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Ukrainian president deepens divisions with Russia with new holiday
Published: 08 January, 2010, 15:08
Edited: 25 January, 2010, 12:21
TAGS: Anniversary, Russia, Ukraine, History
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko signed a decree on Thursday to establish a holiday dedicated to Ukrainian soldiers who fought during WWI on the side of the Austro-Hungarian Empire against Russia.
Viktor Yushchenko said that a celebration is to be planned within two months and to mark the 95th anniversary of Ukraine's victory with mass gatherings and symposiums. Moreover, the president has ordered the production of special postage stamps and envelopes, to organize exhibitions, to broadcast a special documentary and to give the names of the fallen soldiers to certain streets, avenues, military bases and academies.
Boris Gryzlov, Russian State Duma speaker, claimed the new decree was another one unfriendly step in Russian-Ukrainian relations. “We are united by age-old historical and cultural ties. All of us saw the countrywide support of Ukrainians for Orthodoxy during the visit of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill to Ukraine,” Gryzlov said.
“There are enough common milestone events and victories in the history of Russia and Ukraine,” he added.
It is not the first time Ukraine has established such a holiday. In July of 2009, the country celebrated the “Konotop Massacre” – one of the battles of The Russo-Polish war in 1654-1667 – which was marked as a Ukrainian victory and a defeat of Russians.
In January of 2009, Ukrainians marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera, whose army collaborated with the Nazis during WWII. In 2008, participants of the march dedicated to the 99th anniversary demanded that Bandera be granted the status of Ukrainian hero.
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3 comments
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Anyone who is not from former eastern bloc has no Idea what Russia and its government is all about. It suppressed other cultures, it ethnically cleansed millions especially during the soviet period. That’s why most of Ukraine speaks Russian and have no Idea who they are culturally. One of the major reasons Yuschenko is so unpopular now, because he chose to rebuild the Ukrainian National identity at a cost of a re-election. Ukraine is difficult country to reach a consensus in because most people have been divided culturally but this identity will slowly grow more and more. Ukraine has to promote its culture and history and not care that it will hurt Russian feelings. I just hope the new president will realize this.(probably not yanukovich) I will accept anyone as president of Ukraine as long as they first and for most will promote Ukrainian culture in word and deed and Yuschenko did that. Ukraine arguably suffered more in the 20th century than any other group in Europe: World War I & II Soviet occupation, Stalinist repressions, Holodomor, suppression of Ukrainian language, culture, history, etc, ethnic cleansing
January 11, 2010, 18:25, mykry wrote >After all, did Ukraine occupy Russia or was it the reverse? Just curious what "occupation" you're talking about? If this about 1939 then go ahead and restore a historical justice so to speak - return the occupied territories to whom it belonged at that time - to Poles, they still want it, but before you do that, find some Ukrainians who still remember Polish Galicia and ask them how they liked the Polish ruling. You can also ask those few Jews that survived the Holocaust of 1941 in Lviv (or Lwow if Polish name sounds better to you) , what those "freedom fighters" that you're so excited about did to them. Good luck with your research!
to Sarah btw Literature does not equal "deep" culture, Humility and respect for the individual is culture. Russia through out its history was not big on these.