Ukraine to celebrate Independance Day in the new way

News / 22 August 2005 | 16:08

The first Ukrainian Independence Day to take place since the Orange Revolution will be celebrated "the new way" according to the statements issued by the Cabinet of Ministers and the Kyiv City Administration, reported Aleksandra Matoshko, FirstNews.

Apart from traditional concerts in the city center and a brass band parade, Kyivans can expect the launch of thermal balloons "Ukraine-Poland," a sailing competition, "Kyiv Regatta – 2005" and free admission at all city museums and similar facilities.

The main difference in this year’s Independence Day celebration is that there will be no military parade. "There is too much aggression in our life, so we should celebrate Independence Day with concerts and happiness, not military parades," Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said in her official statement on the observance.

The celebrations will start with greetings from the President Viktor Yushchenko who will address the Ukrainian people at noon from what has become the main stage of the country – Maidan Nezalezhnosti. A presidential press service statement said Yushchenko considers Independence Day the main state holiday and plans to spend this day with people of Ukraine, "who actually fought for independence."

Also during the day, Yushchenko, Tymoshenko, Vladimir Litvin and members of the Cabinet of Ministers will lay flowers at the monuments to Vladimir the Great, Taras Shevchenko and Mykhaylo Hrushevsky. Also President of Ukraine will take part in the festive mass "Prayer for Ukraine" at Sofiya Kyivska, a presentation of awards at Mariyinsky Palace and other related events.

Rather than the military parade, citizens may choose to attend sporting events of every type, including the paintball championship of Ukraine, a special hockey tournament, "Independence Cup" marathon championship, Kyiv open chess competition and many others.

Special cultural events include 50th jubilee city flowers exhibition, an arts event entitled, "There’s no better land than the one called Ukraine" and a charity concert, "Ihor Zavadsky and the best young accordion players of Ukraine." Also, a movie festival, "New Movies of Ukraine" will also open on August 24.

The Kyiv City administration will use independence day to show off recent accomplishments with the official opening of the new Boryspilska Metro station and the reconstructed Yuriy Gagarina avenue.

As always the largest independence crowds of all will be seen in the evening at the traditional open air concerts in the city center. This year the concerts will be held under the motto "Independence. Europe. Future" on two giant stages, the one of Maidan Nezalezhnosti and the other on European Square.

One tradition that will not be broken is the conclusion of the Independence Day observances with a gigantic late night fireworks display.

The celebrations are obviously designed with the idea in mind to provide something for every Ukrainian on this day. However, for those with a yen for the regular appearance of goose-stepping Tax Police in the military parade, there will be disappointment.

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Austrian Raiffeisen Bank buys 93.5% in Ukraine’s Aval Bank

News / 22 August 2005 | 15:41

Ukrainian News Agency informs that  Raiffeisen International Bank-Holding AG (Vienna, Austria) has acquired 93.5% of shares in the Aval bank. Raiffeisen International made the statement, a copy of which is available to Ukrainian News.

"Yesterday, on August 20, Raiffeisen International completed talks on the purchase of the joint-stock post and pension bank Aval, the statement reads. Under the agreement reached, the cost of transaction will not be made public.

The transaction is to be approved by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) and other relevant bodies of Ukraine and Austria. According to Herbert Stepic, the board chairman of Raiffeisen International, the very purchase is important step in further strengthening of leading positions of Raiffeisen International both in Ukraine and Central and Eastern Europe.

"Ukraine is one of the most important markets for us. Due to this purchase, Raiffeisen gains number 1 position in the country," Stepic said.

According to him, Aval has healthy economic base and large network of affiliates all over Ukraine, which goes in line with development plans of Raiffeisenbank operating in Ukraine.

As Ukrainian News reported earlier, Raiffeisenbank (Ukraine) said in March this year that it planned to create a network of 450 structural subdivisions throughout Ukraine before the year 2008 and that it was not ruling out the possibility of acquiring a Ukrainian bank for this purpose.

Early this year, the owners of the Aval bank started talks with Austria’s Raiffeisen financial group on a possible sale of the bank.

Net assets of Raiffeisenbank (Ukraine) were valued at UAH 4,455.3 million as of April 1, 2005, when its credit and investment portfolio amounted to UAH 3,779.1 million and its capital totaled UAH 360.2 million.

Raiffeisenbank (Ukraine) reported profits of UAH 22.942 million for the year 2004. The shareholders of Raiffeisenbank (Ukraine) are the Raiffeisen International Bank Holding AG with 99.997% and Raiffeisen Zentralbank Osterreich with 0.003%.

Net assets of the Aval bank were valued at UAH 15,018.9 million as of July 1, 2005, when its loan portfolio amounted to UAH 10,630.5 million, and capital UAH 1,318.0 million. The bank ended 2004 with a profit of UAH 18.248 million. The Aval bank’s management controls over 50% of the shares in the bank.  

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Ukraine: PACE reporter investigates alleged disappearance of newborn children in Kharkov

News / 22 August 2005 | 15:01

A reporter of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangold (Switzerland, SOC), will visit Ukraine from 29 August to 1 September to investigate the alleged disappearance of newborn babies in mysterious circumstances.

German media had reported that two babies born in a clinic in Kharkov at the end of 2002 had been taken away from their mothers a few hours after being born. Medical staff later declared that they had died of complications, but their parents were never given access to their bodies despite repeated requests. Several foetuses and bodies of newborn babies whose organs had been removed were subsequently discovered at the clinic’s biological waste site, according to the reports. One Ukrainian NGO believes up to 300 similar disappearances may have occurred between 2001 and 2003.

During her stay in Ukraine, Mrs Vermot-Mangold will visit the clinic accused in Kharkov to speak with staff and the NGO concerned. In Kiev, she will also halve talks with the ministers of interior, of health as well as of family, youth and sport, the General Prosecutor, the ombudsman and NGOs. When addressing PACE in January this year, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko had stressed that he could guarantee that Ukraine would do everything in its power to assist the Council of Europe in the fight against trafficking in human beings, especially of new born babies, and would open the procedures up to transparency. His government would host a PACE mission and assist it wherever possible.

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Ukrainian Fest was held in Irondequoit

News / 22 August 2005 | 14:18

Some want to see traditional Ukrainian dances. Others come to sample some traditional cuisine.

But more often than not, people attend the annual Ukrainian Festival at St. Josaphat’s Ukrainian Catholic Church on East Ridge Road to celebrate their Ukrainian heritage or to learn more about Monroe County’s growing Ukrainian community.

The 33rd annual four-day festival started Thursday and drew more than 25,000 people, said festival chairman Eric Peterson. The event featured games and carnival rides, and it is expected to raise more than $50,000 for the church.

"We’re all raising our kids to know our culture and our heritage," said Tamara Farias Kraus, 34, of Penfield. "It’s important for our children to be part of the Ukrainian community — to not only speak the language at home but to be familiar with the community."

But more than anything, George Hanushevsky, 56, of Irondequoit said he likes spending time with some fellow Ukrainians.

"This event brings all of the parishioners together for the common good and shows that we’re proud of who we are," he said.

Church volunteers started making varenyk (potato and cheese dumplings) in May. By the time the festival started on Thursday, church members had made about 45,000 varenyk to sell, Peterson said.

And by the end of the weekend, they’re all gone.

Walter Pavlovych, 38, of Hilton said he loves having the chance to teach his children about their heritage.

Oreshya Petryk, 22, of Irondequoit twirled across the festival stage with several other dancers.

"Just sharing your culture with the community shows pride and respect of what we’ve learned over the years," said Petryk, who has been learning traditional Ukrainian dances since she was 6. She learned from her father and said she hopes to teach her own children someday.

"It’s my religion, its my culture, it’s my faith and heritage," Petryk said. "It’s my life."

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Viktor Yushchenko has dismissed several Ukrainian ambassadors worked in CIS countries

News / 22 August 2005 | 14:00

Viktor Yushchenko President of Ukraine dismissed Vasily Tsybenko Ukrainian Ambassador in Kazakhstan, Anatoly Kasyanenko Ambassador in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan, Anatoly Yurchenko Ambassador in Azerbaijan and Petr Shapoval Ambassador in Belarus.

Ambassador Alexander Mishchenko was removed from Australia to Turkey in Ukrainian Embassy.

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Gunmen ambush Ukrainian diplomats in Iraq, no injuries

News / 22 August 2005 | 13:21

Gunmen ambushed a small convoy carrying two senior Ukrainian diplomats and their security guards in Iraq, but there were no injuries, the Foreign Ministry said Monday, AP reported.

Ukraine’s defense attaché, the charge d’ affairs and their security team were on their way to a U.S. military base in Baghdad on Saturday when gunmen fired from a passenger car with machine guns, the ministry said in a statement.

The attackers fled after security guards returned fire. There were no injuries, the statement said.

This is the first such incident involving Ukrainian diplomats in Iraq.

Ukraine’s phased pullout of its 1,650-strong contingent from Iraq is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

Eighteen Ukrainian soldiers have died so far and more than two dozen have been wounded, many in combat in central-southern Iraq, where the contingent serves under Polish command.

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Ukraine may quit Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan trade union

News / 22 August 2005 | 12:27

As Prime-Tass reports, Ukraine plans to quit a four-country trade union called the Single Economic Area after establishing a bilateral commission on social and economic cooperation with Russia, Russian business dailies Kommersant and Vedomosti reported Monday, citing comments made by Ukraine’s Economic Minister Sergei Teryokhin late Friday after his negotiations with Russian Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref.

Commenting on this remark, Gref said that presidents of the two countries are the ones to make the final decision on Ukraine’s participation in the Single Economic Area.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Boris Tarasyuk said Sunday that Teryokhin’s comments on the Single Economic Area do not reflect the official position of the Ukrainian government.

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko made a similar remark saying that Teryokhin’s comments were a mere "recommendation to the leaders of the country."

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The second block of Khmelnitsky power nuclear station has been de-energized

News / 22 August 2005 | 12:13

It has been done because the second block is in need of repair. The stop valve of turbine plant’s high-pressure cylinder has been wrecked. The block was de-energized on August 21 at 12:16 a.m.

On Monday, twelve out of fifteen energy blocks of Ukraine work properly.  

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