th century, but during that time, the
Ukrainian people began to conceive of themselves as a distinct people, a feeling which survived subsequent
partitioning by greater powers over the next centuries. In addition, Ukrainian peasants who fled the Polish
effort to force them into servitude came to be known as Cossacks and earned a reputation for their fierce
martial spirit.
In 1667, Ukraine was partitioned between Poland and Russia. In 1793, it was reunited as part of the
Russian Empire.
The 19th century found the region largely agricultural, with a few cities and centers of trade and learning.
The region was under the control of the Austrians in the extreme west and of the Russians elsewhere.
Ukrainian writers and intellectuals were inspired by the nationalistic spirit stirring other European peoples
existing under other imperial governments and were determined to revive Ukrainian linguistic and cultural
traditions and re-establish a Ukrainian nation-state. The Russians in particular imposed strict limits on
attempts to elevate Ukrainian language and culture, even banning its use and study.
When World War I and the Bolshevik revolution in Russia shattered the Hapsburg and Russian empires,
Ukrainians declared independent statehood. In 1917 and 1918, three separate Ukrainian republics declared
independence. However, by 1921, the western part of the traditional territory had been incorporated into
Poland, and the larger, central and eastern part became part of the Soviet Union.
The Ukrainian national idea persevered during the interwar years, and Soviet reaction was severe,
particularly under Stalin, who imposed terror campaigns, which ravaged the intellectual class. He also
created artificial famines as part of his forced collectivization policies, which killed millions of previously
independent peasants and others throughout the country. Estimates of deaths from the 1932-33 famine
alone range from 3 million to 7 million.
After the German and Soviet invasions of Poland in 1939, the western Ukrainian regions were incorporated
into the Soviet Union. When the Germans invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, many Ukrainians, particularly
in the west, welcomed them, but this did not last. German brutality was directed principally against
Ukraine's Jews (of whom I million were killed) but also against many other Ukrainians. Kiev and other
parts of the country were heavily damaged. Some Ukrainians began to resist the Germans as well as the
Soviets. Resistance against Soviet Government forces continued as late as the 1950s.
Little changed for Ukraine over the next decades. During periods of relative liberalization--as under Nikita
Khrushchev from 1955 to 1964-- Ukrainian communists pursued national objectives. In the years of
perestroika, under U.S.S.R. President Mikhail Gorbachev, national goals were again advanced by Ukrainian
officials.
Ukraine became an independent state on August 24, 1991, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union,
and was a founding member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Ukraine is a parliamentary democracy with separate executive, judicial, and legislative branches. The
president nominates the prime minister, who must be confirmed by the parliament. The 450-member
parliament (Supreme Rada) initiates legislation, ratifies international agreements, and approves the budget.
Its members were elected to four-year terms in 1994. Following free elections held on December 1, 1991,
Leonid M. Kravchuk, former Chairman of the Ukrainian Supreme Soviet, was elected president for a five-
year term. At the same time, a referendum on independence was approved by more than 90% of the voters.
Political groupings in Ukraine include former communists, socialists, agrarians, nationalists and various
centrist and independent forces.
Shortly after becoming independent, Ukraine named a parliamentary commission to prepare a new
constitution, adopted a multi-party system, and adopted legislative guarantees of civil and political rights for
national minorities. A new, democratic constitution was adopted on June 28, 1996, which mandates a
pluralistic political system with protection of basic human rights and liberties.
Freedom of religion is guaranteed by law, although religious organizations are required to register with
local authorities and with the central government. Minority rights are respected in accordance with a 1991
law guaranteeing ethnic minorities the right to schools and cultural facilities and the use of national
languages in conducting personal business. In Crimea and eastern Ukraine--areas with significant Russian
minorities--Russian is permitted as a language of official correspondence. It is also recognized as an
official language in Crimea.
Ethnic tensions in Crimea during 1992 prompted a number of pro-Russian political organizations to
advocate secession of Crimea and annexation to Russia. (Crimea was ceded to Ukraine in 1954, as a gift
from Khrushchev to mark the 300th anniversary of Ukrainian union with Russia.) In July 1992, the
Crimean and Ukrainian parliaments determined that Crimea would remain under Ukrainian jurisdiction
while retaining significant cultural and economic autonomy.
Crimea held its first presidential elections in January 1994, electing Yuriy Meshkov, a Republican Party of
Crimea member advocating closer ties to Russia. The results of a non-binding poll on March 27, 1994,
demonstrated voters' overwhelming support for greater powers for Meshkov, dual Russian-Ukrainian
citizenship for Crimeans, and a treaty to govern relations between Crimea and Ukraine on a more equal
basis. However, on March 17, 1995, the Rada abolished the 1992 Crimean constitution and dissolved the
local presidency.
Official trade unions have been grouped under the Federation of Trade Unions. A number of independent
unions, which emerged during 1992, have formed the Consultative Council of Free Trade Unions. While
the right to strike is legally guaranteed, strikes based solely on political demands are prohibited. A National
Mediation and Reconciliation Service exists to regulate disputes between management and labor which
cannot be resolved at the enterprise level. A new law on trade unions is under consideration.
In July 1994, Leonid Kuchma was elected as Ukraine's second president in free and fair elections. Earlier,
in March 1994, Ukraine elected its first post-independence parliament. The next elections are scheduled for
March 1998 (parliamentary) and October 1999 (presidential).
Security forces are controlled by the president, although they are subject to investigation by a permanent
parliamentary commission. Surveillance is permitted for reasons of national security.
Ukraine has established its own military forces of about 500,000 from the troops and equipment inherited
from the former Soviet Union. It aims to reduce the force to between 250,000-300,000 by the end of the
decade; considerable downsizing already has taken place.
Principal Government Officials
President--Leonid Kuchma
Acting Prime Minister--Vasyl Durdynets
Foreign Minister--Hennadiy Udovenko
Ukraine maintains an embassy at 3350 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 (tel. 202-333-0606)
ECONOMY
Ukraine has many of the components of a major European economy--rich farmlands, a well-developed
industrial base, highly trained labor, and a good education system. Significant difficulties lie ahead,
however. At present, the economy is in poor condition. While hyperinflation has been tamed, production
continues to drop, and the standard of living for most citizens has declined more than 50% since the early
1990's. The new Ukrainian currency, the Hryvnia, was introduced in September 1996, and remained fairly
stable.
Most Ukrainian trade is still with countries of the former Soviet Union, principally Russia. Demand for
Ukraine's non-agricultural exports-- ferrous metals, steel pipe, machinery, and transport equipment--
continues to fall. Forced to pay high prices for fuel, Ukraine continues to run large trade deficits.
Ukraine imports 90% of its oil and most of its natural gas from Russia, though it is trying to find alternative
sources. The Ukrainian authorities have been introducing market-price payment requirements for energy
supplies to industry and homes in an effort to establish a "real cost" system of energy supply and payment.
In early 1995, the government began to implement an ambitious privatization program which should
transfer ownership of 8,000 medium and large-scale enterprises to private hands. The International
Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a $1.5-billion stand-by arrangement with the Government of Ukraine which
should serve as the basis for continuing comprehensive economic reform.
Ukraine encourages foreign trade and investment. The parliament has approved a foreign investment law
allowing Westerners to purchase businesses and property, to repatriate revenue and profits. and to receive
compensation in the event that property is nationalized by a future government.
Ukraine is rich in natural resources. It has a major ferrous metal industry, producing cast iron, steel, and
steel pipe, and its chemical industry produces coke, mineral fertilizers, and sulfuric acid. Manufactured
goods include metallurgical equipment, diesel locomotives, and tractors.
It also is a major producer of grain and sugar and possesses a broad industrial base, including much of the
former U.S.S.R.'s space industry. Although oil reserves are largely exhausted, it has important energy
sources, such as coal and natural gas, and large mineral deposits.
In 1992, Ukraine became a member of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. It is a
member of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development but not a member of the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade/World Trade Organization.
Environmental Issues
Ukraine is interested in cooperating on regional environmental issues. Conservation of natural resources is
a high priority. It established its first nature preserve, Askanyia-Nova, in 1921 and has a program to breed
endangered species.
However, the country has significant environmental problems resulting from the Chornobyl nuclear power
plant disaster in 1986 and from industrial pollution. Ukraine has announced that the Chornobyl Atomic
Energy Station will be phased out and shut down by the year 2000; it has asked for financial help to achieve
this goal and to provide alternative sources of energy for its population.
Ukraine also has established a Ministry of Environment and has introduced a pollution fee system that
levies taxes on air and water emissions and solid waste disposal. The resulting revenues are channeled to
environmental protection activities, but enforcement of this pollution fee system is lax.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Through contacts with the countries of the West, Ukraine seeks to increase consultation and cooperation in
areas such as defense planning; the conversion of defense production to civilian purposes; and scientific,
economic, and environmental issues.
Despite a November 1990 agreement to respect one another's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Ukraine's
relations with Russia have been strained due to its concern over Russia's intentions. Although Ukraine
became a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on December 8, 1991, it refused in
January 1993 to endorse a draft charter strengthening political, economic, and defense ties among CIS
members. Relations with Russia have improved somewhat with the late May signing of the bilateral Treaty
of Friendship and Cooperation. Also, the two sides have signed a series of agreements on the final division
and disposition of the former Soviet Black Sea Fleet.
On January 31, 1992, Ukraine joined the then-Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (now the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe--OSCE), and on March 10, 1992, it became a member
of the North Atlantic Cooperation Council. Ukraine also is an active member of Partnership for Peace. A
document on "distinct relations" between NATO and Ukraine is to be signed this July in Madrid.
Soviet Ukraine joined the United Nations in 1945 as one of the original members following a Western
compromise with the former Soviet Union, which had asked for seats for all 15 of its union republics.
Ukraine consistently has supported peaceful, negotiated settlements to disputes. It has participated in the
quadripartite talks on the conflict in Moldova and has sent a battalion to serve with UN peace-keeping
forces in the former Yugoslavia.
U.S.-UKRAINE RELATIONS
The dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991 brought an end to the Cold War and created the
opportunity to build bilateral relations with the New Independent States (NIS) as they began a political and
economic transformation. On December 25, 1991, the United States officially recognized the independence
of Ukraine. It upgraded its consulate in the capital, Kiev, to embassy status on January 21, 1992. The U.S.
ambassador to Ukraine is William Green Miller, sworn in on October 13, 1993.
The United States attaches great importance to the success of Ukraine's transition to a democratic state with
a flourishing market economy. Following a period of economic decline characterized by high inflation and
a continued reliance on state controls, the Ukrainian Government under the leadership of then newly elected
President Leonid Kuchma began taking steps in the fall of 1994 to reinvigorate economic reform and
achieve macro- economic stabilization. The Ukrainian Government's new determination to implement
comprehensive economic reform is a welcome development, and the U.S. is committed to strengthening its
support for Ukraine as it embarks on this difficult path.
In January 1992, the U.S. initiated the Coordinating Conference on Assistance to the New Independent
States in response to the humanitarian emergencies facing these states. The resulting Operation Provide
Hope supplied desperately needed food, fuel, medicine, and shelter.
A cornerstone for the continuing U.S. partnership with Ukraine and the other NIS has been the Freedom for
Russia and Emerging Eurasian Democracies and Open Markets (FREEDOM) Support Act, enacted in
October 1992. In September 1993, a new $2.45-billion assistance package for the NIS, funded with a
combination of fiscal year (FY) 1993 and 1994 supplemental appropriations, was passed by Congress and
signed into law by President Clinton. The legislation continues to address political and economic
transformation and humanitarian needs.
The U.S. has consistently encouraged Ukraine's transition to a free, democratic society with a prosperous
market economy. The U.S. and Ukraine have signed a series of bilateral agreements designed to enhance
economic, technical, environmental, and cultural cooperation. During the visit of former Ukrainian
President Leonid Kravchuk to Washington on March 3-5, 1994, he and President Clinton reached
agreement on an expanded economic assistance package that will provide up to $700 million to Ukraine:
$350 million in technical and humanitarian assistance in FY 1994 funds; and $350 million in Nunn-Lugar
funds (FY 1992-95 funds) to assist with nuclear dismantlement, non-proliferation programs, and industrial
partnerships. Since 1994, Ukraine has become one of the largest recipients in the world of U.S. assistance.
Assistance To Support the Transition to a Market Economy. U.S. technical assistance to support the
transition to a market economy has focused primarily on economic restructuring, development of the private
sector, and energy sector reform. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) printed
millions of certificates to support Ukraine's plan for the mass privatization of state enterprises. U.S.
advisers have provided technical assistance in financial sector reform, tax policy and administration,
bankers' training, land legislation, small-scale and municipal services privatization, agricultural
development and agribusiness, corporatization of the electric power sector, energy pricing and efficiency,
and public education concerning the environment. The Western NIS Enterprise Fund, announced by
President Clinton in January 1994 to promote private sector business development in Ukraine, Moldova,
and Belarus, has begun operations in Kiev.
The U.S. also has played a leading role in mobilizing international support to help Ukraine cover its
external financing gaps as it implements rigorous reform under IMF programs. The U.S. contribution of
$100 million in late 1994 and pledge of $250 million in March 1995 helped leverage nearly $5 billion in
IMF and other bilateral financing and debt relief.
U.S. exchanges and training programs have enabled Ukrainians to participate in a broad range of programs
in the U.S. These include coal mine safety, nuclear reactor safety, private land ownership and real estate
markets, local government finance, banking, tax accounting, labor statistics, telecommunications, labor-
management relations, promotion of agricultural development, security and defense conversion,
international trade and investment, entrepreneurship and small business development, and public health and
hospital management and finance. Three medical partnerships have been established between U.S. and
Ukrainian medical institutions. Peace Corps volunteers are working in Ukraine with a focus on small
business development and English teaching.
Funding also has been provided for studies in air traffic control and airport construction, establishment of
an agricultural center to provide training on U.S. agricultural equipment, and the conversion of a coal- fired
power plant to gas. The U.S. has also provided grain storage facilities.
Assistance To Support the Transition to Democracy. The U.S. is promoting Ukraine's democratic transition
by supporting programs on participatory political systems, independent media, rule of law, local
governance, and civil society, as well as a wide range of exchanges and training.
USAID has provided Ukraine with technical assistance related to elections, the development of political
parties and grass-roots civic organizations, and the development of independent media. A USAID-funded
rule-of-law consortium has been working with Ukrainian officials and non-profit organizations to create a
legal system supportive of a democratic government and a market-based economy. The rule-of-law project
has been further expanded to promote cooperation between U.S. law enforcement agencies and their
Ukrainian counterparts to reform the criminal justice system.
As of April 1995, the U.S. Information Agency (USIA) has brought nearly 800 Ukrainians to the U.S. on
academic exchanges. About 90 Ukrainian business people, journalists, local government officials, and
other professionals have participated in other exchanges. USIA visitor program participants included then-
presidential candidate Leonid Kuchma in April 1994. USIA visitor programs have highlighted such
subjects as economic and education reform, rule of law, and public administration.
The Department of Commerce's Special American Business Internship Training (SABIT) program and the
Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Cochran Fellowship Program have brought nearly 100 business
executives, scientists, and agriculturists to the U.S. for internships and training programs.
Support for the Social Sector. The U.S. is assisting Ukraine's efforts to maximize equity in reform and to
sustain social welfare and stability during and beyond the transition. Toward this end, USAID is providing
assistance to local governments in redefining the roles of the public and private sectors in providing social
services to allow government to focus limited resources on key social sectors. Training and technical
assistance is being provided to Ukrainian institutions and government agencies on reforms of health care
financing and delivery of medical services. A number of medical partnerships between U.S. and Ukrainian
health care institutions have been established to improve both patient care and institutional management.
Also, USAID is providing training and technical assistance on ways to improve reproductive health,
focusing on providing family planning services and reducing the use of abortion.
Humanitarian Assistance. Through the first half of FY 1995, the U.S. has coordinated and funded the
delivery of $33 million in food, medical supplies, and clothing to Ukraine. This includes a $16-million
surplus Department of Defense hospital recently delivered to Donetsk. Previously, the U.S. provided
$25,000 in response to the January 1994 flood disaster in Ukraine's Zakarpatska oblast. In October 1993,
$25,000 was provided in international disaster funding for the drilling of water wells in the flood-stricken
area of Rivne.
Operation Provide Hope has delivered food worth about $46,000 and medicines and medical supplies worth
$16 million. A large portion of these supplies were designated for hospitals treating victims of the
Chornobyl nuclear accident. Under the Medical Assistance Initiative, Project HOPE, a private voluntary
organization, has shipped more than $26 million worth of pharmaceutical and medical supplies to Ukraine.
In response to an epidemic of diphtheria, the U.S. sent two assessment advisers from the Centers for
Disease Control and vaccines, syringes, and needles with a value of $1.3 million under the Emergency
Medicines Initiative. Under the Emergency Immunization Program, through Project HOPE, measles
vaccine was provided, allowing for the vaccination of all Ukrainian children up to two years of age during
1993. In response to a 1994 request from the Ukrainian Government, the U.S. provided diphtheria vaccines
for adults and children to help Ukraine eradicate this deadly disease. In FY 1994, USDA provided Ukraine
with more than 70,000 metric tons of food aid--valued at about $24 million--and, in FY 1995, it will
provide $25 million in PL 480 assistance.
Bilateral Trade Issues
The U.S.-Ukraine Trade Agreement, effective June 22, 1992, provides reciprocal most-favored-nation tariff
treatment to the products of each country. Since January 1994, the Overseas Private Investment
Corporation (OPIC) has approved investment insurance totaling more than $23 million for three projects in
Ukraine. OPIC also has sponsored conferences and exchanges to encourage joint ventures between U.S.
and Ukrainian companies. U.S. Export-Import Bank programs are currently closed in Ukraine, but the bank
is continuing to reassess Ukraine's creditworthiness in light of recent government economic reforms with a
view to reopening lending activities as soon as possible. In March 1994, Presidents Clinton and Kravchuk
signed treaties on bilateral investment and double taxation.
Security Issues
In Lisbon on May 23, 1992, the United States signed a protocol to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty
(START) with Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, and Kazakstan (those states on whose territory strategic nuclear
weapons of the former Soviet Union are located). The protocol makes each state a party to the START
Treaty and commits all signatories to reductions in strategic nuclear weapons within the seven-year period
provided for in the treaty. Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakstan also agreed to join the nuclear Non-
Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as non-nuclear weapons states. The treaty entered into force on December 5,
1994, the same day Ukraine acceded to the NPT.
The U.S. has pledged to provide about $300 million to Ukraine under the Nunn-Lugar program to assist in
the dismantlement of strategic offensive arms ($205 million), defense conversion ($40 million), and nuclear
material protection ($12.5 million). The U.S. also has pledged $10 million to assist in the establishment of
a Science and Technology Center designed to provide peaceful employment opportunities to scientists and
engineers formerly involved with weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.
Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
Ambassador--William Green Miller
Deputy Chief of Mission--James Schumaker
Political Counselor--Vacant
Economic Counselor-Rubert Boehme
Commercial Officer-Andriy Bihun
Consular Officer-Walter Davenport
Administrative Officer-Gary Bagley
Public Affairs Officer-Robert Heath
USAID-Gregory Huger
The U.S. embassy in Kiev is at 10 Yuriya Kotsyubinskoho, 25203 (tel. [380] (044) 244-7345).
UKRAINE: MAIN ISSUES IN BILATERAL RELATIONS
Democratic and economic transition. The U.S. relationship with
Ukraine has been built on the premise that a stable, democratic,
market-oriented and independent Ukraine will be a significant
force for peace, stability and democratization in Central and
Eastern Europe. By contrast, a Ukraine in turmoil would
negatively affect prospects for democratization and stability in
its neighbors, east and west. The U.S. has worked to help
Ukraine make the transformation from a Soviet-type economy and
political system to a modern, market economy and political system
based on democratic rule of law and respect for fundamental human
rights. U.S. assistance programs and support for Ukrainian
independence and sovereignty have stimulated political and
economic change in Ukraine and fostered the government's pro-
Western foreign policy orientation.
The Trilateral Statement. A key achievement of our relationship
with Ukraine, to date, was Ukraine's agreement to the 1994
Trilateral Statement that provided for the transfer to Russia for
dismantlement of the strategic nuclear warheads left on Ukraine's
territory when the Soviet Union collapsed. In December 1994
Ukraine adhered to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-
nuclear weapons state. On May 31, 1996 Ukraine completed the
transfer of all nuclear warheads to Russia for dismantlement.
Another notable achievement has been Ukraine's integration into
the Euro-Atlantic community, symbolized by the NATO-Ukraine
Charter.
Slow economic reform. Our bilateral relationship is not,
however, trouble-free. The slowing of economic reform in Ukraine
during 1996-97 and growing problems faced by U.S. companies
seeking to invest there have raised concern as to the Ukrainian
leadership's commitment to economic reform. Ukraine's
macroeconomic situation -- particularly its growing budget
deficit and reliance on short-term loans to finance it -- is
particularly precarious in light of financial instabilities in
Southeast Asia. Questions have also arisen with respect to
Ukraine's arms and technology transfer policies. The Ukrainians
have been expressed concern as to whether the U.S. fully
understands the difficult social and economic circumstances now
faced by the Ukrainian population and the consequent political
implications.
Strategic partnership. Recognizing the importance of long-term
engagement, we have characterized our relationship a "strategic
partnership, and we have demonstrated our commitment in an
impressive number of contacts at the most senior levels of
government. The September 1996 establishment of the U.S. -Ukraine
Binational Commission (Gore-Kuchma) has provided an increasingly
useful forum for focusing our dialogue on the full range of
issues.
UKRAINE: POLITICAL AND SOCIAL OVERVIEW
Mixed progress. Ukraine has achieved some notable successes in
transforming itself from a Soviet political, economic and social
system. It has also suffered a severe economic crisis and a
decline in living standards for most of the population. The
quality and availability of health care, the educational system,
the pension system and care for invalids have all suffered major
blows. Unemployment has risen dramatically, as have crime and
corruption at all levels of society.
Stability SO far. Despite such difficulties, Ukraine has
witnessed relatively little visible social unrest. Political
demonstrations, strikes and other expressions of popular
discontent have been sporadic and limited. Observers tend to
describe the Ukrainian public as politically apathetic and stoic.
Nonetheless, the government fears that frustration over the
social-economic situation will translate into votes for the
opposition in upcoming parliamentary ("Rada") elections in March
1998, and a variety of political groupings opposed to the
government, from right to left, are explicitly trying to take
advantage of the social-economic situation to discredit the
government.
Democratic progress. Although Ukraine has struggled with its
economic transformation and has yet to complete some key elements
of its political restructuring, it has overall a creditable
record in its move towards democracy. Free and fair
parliamentary elections were conducted in the spring and summer
of 1994, and the presidential election that year produced the
first peaceful handover of executive power in the former Soviet
Union when incumbent President Kravchuk was defeated by Leonid
Kuchma and quietly left office in accordance with the law.
Constitutional structure. The new constitution, adopted in 1996,
provides for a pluralistic political system based on rule of law
and guarantees basic freedoms. The country's political structure
is based on a balance of power between the legislative, executive
and judicial branches. The exact parameters of presidential
authority have yet to be fully worked out. The judiciary is the
weakest branch of government, although efforts are underway to
build up that branch in accord with the new constitution.
Political parties. Political parties in Ukraine since
independence have tended to be small and weak. There are
approximately fifty registered parties in the country, ranging
from extreme right to orthodox communist left, though less than
half are represented the in Rada. The best organized and largest
to date are the Communist Party of Ukraine (CPU), the Socialist
Party of Ukraine (SPU), and the Popular Movement for Ukraine
(Rukh) on the nationalist center-right, but they too have
organizational and leadership problems.
Parliamentary factionalism. The lack of strong parties is
reflected in the fragmentation in the parliament, where a dozen
factions - composed of coalitions of small parties and individual
deputies - constantly reshuffle themselves. No grouping is
dominant, and the current parliament has been characterized by
frequent gridlock. The role of parties may change with the next
parliament, following adoption in September of a new election law
which establishes a mixed 50/50 majoritarian/proportional
electoral system and a four percent threshold requirement for
parties to win seats on the proportional lists.
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The Ethnic NewsWatch
Ukrainian Weekly, The
January 5, 1997
SECTION: Vol. LXV; No. 1; Pg. 2
LENGTH: 2650 words
HEADLINE: ANALYSIS: A look at Ukraine in its fifth year of independence
BYLINE: Marples, David R.
BODY:
ANALYSIS: A look at Ukraine in its fifth year of independence.
Ukraine marked its fifth year of independence in 1996. In many respects the
year can be perceived as one of consolidation of the Ukrainian state within the
international community. Compared to its former Soviet neighbors, Ukraine can
be termed an oasis of stability amid a bleak desert of conflict and change. At
the same time in specific spheres - particularly the coal and nuclear energy
industries - there remains cause for concern. In addition, the Russian Duma's
claim to the city of Sevastopol is an indicator that relations with the giant
neighbor state remain uncertain, particularly in view of the likely long
convalescence of President Boris Yeltsin. Let us examine some of these issues
in turn. Internal politics
The most notable changes in personnel occurred at the level of prime
minister, with the replacement of Yevhen Marchuk on May 27 and the appointment a
day later of Dnipropetrovsk native Pavlo Lazarenko, 43, in his place. Mr.
Lazarenko's mission is evidently to accelerate the privatization process and
attract foreign investment into Ukraine. Less than two months later, Mr.
Lazarenko narrowly avoided an assassination attempt while being driven to the
airport, as a powerful explosive ripped apart the roadside verge. In May,
President Kuchma added Volodymyr Lanovoy to his team as his main economic
advisor. On September 23, Viktor Pynzenyk, another well-known reformer, was
appointed vice prime minister for the economy, with Anatolii Minchenko being
inserted as the minister responsible for industrial policy and the energy
complex.
The year saw increasingly bitter conflict between the reformers and the
Leftists, particularly within the Verkhovna Rada during an extensive debate on
the ratification of a new Constitution for Ukraine. In late March, Leftist
deputies even submitted an alternative draft to declare Ukraine a socialist
state, eliminate the office of president, and raise Russian to the status of a
state language.
On June 28, however, the Parliament voted in support of a new constitution by
315 votes to 36, and the accepted version clearly established the president as
the most powerful figure in the government, along with a single-chamber
Verkhovna Rada. The Constitution also confirms Ukrainian as the state language,
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with specified local rights for the use of languages in areas inhabited largely
by minorities. The new Constitution overrides the agreement reached in 1995
between the president and the legislature and formally replaces the old Soviet
Constitution introduced in the late Brezhnev period in 1978. The event was
perceived as a triumph for President Leonid Kuchma over significant opposition.
The economy
The key problem in the economy has been a failure to meet regular wages, with
the result that Ukraine now faces the prospect of an enormous wage backlog. In
the agricultural sector alone, the backlog was reported to be the equivalent of
$200 million, and that figure does not take into account inflation. By late
June, Mr. Lazarenko noted that the government was using 80 percent of its
internal and external revenues to clear the wage arrears. Inflation also began
to rise during the latter part of the year after falling to 0.1 percent in the
months of June and July.
In early September, the long awaited Ukrainian currency - the hryvnia - was
introduced, replacing the much maligned karbovanets, which had been in use for
the past four years. Contrary to some expectations, the hryvnia held steady
against the dollar on the international exchange (at 1.76 to $1), though by the
year's end it had begun to decline.
The coal sector remains Ukraine's biggest single problem within the
industrialized spectrum. The early part of the year saw a coal strike that
affected 177 of Ukraine's 227 coal mines, while in this same month, then Prime
Minister Marchuk declared his plans to close down some 70 mines that were
operating at a loss, his remarks were supported by a conference of World Bank
officials, which concluded that 114 Ukrainian coal mines must be shut down if
the industry is to restore profitability.
By the spring there were further strikes of miners seeking wages, some of
whom had not been paid since September 1995. Coal miners were also concerned
about layoffs as a result of the scheduled mine closures. By June a further
strike had erupted, with the involvement of over 2,700 miners in the Donbas and
Lviv-Volyn coalfields. It was ended only in mid-July when the government
reached an agreement with the Workers' Union of the Coal Industry and the
Independent Donbas Miners' Union.
In addition to the unrest among the coal miners, who have traditionally been
the most militant among the Ukrainian workforce, the dangerous geological state
of the coal mines themselves has continued to result in a very high accident
rate and casualty list. By March, 61 Ukrainian miners had reportedly died in
various accidents, while by September the figure had risen to 224. The
anticipated yearly total was about 340. To put that figure into perspective, in
the Soviet period, approximately double that number of miners died annually in
Ukraine, yet coal output in Ukraine has dropped dramatically since that time to
about 25 percent of the peak output figure. Clearly the shutdown of some of
Ukraine's deeper mines is warranted on the grounds of safety alone. The energy
sphere
Turning to the energy sphere, the Chornobyl nuclear power plant has remained
a focus of world attention. One reason for this focus was the commemoration of
the 10th anniversary of the tragic accident on April 26. However, though the
anniversary attracted publicity, the key issue has been the future of the plant.
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Momentum has grown for a campaign to keep the station in operation beyond the
scheduled shutdown time of the year 2000.
Early in February, 58 parliamentary deputies pleaded with President Kuchma on
behalf of the station, arguing that it was the safest and best run of all
Ukraine's nuclear power stations.
Shortly afterward Environmental Minister Yurii Kostenko demanded that if
Ukraine was to meet its deadline for the closure of Chornobyl, then the promised
international loans and credits must be received quickly. Throughout the year
these two issues were tied together by the Ukrainian authorities.
On April 19-20, the leaders of the G-7 countries and Russia met in Moscow and
announced the commitment of about $3.2 billion worth of aid to Ukraine SO that
the station could be safely decommissioned by the end of the century. Further
talks took place in Kyiv in June, when it was announced that the promised funds
would begin to arrive in Ukraine in the summer or fall of 1997, or in 1998. Mr.
Kostenko reacted angrily to such protraction, again maintaining that Ukraine
would likely reconsider the shutdown if the funds were not forthcoming in timely
fashion.
In September, Kostenko went even further, prophesying that a major explosion
could occur at the sarcophagus covering the destroyed fourth reactor unit.
Plant director Serhii Parashyn attributed several reported releases of neutron
emissions to the malfunction of measuring equipment as a result of heavy
rainfall in the area.
On November 30, Chornobyl reactor No. 1 was removed from the grid, though it
was specified that the closure would not necessarily be permanent and that the
reactor could be "restructured. At the same time, the Ukrainian nuclear
authorities announced plant to restart the second unit, which has been shut down
since a fire in 1991. Economically it would be inexpedient to restart the No. 2
unit if it is intended to close the Chornobyl plant by the year 2000. Though
Ukraine is suffering acutely from energy shortages, it appeared to some
observers that the future of the Chornobyl station was being used as a
bargaining chip to expedite the arrival of the international credits. President
Kuchma himself has acknowledged that the Chornobyl reactors constitute a safety
hazard.
The current costs of $800 million annually to meet the ramifications of the
Chornobyl disaster remain an acute burden on the economy, and Ukraine is
irritated by what it perceives as a sluggish reaction on the part of the G-7
countries to meet their agreed obligations. Moreover, a significant section of
Ukraine's nuclear energy community has maintained consistently that Chornobyl is
a much safer station than generally perceived; and conversely that international
attention has focused only on the Ukrainian RBMK station while ignoring similar
stations operating in Russia and Lithuania. The crime wave
The year 1996 may be remembered as one of escalating crime in Ukraine. In
this respect, the country has begun to emulate its eastern neighbor, Russia. A
wave of assassinations and attempted murders has plagued Ukraine particularly,
though not exclusively, on the Crimean peninsula. The crimes in the latter
region have been attributed to a dramatic rise in organized gang violence.
Among those attacked and beaten were the journalist Svitlana Riaboshapka and
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Rukh National Deputy Myroslav Horbatiuk, while those who were killed during such
attacks included nine people in a Kerch bar in June, the Crimean broadcaster
Oleksander Metrenko, and powerful Donetsk government boss Volodymyr Scherban.
In September, President Kuchma announced a four-year intensive program to
combat crime, following the establishment in August (after the attempted
assassination of Prime Minister Lazarenko a month earlier) of an anti-terrorist
center. By year's end there appeared to be little decline in the high rates of
crime. Health concerns
Ukraine's health concerns were highlighted by a report of the Ukrainian
Health Ministry on February 22 which noted that the decline in population growth
has continued and was at that time 9.6 births per 1,000 people. The death rate,
correspondingly, rose in 1995 from 5.5 to 12.1. The major cause of death in
Ukraine is heart disease, at 50 percent, with cancer at 14 percent. However,
the country also suffers from other health problems that can be related mainly
to industrial pollution.
At the beginning of the year there was an outbreak of hepatitis in
Konstantynivka (Donetsk region) as a result of a mishap in the city's sewage
system. A similar accident occurred in April in Sevastopol when raw sewage was
spilled into the Black Sea and a further outbreak of hepatitis occurred. Another
major concern was diptheria, which was broken out principally in the large
cities of Kyiv and Donetsk and has affected hundreds of people; while cholera
outbreaks have been frequent in the summer as a result of contamination of the
water supply. Foreign relations
Ukraine has become the third largest recipient of U.S. assistance after
Israel and Egypt, thus overtaking Russia in this regard. When Secretary of
State Warren Christopher visited Ukraine in March, he promised aid worth over $1
billion. Ukraine has become a key strategic partner for the United States given
the apparent unreliability and relative instability of Russia. On June 1,
Ukraine solidified its international standing with the announcement that it had
moved all of the strategic warheads from its territory to Russia.
President Kuchma has also been fairly consistent on the question of the
expansion of NATO to the East European countries - particularly Hungary and
Poland - noting that while Ukraine is not against such an expansion in
principle, it would be opposed to the deployment of nuclear weapons in new
member-states. At the Salzburg meeting of presidents of Central and Eastern
Europe in July, President Kuchma mentioned a possible special partnership
between Ukraine and NATO; and also suggested that Ukraine should maintain some
association with the Western European Union military partnership.
Relations with Russia are relatively cordial at the presidential level, less
SO at the level of the Duma. President Yeltsin decided not to visit Kyiv to
sign the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation during the run up to the Russian
presidential elections. There have been two related issues of contention
between the two countries: the status of the Black Sea Fleet; and the future of
the port of Sevastopol, the home port of the fleet. Neither had been resolved
by the year's end.
One of the major supporters of Sevastopol's status as a Russian city is
Moscow mayor Yurii Luzhkov, who made several outspoken statements during the
course of the year. In mid-January, for example, while visiting the port, he
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declared that "Moscow will never abandon Sevastopol." On September 10, he went
further, declaring that the city was Russian, a comment subsequently supported
overwhelmingly by the Russian Duma. In the meantime, Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada
voted in June to prohibit foreign military installations on the territory of
Ukraine, though it was prepared to grant some time for Russia to remove its
fleet.
The future of Sevastopol is linked to the future of Crimea generally. The
peninsula, which retains its autonomous status, has remained politically subdued
since Ukraine enforced its authority quite dramatically in 1995. Russia has
refused to step aside, and has resolved not to reduce in any way its commitment
to, or the size of its share of the Black Sea Fleet. With the ostensible ending
of the war in Chechnya, Russia has more time to devote to other issues
pertaining to the so-called "near abroad, and it has the support of the Crimean
authorities, who attempted - unsuccessfully - to have the status of Sevastopol
as a Russian city inserted into the Crimean Constitution.
Though the two issues have not reached a boiling point and to not as yet
constitute a serious issue of international conflict, they remain on the table
each time Ukrainian and Russian leaders meet. Conclusions
Ukraine enters the new year in an environment of political stability and
economic uncertainty. Structurally it continues to develop as a reformist
presidential republic, backed by a Parliament that is riven with dissent, but at
the same time has a tradition of reaching compromises with coaxing from the
executive. In contrast to some of the other post-Soviet countries, Ukraine has
remained free of ethnic tension and civil conflict. The Constitution's adoption
was symbolic of this gradual but very definite progress toward the consolidation
of the statehood declared in 1991.
The economy and demographic picture remain major concerns, however. Very few
of Ukraine's industries are performing at a satisfactory level, and the
government must also be concerned with the alarming health and demographic
statistics. The reluctance of the government to apply "shock measures" is
comprehensible, but the economic results are hardly encouraging.
Ukraine's economy today is a melange of the old and new: the declining
traditional industries and the emergent or rejuvenated spheres that continue to
attract foreign businesses (the share of private output rose to almost 50
percent in 1996).
For the majority of the population, the outlook for the late 1990s does not
offer much solace: their concern is daily subsistence and survival. Wages remain
unpaid, and factories are not paying for their energy requirements.
On the other hand, such comments are relative because they apply to most of
the newly independent states. It could equally well as argued that the past
five years of concentration on survival and maintenance of statehood have been
strikingly successful, and that the next five years will surely see the
government turn with vigor to the question of economic renewal. It is one that
has become imperative, and will likely outweigh in importance the political
maneuvering with Russia, the United States and the countries of Europe that has
characterized the 30 months of the Kuchma presidency to date.
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UKRAINE: ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL OVERVIEW
Decline and depression. Since independence in 1991, Ukraine has
suffered through a sharp, sustained economic depression that
dwarfs our "Great Depression." Since 1991, GDP has contracted by
more than 50 percent. The decline is continuing, although at a
slower rate, in 1997. The Soviet-era Ukrainian economy,
dominated by military industries, has become largely obsolete.
The economic decline and hyperinflation (10,000 percent in 1993)
caused a drastic drop in living standards and threw more than a
quarter of the population into poverty. Many Ukrainians have
effectively softened the blow by working in the shadow economy,
which some observers estimate to be as large as the official
economy. By most accounts, Ukraine's unofficial economy produces
50 percent of GDP.
Reforms. Serious efforts at economic reform were introduced in
1994, upon the election of President Kuchma. Inflation was under
20% this year and a stable currency, the Hryvna, was introduced.
However, the macroeconomic situation is fragile and geld together
with short-term money that has become increasingly flighty since
the Southeast Asia crisis. We are very worried that Ukraine
could face a financial crisis just before the March 1998
parliamentary elections if it dies not curb pre-election
spending. Privatization and restructuring of the major
industrial sectors and agriculture have made little progress.
Kuchma's reforms suffered a major setback when the parliament
("Rada"), early in 1997, refused to endorse critical portions of
his reform program; on the other hand, Kuchma did not actively
press his reform package with the Rada.
International support. Ukraine in August signed a $540 million
Standby agreement with the IMF, its fourth IMF program since
independence. However, the IMF held up two $50 million
disbursements after Ukraine missed monthly performance targets.
Several of the World Bank's large portfolio of investment and
adjustment loans have been suspended due to Ukrainian policy
shortcomings that violated conditions set for the loans.
Private sector. Private businesses, foreign and Ukrainian,
operate in a difficult environment. Underdeveloped legal and
financial institutions, excessive regulation and licensing
requirements, intrusive bureaucrats and tax inspectors,
corruption and organized crime have discouraged the growth of the
private sector. As a result, foreign investment has trickled in
- by the end of 1996, total foreign investment in Ukraine was
barely over $1 billion, a paltry sum for a country its size.
U.S. companies accounted for the largest percentage of foreign
direct investment.
UKRAINE: HUMAN RIGHTS OVERVIEW
Ukraine continues to make progress toward building a law-based
civil society. Traditional human rights problems, or violations
by the government, are rare.
Constitution. In June 1996, Ukraine adopted a new constitution
which provided for shared power between the president and
parliament (the "Rada"), an independent judiciary, and a
Constitutional Court charged with judicial review of the acts and
decisions of the other branches of government. The new
constitution also provides for a human rights ombudsman, to be
appointed by the Rada, responsible for assisting citizens in
defending their rights. The efficacy of the new constitution,
however, depends on enabling legislation, most of which has not
yet been passed. The power of the Constitutional Court remains
untested.
European standards. In 1997, the Rada ratified Ukraine's signing
of the European Human Rights Convention, enabling citizens who
have exhausted their judicial remedies to appeal to the European
Commission on Human Rights. Also in 1997, Ukraine adopted a
citizenship law which will enhance the ability of deported
peoples, notably Crimean Tatars, to gain or regain Ukrainian
citizenship. The OSCE Mission in Ukraine has continued its
useful work in Crimea, where the possibility of human rights
problems and inter-ethnic tension among the ethnic Russian
majority, the Ukrainian minority, and the returning Tatars
lingers. Conditions there have improved to the point, however,
that there is active discussion about closing the OSCE Mission.
Issues. Despite an overall good human rights record, Ukraine
faces some lingering problems:
Legal and prison systems remain largely unreformed, often
marked by brutality to prisoners, long trial delays, almost
universal pretrial confinement, and poor prison conditions.
Corruption in government remains endemic, harming public
respect for officials and institutions.
The activities of foreign missionaries are limited by law and
practice.
Anti-Semitism, violence against women, and discrimination
against women, ethnic, and religious minorities, also persist,
although they are societal and not government-sanctioned.
UKRAINE: ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS ISSUES
Legal basis. With some important exceptions, there are only
isolated cases of ethnic discrimination in Ukraine. The 1996
constitution provides for "the free development, use and
protection of the Russian language and other minority languages
in Ukraine.' This compromise builds on a 1991 Law on National
Minorities, which allows individual citizens to use their
respective languages in conducting personal business and allows
minority groups to establish their own schools.
Language issues. Russian speakers, who predominate in eastern
Ukraine, have complained about the increased use of Ukrainian in
schools and in the media. They claim that their children are
disadvantaged when taking academic entrance examinations, since
all applicants are required to take a Ukrainian language test.
Ethnic tension. In some parts of western Ukraine, the surviving
small Jewish communities credibly accuse local Ukrainian ultra-
nationalists of fostering ethnic hatred and printing anti-Semitic
tracts. Similar charges have been lodged by the Russian
minority. They also charge that local authorities have not taken
action against those who foment ethnic hatred.
Jewish community. The American and Ukrainian Jewish communities
continue to encourage the Ukrainian government to speak out more
forcefully against anti-Semitic statements that appear in the
nationalist press. The National Conference on Soviet Jewry
raised the issue in a September meeting between American Jewish
leaders and President Kuchma in New York, a meeting Kuchma
himself sought during his visit to New York for the opening of
the United Nations General Assembly. (The Ukrainian president
also met with President Clinton and Secretary Albright.) Kuchma
replied that his government was concerned about this, but he
seemed somewhat surprised that the issue had been raised.
[NOTE: Vadim Rabinowitch has often been portrayed as a leader of
the Ukrainian Jewish community. Mr. Rabinowitch's visa to the
United States has been withdrawn and any requests to include him
in meetings should not be accepted. ]
Discrimination in Crimea. In Crimea, Ukrainian and Tatar
minorities credibly complain of discrimination by the Russian
majority and demand that Ukrainian and Tatar languages be given
equal status alongside Russian. The Ukrainian community in
Crimea has criticized the national government for tolerating
radical anti-Ukrainian, anti-Tatar and Russian chauvinistic
groups on the peninsula.
Crimean Tatars. The Crimean Tatars were savagely suppressed
under Stalin, and most Tatars were expelled from Crimea to
Kazakstan and Siberia. They were invited to return to Crimea six
years ago by the newly formed Ukrainian government. While the
Crimean government, pleading insufficient funds, has not provided
assistance to the Tatar community for reestablishing its cultural
heritage through Tatar language publications and educational
institutions, the central government is working with the UNHCR,
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the
International Organization for Migration to address some of the
community's most urgent needs.
Religious freedom. So far, Ukraine has not passed a law on
religion as restrictive as Russia's and missionaries are still
very active in Ukraine. This is rapidly becoming a political
issue, however. In August, local authorities curtailed the
length of stay of two U.S. Mormon missionaries working in Odesa
on the grounds that they were not registered to operate outside
Kiev. The American missionaries went to Odesa after the local
Mormon congregation there tried for months without success to
gain approval of their invitation by the Odesa committee on
religious affairs. Following curtailment of their visa, the two
missionaries left Ukraine as requested. However, the Mormon
mission in Ukraine plans to mount a legal challenge to the
actions of the Odesa religious affairs committee.
UKRAINE: EDUCATION
Overview. Education is mandatory for both sexes in Ukraine
through the ninth grade, with a full education consisting of
eleven years. A literacy rate of 99 per cent 15 claimed. State-
supported universities continue to operate despite extreme
shortages of resources, inadequate and sporadic payment of
salaries and research grants, and à rapidly-deteriorating
infrastructure. The collapse of Communism created the need for
wholesale revision of primary textbooks and more advanced works
to reflect a more accurate picture of Ukrainian history and
culture, and to address the neglected subjects of business and
non-Marxist economics. That process has barely begun.
Economy's effect on education. Education has been severely
affected by Ukraine's economic problems. While
state-supported universities continue to waive tuition fees for
most students, they have ceased awarding stipends for living
expenses. As a result higher education has become less
affordable to many gifted students, who instead opt for more
immediate ways to make money. Private universities are opening
for those few children of the elite who can afford to pay.
Higher education. Undergraduate degree programs normally take
five years to complete, although some schools are now introducing
American-style, four-year baccalaureate programs. Major
universities include the Taras Shevchenko National University in
Kiev, the largest and most prestigious in Ukraine, and the
National Technical University of Ukraine. Some of Ukraine's
finest students are also selected for study in the Ukrainian
Academy of Sciences. Among the most significant new institutions
is Kiev's Mohyla Academy University, which re-opened in 1992,
reviving a program of liberal education modeled after that of its
namesake - Ukraine's first institution of higher learning, which
opened in 1615.
Education and workforce. Technical education, especially
engineering, mathematics and the sciences, were emphasized in
Ukraine in the Soviet era. Today, there is an overabundance of
such specialists, most of whom are not trained in modern
technological methods. They are largely under-employed,
underpaid and dissatisfied. The most highly educated Ukrainians
have sought to emigrate in the hopes of finding better salaries
and working conditions abroad. Today's students are emphasizing
business, law, Western economics and foreign languages. A
growing number of Ukrainian students are finding opportunities to
study broad, including hundreds who have come to the United
States under "Freedom Support Act" programs.
UKRAINE: WOMEN'S ISSUES
Overview. Women in countries of the former Soviet Union were
expected to carry out traditional female roles of child rearing,
shopping and home care, while also working full time. The Soviet
system supported workplace day care, as well as liberal family
leave policies. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, as in
other countries, Ukrainian women have been subjected to
increasingly difficult circumstances. Salaries have not kept
pace with inflation and are paid irregularly. Day care and the
quality of schools have deteriorated.
Domestic violence. Domestic violence seems to have dramatically
increased. The number of reported rapes and attempted rapes has
increased by 80 percent in recent years, yet surveys indicate
that most women who have been subjected to physical abuse or rape
never report it. Hot lines, shelters, and other practical
support for victims of domestic violence do not exist. When
violence occurs, the authorities often exert pressure on women to
drop charges. The lack of media attention to the subject
reflects the society's bias against exposing such issues to
public scrutiny. Although many Ukrainian women are aware of
feminist trends in other countries, their views on women's rights
are still overwhelmingly conservative.
Trafficking. Trafficking in women and girls for sexual
exploitation to Western Europe, Turkey, and the Middle East is
growing. The problem has hardly been acknowledged by the
government; most officials assert that this is a problem for
Russian women, not Ukrainian. (Apprehensions of prostitutes in
western Europe suggest otherwise). Recently, the Ukrainian
government agreed to permit U.S. funded NGOs to study the
problem. Ukrainian authorities generally do not prosecute these
crimes.
Employment and education. Labor law provides for equal rights
for men and women, including equal pay for equal work, a
principle that is generally observed. However, women are much
more likely to be laid off than men. Government statistics
report that over seventy percent of the unemployed are women.
Educational opportunities for women have generally been equal to
those enjoyed by men, and they remain so.
Politics. Though no legal barriers restrict the participation of
women in politics and government, social barriers do exist.
Women are largely absent from the highest levels of government,
from senior management positions in the economy and from
legislative bodies. Currently 13 out of 450 members of
parliament are female. Out of 32 ministerial positions, two, the
Ministers of Justice and Family and Youth Affairs, are women.
Business. Women are making progress in entrepreneurial
undertakings, particularly in larger cities. Often borne of
necessity, many women took to working as street vendors when
normal Soviet-era supply arrangements began to break down and
previous restrictions to private trade began to be ignored. P.
significant number of these women have expanded their activities
to include certain industries that were traditionally relegated
to female managers - including textile production, clothing
manufacture and retail food marketing. Small women's business
groups have formed in the largest cities.
A civil and moral society. The collapse of Communism took with
it the Communist social system. The moral and ethical code
taught under the Communist system has been rejected, but has yet
to be replaced by anything else. Parents, most of whom were
raised as atheists, are unequipped to deal with the moral vacuum
created. Summertime "Pioneer" camps, where most children
received indoctrination in Communist values, have largely
disappeared. Ukrainian churches, which are deeply divided, have
sought to step into this void by attracting new members, but the
gap of two generations or more is making this difficult.
Page 84
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Copyright 1997 SOFTLINE INFORMATION, INC.
The Ethnic NewsWatch
Ukrainian Weekly, The
May 25, 1997
SECTION: Vol. LXV; No. 21; Pg. 6
LENGTH: 939 words
HEADLINE: New publication examines lives of women in Russia and Ukraine
BYLINE: Stawnychy, Olga
BODY:
New publication examines lives of women in Russia and Ukraine
Is Western feminism being accepted by Ukrainian and Russian women?
Are women taking an active role in determining their future in the new
democracies?
How had colonialization affected Ukrainian women?
How has the Soviet system of "equality of the sexes" affected the lives of
men and women, and their roles in society?
These and many other questions are discussed by leading Western specialists,
and Russian and Ukrainian feminists, in the recently published book. "Women in
Russia and Ukraine" edited by Rosalind March. Most of the essays deal with
Russian women, but many of the topics are relevant throughout the ex-Soviet
republics.
Two chapters are devoted exclusively to Ukrainian women: "Feminism in
Post-Communist Ukrainian Society" by Solomea Pavlychko, and "Christian Virgin or
Pagan Goddess: Feminism Versus the Eternally Feminine in Ukraine" by Marian J.
Rubchak.
There is a comparison between the historic roles of Russian and Ukrainian
women and how they differed from the 12th century until the present.
Historically, Ukrainian women were held in high esteem and had equal and
complementary roles in a matriarchal society. On the other hand, Russian
women had a subservient role in a patriarchal society where they were expected
to be obedient and docile. In Russia wife-beating was condoned and accepted
both by the Church and state, while in Ukraine beating a wife or a husband was
against the law.
When Russia colonized Ukraine in the 18th century, these patriarchal
traditions began to have a negative impact on Ukrainian women and changed their
status in society. This patriarchal system continued under Soviet rule
throughout the republics, even through Marxist ideology and socialism believed
in equality of the sexes. This "equality" held true on paper, but not while
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The Ethnic NewsWatch, May 25, 1997
making decisions or policies in real life.
With perestroika and ultimate unraveling of the Soviet system, women suffered
an even further blow. They were the first to lose their jobs and were further
burdened by the stress of being responsible for providing the necessities of
life for the family with ever-diminishing resources. They suffered additional
indignities when the system blamed them for the disintegration of the family,
delinquency of the children, and alcoholic and abusive husbands.
Ms. Pavlychko writes: "While a new (now-Soviet) attitude towards women is
being formed in Ukraine, patriarchal mythology of all kinds is being revitalized
in the course of the so-called national revival. At the same time, there is an
invasion of mass culture from the West: Barbie dolls, mediocre, video films
"
In this time of cultural instability, a mixed and confusing message is being
sent to the Ukrainian women. On the one hand she is expected to be the
traditional mother and keeper of the family, and on the other she is portrayed
as a sex symbol to be enjoyed by men, notes Ms. Pavlychko.
She also writes "The official celebration of International Women's Day on
March 8 has turned into an annual antifeminist ritual. In actual fact this is a
most important male holiday, when women annually reassert themselves as passive,
submissive creatures eager to accept male domination and power.
She continues by observing that feminism in Ukraine in suffering a backlash:
"Women's views are not represented, their needs are not met, their problems are
not addressed, their rights are not implemented
it is imperative that
women should voice their opposition to a society ruled by old men
otherwise a
democratic civil society in Ukraine will remain an impossible dream. "
The Soviet "equality" of the sexes actually destroyed the feminist cultural
traditions and the organized women's movement that existed in Ukraine from the
turn of the century. Today's women's organizations are emphasizing the role of
a woman as, first and foremost, a builder of a strong, independent Ukraine. The
emphasis is on tradition, language, customs and nurturing. This will ultimately
benefit the whole Ukrainian society.
This link between nationalism and feminism was discussed a decade ago by
Marta Bohachevsky-Chomiak in her book, "Feminists Despite Themselves: Women in
Ukrainian Community Life 1884-1939." It seems that women once again, just as in
the 19th century, are assuming this "traditional" role.
In another chapter, Prof. Rubchak discusses this issue, as well as the impact
of the Soviet mentality with respect to feminism upon Ukrainian women and the
use of ancient symbolism, the "Berehynia," in present-day Ukraine.
She quotes Oksana Sepeliak, president of the Ukrainian Association of Women
in Lviv, "before she and her sisters start liberating women, they must first
liberate the nation."
Prof. Rubchak states "the very fact that women are as likely as men to reject
the need for any change in prevailing attitudes toward women in Ukraine
illustrates the widespread hostility to the very concept of an authentic
feminist consciousness in Ukraine." She goes on to say that women "perpetuate
their own inferior status
the Ukrainian woman's God-given mission
giving
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The Ethnic NewsWatch, May 25, 1997
birth to saviors
no thought of such outstanding individuals being female.' "
This book has answered some of the questions regarding the present situation
in Russia and Ukraine. It will be interesting to follow additional studies to
see how women formulate their roles within their society and what kind of
feminism will emerge.
"Women in Russia and Ukraine" is available in paperback from Cambridge
University Press for $24.95. To order call 1-800-872-7423.
ETHNIC-GROUP: European/Eastern Eur
LANGUAGE: English
LOAD-DATE: September 10, 1997
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UKRAINE: POPULATION AND FAMILY PLANNING ISSUES
Overview. Ukraine's population peaked in 1992 at 51.7 million.
It has been falling 0.4 percent a year since then and now stands
at 50.9 million. This decline, unlike that of Russia, is not
expected to reverse. A sub-replacement fertility level of 1.6
births per woman, one of the oldest populations in the former
USSR (only 20% below the age of 15), and currently declining life
expectancy are at the root of this scenario.
Family health. Ukraine appears to meet all the family health and
female education targets set by the 1994 International Conference
on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo. However,
health and environmental conditions and the social
infrastructure, including equipment and supplies needed for
reproductive health, have deteriorated since independence.
Infant and maternal mortality are slightly better than in Russia
but still several times higher than in the U.S. or EU. High
rates of maternal morbidity and mortality among Ukrainian women
are linked to a lack of access to quality maternal and prenatal
care, and to historic reliance on abortion as the primary means
of controlling fertility. In 1992 there were 156 abortions for
every 100 live births. Multiple abortions are also linked with
infertility, premature births, and infant morbidity and
mortality. Contraceptive usage was estimated at just 23% in
1990; given the general pattern in the former Soviet states, it
is likely that the IUD is the most commonly used method.
Reproductive health. In 1994 USAID initiated a Women's
Reproductive Health Initiative in the Ukraine to improve women's
reproductive health, increase voluntary contraceptive use, and
decrease abortion as a means of controlling fertility. To
upgrade access to and the quality of Ukrainian reproductive
health services, the initiative is introducing modern
contraceptives to medical providers and clients as safer, more
effective alternatives to abortion. It has established three
model family planning centers and training sites in Donetsk,
Odessa and L'viv oblasts, and plans others as well. Activities
focus on the training of trainers, curriculum development,
clinical training, service delivery management, and increased
public awareness to assist the oblasts to expand and
institutionalize reproductive health services beyond the cities
and into other oblasts.
Family planning. USAID is providing technical assistance to
update family planning, breast-feeding and maternity care
practices, and incorporate sustainable training into the medical
education system to ensure a constant flow of highly qualified
reproductive health care providers. It also supports a public
education program to inform Ukrainians of alternatives to
abortion as a means of controlling fertility, and provides
contraceptives and some equipment to support the model centers.
The Ministry of Health reported an 8.6% reduction in induced
abortions in the first six months of 1996, and attributed the
decrease directly to USAID assistance. Oral contraceptive use
has already increased from 3% to 10% in Donetsk.
UKRAINE: CHILDREN'S ISSUES
Deteriorating conditions. Children in Ukraine, along with the
elderly, are bearing the brunt of the country's economic and
social decline. Many families are no longer able to afford a
balanced diet for a child's physical development. Since 1996,
the production of baby food and juices, vitamins, and vitamin-
fortified milk has decreased significantly. Social stresses
within families caused by un- and underemployment, non-payment of
wages, alcoholism and disease, have led to sharp increases in
spousal and child abuse - this combined with an already high
divorce rate.
Adoption. Public concern over the fate of children adopted by
foreigners triggered a new adoption law providing for thorough
court examination of each case and follow-up monitoring of the
children's well-being. In general, the adoption process appears
to be going smoothly in most of Ukraine. In the last year, 46
Ukrainian children have been adopted by American families.
Children of Chornobyl. Eleven years after Chornobyl reactor
number nine exploded, the effects of this tragedy can be seen in
numerous children who suffer from radiation sickness manifested
by a drastic rise in the occurrence of thyroid cancer.
Congenital birth defects in the Chornobyl area are also
abnormally high. (The radiation levels in Kiev today are
normal.) A. major portion of Ukraine's budget is devoted to
dealing with the consequences of Chornobyl through various clean-
up, social and healthcare programs. The U.S. and the G-7 are
sponsoring major programs to stabilize the damaged reactor and
its surrounding "sarcophagus," and to deactivate the Chornobyl
complex by the year 2000.
Children's rights. The Ukrainian government is publicly
committed to the defense of children's rights, but it has
struggled to implement its agenda. Guaranteed public education
and free health care for children, with special benefits for
children affected by Chornobyl, are the stated goals. There is
no societal pattern of abuse of children, but trafficking of
children for sexual exploitation is on the rise.
Pediatric Health. Approximately one-fifth of the Ukrainian
population is under 18 years of age. The Ministry of Health
estimates that forty percent of all children are experiencing
"abnormal physical development" - demonstrating growth patterns
and organ functions that are outside the normal range.
Respiratory disease accounts for more than half of childhood
morbidity, followed by skin disease, and diseases of the nervous
system. Children still suffer from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Government reports indicate that 30 percent of all children need
psychological help.
UKRAINE: HEALTH ISSUES
Overview. As in most of the former Soviet states, health care in
Ukraine is in crisis. Life expectancy is dropping, infant
mortality is rising, and the general health of the population is
declining. Health education is also deteriorating due to low
salaries, supply shortages and inadequate facilities and
equipment. General measures of health (e.g., WHO) rank Ukraine
among third world countries statistically, despite the presence
of a large medical care and medical training system. Ukraine has
one doctor per 222 people and a total of 3,900 hospitals (with
679,000 beds), 7,000 state run out-patient clinics and 50 private
clinics. Respiratory diseases, heart ailments and alcoholism are
the major adult afflictions. Since 1992, incidence of
tuberculosis, diphtheria and cholera has increased sharply.
High cost. Health care services are funded almost entirely by
the government and are delivered very inefficiently. The
government plans to spend three percent of GDP on health care in
1997. The emphasis is on in-patient care, with long hospital
stays the norm. Preventive medicine has been neglected.
Moreover, physicians -- most of whom are women -- are often
assigned tasks that could easily be carried out by less-trained
health professionals. Hospital administrators are almost
uniformly male. There is a clear need to reduce the number of
hospitals and staff.
Pharmaceuticals. Ukraine's dependence on suppliers in other
former Soviet republics for most pharmaceutical raw materials has
resulted in serious shortages since the breakup of the USSR.
Domestic manufacturing meets less than 20 percent of the
country's pharmaceutical needs. Ukraine lacks production
facilities for some essentials, such as oncological drugs,
cardiovascular medicines and vaccines. In 1997, availability of
the simplest antibiotics, hypertension medications, insulin, and
other medications improved somewhat, but prices increased
dramatically. Major multinational pharmaceutical companies have
begun marketing their products, but the prices charged limit
availability to the wealthiest consumers. Patients are required
to supply their own medications for hospital stays.
AIDS. Although few deaths from AIDS have been recorded in
Ukraine, accurate data are not available and the incidence of
sexually-transmitted diseases and AIDS is believed to be
increasing. Ukraine recently saw a sharp increase in newly
infected injecting drug users in cities bordering the Black Sea.
HIV-positive persons in Nikolayev, for example, rose from 1.7% of
injecting drug users to 56.5% during 1995. The potential for the
infection to spread, particularly to women, is worrisome given
low condom usage and sexual trafficking in Ukrainian women.
Trafficking to Western Europe, Turkey and the Middle East is
reputedly common. Resources for prevention, counseling and
availability of prophylactics are extremely limited. Combined
with sexual promiscuity among the young, the potential for as
sharp increase in AIDS cases is large.
Ukraine and Health Care
Epidemics of infectious diseases plague Ukraine - the worst epidemics are AIDS, TB,
STDs and Hepatitis. The Ministry of Health is asking the World Bank for help in all these
areas.
TB already infects one-third of the world's population, 50 million of whom have
drug-resistamt strains of TB. Approximately 3 million people will die from TB this year.
Rates of TB have nearly doubled in the last 5 years in Ukraine-they are now five times the
rate of the US. Odessa oblast has the highest rate of TB in Ukraine with 52.2/100,000
cases in 1996 compared to 25.5/100,000 for Kiev City.
There are 12,000 recorded cases of AIDS out of a population of 52 million This is the
highest number of official cases of any country in the FSU. AIDS, HIV, and STDs are all
on the rise in Ukraine due to unsafe sexual practices, prostitution, and intravenous drug
use. As in Russia, the actual numbers of AIDS cases may be as much as 10 times higher-
these are just official numbers.
Maternal and Child Health There are striking - and ominous - indicators of the
deteriorating condidtion of maternal and child health. Infant and maternal mortality
continue to be a serious indicator of the health crisis. The Health Minister singled this
issue out recently because of its urgency.
The facts and figures singled out in the Bader letter of September 30 remain accurate with
respect to the major crisis as the result of the lack of pharmaceuticals, diagnostic
equipment, and even "off the shelf' items for hospital emergency rooms.
Page 36
LEVEL 2 - 17 OF 311 STORIES
Copyright 1997 Newsday, Inc.
Newsday (New York, NY)
October 26, 1997, Sunday, ALL EDITIONS
SECTION: NEWS; Page A04
LENGTH: 4801 words
SERIES: CRUMBLED EMPIRE, SHATTERED HEALTH. First in a series.
HEADLINE: CRUMBLED EMPIRE, SHATTERED HEALTH / DIAGNOSIS: CRITICAL / IN THE
REMNANTS OF THE USSR, HEALTH CARE IS IN A DEADLY STATE OF SHAMBLES (NS BULLDOG
EDITION) CRUMBLED EMPIRE / SHATTERED HEALTH / THE COLLAPSE OF HEALTH CARE IN
THE FORMER SOVIET UNION. NEWSDAY COVER PHOTO BY VIOREL FLORESCU- (PATIENT IN A
RUSSIAN HOSPITAL)
BYLINE: Laurie Garrett. STAFF WRITER; Others making key contributions to the
series were Newdsay's Moscow Bureau chief, Susan Sachs; former bureau chief Ken
Fireman; research Tami Luhby; and staff writer Delthia Ricks.
DATELINE: TSKHINVALI, GEORGIA
BODY:
IN THE SERIES. Today, Newsday begins a series of stories by Pulitzer
Prize-winning reporter Laurie Garrett and photographer Viorel Florescu on the
collapse of public health in the former Soviet Union at a time of dramatic
social upheaval. The stories will appear in the news section, in special reports
in the Discovery section and online at http://www.newsday.com. Researching the
story led Garrett and Florescu to Moscow, Kiev and St. Petersburg, as well as
locations as far-flung as Tallinn, Estonia, in the Baltics; Ulan-Ude on the
Russo-Mongolian border; Nor'ilsk, 175 miles above the Arctic Circle in Siberia;
war-torn Ossetia, on the Georgian frontier; Chernobyl, Ukraine; and Bohemia in
the Czech Republic. TSKHINVALI, GEORGIA Most of the patients have been sent
home because the vast medical complex has no heat. The nurses are huddled around
a burning log in a makeshift fireplace carved out of a cement floor. But up on
the fourth floor of Republican Hospital, remarkably, medicine is still being
practiced. Two surgeons are performing a hernia operation with uncommon skill -
and uncommon speed.
As a doctor anesthetizes the patient with an ether-soaked handkerchief and a
nurse keeps him breathing with a hand-operated ventilator, the scrub nurse
scoops up a pile of bloodied surgical instruments and carries them to a basin of
pink water that has been standing uncovered for hours.
Working barehanded, she dunks the instruments in the water, swishes them
about and returns them to the operating table with no further effort at
sterilization. A moment later, one of those instruments is inside the patient,
clamping off a section of intestines.
The operation is finished in less than 10 minutes. When the surgeons are
complimented on their speed, one replies: "It's not a matter of choice. We must
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Newsday (New York, NY), October 26, 1997
go fast. The generator only supplies 15 minutes of electricity for the lights.' "
This provincial hospital is far removed from Russia's great cities, and
Georgia has fared far worse than most former Soviet republics since the union
split apart in 1991. But while the problems here may be especially acute, they
are not atypical. Throughout this vast ex-superpower, the health care system
once touted by the Soviet leadership as an exemplar of "the human, caring face
of socialism" is a shambles.
Life expectancy rates have plunged precipitously, driven downward by a deadly
combination of spreading disease, alcohol and drug abuse, poor nutrition,
chronic underfunding of medical facilities and isolation from Western scientific
advances. In one year alone, 1993, the life expectancy at birth for Russian
males dropped from 61 to 58, according to the World Health Organization.
Russia's death rate in 1995 was 1.6 times greater than its birthrate, triggering
a decline in its population unprecedented in post-war times, and the premature
death rate for adults has more than doubled since 1960, according to government
data.
The impact of this crisis is also falling heavily on those most vulnerable:
the region's children. They suffer from high rates of birth defects, disease and
mortality, bear the brunt of their parents' drug and alcohol abuse and are often
denied medicines because of a belief that they are "weakened" and cannot handle
certain antibiotics or vaccines.
As a consequence, they are far less likely to reach adulthood than their
Western European counterparts, according to UNICEF. Children in Russia, the
largest of the former Soviet republics, are 2 1/2 times more likely to die
before age 5 than American children, global health experts say.
Some doctors find this unbearable. At the Leningrad Republican Infectious
Disease Hospital, for instance, Dr. Paul Sergeyev tenderly strokes the blond
head of 9-month-old Natalia, who was abandoned by her HIV-positive,
opium-addicted mother as soon as she was born.
"We can't know for sure whether a child is infected with HIV until 3 years
old, he says with a frustrated shake of his head as he gently places Natalia
back in her crib. "We have no money for genetic testing. We have no money for
anything."
Dr. Lev Mogilevsky, co-director of an infectious disease treatment facility
in the Ukrainian city of Odessa, sums up the situation succinctly: "We can no
longer control or manage disease, he said. "It manages us."
An eight-month examination by Newsday that ranged over 4,500 miles, visiting
20 cities in five formerly communist countries, has found that this once-proud
health care system has become a casualty of the region's wrenching historic
transition.
It's not clear how quickly this occurred, because past health care claims by
the communist government were unreliable at best, fabricated at worst. But it is
crystal clear the system today is collapsing, unable to adapt to a
non-authoritarian society where individual choice reigns, power is decentralized
and economic realities constrain choices. And while most experts are focused on
the profound economic and political problems plaguing the region, it is also
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Newsday (New York, NY), October 26, 1997
clear that the collapse of public health is potentially just as destabilizing.
Here's what Newsday found:
- Infectious diseases long thought to be under control or largely extinct in
the developed world have swept through former Soviet republics in a rolling
series of epidemics, producing disease rates far exceeding those in Western
countries. These diseases - which include tuberculosis, hepatitis, cholera,
typhoid and influenza - have been spread by chronically poor medical hygiene and
sanitation, as well as misuse of antibiotics. The tuberculosis rate, for
instance, is 10 times the rate in the United States, and growing.
- The long decades of government-enforced isolation from the rest of the
world have bred a striking ignorance of many modern medical advances among
health care professionals, and a widespread public belief in unscientific folk
remedies. For example, only 60 percent of Russian children under age 5 have been
fully immunized - according to World Health Organization standards - against the
six most common vaccine-preventable diseases, in large part because of
opposition from parents and doctors who believe children with the mildest health
problems should not be vaccinated. The U.S. rate, meanwhile, is above 95
percent.
- The former health-care delivery system - inefficient, expensive and
authoritarian, but widely accessible - has all but collapsed in the wake of a
massive funding crisis, and little has been done to replace it. The Russian
government, for example, currently earmarks less than 2 percent of its annual
budget for health services, compared with nearly 20 percent in the United
States, resulting in chronic shortages of supplies, deteriorating physical
facilities and late payment of wages to personnel. In most hospitals visited by
Newsday, strapped officials had stopped ordering rubber gloves and paper towels
to save money.
- Long-term environmental problems are taking a growing toll on the public's
health. In St. Petersburg, for instance, officials acknowledge they can no
longer supply safe water to the city, a problem that resulted this summer in
more than 500 cases of dysentery. In Russia as a whole, the Environment Ministry
has concluded half the nation's drinking water supply is unsafe.
- Hundreds of thousands of new patients are now entering the health system
due to an unprecedented surge in drug abuse, which has fueled an explosion of
HIV and hepatitis and compromised part of the region's blood supplies. There are
few public education programs on the dangers of sharing needles, for instance,
within a huge region in which two-thirds of AIDS patients are drug users.
"We broke old mechanisms which managed society and health care, and we didn't
create new ones, we didn't know how to," " Mogilevsky added. "Now health care is
on the brink of complete ruin.
The crisis threatens to engulf not only the 280 million people who live in
the republics that once composed the Soviet Union but, because of immigration
patterns and political interdependence, large parts of the rest of the world as
well. For as the incidence of infectious disease increases, neighboring nations
in Europe and popular immigration destinations such as the United States and
Canada become increasingly worried.
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Newsday (New York, NY), October 26, 1997
One World Health Organization official called a 1995 diphtheria epidemic in
Russia "the biggest public health threat in Europe since World War II."
Just as ominously, there is concern that the health care crisis will provide
potent new ammunition to ultra-nationalist politicians who argue that
American-style democracy and cooperation with the West have failed and that only
a revival of authoritarianism can solve Russia's problems.
"How can the society, the economy, the military bear such a burden?" asked
Murray Feshbach, a Georgetown University demographer who has studied Russian
trends for years. "Will it lead to social disarray? Can the economy survive?
Will a conservative military-type leader decide to overthrow the government? Why
are these not viable possibilities if one looks at Russia from the demographic
and health prism, and not just the political and economic dimensions?"
There is some evidence that this concern is well-founded. A poll ranking the
concerns of Russian citizens earlier this year found that declining public
health had risen to fifth (from ninth in 1995) and was cited by 29 percent of
those responding as their top concern (up from 16 percent two years ago).
Opponents of the present Russian government are seeking to exploit health
care as a political issue. Communist leaders routinely blame Western-style
capitalism for the surge in infectious diseases, alcoholism and drug abuse. They
argue that the nation's strength and security have been compromised, citing
government statistics that one in three army recruits are now rejected for
health reasons, as opposed to 1 in 20 in 1985. And Russia's most prominent
nationalist leader, Alexander Lebed, apparently has incorporated the issue into
his standard stump speech.
"Tuberculosis has increased - it's a rampant wave, Lebed barked in his
gravelly baritone during a recent talk to a group of supporters in the Siberian
city of Irkutsk. "We have to stop this rampant increase. We need to deal with
AIDS too - we cannot wait
There are skyrocketing infectious diseases. We
must stop that - now. II
But translating such stern rhetoric into reality may prove difficult for any
politician, even one as accustomed to command as Lebed, a former army general.
And if Lebed has any doubts of that, he might have a chat with a fellow Afghan
war veteran named Konstantin.
In 1993, two years after Konstantin was discharged from the military,
communist and ultra-nationalist rebels seized the Russian White House in
defiance of President Boris Yeltsin's order disbanding the old Soviet-era
parliament. Konstantin grabbed his old army rifle and manned the barricades.
The rebellion was crushed, and Konstantin wound up in Butirka Prison, charged
with treason. When his case finally came up for judicial review last January, a
judge dismissed the charges and ordered him freed.
But by that time Konstantin had contracted tuberculosis, a huge and growing
risk in Russia's grossly overcrowded jails and prisons. The treatment he
received was erratic and ineffective, and the disease eventually spread from his
lungs to his liver, kidneys and heart.
Today, Konstantin, 39, who won't allow his last name to be used, lies dying
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Newsday (New York, NY), October 26, 1997
in a bed at the Moscow Tuberculosis Research Center, his disease beyond the
reach of any drug. "It's like a joke, a particularly Russian joke, he says. "In
principle, I was given a death sentence."
The rampant growth of tuberculosis among Russia's huge prison population -
estimated to be as many as one million out of a total population of 140 million
- is one of the engines that have driven the country's overall TB rate to a
level at least 10 times greater than that in the United States. And while
Russian scientists debate how to cope with the epidemic, those who care for TB
victims in provincial facilities across the far-flung nation often work in the
face of heartbreaking shortages.
In one such facility, in the city of Ulan-Ude, capital of Buryatia, a region
of Russia just north of Mongolia, Dr. Galina Dugarova cares for patients housed
in three unheated log cabins. Patients must supply their own pajamas and bed
linens; supplies of antibiotics and other medicines are erratic at best.
"They are all going to die," Dugarova says as she ministers to four patients
in the facility's intensive care ward. "We cannot treat them
We would like
to give them four drugs and some protein, but we have no money and they have no
money. They are sentenced."
As ominous as the TB epidemic is, it is just one of the infectious diseases
that have swept through Russia and other former Soviet republics in recent
years. While statistical comparisons over time are difficult because Soviet-era
data were notoriously unreliable, both domestic and foreign experts agree that
many diseases have registered alarming increases.
Diphtheria, for example, infected 200,000 people in the region and killed
5,000 before it finally slowed down last year, thanks in part to a major
international effort spawned by fears that the contagion would spread to other
parts of the world.
Polio rolled into Azerbaijan in 1991, Uzbekistan in 1993 and war-ravaged
Chechnya in 1995. Hepatitis is now so common throughout the former Soviet Union
that it is regarded as endemic rather than epidemic. Influenza hit the region so
hard in 1995 that the entire Ukrainian government was forced to shut down for a
week. Typhoid infected 20,000 in the central Asian republic of Tajikistan last
year, much of it surfacing in drug-resistant forms. Russia's second largest
city, St. Petersburg, is currently coping with dual epidemics of cholera and
dysentery for the third time since 1993.
While there are many reasons for these contagions, one source is health care
practitioners and medical facilities themselves, according to Western experts
who have studied the problem.
"I can't tell you how surprised I was by their lack of infection control, "
said Howard Cohen, former executive director of Coney Island Hospital in
Brooklyn, which serves as a "sister" institution to a hospital in Odessa. "In
the operating room they had commonly used soap bars, commonly used towels.
Surgeons were going from one patient to another without washing. "
Sometimes, lack of funds is the culprit, as in a children's hospital in St.
Petersburg that suffered several outbreaks of internally generated infections
last year. Investigators discovered that the cash-strapped facility had ceased
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buying paper towels and rubber gloves.
But in other cases, simple lack of knowledge born of isolation from Western
colleagues is at fault. Cohen and others say most Russian and Ukrainian
doctors believe airborne bacterial spores are the major source of infection
within hospitals, whereas Western practitioners learned years ago that unsterile
hands and instruments were the main culprits.
"For seventy years, public health here was linked to ideology instead of
science,' said Regina Napolitano, chief of infection control for Coney Island
Hospital. "Now they're paying the price."
In some parts of the region, these problems are exacerbated by the misuse of
antibiotics, leading to the emergence of drug-resistant strains of bacteria. Dr.
Ed O'Rourke of Boston's Children's Hospital, an expert in infectious diseases
who has visited Russia and other ex-Soviet republics on many occasions, says
physicians there often "simply add one antibiotic on top of another" without any
particular rationale.
O'Rourke has been urging doctors in the region to revamp their system for
controlling infectious diseases, but fears he's made little impact. "It's as if
they have horses and carriages but want diesel trucks," he said. "And we're
trying to tell them that what they need to do is forget about these diesels and
use the horses and carriages properly.'
Another key source of the epidemics is a plummeting rate of vaccination
against infectious diseases that began in the 1980s and has continued unchecked
into the current decade.
Part of the blame for this lies with Soviet-era health officials, who trained
pediatricians to withhold vaccinations from children with minor ailments - or
merely a family history of a disease - on the theory that such "weak" children
would be harmed rather than helped by inoculation.
One scientist, Dr. Galena Chervonskaya, carried this theory to extreme
lengths, arguing that domestically produced diphtheria and pertussis vaccines
were contaminated with poisons. Her views were publicized in a mass-circulation
newspaper, further depressing the vaccination rate - and opening the door to the
likes of Boris Nikitin.
Nikitin, 82, was trained in engineering, not pediatric medicine. But he has
proclaimed himself an expert in child rearing, and his influence in Russia is
often compared to that of Dr. Benjamin Spock in the United States. His "Nikitin
Doctrine" holds that most clothing and medical treatment weaken children.
"Nature has designed a certain stage in child development when natural
immunity is formed,' Nikitin says as he plays with his naked 6-month-old
granddaughter outdoors on a chilly afternoon. "This natural mechanism is called
children's infections. So this immunization of society is a great medical
mistake."
A similar attitude toward medical science can be found at an AIDS clinic in
the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, where a patient named Viktor rejects the drug AZT
in favor of another "treatment": a bullet-shaped piece of tin taped to his
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chest.
The 38-year-old postal worker explains he received the apparatus from a local
healer who invented it "to measure biocurrents from my body. She charges the
currents with a piece of tin, which we call a bullet. And the bullet counters
my negative biocurrents."
Such unscientific credulity can, of course, have tragic consequences. But
given their history, citizens of the former Soviet Union might be forgiven their
willingness to trust street healers over certified scientists. For most of their
lives, the health care system was run entirely by the state - the same state
that was systematically befouling their air, water and soil in its headlong race
to create an industrial and military superpower regardless of human cost.
The grim results of these policies can be found throughout the former union -
from the ruined Reactor No. 4 at the infamous Chernobyl power station, to the 50
secret cities where nuclear weapons production has left a deadly legacy of
contamination, to the toxic shroud that envelops scores of industrial cities
like Angarsk.
Angarsk, a Siberian city of 280,000, is ringed with aging chemical factories,
oil refineries and energy production plants. The forest around the city has been
denuded by acid rain; the landscape is webbed with rusting petroleum ducts. The
sky is perpetually gray. The air smells of sulfur and methane and leaves an
acrid taste in the mouth. "It's my perfume, one woman says sourly as she waits
for a bus.
Some Russian scientists believe that this rampant environmental degradation,
when combined with the political disasters that have stalked their century, has
permanently damaged the raw human material of the nation and damaged the
population's health.
In the industrial regions of Siberia, for example, the incidence of adult
leukemia and Hodgkin's disease is nearly twice that seen in Western Europe.
Overall, Russians are 1.8 times more likely to die of cancer than are Americans.
"The Russian gene pool is destroyed,' asserts Dr. Askold Maiboroda, dean of
the Federal Medical University in the Siberian city of Irkutsk. "First, there
were Stalin's slaughters of millions of people, the most creative and
intelligent people. Then more good people perished in the gulags
And now
we suffer an environmental assault unlike anywhere else. We are weakened. Our
genes are damaged. You cannot expect much from the Russian people; do not ask
much of us."
This attitude of passive hopelessness helps fuel another scourge: widespread
and growing alcohol and drug abuse.
Alcohol consumption, traditionally high among Russian men, has increased 600
percent in the nine years since the Soviet government called off an effective
but highly unpopular anti-drinking campaign. During that time, deaths from
alcohol poisoning and cirrhosis rose by 300 percent and 250 percent
respectively. And many younger Russians, caught in the pyschic backwash of their
society's unprecedented transition, have turned to hard drugs to relieve their
angst.
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"Look at that drunken idiot!" a teenager shouts to his laughing buddies as
they watch a sodden man try to enter a Moscow subway through the exit turnstile.
"Only fools drink bad vodka!"
The teenagers, it turns out, are high themselves - but not on vodka, good or
bad. They' ve been doing a popular opium-based drug called poppy straw.
Hundreds of miles east of Moscow, in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk,
another group of young people has gathered in a nightspot called the 888 Club to
drink, smoke and contemplate their uncertain futures.
"I'm just a human, rolling through life, says 20-year-old Sevi. "I'm totally
against drugs. My choice is vodka. I'm an alcoholic!"
A bit later, the group is asked, "What is a Russian?" Alex, 18, has a ready
answer: "Drinking. And loneliness. No one is lonelier than a Russian."
This existential glibness may sound hip and trendy in the mouths of young
people. But when damaged, alienated people grow older and begin families,
continued alcohol abuse can reap a harvest of misery, especially for the
children of such parents.
Vanya's parents were such people - chronic alcohol abusers who battled
ferociously and sometimes violently when they drank. After one such bout, they
separated. Vanya's mother brought him to Moscow's bustling Byelorussky train
terminal when he was 9, let go of his hand, and disappeared into the crowd.
When the police finally picked Vanya up last year, he had survived two
winters by begging and sleeping in phone booths. Now, the 11-year-old boy lives
in a children's shelter, trying to master the involuntary blinking and
bed-wetting that remains with him as a reminder of his life on the streets.
Similar stories can be found throughout the former Soviet Union. At least
700,000 children are homeless in Russia, according to government data, and a
recent UNICEF report predicted the number is likely to mount. Alcoholism, the
report said, "not only directly affects the child's well-being, it also tends to
increase family conflicts, stress-related paternal mortality' and other types of
breakdowns."
And children caught in the toils of these problems are likely to be the most
vulnerable to infectious diseases. The rate of childhood tuberculosis in former
Soviet republics, for example, is now at its highest level since
antibiotics-based treatment was introduced in the 1950s. In Ukraine, the second
largest republic, the incidence of diagnosed TB in those aged 14 and younger has
doubled during the past six years.
At the Kiev Institute of Pulmonology, where many of these children are
treated, staff members are up against familiar obstacles - chronic shortages of
money, drugs and diagnostic resources.
In a ward in the institute, a woman named Galina lies quietly next to her
5-year-old grandson, Janya, bundling against the sick boy to ward off the chill
of the unheated room. The lights have also been turned off in daylight to save
electricity costs, making it difficult for Galina to read to the child on this
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overcast afternoon.
"The situation is just dreadful," says Dr. Viktoria Kostromira, the
institute's director of pediatric services. "The government should take drastic
action immediately, or we will have a huge epidemic."
But such relief is unlikely, given the tight fiscal constraints that
governments in Ukraine and every other former Soviet republic now face. And so
the health care crisis deepens, statistical indices worsen - and those
responsible for coping with the problems issue increasingly pointed warnings.
"We want to make it clear to everybody that the national security of the
country is threatened," said Dr. N.F. Gerasimenko of the Academy of Medical
Sciences in a speech to the Russian parliament earlier this year. "The situation
is catastrophic
It's even worse than it was in Russia one hundred years
ago." TOMORROW: The Tuberculosis Epidemic Expected Life Span. Comparing
life expectancy at birth, in 1995, in Russia and the former Soviet republics
with the United States and several other western nations
Life expectancy.
Male Female. Russia 58 72. Armenia 68 74. Azerbaijan 66 75. Belarus 64 75.
Estonia 65 76. Georgia 69 78. Kazakhstan 64 74. Kyrgzstan 63 72. Latvia 63 75.
Lithuania 63 75. Moldova 65 73. Tajikistan 66 66. Turkmenistan 62 69. Ukraine 64
74. Uzbekistan 66 72. United States 74 80. Canada 76 82. Germany 73 79. France
74 82. United Kingdom 74 79. Italy 75 81 SOURCE: World Bank 1997 World
Development Indicators
Measuring Health. Comparing Russia with the
United States by several measures of health and health care. All statistics are
from 1994, unless otherwise noted
Health care expenditures (as a
percent
of gross domestic product, 1990-95). Russia 4.8%. United States 14.3%
People per physician. (1993) Russia 222. United States 421 Infant mortality.
(deaths per 1,000 live births, 1995)
Russia 18. United States 8
Death
rate (all ages). (deaths per 100,000 population).
M F. Russia 1,765.2 1,369.5. United States 919 839
Malignant neoplasms
(cancer). (deaths per 100,000)
M F. Russia 243.9 167.1. United States 220.7 190.5.
Cerebrovascular disease
(stroke) (deaths per 100,000)
MF. Russia 227.7 350.9. United States 47.4 69.8. Pneumonia and flu.
(deaths per 100,000).
MF. Russia 32.5 9.7. United States 29.4 33.1. Tuberculosis of the
respiratory system. (deaths per 100,000).
MF. Russia 26.7 2.9. United States 0.5 0.3. Infectious and parasitic
diseases. (deaths per 100,000)
M F. Russia 35.6 8.8. . United States (1992) 12.2 12.5. Diabetes mellitus.
(deaths per 100,000)
MF. Russia 6.3 13.1. United States 21.8 19.5. SOURCE: 1995 World Health
Statistics Annual, a publication of the World Health Organization; Statistical
Abstract of the United States, 1996; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
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National Center for Health Statistics Newsday Photos by Viorel Florescu- 1)
Quick Cleanup. A nurse at Republican Hospital in Tskhinvali, Georgia, cleans
instruments between surgeries by swishing them in a basin of water that has sat
uncovered for hours. 2) Heartbreaker. Dr. Paul Sergeyev of Leningrad Republican
Infectious Disease Hospital holds 6-month-old Lisa, who was abandoned by her
HIV-positive mother. 3) Stretched. At Republican Hospital in Tskhinvali,
Georgia, above, doctors perform an emergency surgery using generators and a
manual pump. 4) At left, a piece of cloth that serves as a face mask and a pair
of rubber gloves have been left to dry on a radiator at a tuberculosis hospital
in Ulan Ude, Buryatia, where they will be reused. 5) Compassion. Dr. Igor
Boychenko and nurse Galina Efremova talk to a patient at Ukraine's Odessa Oblast
Hospital, now a sister' to Coney Island Hospital in a deal that is benefiting
both. 6) A mother's warmth. Above, an unidentified woman tends her newborn baby
at a hospital in Kurta, Georgia, in a former schoolroom with just a wood stove
for heat. 7) At left, an unidentified man fills two buckets with water from a
street pump in Irkutsk. Most homes in the Siberian city do not have running
water. 8) TB Tests. Dr. Ludmila Ierbadaeva handles sputum samples in a TB lab in
Siberia. There is no money for gloves, masks or for her salary. 9) Cold Comfort.
A patient at a TB hospital in Tskhinvali has gotten a log to burn on the floor
for warmth.
GRAPHIC: Newsday Charts- 1) Expected Life Span. Comparing life expectancy at
birth, in 1995, in Russia and the former Soviet republics with the United States
and several other western nations. SOURCE: World Bank 1997 World Development
Indicators. 2) Measuring Health. Comparing Russia with the United States by
several measures of health and health care. All statistics are from 1994, unless
otherwise noted. SOURCE: 1995 World Health Statistics Annual, a publication of
the World Health Organization; Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1996;
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health
Statistics. (see end of text) Newsday Photos by Viorel Florescu- 1-9) see end
of text for captions. 10) Newsday Cover Photo by Viorel Florescu- (a patient in
a Russian hospital; NS bulldog edition)
LANGUAGE: English
LOAD-DATE: October 26, 1997
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LEVEL 1 - 18 OF 18 STORIES
Copyright 1997 Newsday, Inc.
Newsday (New York, NY)
October 26, 1997, Sunday, ALL EDITIONS
SECTION: NEWS; Page A42
LENGTH: 752 words
SERIES: CRUMBLED EMPIRE, SHATTERED HEALTH. First in a series
HEADLINE: CRUMBLED EMPIRE, SHATTERED HEALTH / FOR YEARS, A SECRETLY SICK SYSTEM
BYLINE: By Susan Sachs. MOSCOW CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: MOSCOW
BODY:
MOSCOW Demographer Leonid Rybakovsky remembers the day that health statistics
died in the former Soviet Union.
It was 1976 and, in an Orwellian turn of phrase, the Communist Party central
committee had created a "Commission on the Non-Publication of Data.'
"I was on this commission," said Rybakovsky, now, as then, the director of
the federal Center of Demographics.
"There were also generals from the Ministry of Defense and people from the
ministries of central planning and economics, he said.
"A general got up and said to us all: We must not reveal the number of boys
being born in the Soviet Union. Our enemies could use this information. We must
make it a state secret. "
There was no arguing with a general, Rybakovsky recalled.
And so statistics about Soviet births by gender were classified. So was all
information about life expectancy. Scientists in the know, like Rybakovsky, even
had to sign a pledge never to reveal data about the state of the Soviet
citizen's health.
"It reflected the Soviet attitude toward human beings," he said. "We couldn't
talk about public health so the problems were never dealt with."
The paternalistic mania for secrecy in the Soviet Union produced a generation
of health-care workers who knew that the country's medical system was sick but
could do nothing about it.
Soviet researchers, for example, sometimes studied the ecological disaster
areas dotting the country and their effect on public health. But not until a few
years ago were the studies acknowledged and, in some cases, acted upon.
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"Fifteen years ago we did ecological research, but the studies were stuck in
a cupboard," said Larissa Shcheplyagina, a Moscow pediatrician who has worked
with children affected by the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion.
"Leaders changed. Times changed. But the statistics stayed in the drawer. "
These days, she believes people are listening. Last year, Shcheplyagina
headed a study of 3,500 children under the age of 14 in the highly polluted city
of Klin, the birthplace of the composer Tchaikovsky, about 50 miles north of
Moscow. The water, soil and air is polluted with sulfur dioxide, mercury, heavy
metals and other contaminants from heavy industry.
The study found alarming rates of asthma, chronic digestive diseases and
endocrine system problems in young residents.
"These children begin to fall ill from the day they are born, " said
Shcheplyagina. "But now the local authorities have instituted a special project
for diagnosis and treatment of ecological diseases. You could say that one of
our achievements is the right to call a spade a spade.'
In the new Russia, there are mountains of health statistics - more than the
average person can digest. And they are, almost universally, bad news -
catastrophic, even - when compared with the rosy propaganda that most Russians
grew up believing.
"In 1964 and 1965, our life expectancy for both men and women was as good as
in the major industrial countries of the West," said Rybakovsky. "It was a
period when we had combatted mass epidemics. Then everywhere else in the
industrialized world, they began to improve the health system. In Russia, we
only increased the number of beds. "
The overall decline in the quality of health services, according to Russian
health officials, really began in the 1970s, dubbed by subsequent historians as
the "period of stagnation."
It was the time of Leonid Brezhnev, the Communist Party general-secretary
whose own health deteriorated over the years to the point that he was barely
aware of what was going on around him.
One tragic legacy of the period is the widespread incidence of iodine
deficiency in Russia, which occurred because of the suspension in the 1980s of
public health measures to counteract a natural shortage. The effect can be seen
in the worsening health of young children - thyroid problems, low birth weights,
mental retardation.
By 1980, the average life expectancy at birth for Soviet males was 61.4
years, down from the 1965 post-war peak of 65 years. By 1984, the death rate was
11.6 per 1,000 population, up from the low of 7.2 deaths per 1,000 in 1964.
But the conspiracy of silence remained.
While the death rate now is considered astronomically high by global health
experts, it was also "very high in 1980, said Vladimir Shkolnikov, deputy
director of the Russian Center for Demographics. But even then, he said, "I
couldn't talk about it. Nothing was allowed to be published.'
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UKRAINE: U.S. ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Objectives. The primary mission of U.S. assistance to Ukraine is
to help Ukraine succeed in the fundamental restructuring of its
economic and political systems. The U.S. supports the economic
and political reforms essential to dismantling the vestiges of a
centralized, planned economy and establishing à stable democracy
with a prosperous market economy, while maintaining social
welfare and stability during and beyond this transition.
Specifically, the U.S. assistance program seeks to catalyze an
improved environment for business, investment, and trade while
simultaneously encouraging environmentally sustainable
development; promoting the democratic transition through
strengthened rule of law and fostering of a civil society; and
creating a more secure social safety net, including humanitarian
assistance to the weaker segments of society.
Funding. From 1991 through 1996 the USG obligated over $1.3
billion to assistance programs in Ukraine. For Fiscal Year 1997,
approximately $225 million was budgeted for Ukraine from the
Freedom Support Act (FSA). Through USAID, technical assistance
is provided to such fields as economic restructuring,
agriculture, environment, health, democratic reform, and private
sector development. Programs such as the Peace Corps and the
transport of humanitarian assistance are also funded from FSA.
In addition, $51 million in Nunn-Lugar funds was provided in FY97
to assist Ukraine with nuclear dismantlement, non-proliferation
programs, and industrial partnerships. The assistance budget for
FY98 will likely be commensurate with FY97 assistance levels.
Transition to a market economy. On the macroeconomic level,
USAID provides technical assistance and training to help Ukraine
formulate sound fiscal policies, fair tax systems and
enforcement, transparent and accurate budgeting, customs
regulations conducive to trade, and regulatory bodies that
encourage savings and investment. USAID is assisting Ukraine to
develop a civil code which would provide a legal foundation for
basic business activities and reshape the banking system.
Privatization and restructuring of existing state-owned and
managed enterprises, development of capital markets, the
encouragement of new business start-ups, and the easing of the
regulatory and fiscal burdens on all enterprises are essential
strategic steps towards a market economy. Linkages to USG-funded
venture capital and lending programs, such as the Western NIS
Enterprise Fund and the Eurasia Foundation, complement the full
range of business services.
The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) Special American Business
Internship Training (SABIT) program provides training and
financial services to Ukrainian professionals through placement
in U.S. firms. DOC's Business Information Service (BISNIS)
encourages and facilitates business partnerships between U.S. and
Ukrainian companies. USDA's Cochran Fellowship Program provides
short-term training to public and private sector specialists.
There are currently about 190 Peace Corps volunteers serving in
Ukraine, primarily in the areas of business development and
English language instruction.
The USG 1S providing expertise to restructure Ukraine's electric
power monopoly and its coal sector. Working with its G-7
partners and the EU, the U.S. is seeking to develop an
engineering solution to the sarcophagus which covers Chornobyl's
destroyed Unit 4 reactor (preventing the release of radioactivity
to the environment) and enhance operational and fire safety at
all nuclear reactors in the country.
Transition to democracy. The U.S. is assisting Ukraine to become
a nation in which government policy and activity reflects the
needs and wishes of an informed citizenry. USIA's exchange
programs support this effort by providing over 8,000 Ukrainians
the opportunity to meet U.S. counterparts. Ft, new initiative,
Community Connections, will bring Ukrainian entrepreneur, legal,
and government officials from 10 regions to establish linkages
with U.S. counterparts. Through USAID support to civic groups,
NGOs, political parties, and democratic free unions, the U.S.
seeks to strength civil society, local government capacity, long-
term viability of an independent media, and competitive and fair
political processes, including elections.
Support for the social sector. Political support for reform
risks evaporation unless affordable programs can help protect
Ukraine's most vulnerable citizens. USAID 15 helping to
facilitate the price increases necessary to improve the quality
of social services, laying the foundation for a sustainable
social insurance system. USAID also helped set up a means-tested
housing subsidy program which helps Ukraine's neediest while
reducing Ukraine's fiscal problems. The program is now being
replicated nationally.
USAID and USEPA support pilot projects in developing reliable
supplies of potable water; pest and pesticide management in
agriculture; energy efficiency audits; and waste minimalization.
USEPA recently provided Ukraine with a mobile radiation
laboratory to help delineate areas of the country which suffer
excessive radiation levels.
Through mid-1997 the U.S. has directly provided or facilitated
delivery of over $475 million in U.S. humanitarian assistance to
the Ukrainian people, including excess military humanitarian
commodities and food assistance under USDA's Food for Progress
Program.
Refugee and migration assistance. The UN High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration
(IOM) both provide assistance to Ukraine as part of the follow-up
to the 996 International Conference on Refugees and Migration in
the CIS. The U.S. has contributed $16.6 million to the $90
million UNHCR/IOM Joint Appeal for the CIS. Migration and
refugee assistance to Ukraine included in the Joint Appeal totals
$7.3 million which includes money for humanitarian aid to
refugees, self-help assistance to minorities (such as the Crimean
Tartars) returning to Ukraine, and support for Ukrainian
government efforts to strengthen its own migration management
capacity.
UKRAINE: ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
While the most public environmental issue in Ukraine remains the
nuclear legacy in general, and Chornobyl in particular, Ukraine
has other significant environmental issues.
Nuclear contamination. The long-term health consequences of
nuclear contamination in Ukraine remain undetermined and
controversial, but a large "exclusion zone" near the site of the
Chornobyl reactor remains sufficiently contaminated that human
use of these areas is restricted. Given the long and continuing
use of nuclear power reactors of unsafe design, this issue will
be important well into the future. The U.S. has been active in
assisting Ukraine in nuclear remediation and safety. In
particular, we have been working to improve reactor operations
and to phase-out the oldest and least safe units.
Chornobyl Shelter. Experts believe the temporary, 20-story
concrete shelter enclosing the radioactive ruins of the reactor
which exploded in 1986 could collapse, releasing radiation into
the environment. The G-7, under U.S. chairmanship, and Ukraine
have devised a $750 million plan to make it safe and
environmentally stable. The Vice President and President Kuchma
will chair an International Pledging Conference on the Chornobyl
Shelter November 20 in New York to secure contributions.
Industrial pollution. Ukraine suffers the same industrial
pollution found throughout Central Europe and much of the former
Soviet Union. Abandoned waste and manufacturing sites, as well
as operating ones, are a significant problem. This and a
deterioration of the basic infrastructure has presented an
immediate problem of lack of potable water and basic sanitation
services. These environmental problems are related to general
economic weakness and the slow development of local government,
which normally addresses this type of environmental issue.
Environmental activism. While Ukraine faces many environmental
problems, it seems willing to try to address them, and the public
is engaged in a public debate on the issues. In fact,
environmental activism is helping provide some impetus for reform
of local government, which we wish to encourage.
UKRAINE: U.S. EMBASSY
The American Embassy in Kiev is located on a quiet street two
kilometers north of the city center. The Chancery building was
constructed in the 1950s to house Communist Party and Komsomol
(Communist Youth League) headquarters of one of Kiev's
neighborhoods. The U.S. Embassy opened in 1991 and occupied the
present building on January 23, 1992. In December 1992, the
"America House" cultural center, with a reference library and
computer facilities, was opened.
America's diplomatic mission to Ukraine consists of 125 U.S.
government employees representing the State Department, Agency
for International Development (USAID), United States Information
Agency (USIS), Department of Defense, Peace Corps, Foreign
Commercial Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the
Treasury Department. Ukraine is host to one of the largest Peace
Corps programs in the world. The program began in 1992, and
currently has six full-time American employees and 160
volunteers. USAID, USIS, the Peace Corps, and the Foreign
Commercial Service are housed in separate office buildings.
Ambassador
William Green Miller
Deputy Chief of Mission
James Schumaker
USAID Director
Gregory Huger
Public Affairs Officer
Mary Kruger
Defense Attache
Colonel Bruce Berry
Peace Corps Director
Joroslav Dutkewych
Senior Commercial Officer
Andrew Bihun
Legal Attache
Michael Pyszczymuka
Senior Treasury Advisor
David Darby
UKRAINE: JEWISH CEMETERIES
History of intolerance. Ukrainian history includes an
unfortunate legacy of intolerance toward minorities. The Jews of
western Ukraine were regularly subjected to forced migrations -
"pogroms " Millions of Ukrainians were exterminated in Stalin's
forced labor camps. Ukraine was singled out for a disruptive
campaign that ruined its once-rich agriculture and led to a
massive famine in the 1930s that killed millions of Ukrainians of
all origins. Post-Soviet Ukraine has begun to take steps to
address previous wrongs. While the human rights record has
recently improved, historic anti-Semitism remains a serious
concern.
Bilateral agreement. In 1994, Ukraine signed an agreement with
the United States to preserve cultural sites important to both
countries. While this agreement was not specifically aimed at
any particular ethnic or religious group, early on, the
rehabilitation of Jewish cemeteries became the first focus of
efforts.
Jewish emeteries. Under Jewish religious law, a cemetery
forever a sacred site. In L'viv, decades before the Nazi
occupation, the historic central cemetery was full and closed to
new burials. A new cemetery on the city outskirts served the
Jewish community. The Nazis used gravestones from the central
cemetery as paving blocks for roads. The visible elements of the
cemetery were destroyed, but most of the graves remained
undisturbed. After the Nazis were defeated, the Soviets took
control of viv and turned the site into a large marketplace.
Thus, the current use of the L'viv marketplace is considered an
ongoing desecration and an affront to the Jewish community. This
pattern was repeated in numerous communities throughout Ukraine
(and eastern Europe generally).
Competing priorities. The issue of restoration of cemeteries --
in L'viv and elsewhere -- must take place in the context of
present-day realities. Many U.S. Jewish organizations prefer to
focus on the needs of the small communities of Jews still living
in Ukraine, giving restoration of cemeteries a lower priority.
Orthodox Jewish leaders tend to give precedence to the cemetery
issue both on religious grounds, and because some of the greatest
rabbinical scholars of the 17th and 18th century are buried in
what are now unmarked graves. Resident Jews tend to fear an
anti-Semitic backlash if too much emphasis is put on Jewish
religious needs and requirements - they urge restraint in dealing
with the Ukrainian government.
Dealing with the problem. The Ukrainian government has ordered
an absolute freeze, or moratorium, on any construction or
privatization of sites that have been identified as Jewish
cemeteries, either presently or in the past. A Joint Cultural
Heritage Commission has been established to oversee
identification of Jewish cemeteries and non-Jewish cultural
heritage sites throughout Ukraine, and to seek a mutually-agreed
means of addressing the cemetery problem.
Future steps. International Jewish groups have already indicated
a willingness to provide resources to repair, restore, preserve,
and protect Jewish cemetery sites in Ukraine. We estimate that
there are over 2000 such sites in Ukraine, many in places where
there are few or no Jews left. This issue is on the agenda of
the Joint Commission on Cultural Heritage, envisioned by the 1994
bilateral agreement, which next meets in Washington this fall.
THE CENTRAL JEWISH CEMETERY IN L'VIV
Setting. Following the Nazi invasion in 1941, the occupying
German forces flattened and paved over the central Jewish
cemetery in the heart of L'viv. (This cemetery space had long
been filled to capacity with graves, and several greatly revered
Jewish sages were buried there.) After the war, the central city
market was built, mostly involving kiosks and metal sheds, on the
cemetery site. Over the intervening decades, at least one
several-story building was built on the grounds - now used as the
meat and dairy market - as well as several smaller permanent
structures.
Adjacent to these grounds is a hospital complex of several
buildings which are embellished with Jewish symbols and
inscriptions. This was the Jewish hospital, and now serves as a
maternity hospital. We know that no graves lie under the
hospital complex, as the Jewish residents of the last century
would never have constructed anything atop graves. The whole
area is immense, with the aggregate dimension of several football
fields.
Construction issues. In the summer of 1996, construction started
on the land just between the market and an adjoining hospital
complex. International protest stopped this construction,
whereupon the Kuchma government articulated its intention for a
national freeze on any construction or privatization on Jewish
cemetery sites. In September and October, 1996, a mixed
commission of local and GOU officials met in L'viv and determined
that the market should be moved and the cemetery in some way
memorialized. An AID study completed on August 8, 1997 estimated
the project cost between $4 and $12 million. The mayor of L'viv
is believed to be committed to this project, which is viewed, if
done well and sensitively, as a boon to the city on several
levels.
The site. Apart from the actual movement of the market from the
cemetery grounds, still blocked by lack of funds, the major issue
remaining is the form the preserved cemetery would take. Care
must be taken to insure that, while Jewish law and sensitivities
are abided with, a forbidding, impenetrable wall not be erected
around the perimeter of what was for decades the busiest place in
town, thereby risking fomenting discord among L'viv's Jewish and
Ukrainian communities. The form, function, and accessibility of
this space are very much at issue. The cemetery itself cannot be
recreated as it was, as the headstones are all gone. If the term
"memorial park" is to be the operative one, it must be designed,
constructed, and utilized with great care, mixing legitimate
religious requirements with real-world considerations of access
by Jews and non-Jews alike. For this, we will look to the
leadership provided by the U.S. Commission for the Preservation
of America's Heritage Abroad; to Michael Lewan, Rabbis Morris
Sherer (Agudath Israel) and Chaskel Besser, and others. Meetings
that State Department officers have attended lead us to believe
that Rabbis Sherer and Besser understand the art of the possible,
that they will impose by their own moral authority the proper
amount of restraint, and that the most Orthodox and Hasidic
rabbis will defer to their judgment (within reason).
Restoration costs. We have long discussed with the Jewish
Orthodox leadership the eventual need for significant financial
contributions by the Jewish community in L'viv and elsewhere.
Recognizing the cardinal principle that Ukraine's Jews should not
be asked to buy back their own cemeteries, the costs of
restoration are a different matter. If the cash-strapped GOU and
local governments act to protect the estimated 2,000 Jewish
cemeteries across Ukraine, much of the cost of subsequent
preservation must fall to the Jewish community, particularly that
part of the world Jewish community in the United States and
Israel that has been leading this effort. We believe this point
to be inherent to this discussion, and to be a matter of at least
implicit agreement.
UKRAINE: ARRIVAL STATEMENT
I am delighted to be in Ukraine again and am looking forward
to spending time with my friend Ludmila Kuchma. L'Viv has
always been a link between east and West and it is fitting
that I have the opportunity to visit here following several
days in Central Asia and Russia. In the United States we
are proud that our society is a "melting point" in that
blends diverse communities together into a strong society
that has stood for the same ideals and I want to see how you
are making it work.
I am looking forward to spending time with some of these
communities and to visiting the landmarks that speak of
L'Viv history. I am also eager to meet with Ukrainians and
Americans working together at the L'Viv oblast hospital.
UKRAINE: DEPARTURE STATEMENT
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to spend time with
the people of Ukraine. I am especially touched by the
hospitality shown by Ukraine's First Lady, Ludmila Kuchma.
I decided to come to L'Viv because it has been a multi-
cultural, multi-ethnic city for centuries. The ability to
create a society that tolerates - even celebrates -
differences is one of the great strengths the United States
and Ukraine have in common. Our shared values were evident
as I visited the L'Viv Oblast Hospital and saw the work that
our healthcare professionals are doing together.
I want to again thank the people of Ukraine for their
hospitality and to reaffirm the admiration of the American
people for the great strides independent Ukraine has made in
developing a democratic society which fully honors human
rights.
FIRST LADY'S TALK WITH FIRST LADY LIUDMYLA KUCHMA (UKRAINE)
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WARM GREETINGS ON MY BIRTHDAY
YOUR OBSERVATION ABOUT THE CLOSE LINKAGE BETWEEN THE
EQUALITY OF WOMEN AND DENMOCRACY WAS SOMETHING I FEEL
VERY DEEPLY AS WELL.
I'M DELIGHTED THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DEMOCRACY AND
WOMEN'S RIGHTS, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE CLEAR UNDERSTANDING
IN UKRAINE OF THEIR INTER-RELATIONSHIP. MUCH OF WHAT
UKRAINE HAS ACHIEVED IN THIS REGARD RESULTS FROM YOUR
EFFORTS AND THOSE OF PRESIDENT KUCHMA.
AS YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR LETTER, I HAVE SPOKEN OUT ABOUT
OPENING DOORS FOR WOMEN - ABOUT HOW THIS IS ACHIEVED
THROUGH THE CREATION OF A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY.
IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN CLEAR TO ME THAT THE FULL POTENTIAL OF
ANY SOCIETY CAN ONLY BE REALIZED WHEN OPPORTUNITIES FOR
WOMEN AND MEN ARE EQUAL.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY CLOSEST ADVISERS IS OF UKRAINIAN
HERITAGE, SO I FEEL I HAVE SOME SENSE OF HOW OUR TWO
GREAT NATIONS COMPARE.
THROUGHOUT THE LONG YEARS OF COMMUNIST OPPRESSION,
UKRAINIAN-AMERICANS REMAINED LOYAL TO THEIR LANGUAGE,
CHURCHES AND VALUES. THEY HELD ONTO THEIR CULTURAL
IDENTITY.
THE IDEA OF UKRAINE'S INDEPENDENCE REMAINED STRONG IN MY
COUNTRY, PARTICULARLY IN THE CITIES WHERE UKRAINIANS
GATHERED - CLEVELAND, PHILADELPHIA, NEW YORK, CHICAGO.
THESE UKRAINIAN AMERICANS WERE ABLE TO KEEP U.S. FOREIGN
POLICY ORIENTED TOWARD UKRAINE'S EVENTUAL INDEPENDENCE
THROUGH SOME VERY HARD TIMES.
I'M PROUD THAT THE PRESIDENT AND I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
PRESIDE OVER THE PERIOD OF UKRAINE'S EMERGENCE AS A FREE
AND DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY.
FIRST LADY'S MEETING WITH UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT LEONID KUCHMA
THE PRESIDENT ASKED ME TO CONVEY HIS GREETINGS. HE
APPRECIATED THE MEETING YOU AND HE HAD IN NEW YORK IN
SEPTEMBER, AND HE'S LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM THE
VICE PRESIDENT AFTER YOU SEE HIM IN JUST A FEW DAYS.
UKRAINE'S EMERGENCE AS A FREE, INDEPENDENT STATE, SECURE
IN ITS BORDERS, HAS BEEN A TOP PRIORITY FOR THE UNITED
STATES SINCE UKRAINE GAINED INDEPENDENCE SIX YEARS AGO.
THE COMMITMENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE, TO THESE PRINCIPLES REFLECTS THE DEEP RESPECT WE
HAVE FOR THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE.
YOUR HISTORY OF STRUGGLE AGAINST OPPRESSION AND TRAGEDY
HAS MADE YOU STRONG, EVEN IF NOW, CONDITIONS ARE
DIFFICULT.
MY COUNTRY HAS TRIED TO HELP IN MANY WAYS - BY PROVIDING
POLITICAL SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE INTERNATIONALLY, BY
BRINGING UKRAINIAN STUDENTS TO THE U.S., BY PROVIDING
FINANCIAL AID, AND BY SENDING OUR BEST TECHNICAL EXPERTS
AND OUR PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS TO HELP YOU REBUILD.
OUR HOPE IS THAT UKRAINE'S TRANSFORMATION TO A MARKET-
ORIENTED ECONOMY WILL ACCELERATE, TO BRING THE BENEFITS
OF THE TRANSFORMATION TO THE GREATEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE AS
QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
ONE OF THE ISSUES I WILL BE EMPHASIZING DURING MY VISIT
IS ONE ON WHICH YOU AND MRS. KUCHMA (LIUDMYLA) HAVE SHOWN
REAL LEADERSHIP. THAT IS, THE NECESSITY FOR A COUNTRY
IN TRANSITION LIKE UKRAINE TO MAKE FULL USE OF ITS HUMAN
RESOURCES BY OPENING OPPORTUNITIES TO WOMEN.
CLEARLY, THERE ARE VAST DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SITUATION
FOR WOMEN IN THE MAJOR CITIES AND THE COUNTRYSIDE, SO THE
DEGREE OF PROGRESS WILL VARY.
BUT I'M PLEASED TO LEARN OF YOUR COMMITMENT IN THIS AREA.
ANOTHER ISSUE I WILL BE DISCUSSING IS ONE THAT'S BEEN
RAISED IN THE EUROPEAN UNION CONTEXT - THAT IS THE
PROBLEM OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF WOMEN.
AS YOU KNOW, MANY YOUNG GIRLS FROM UKRAINE, RUSSIA AND
POLAND HAVE BEEN ENTRAPPED IN SITUATIONS WHERE THEY FIND
THEMSELVES IN THE MIDDLE EAST OR THE WEST AND ARE FORCED
INTO PROSTITUTION OR INTO SEX-ORIENTED ROLES THAT THEY
NEVER SOUGHT.
ORGANIZED CRIME ORGANIZATIONS ARE BEHIND MANY OF THESE
OPERATIONS.
WE HOPE TO HELP UKRAINIAN ORGANIZATIONS TO BEGIN TO
EDUCATE YOUNG WOMEN ABOUT THIS DANGER AND TO EQUIP THEM
TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION IF THEY ARE CONFRONTED WITH
IT.
I DECIDED TO COME TO L'VIV BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN A MULTI-
CULTURAL, MULTI-ETHNIC CITY FOR CENTURIES.
THE ABILITY TO CREATE A SOCIETY THAT TOLERATES - EVEN
CELEBRATES - DIFFERENCES IS ONE OF THE GREAT STRENGTHS
THE UNITED STATES AND UKRAINE HAVE IN COMMON.
WE BOTH HAVE LARGE COMMUNITIES OF CITIZENS WHO SPEAK A
DIFFERENT LANGUAGE OR COME FROM DIFFERENT ETHNIC OR
RELIGIOUS BACKGROUNDS.
WE HAVE CREATED A "MELTING POT" IN THE UNITED STATES THAT
BLENDS THE COMMUNITIES TOGETHER INTO WHAT WE CALL THE
TYPICAL AMERICAN. YOUR GOVERNMENT HAS STOOD FOR THE SAME
IDEALS AND I WANT TO SEE HOW YOU ARE MAKING IT WORK.
PUBLIC THEMES - PRESS THEMES (UKRAINE)
"FAMILY FEMINISM" IN UKRAINE:
"FAMILY FEMINISM" IS A TERM THAT CERTAINLY APPLIES IN
UKRAINE.
THE STRONG FAMILY VALUES FOUND IN UKRAINE AND FEMINIST
GOALS ARE COMPLETELY COMPATIBLE.
THE COLLAPSE OF COMMUNIST INSTITUTIONS PUT AN EVEN
GREATER BURDEN ON WOMEN IN THIS SOCIETY.
REDUCED FAMILY INCOMES, ABSENCE OF AN ETHICAL CODE TO
BE TAUGHT IN THE SCHOOLS, STRESSES BROUGHT ON BY
ECONOMIC DECLINE - THESE ARE ALL BURDENS THAT UKRAINIAN
WOMEN HAVE SHOULDERED FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
THESE PROBLEMS MADE IT NECESSARY FOR PARENTS,
ESPECIALLY MOTHERS, TO PROVIDE EVER MORE GUIDANCE TO
CHILDREN.
AS THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE WORLD, THE WOMEN OF UKRAINE
BEAR THE BRUNT OF CHANGES IN SOCIETY.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT SOLUTIONS TO UKRAINE'S SOCIAL AND
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS INCLUDE WOMEN'S INPUT. WOMEN
UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEMS, AND THEY CAN HELP FIND SILUTIONS
THAT WORK.
THAT IS THE ESSENCE OF "FAMILY FEMINISM:
EMPOWERMENT IN POLITICAL AND SOCIAL SPHERES
BASED ON STRONG FAMILIES AND A STRONG ETHICAL AND
MORAL FOUNDATION
DIFFICULT Q'S AND A'S (L'VIV)
Q. What has the U.S. done to persuade L'Viv authorities to
restore the ancient Jewish cemetery?
(The cemetery was desecrated by the Nazis, then converted by
the Soviets to a marketplace - now, one of L'Viv's largest.)
A.
IN 1994, THE UNITED STATES AND UKRAINE ENTERED INTO A
FORMAL, BILATERAL AGREEMENT ON PRESERVATION OF CULTURAL
HERITAGE.
THAT AGREEMENT SERVES AS THE BASIS FOR REACHING
SOLUTIONS ON DIFFICULT ISSUES LIKE THE FATE OF JEWISH
CEMETERIES, AND THE RECOVERY OF UKRAINIAN CULTURAL
SYMBOLS THAT HAVE MADE THEIR WAY TO THE UNITED STATES.
UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF VICE PRESIDENT GORE AND
PRESIDENT KUCHMA, THE U.S. -UKRAINE BINATIONAL
COMMISSION IS ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF THE L'VIV
CEMETERY, AND THE OTHER QUESTIONS I MENTIONED.
WE NEED TO FIND SOLUTIONS THAT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE
GREAT HISTORICAL AND RELIGIOUS IMPORTANCE OF THE SITES
AND ARTIFICATS IN QUESTION, AND ALSO THE NEEDS OF THE
PEOPLE OF L'VIV.
BIOS
Ukraine
"hornobyl
KIEV
Eviv
Kharkiv
President
Dnipropetrovs'k
Odesa
Leonid Kuchma
(elected July 1994)
Date of Independence: 1 December 1991
Population:
approx. 51 million
Cabinet of Ministers
Key Ukrainian Officials
Prime Minister
Valeriy Pustovoytenko
First Deputy Prime Minister
Anatoliy Holubchenko
Ambassador to the US
Yuriy Sheherbak
Deputy Prime Minister/ Labor Minister (social policy)
Mykola Biloblotskyy
Chief of Staff
Yevhen Kushnaryov
Deputy Prime Minister (economic reform)
Serhiy Tyhypko
General Affairs
Oleksander Volkov
Deputy Prime Minister (humanitarian affairs)
Valeriy Smoliy
National Bank Chairman
Viktor Yushchenko
Agriculture Minister
Yuriy Karasyk
National Security Secretary
Volodymyr Horbulin
Cabinet of Ministers
Anatoliy Tolstoukhov
State Commission for Enterprise
Yuriy Yekhanurov
Coal Industry Minister
Stanislav Yanko
National Bureau of Investigation
Vasyl Durdynets
Culture Minister
Dmytro Ostapenko
Procurator General
Oleh Lytvak
Defense Minister
Oleksandr Kuzmuk
Security Service Chairman
Volodymyr Radchenko
Economics Minister
Viktor Suslov
State Property Fund (Acting)
Volodymyr Lanovyy
Education Minister
Mykhaylo Zgurovskyy
Nat'l Agency for Reconst. & Devel.
Roman Shpek
Energy Minister
Oleksiy Sheberstov
UN Perm Rep
Anatoliy Zlenko
Emergency Situations/Chornobyl Aftermath
Valeriy Kalchenko
Environmental Protection/Nuclear Safety
Yuriy Kostenko
Rada (parliament)
Family and Youth Affairs
Valentina Dovzhenko
Chairman
Oleksandr Moroz
Finance Minister
Ihor Mityukov
Deputy Chairman
Viktor Musiyaka
Foreign Affairs Minister
Hennady Udovenko
First Deputy Chairman
Oleksandr Tkachenko
Foreign Economic Relations/Trade
Serhiy Osyka
Health Minister
Andriy Serdyuk
Selected Rada Commissions and Chairmen
Industry Minister
Vasyl Hureyev
Information Minister
Zinoviy Kulyk
Organized Crime and Corruption
Hryhoriy Omelchenko
Interior Minister
Yuriy Kravchenko
Defense and State Security
Volodymyr Mukhin
Justice Minister
Susanna Stanyk
Nuclear Policy and Safety
Mykhaylo Pavlovskyy
Science and Technology
Volodymyr Semynozhenko
Finance and Banking
Viktor Sustov
Transportation Minister
Valeriy Cherep
Basic Indies & Social Devel of Regions
Valeriy Cherep
Foreign Affairs/CIS Relations
Borys Oliynyk
Budget Issues
Mykola Azarov
Econ. Pol. & Admin. of Nat'l Economy
Oleh Taranov
September 1997
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First Lady's Office
Speechwriting (Noa Meyer Subject Files)
OA/Box Number: 13007
FOLDER TITLE:
The Trip of the First Lady to Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Uzbekistan, Russia, and Ukraine,
November 9-18, 1997 (Laura) [Binder] [6]
2012-0869-S
ke965
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P3 Release would violate a Federal statute [(a)(3) of the PRA]
an agency |(b)(2) of the FOIA]
P4 Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or
b(3) Release would violate a Federal statute [(b)(3) of the FOIA]
financial information [(a)(4) of the PRA
b(4) Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential or financial
P5 Release would disclose confidential advice between the President
information [(b)(4) of the FOIA]
and his advisors, or between such advisors [a)(5) of the PRA
b(6) Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
P6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy [(b)(6) of the FOIA]
personal privacy [(a)(6) of the PRA]
b(7) Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement
purposes [(b)(7) of the FOIA]
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed
b(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of
of gift.
financial institutions |(b)(8) of the FOIA]
PRM. Personal record misfile defined in accordance with 44 U.S.C.
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2201(3).
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FOLDER TITLE:
The Trip of the First Lady to Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Uzbekistan, Russia, and Ukraine,
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an agency |(b)(2) of the FOIA|
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financial information |(a)(4) of the PRAJ
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information [(b)(4) of the FOIA]
and his advisors, or between such advisors |a)(5) of the PRA|
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P6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy |(b)(6) of the FOIA]
personal privacy |(a)(6) of the PRAJ
b(7) Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement
purposes |(b)(7) of the FOIA]
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed
b(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of
of gift.
financial institutions [(b)(8) of the FOIA]
PRM. Personal record misfile defined in accordance with 44 U.S.C.
b(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information
2201(3).
concerning wells |(b)(9) of the FOIA]
RR. Document will be reviewed upon request.
MAPS
Ukraine
Russian populationᵃ
Oblast boundary"
(percent)
D Boundanes shown are mose that ensted
at the time o: the 1989 census.
THE
40 and above
20 to 40
0
200 Kitometers
Less than 20
Belarus
0
200 Miles
Based on 1989 census
Russia
Poland
KIEV
*
Kharkiv
Slov.
Luhans'k
Kirovohrad
Hung.
Dnipropetrovs'k
Donets'
3, s
Zaporizhzhya
Moldova
Mykolayiv
Odesa
Romania
Crimea
Russia
Sevastopol
Ukraine, the second-largest country in Europe. is slightly smaller than Texas and consists of fertile
plains and plateaus with mountains in the west (the Carpathians) as well as in the Crimcan
Peninsula in the south. Ethnic Ukrainians constitute approximately 70 percent of the population with
the majority being located in western Ukraine. Ethnic Russians comprise approximately 20 percent
of the population and are generally found in eastern Ukraine and the Crimea. Although Ukraiman
is the official language of the state. Russian is also widely spoken. especially in eastern Ukraine.
Even though Ukraine's agricultural and industrial sectors have declined substantially over the
last several years. the country's resources continue to support exports of some agricultural products.
ferrous metals. chemicals. and machinery. The country's major economic vulnerability continues
to be its heavy dependence on imported energy. primarily from Russia.
744282 (R00-173) 10-97
Ukraine's Current Administrative Structure
Russia
Lithuania
Oblast boundary
O
100
200 Kilometers
0
100
200 Miles
Belarus
Poland
Russia
Volvns'ka
Rivnens'ka
Chernihivs'ka
KIEV
Sums'ka
Zhytomvrs'ka
L'viv
Kyyivs'ka
Kharkiv
L'vivs'ka
Kharkivs'ka
Ternopil's'ka
Poltavs'ka
Luhans'ka
Slovakia
Khmel'nyts'ka
Ivano-
Cherkas'ka
Luhans'k
Frankivs'kar
Uzhhorod
Vinnyts'ka
Kirovohrads'ka
Dnipropetrovs'ka
Donets'ka
Hung.
Donets'k
Zakarpats'ka
Chernivets'ka
Mykolayivs'ka
Moldova
Zaporiz'ka
Odes'ka
Odesa
Khersons'ka
Romania
Russia
Respublika
/
Krym
Sevastopol
Serbia
Bulgaria
Unclassified
733223 (POOM73) 9.94
EVENTS IN L'VIV
November 17 - Lviv, Ukraine
Event: A USG contracted IL-76 will arrive in Lviv on November
6th carrying approximately $650, 000 in humanitarian cargo
donated through the U.S. private volunteer organization the
Children of Chernobyl Relief Fund. Most of this cargo is
destined for the Lviv Regional Childrens Pediatric Center and
includes neonatal resucitation equipment, medicines and medical
supplies, and an ambulance. Also on this aircraft is 5 pallets
of cold weather clothing and relief supplies orgainized by
Congresswoman Kaptur of Ohio from the Anastasia Fund and the
Toledo Sister Cities organization.
Suggested talking points relating to this relief flight are:
O In the area of neonatal care, I am pleased that on November
6th a USG contracted IL-76 delivered humanitarian cargo
destined for the Lviv Regional Childrens Pediatric Center.
Thanks to Nadiya Matkiwsky and the Children of Chernobyl Relief
Fund for their continued commitment to the people of Ukraine
and this humanitarian project in Lviv.
O This mission was the 53rd airlift of humanitarian commodity
to Ukraine since 1992 funded through the Department of State as
part of a continuing humanitarian program called Operation
Provide Hope. I am especially pleased to see that the
recepients of this assistance are the children of Ukraine.
O Over the last five years Operation Provide Hope has worked
with over 400 U.S. private volunteer organizations to deliver
donated humanitarian commodity to the Newly Independnt States
(NIS) It is estimated that by the end of this calendar year
Operation Provide Hope will have delivered over $2 billion in
assistance to the twelve NIS countries. This cooperative
effort goes well beyond global politics and humanitarian
programs and is a shining example that the people of the U.S.
care for and support the people of Ukraine and the rest of the
NIS during a critical period of change.
O To date this Operation Provide Hope has delivered over $300
million in humanitarian commodity to the people of Ukraine from
donors throughout the United States.
Tour/Discussion at L'viv
Oblast Clinical Hospital
Remarks on
Jewish Heritage
UKRAINE: JEWISH CEMETERIES
History of intolerance. Ukrainian history includes an
unfortunate legacy of intolerance toward minorities. The Jews of
western Ukraine were regularly subjected to forced migrations -
"pogroms." Millions of Ukrainians were exterminated in Stalin's
forced labor camps. Ukraine was singled out for a disruptive
campaign that ruined its once-rich agriculture and led to a
massive famine in the 1930s that killed millions of Ukrainians of
all origins. Post-Soviet Ukraine has begun to take steps to
address previous wrongs. While the human rights record has
recently improved, historic anti-Semitism remains a serious
concern.
Bilateral agreement. In 1994, Ukraine signed an agreement with
the United States to preserve cultural sites important to both
countries. While this agreement was not specifically aimed at
any particular ethnic or religious group, early on, the
rehabilitation of Jewish cemeteries became the first focus of
efforts.
Jewish cemeteries. Under Jewish religious law, a cemetery is
forever a sacred site. In L'viv, decades before the Nazi
occupation, the historic central cemetery was full and closed to
new burials. A new cemetery on the city outskirts served the
Jewish community. The Nazis used gravestones from the central
cemetery as paving blocks for roads. The visible elements of the
cemetery were destroyed, but most of the graves remained
undisturbed. After the Nazis were defeated, the Soviets took
control of L'viv and turned the site into a large marketplace.
Thus, the current use of the L'viv marketplace is considered an
ongoing desecration and an affront to the Jewish community. This
pattern was repeated in numerous communities throughout Ukraine
(and eastern Europe generally).
Competing priorities. The issue of restoration of cemeteries --
in L'viv and elsewhere -- must take place in the context of
present-day realities. Many U.S. Jewish organizations prefer to
focus on the needs of the small communities of Jews still living
in Ukraine, giving restoration of cemeteries a lower priority.
Orthodox Jewish leaders tend to give precedence to the cemetery
issue both on religious grounds, and because some of the greatest
rabbinical scholars of the 17th and 18th century are buried in
what are now unmarked graves. Resident Jews tend to fear an
anti-Semitic backlash if too much emphasis is put on Jewish
religious needs and requirements - they urge restraint in dealing
with the Ukrainian government.
Dealing with the problem. The Ukrainian government has ordered
an absolute freeze, or moratorium, on any construction or
privatization of sites that have been identified as Jewish
cemeteries, either presently or in the past. A Joint Cultural
Heritage Commission has been established to oversee
identification of Jewish cemeteries and non-Jewish cultural
heritage sites throughout Ukraine, and to seek a mutually-agreed
means of addressing the cemetery problem.
Future steps. International Jewish groups have already indicated
a willingness to provide resources to repair, restore, preserve,
and protect Jewish cemetery sites in Ukraine. We estimate that
there are over 2000 such sites in Ukraine, many in places where
there are few or no Jews left. This issue is on the agenda of
the Joint Commission on Cultural Heritage, envisioned by the 1994
bilateral agreement, which next meets in Washington this fall.
THE CENTRAL JEWISH CEMETERY IN L'VIV
Setting. Following the Nazi invasion in 1941, the occupying
German forces flattened and paved over the central Jewish
cemetery in the heart of L'viv. (This cemetery space had long
been filled to capacity with graves, and several greatly revered
Jewish sages were buried there.) After the war, the central city
market was built, mostly involving kiosks and metal sheds, on the
cemetery site. Over the intervening decades, at least one
several-story building was built on the grounds - now used as the
meat and dairy market - as well as several smaller permanent
structures.
Adjacent to these grounds is a hospital complex of several
buildings which are embellished with Jewish symbols and
inscriptions. This was the Jewish hospital, and now serves as a
maternity hospital. We know that no graves lie under the
hospital complex, as the Jewish residents of the last century
would never have constructed anything atop graves. The whole
area is immense, with the aggregate dimension of several football
fields.
Construction issues. In the summer of 1996, construction started
on the land just between the market and an adjoining hospital
complex. International protest stopped this construction,
whereupon the Kuchma government articulated its intention for a
national freeze on any construction or privatization on Jewish
cemetery sites. In September and October, 1996, a mixed
commission of local and GOU officials met in L'viv and determined
that the market should be moved and the cemetery in some way
memorialized. An AID study completed on August 8, 1997 estimated
the project cost between $4 and $12 million. The mayor of L'viv
is believed to be committed to this project, which is viewed, if
done well and sensitively, as a boon to the city on several
levels.
The site. Apart from the actual movement of the market from the
cemetery grounds, still blocked by lack of funds, the major issue
remaining is the form the preserved cemetery would take. Care
must be taken to insure that, while Jewish law and sensitivities
are abided with, a forbidding, impenetrable wall not be erected
around the perimeter of what was for decades the busiest place in
town, thereby risking fomenting discord among L'viv's Jewish and
Ukrainian communities. The form, function, and accessibility of
this space are very much at issue. The cemetery itself cannot be
recreated as it was, as the headstones are all gone. If the term
"memorial park" is to be the operative one, it must be designed,
constructed, and utilized with great care, mixing legitimate
religious requirements with real-world considerations of access
by Jews and non-Jews alike. For this, we will look to the
leadership provided by the U.S. Commission for the Preservation
of America's Heritage Abroad; to Michael Lewan, Rabbis Morris
Sherer (Agudath Israel) and Chaskel Besser, and others. Meetings
that State Department officers have attended lead us to believe
that Rabbis Sherer and Besser understand the art of the possible,
that they will impose by their own moral authority the proper
amount of restraint, and that the most Orthodox and Hasidic
rabbis will defer to their judgment (within reason).
Restoration costs. We have long discussed with the Jewish
Orthodox leadership the eventual need for significant financial
contributions by the Jewish community in L'viv and elsewhere.
Recognizing the cardinal principle that Ukraine's Jews should not
be asked to buy back their own cemeteries, the costs of
restoration are a different matter. If the cash-strapped GOU and
local governments act to protect the estimated 2,000 Jewish
cemeteries across Ukraine, much of the cost of subsequent
preservation must fall to the Jewish community, particularly that
part of the world Jewish community in the United States and
Israel that has been leading this effort. We believe this point
to be inherent to this discussion, and to be a matter of at least
implicit agreement.
UKRAINE: GHETTO MONUMENT
SCENESETTER
Wreath Laying at the Ghetto Monument on Monday, November 17,
1:25 - 1:45 p.m. Attendees will include: Rabbi Bleich
(Chief Rabbi of Ukraine) and others.
In a solemn ceremony, you will acknowledge the memorial (by
laying a wreath, placing a stone, or lighting a candle).
BACKGROUND
Rabbi Bleich will explain that Jews during WWII were led
down this road to their deaths. The sculpture is entitled
"Why?" and resembles a man holding his hands up to God.
Moment of Remembrance
at Ghetto Monument
Government
Ukraine-hosted Lunch
UKRAINE: GOVERNMENT LUNCH
SCENESETTER
Lunch at a setting to be determined hosted by the government
of Ukraine and will likely include Mrs. Ludmila Kuchma.
President Kuchma may attend, but he will be leaving for the
U.S. on November 18 and may not be able to participate. It
may be sponsored by a Ukrainian candy company, Svitoch.
Attendees will also include other government officials and
local dignitaries.
BACKGROUND
Svitoch is an outstanding example of a successful Ukrainian
company. Svitoch enjoys better name recognition than almost
any other Ukrainian firm.
Icon Restorers
at National Museum
UKRAINE: ICON RESTORATION INSTITUTE
SCENESETTER
Tour of Icon Restoration Institute or National Museum on
Monday, November 17, 3:45 - 4:30 p.m. Attendees will
include government officials and other dignitaries.
The Institute is one of the world's leading facilities for
restoring priceless icons. Part of the Institute's
restoration staff recently moved to the National Museum.
The Museum houses displays of 15th to 19th century Ukrainian
icons. At the museum you may participate in restoring a
work of art.
BACKGROUND
You will tour one of these two sites and view religious
works of art that are currently undergoing restoration.
orr neegon from
Tour of
St. George's Cathedral
UKRAINE: ST. GEORGE'S CATHEDRAL
SCENESETTER
Tour of St. George's Cathedral on Monday, November 17, at
4:45 - 5:45. Attendees will include: Boris Gudziak (Vice
Rector, L'Viv Theological Seminary) and other dignitaries.
You will tour the cathedral, which is the "Vatican" of the
Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine (also known as the
Ukrainian Catholic Church).
BACKGROUND
The Greek Catholic church recognizes the authority of the
Pope. The church represents a focal point of Ukrainian
pride and nationalism. As such, many priests and members of
the church were persecuted under the Soviet regime. St.
George's was returned to the Ukrainian Catholic Church in
1990 after 44 years of compulsory Soviet-imposed Orthodox
control.
Dr. Gudziak and the Lviv Theological Seminary have been
working on an oral history project that records the heroism
and plight of Greek Catholics during the years of Soviet
oppression. Constructed between 1774 and 1790, St. George's
is an excellent example of Ukrainian stylized Baroque
architecture. This church is the historic sacred center of
the Ukrainian Catholic Church.
American
Community Event
UKRAINE: AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN L'VIV
SCENESETTER
An event with the American community will be held at the
D'niester Hotel in the 2nd floor dining room on Monday,
November 17 at 6:00 - 6:30 p.m. Attendees will include:
Ambassador and Mrs. Miller, U.S. Embassy and USAID employees
and Peace Corps volunteers and staff.
BACKGROUND
You will have a chance to meet and greet the local American
community.
Speech at Opera House
UNCLASSIFIED
UKRAINE: TRAFFICKING IN WOMEN
On November 21, the United States Government and the European
Union will formally launch a joint information campaign to
combat the trafficking of women from and through Eastern Europe
and the Newly Independent States of the Former Soviet Union
(NIS). The USG and the EU began discussing such a campaign in
April 1997 as a mechanism to expand migration activities within
the context of the New Transatlantic Agenda and to address a
common. serious problem which we face. At the U.S. - EU Summit
on May 2B, President Clinton highlighted both the despicable
nature of the problem terming it as "modern day slavery"
and U.S. - EU resolve to undertake joint action to prevent it.
The U.S. and the EU are developing the information campaign
concept jointly and will implement it on separate, twin tracks
in the region. The U.S. will sponsor an information campaign
designed for Ukraine and will use the International
Organization for Migration (IOM) as its implementing partner,
while the EU will sponsor one in Poland, using a European
non-governmental organization (NGO) as its implementing
partner. While the two countries are considered as both source
and transit venues for trafficking in women, they were chosen
for this project not to single them out in this status, but as
likely candidates for a successful and productive effort.
The Government of Ukraine has responded enthusiastically to our
proposal. Ukrainians already recognize trafficking in women as
a problem for women who lack opportunity in the existing
economic system. "La Strada" a European network of NGOs
funded by the EU and the Dutch NGO, "STV," focused on
preventing trafficking in Central and Eastern Europe has
opened a branch office in Kiev. "La Strada Ukraine" has
established a hotline in Ukraine for exploited women and has
begun a small information campaign focused on young women who
are finishing high school the group considered to be the
most at risk.
The U.S. EU information campaign will focus on providing
information to both potential victime that they can
themselves from exploitation, and to host-country officials,
indigenous NGOs, and foreign consular officers to assist them
in identifying and preventing potential problems. At the
November 21 workshop hosted by the EU in Luxembourg, all
involved parties the USG, EU Commission, EU Member States,
EU implementing NGO, IOM, and the governments of Ukraine and
Poland will review the information campaigns designed for
Ukraine and Poland and will formally launch the joint
initiative. Detailed components of the information campaigns
will be further developed from December through February and
will be implemented from mid-March through mid-May. We
envision that the overall project will end with a USG-sponsored
wrap-up workshop in June 1998 in Ukraine for all involved
parties, as well as local NGOs, to evaluate the effectiveness
of the campaigns in the two countries and to highlight their
messages. If the project is successful, we hope to broaden the
campaign to other countries in the region.
UKRAINE: L'VIV OPERA HOUSE SPEECH
SCENESETTER
Speech at the Ivan Franko Opera House on Tuesday, November
18 at 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. Attendees: local dignitaries and
prominent women in Ukraine.
You will give a speech at the L'Viv Opera House, a beautiful
example of Viennese style opera houses, built in 1897-1900.
The Opera House seats approximately 1000. The audience will
consist of prominent Ukrainian women, parliamentarians,
local dignitaries, students, artisans and others (guest list
TBD)
BACKGROUND
Zonta International Club of L'Viv, an association of.
professional women, will sponsor this event in coordination
with the American Chamber of Commerce.
Meet and Greet with
Prominent Women
UKRAINE: MEET/GREET UKRAINIAN WOMEN
SCENESETTER
Meet and greet prominent Ukrainian women (parliamentarians,
business leaders and activists) at the L'Viv Opera House
after the speech from 11:15 - 12:00 noon. Attendees will be
the same as those who attend the speech.