CHRISTIANITY: FIRST STEPS ON UKRAINIAN LAND
NEWS AT THE END OF SUMMER
SMART BUSINESS TRIP PACKAGE
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International information and analytical edition | Ukraine | The Kiev Times | August-September 2013
GROWTH CENTERS
EURO-SCAFFOLD FOR UKRAINE
MARIJE CORNELISSEN: INFORMATION IS A WEAPON AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA
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Only 15 years ago for the majority of Ukraine’s residents a trip to the market was the main event of the week. Now trade and entertainment complexes have not only replaced the markets, but have become a «hanging out» place for most of big cities’ residents. Although the first modern TEC (Trade and Entertainment Center) appeared in Ukraine not so long ago, now it’s impossible to imagine a comfortable life without them.
The Netherlands deputy of the European Parliament, Marije Cornelissen, member of the political group «Green/European free alliance», in her interview to The Kiev Times, told about what would happen if Ukraine ignores the LGBT-community’s problems.
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REDUCTION OF HISTORY PERFORMED BY CRIMEAN-TATAR MAJLIS
The Crimean-Tatar case is a «long-playing record» of the Ukrainian politics. And it’s a matter not of the case itself but of the way of its discussion: a priori it does not have any solution, because those who provoke its discussion don’t aim at the achievement of Crimean stability.
VACATION OF MILLIONS
WHY DOES EUROPE NEED TYMOSHENKO RELEASED? UKRAINIAN SUMMER IN WESTERN MASS-MEDIA
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VLADIMIR YADLOVSKY: WHAT DO UKRAINIAN MILLIONAIRES EAT?
It is easy to understand why absolutely different people, more and more often, ask me about restaurant business in Ukraine. What do ordinary Ukrainians and millionaires eat? Which kinds of Ukrainian restaurants meet world standards? Read page 7
August is a tourists’ time and a hot period of vacations. At the beginning of the last month, the Ukrainian government adopted the conception of development of tourism and resorts up to 2022. By the end of the current year, the State agency of tourism and resorts must work out a targetoriented program of tourism development. According to these plans that are more than ambitious, up to 2022 Ukraine must increase its amount of tourists to 50 millions per year, and create up to 1 million of working places in the tourism sector.
The first Ukrainian Commissioner for Human Rights (ombudsman) Nina Karpacheva, who held this position between 1998-2012, addressed President Viktor Yanukovych with an official submission on August 5, 2013, where she asked him as the President of Ukraine to restore Yulia Tymoshenko’s rights to freedom and herewith to execute
the European Court on Human Rights (ECHR)’ judgment passed under results of consideration of the case «Tymoshenko versus Ukraine» dated April 30, 2013. We would like to remind that on July 31, 2013 this judgment became final and entered into force. Read page 9
Ukraine, and its socio-political landscape, as discussed by foreign journalists, has remained much the same over the past few years. As early as 2011, Western media were reporting on the evolution or decline of Ukrainian democracy, Yulia Tymoshenko’s imprisonment, Femen activist activity, trials, police corruption, and sex-tourism. Have any new priorities, topics, or tendencies appeared? How has Ukraine been represented in the Western press in the last few summer months? How does an international reader view our country?
ORTHODOXY IN BIG POLITICS
HYPERACTIVE U.S. AMBASSADOR
The Orthodox Church was stably trusted by people for centuries. The reason of this trust is most likely not the Church’s piety and not even some spiritual requirements of citizens, but rather distrust towards political institutions. But to what extent the Orthodox Church is really separated from the State, as it must be according to the Constitution, and does not depend on the processes that take place in power elites of Ukraine and Russia?
In various interviews Pyatt states that he has three priorities, for some reason calling only two of them: «the promotion of Ukraine towards the European choice» and «support of Ukrainian aspirations to achieve a larger energetic independence». Wait… what about «safety of the Americans» and «American leadership»? Why the «Pyatt’s plan» reduces exceptionally to an appeal to the Ukrainians?
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VYDRIN: CHAOS, STABILIZATION – WHAT’S NEXT? Read page 10
When I am asked what «political economic chaos» is, I flinch first and then I tell. But not a theory of chaos of Poincare, Kolmogorov or Moser, but my personal, small and ordinary story. Read page 8
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OPINION
THE KIEV TIMES | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013
AWAKENING... In politics, the second part of summer is traditionally called the «dead season». Anyway, that was the rule up to 2013. As they say, politicians are off and life turns into a real swamp… by Anatoly Tolstoukhov
T
his time, they acted in accord with themselves. But… People suddenly started awakening, here and there, mass and arm with words and deeds… History
dying, killed by «officials», have been already turned into this Hell. Researches and reviews show that the ratings of both authority and opposition reduced to a
When a state armed force turns into a criminal group, one can pityingly assert: the sword cuts its own shield, opening the gates of Hell teaches us: when dignity awakes in people, they can quickly turn to an army. Perhaps, this became the main token of the outgoing summer: the awakening of the community and its readiness to take care of itself. We hear a voice of power that is able to generate a third, fourth and fifth force to extirpate evil. In this sense, the Mykolayiv region and Vradievka made a lot of noise all over Europe and maybe in the whole world. In Vradievka people moved against the police – the state’s armed force that raped a woman, law and order. When a state armed force turns into a criminal group, one can pityingly assert: the sword cuts its own shield, opening the gates of Hell. Our Ukrainian roads, where every day we see people
critical point, and it is going to be extremely hard to change something quickly and radically. However, that happened under the rule of Leonyd Kuchma and Viktor Yuschenko. The difference of this situation is that the current awakening of our peoples’ dignity is turning general distrust toward politics into a wall that moves them away from both authority and opposition. As if there is an instinctive and intuitive realization of an extremely important moment for Ukrainian politics: if you don’t want to be the two halves of one apple, then turn to the apple of sin, and die individually. The ones – of false omnipotence and impunity; the others – of futile arrogance and political aggressiveness. A hill
would hardly grow between the walls of an abyss… it would rather be a volcano, from the crater of which the tongues of anger will slip down… The global world surprisingly discovers some regularity for itself: in its general development, the state more often stumbles over personalities. Personality is more and more actively resists the trampling of it by the state… Powerful empires feel the power of faith, words, deeds and even the information leakage organized by one person, and bristle against this… as if they were attacked by a
In our 23d year of independence, we can just allow ourselves to read fairytales. But to live in a fairytale is not for us yet. And it’s not a matter of making wishes. In tales, for instance, there are always three roads: to the right, to the left, and straight on. To walk straight is too tough for us – no road at all. Our way goes to the West or to the East. If you go in one direction – you will miss the other one. And this means that this is at the most a road, and not necessarily a way. We have been following the West for a long time. Now, we decided to go to the East. Not because we all wish to do this. But because one side simply pulls and tears. And the other doesn’t let go but is pushing off. And we still are not able to go straight ahead by ourselves: in problems, debts and confrontation. We don’t have such a harvest to feed ourselves and the world. That’s why it can take much time for spring to come to politics… Although the calendar shows we are in the year 2013, we have 2015 in our heads. And there is 2014 to survive. What to do in order to
History teaches us: when dignity awakes in people, they can quickly turn to an army terrible enemy. Old «friends» turn into rivals, through a period of «cold war», under the conditions of hot conflicts and driven into a new turn of global confrontation. And while the USA and Russia, for example, are «sharing» Snowden, Ukraine has to live not in the «both-and», but in the «either-or» way. However, there are too many other reasons for that.
win? A single purpose determines the behavior of both authority and opposition, to initially turn creativity into destruction, peace into war. In the centenary year of World War I, another Ukrainian war is going to begin – a war for power or presidency. Up to the centenary of October upheaval, after the parliamentary elections – please God – it will be over. So,
CHAOS, STABILIZATION – WHAT’S NEXT? When I am asked what «political economic chaos» is, I flinch first and then I tell. But not a theory of chaos of Poincare, Kolmogorov or Moser, but my personal, small and ordinary story by Dmitry Vydrin
main thing is that I didn’t manage to withdraw funds even at such exchange rate, because the banks stopped to release money. The building site where I bought several square meters was frozen and fenced; the builder has disappeared somewhere in the Canaries or Bahamas. The stocks I bought were ten
But five years passed, and I caught myself in a still light discomfort from an excessive ease of predictable being. Everything is extremely stable! Hryvnia behaves like if it was stuffed with Viagra and printed not in the Treasury but forged on a south-pipe rolling mill. Stocks frozen, like prints of celebrities
there is another «five-year plan» of struggle ahead for Ukraine. This scenario was written by history and played by us: for ourselves and against ourselves. Ukrainian history is a field of glory and adversity, Peoples’ pain is endless, because of distress and victories, To page the past is like fighting, We walk above the abyss and at the edge of life… We don’t learn from history, as it is different for us, Ones can’t part from Russia; others can’t stand an hour without Europe,
optimize, stabilize and, above all, adjust everything to itself. And this would be right, if the mechanism itself was a mechanic but not an alive one. The problem of the current ruling élite is that all its representatives came from a technocratic wing – former mechanics, foremen, engineers, and technologists. All of them had an experience of working with lifeless and mostly heavy matters – concrete, asphalt, lava, ingots, slabs, pipes, and gears. And they extended this experience, this logic of heavy but dead matters to the building of their economy, state and country. But here everything is alive. There are mechanisms of selfdevelopment, self-organization and organic growth that are still not completely perceived. It is necessary not only to strengthen and build (like in a factory building). It is necessary to break down and cut off what is required to, and then to grow. Otherwise, things will snap and cut off by
To live in an unpredictable world, where everything falls down, destroys and catastrophically changes, is not simply bleak and uncomfortable, but is extremely dangerous, not only for the public health but also for the personal one
S
everal years ago I successfully published and then sold a series of my publicistic and art works. For the first time I had the problem of correctly preserving and increasing emerged financial assets – like it is fashionable to say today. Since I am a sort of counselor and I trust this profession, I addressed to three best specialists in this country. The National Bank’s vice-chairman, the banker S., who was the best in exchange control, told me: «Immediately convert all your money to hryvnia. A «hamburger index» indicates that hryvnia is undervalued, and, as the matter of fact, we are going to raise it from four and a half per one dollar to three».
The best realtor at the time was the banker G. He told me: «Real estate is on the rise. Invest into some square meters of the new constructed complex that I’m going to suggest to you». The best specialist in stock market was the financier А. He told me: «Immediately invest into the stocks that I’m going to suggest to you and that are going to advance in the nearest future».
times depreciated. But it was not possible to sell them at such price, even to the providers of «Nigeria letters». And then I understood what was chaos in economy and politics – even without rereading the «classic» Poincare and moreover without operating any «Konoval effect» within the mathematic modeling of chaos. I simply let the whole chaos through me – through my nervous and pancreatic systems and especially through my heart muscle. I realized that to live in an unpredictable world, where everything falls down, destroys and catastrophically changes, is not simply bleak and uncomfortable, but is extremely dangerous, not only for the public health but also for the personal one. I realized that synonyms of chaos were not only rates of exchanges, stock quotations, revolutions on squares and revolts in the streets, but
on the Glory Alley. Real estate market stopped, concealed itself and pretended to be dead, like a Colorado beetle rolled onto its back: they finished what they could, but purchases and sales are not enough… I vaguely begin to wonder, on my personal level, that complete stabilization is, of course, less
constant headache, permanent insomnia, cardiac medications on your bedside table and phone calls of debt collectors at three o’clock in the night.
Today it is obvious: no anthem can be written and played only by politicians. The anthem of our life. If we wish to be heard and applauded by the whole world. Like, for instance, our sportsmen, who walk straight ahead when they go to international starts, both to the east or to the west. They follow the way of our power, our dignity and our patriotism.
society. In a larger context, full mechanic stabilization is frightful like full and uncontrollable chaos. That’s why I look at the horizon to see whether there are people who understand that everything that lives fears lawlessness – anarchy, senselessness, and cruel competitiveness. But also it does not stand the concrete heaviness of a mechanic control – without any lively game of chances, burning excitement of discoveries and creative energy of growth… Recently I had dinner with the extremely charming Spanish ambassador to Ukraine – Jose Rodriguez Moyano. Traditionally, we raised the glasses for our countries. I allowed myself a small and slightly ironic toast: to the two main politicians of Spain – Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. In my opinion, Spain is lucky that, with the help of Cervantes’s genius, the left-romantic ideal found its exhaustive metaphoric embodiment in the light image of a hidalgo, who was trying to extirpate all earthy injustices. And the right-pragmatic ideal was – in its full (in all senses) value – embodied by his smart, crafty and furtive sword-bearer. And then I started to wonder: what couple could represent the current Ukraine’s problems, dilemmas and choices? The first thing that came to my mind was a rich kid, who does not know the structure of his car, does not remember the rules of the road and madly rushes on his father’s car along the broken roads, without rules and restrictions (such people, in my opinion, were in charge of the power
The problem of the current ruling élite is that all its representatives came from a technocratic wing – former mechanics, foremen, engineers, and technologists dangerous than complete chaos, but is not less uncomfortable. Society and personality are basically equally arranged – everything that is excessive depresses; everything that is superfluous stresses. Both towards disorder and towards complete order. I understand the logic of the current authority, which inherited a completely unbalanced state mechanism. Senseless, chaotic,
And I’m afraid of SMO – the stably modified organism of our society. In a larger context, full mechanic stabilization is frightful like a full and uncontrollable chaos So, a couple of months have gone by. The money I put in a hryvnia account were two and a half times depreciated (then dollar cost about 11 hrn). But the
their own – in unnecessary place and unnecessary time. And, of course, they won’t grow. I admit that I feel sorry for our government, like I feel sorry for all those people who passed the «frontlines». These last often suffer from a post-war syndrome, and the government suffers from an obvious post-chaotic
We fight between the past and the future; between our own and another’s, We want to be henpecked; we thank everybody for everything, But no anthem can be like this…
uncoordinated, and alternative movements of these mechanism’s elements were taken by the authority as its main challenge. And it started to coordinate,
syndrome. Correspondingly, they are afraid of any automatic and spontaneous world movement of money, public administration and economy. It seems to them that any movement with no decree or order, with no supervision and control, is a shadow and presage of a terrible and sinister chaos. And often these automatic movements (of people, business and public institutes) are in fact just a demonstration of natural development. I understand that they cannot imagine that things can grow on their own – without their dictate and command. I think that the GMO ardent followers and adherents are also afraid of wild nature, not genetically processed. And I’m afraid of SMO – the stably modified organism of our
before ). And the other partner in this couple is an old, gloomy, outmoded mechanic, wearing greased overalls, who constantly tunes up, debugs, and adjusts the mechanism of his car. But at the same time he fears to let it out to a high-speed route – what if something will break, get out of order, or drive a wrong way? (This association is closer to the current government). That’s why I’m waiting for some Gardener. At least, like that one from the famous movie «Raining man», who archly answers «Yes, I can cope with it, as I’m a good gardener» to the question «Can you cope with the world’s challenges?», as he knows that basically everything can grow on its own, under the proper care.
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NEWS AT THE END OF SUMMER
Photo UNIAN, Ukrainian News
by Olga Medvedeva
Tymoshenko: there goes the third On August, 5, there were two years since the arrest of the ex-prime-minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko. That day, the ex-premier was arrested in the courtroom. Since August, 5, 2011, Tymoshenko was kept in Lukyanovo IIW, then, since December, 30, 2011 she was at the Kachanovsk colony, and since April, 20, 2012 in the hospital of «Ukrzaliznytsia». Arseny Yatsenyuk, Serhiy Pashinsky and Arsen Avakov, who visited her on occasion of the second anniversary of her arrest, affirm that the «Batkivschina»’s leader is cheerful and quite optimistically tuned. During their meeting that lasted for 4 hours, Yulia Tymoshenko discussed with the deputies her strategy for the 2015 presidential campaign. That day in Kiev, on Kreschatyk str., there was a demonstration in support of the ex-premier. The meeting gathered about 200 people. They launched several tens of pigeons to the sky, and scanned: «Freedom for Yulia», «Yulia is our President». The followers of Tymoshenko also stuck leaflets saying «two years of imprisonment of Yulia Tymoshenko – two years of political repressions, corruption, demagogy, increase of crime and brigandage, destruction of Ukrainian language». And while Yulia Tymoshenko serves her time, another several cases were initiated against her. She is charged with appropriation of exchange gain from metal export by UESU for the sum of 170 million dollars and with a largescale embezzlement of the state’s budgetary funds for the sum of 405.5 million dollars.
of Ukraine – Anatoly Pryshko – is examining three versions of the accident: violation of rules of operation and maintenance of equipment; staff negligence; and non-observance of safety rules at carrying out repair works. Dmytro Firtash, the enterprise’s owner, stated that the possible cause of the accident could be metal wear. Run, Petro, run! On June, 27, under suspicion of bribe taking for the sums of 40 and 80 thousand hryvnias, the police arrested the rector of National University of State Tax Service, Petro Melnyk. Later that night he was taken to the hospital by ambulance because of a heart attack. The rector was brought twice by ambulance to the court, and, taking the defendant’s state of health into account, the Pechersk regional court on the 27th of September condemned Petro Melnyk to house arrest as a measure of restriction for the period of the investigation. The arrest presupposed that the rector would be allowed to leave his houses in Kiev and Irpin only for medical treatment and participation in the court sessions. On August, 7, an electronic bangle
documents and purchased a ticket to Europe with them. It is quite possible that the rector already left the CIS borders. «Such hypothesis cannot be excluded. Belorussian frontiers did not arrest Melnyk and did not pass him to us. Now his locations is not known, search is being actively continued», said the head of the Interpol Ukrainian Bureau, Vasil Nevolya. Non-sweet life of Roshen On June, 29, the Rospotrebnadzor (the Federal Service for the Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being) banned the export of the products of the «Roshen» Confectionary Corporation, which belongs to deputy Petro Poroshenko, to the territory of Russia. In the opinion of the head sanitary inspector of Russia Gennady Onyschenko, «Roshen» candies contain benzpyrene that is a carcinogen. The press-service of «Roshen» in turn stated that there are no indications for definite standards of benzpyrene contents in chocolate, and physicians are puzzled about how this substance could get into
Service of the Russian Federation included all Ukrainian exporters in the list of the «risky» ones. This means, according to the Federation of Employers of Ukraine (FEU), a complete prohibition to export domestic products to the neighboring country. The Federation has already addressed to PrimeMinister Mykola Azarov with a request to settle the problem at the intergovernmental level. The address also emphasizes that
apartment was overhauled with replanning and pulling down of the walls with violations of the current norms. According to the neighbors, the builders brought a gas bottle to the apartment. The regional prosecutors launched criminal proceedings with the prior qualification of «Violation of fire safety requirements». If those, who are guilty of this accident, are found and called for account, they will receive up to eight years of imprisonment. It is already known
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the problems of many Ukrainian exporters started on the 20th of June. Since that day, the Russian frontiers intensified groundless checks of goods, including their complete unloading and reloading. This led to delays and failures of Ukrainian goods’ deliveries to the Russian market. Commenting this situation, the chairman of the State Duma of the RF Committee, Leonid Slutskiy, stated that these problems of the Ukrainian exporters with the Russian customs appeared because Ukraine is not a member of the Customs Union – the common economic space. According to the State Statistics and the government, the goods turnover between Ukraine and
Accident on «Styrol»: criminal negligence On August, 6, at JSC «Styrol Concern» in Gorlovka (Donetsk region), during the periodic overhaul of the plant №1, there was a rush of 600 kilograms of
that nine apartments of the house require repair: per one flat on each of the 4th, 5th and 7th floors, as well as 6 apartments located on the 6th floor – the epicenter of explosion. The reconstruction of the house will cost the city 7 million hryvnias. Bloodhound Gang: crime and punishment The Kiev’s police has launched criminal proceedings against an abuse of the State Flag of Ukraine by the Bloodhound Gang group – according to part 1 of clause 296 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine («Hooliganism») and part 1 of clause 338 of CC («Abuse of state symbols»). On August, 6, the Security Service
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ammonia. The accident was caused by the decompression of a pipeline. On August, 6, five manufactory workers died; on August, 8, another victim died at the hospital. On the first day, 24 people were hospitalized with burns and poisoning; later, other several employees of «Styrol» addressed to the medical assistance. The company’s representatives informed that the families of the victims have already received 1 million hryvnias. This «compensation» was transferred to the accounts provided by the relatives. «Styrol» undertook the payment of all the taxes, connected with this compensation. All payments to the victims and their families were made by the company in addition to the compensation, foreseen by the current legislation», the company’s statement says. The enterprise also must allocate funds to allow children of the injured workers to study in professional and higher educational institutions. An investigating commission, headed by the Deputy General Prosecutor
was put on him. On August, 9, Melnyk got rid of the bangle and escaped. The same day, he was put on all the Ukrainian «wanted» list. On August, 12, the court decided to forcedly bring Melnyk to the courtroom for the determination
chocolate. Ukrainian laboratories’ reviews confirmed the quality of the «Roshen» company’s products. After that Moldova, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Belarus decided to check the «Roshen» chocolate as well. But none of them found any problems in the confectionary products. Moreover, the director of the Agency of standardization, metrology, certification and trade inspection of Tajikistan, Ibodullo Kurbonov, stated that in the past
Russia in 2012 made $ 45.5 billion. According to the estimations of the FEU, the export of Ukrainian products to the RF in the second half of 2013 was forecasted on the level of $8.5 billion. Deadly repair in Lugansk On August, 11, in the center of Lugansk, in a 14-storied house on Shevchenko str., a tremendous explosion of gas shook the outskirts. The tragedy occurred
Petro Melnyk escaped from the country, using his brother’s passport – Alexander. Being on the territory of Belarus, he showed his real documents and with them purchased a ticket to Europe of a restrictive measure, and on August, 13, they started to search for Melnyk in all the territories of 190 member-countries of Interpol. According to the mass-media, a signal that Melnyk put off his bangle came to the district officer in the evening of August, 8, but the officer revealed the rector’s disappearance only the next day. According to some editions, Petro Melnyk managed to cross the border of Belarus and then left for Europe. A source in the MFA informed the journalists of a Ukrainian newspaper that Petro Melnyk escaped from the country, using his brother’s passport – Alexander. Being of the territory of Belarus, he showed his real
Russia had already launched the trade wars many times, and made it for exceptionally political reasons. After negotiations with the minister of agrarian policy and provisions of Ukraine, Mykola Prysyazhnyuk, Gennady Onyschenko stated that the return of the «Roshen» corporation’s confectionary products to the Russian market will start again only after the company’s plants examination by Rospotrebnadzor. Export war The situation with confectionary products was only a start of bigger problems for the Ukrainian export. On August, 14, the Federal Customs
at 12:32 on the sixth floor of the tower building. According to some witnesses’ words, the explosion was so strong that the shockwave broke the windowglasses of the neighboring houses and of a tram that was passing by; bricks smashed around for several meters and damaged some cars, parked near the house. As a result of the explosion, 16 people were injured in the building, including 3 kids. Two persons died under the blockages during the collapse. The reason of explosion is being identified by specialists – according to one of the versions, a household gas burst because of a defective individual heating boiler. During the explosion, the
of Ukraine forbade one of the group’s members to enter Ukraine for 5 years. The reason of the scandal is a video-record that appeared on the 3d of August in the Internet. During the concert of the Bloodhound Gang in Kiev, the bass guitarist of the American rock-group, Jared Hasselhoff, urinated on the Ukrainian flag that hung on the stage. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called the rocker’s actions unacceptable. «Such actions, connected with abuse of the state symbols, can’t be excused by anything including so called epatage», the MFA emphasized. Also the representatives of the US Embassy to Ukraine consider the musicians’ actions to be impudent and offensive. Great public resonance was also drawn by a trick of the bassist during the Bloodhound Gang performance in Odessa on June, 31. There, Hasselhoff before the eyes of the audience wiped up with the Russian flag. A video-record of this abuse immediately got to the Internet and provoked a storm of indignation by the users, and an official reaction by the Russian authorities. However, the scandal musician has already apologized to the Ukrainians, calling his trick as part of the performance that was played on the scene.
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ECONOMY
THE KIEV TIMES | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013
GROWTH CENTERS Only 15 years ago for the majority of Ukraine’s residents a trip to the market was the main event of the week. Now trade and entertainment complexes have not only replaced the markets, but have become a «hanging out» place for most of big cities’ residents. Although the first modern TEC (Trade and Entertainment Center) appeared in Ukraine not so long ago, now it’s impossible to imagine a comfortable life without them by Gennady Yermolaev
he numerous advantages of the TECs were quickly assessed not only by consumers but by investors as well. The dynamic of growth of this economy sector in Ukraine is really impressive. Neither events of 2008-2009 nor current «zero» GDP are seemingly able to stop the active growth rates of this trade real estate. And this is against the background of reasonable crediting and general stagnation of other segments of the real estate market. Kiev horizons The situation about the trade centers of Kiev is very demonstrative: since 2010 we’ve been watching an annual growth of the qualitative trade centers offer. This year, Kiev waits for the introduction of 200 thousand square meters of trade areas on seven objects. In general, for
the period of 2013-2016, the appearance of about 24 new trade centers was reported in Kiev, for a total area of 1 mln square meters. This means that in the nearest three-four years the area of trade centers in Kiev is going to double. Most of the constructed objects were launched in 2007-2008, at the peak of the famous «bubble», but investors developed their projects even in the crisis period. In many respects, this growth of the trade estate market is conditioned by
instance, Prague or Budapest, their saturation point makes 500-600m2. However, today the market participants note the enhancing of competition. «Reallocation of the trade estate market is going to continue. Since there aren’t any other tendencies for the consumers’ market growth, the competition between trade
A modern trade center costs to its investors an average of 50 mln dollars. That’s why only capital-intensive companies can afford the construction of a TC centers will increase. Particularly, in relation to the appearance of more qualitative objects that are being constructed or are going to be constructed next year. Less qualitative objects will suffer, some of them will be closed…», said the commercial manager of the developer’s company «Bood House Group» Maxym Gavryushyn.
Even in Kiev, where there is a deficit of modern trade areas and a line of lessees waits to get to successful TEC, some of the new objects have problems with a fill rate. For example, country centers of fashionable cloth: the outlets that are planned to be opened this year near Kiev hardly attract the lessees. The matter is that a country trade center is an absolutely new format for Ukraine, and the habit of visiting such objects is still poor. Besides, Ukraine shows a quite low level
Neither events of 2008-2009 nor current «zero» GDP are seemingly able to stop the active growth rates of this trade real estate objective reasons. Today in Kiev the provision of qualitative trade areas per a thousand residents makes 325m2. In other capitals of Central Europe, such as, for
In the opinion of most of the participants to the market, today the location of a trade center and its format are the main decisive factors influencing its success. Developers, realizing that soon competition will increase, are developing objects with properly considered evaluation. Investors, who focus their attention on a
of personal vehicle provision (in comparison with Europe): that’s why it is difficult to forecast, how such trade format will be developed.
Your business legal support Vorovskogo, 29-E, office 13, Kyiv, 01054 044 486 3360 www.lg-d.com
long-term outlook, stake on a scale and unique format. Thus, the huge complex Respublika (investor: «Megapoliszhilstroy» LLC, developer: «К.А.N. Development» Company), with investments of about 350 mln dollars, and a total area of 295 000 sq.m. will become one of the largest trade and entertainment centers in Europe. «The construction of trade and entertainment complexes is in full swing. We plan to open the most scaled trade and entertainment center in the country during the first quarter of 2014. For now the trade estate market is at a stage of saturation, and many projects are at the stage of construction. As soon as these objects are commissioned, a serious struggle for lessees will start. That’s why today the issue of «conception» is important as never before. Because only unique TECs are able to successfully compete on the market…», the director of sales and marketing department of «К.А.N. Development» Company, Anna Popuga, considers. Situation on sites While in Kiev the horizon of the market saturation is already clear, in regions the situation about a provision of trade areas is heterogeneous: from 75m2 per a thousand residents in Zaporozhye, to 497m2 in Chernovtsy. In general, the regional market of the trade real estate remains poorly developed with a high proportion of objects of the market type. Despite the fact that many Ukrainian cities require modern trade centers, the developers are very thorough in relation to the development of trade objects in big cities. The consumers’ market in regions is poorly developed and the rental rates are low… Developers, nevertheless, are building in medium-sized cities, but only after thoroughly treating the selection of an object. In this relation, the situation in Kharkov is very demonstrative: here two large TECs with an area of more than 50000m2 were simultaneously constructed. The successful location and the modern conception of one of the two TECs have completely covered the regional center’s needs… «On the market of trade real estate, in some segments and regions, there are still niches that can be taken. We do not undertake a project, when we do not see the necessity of a definite format of TEC in a definite region. We do not start from the offered areas, but from the type of object that is required exactly for that city. And then, we try to find a correspondent place, according to the selected format of TEC…», Maxym Gavryushin said. Tens of projects are announced in the regions, but most of them are very slowly developing or even stopped. Perhaps, investors wait for some leveling of the economic situation, and meanwhile occupied the best locations. Nevertheless, only in the first quarter of 2013, in Ukraine they were commissioned 53 100m2 of rented area: in Kharkov
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TEC «French boulevard» (24.5 thousand sq.m.), Lubava TEC in Cherkassy (18 thousand sq.m.) and 3d line of «Fabryka» TEC in Kherson. Who builds then? One of the largest regional projects that was started to be built this year is the «Forum» TEC in Lviv. The project is atypical for Ukraine: the main developer is the international company «Multi Development»; the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development is one of the creditors. This is the first project in Ukraine with active participation of international capital. As the market experts note, before the Multi Development appearance, the only foreign company working in Ukraine was «Immochan Ukraine» (the Auchan group) that built the trade centers «Auchan» and «Rose Park» in Donetsk. Against the background of the European building sector common recession, the interest of foreign investors to the realization of this business-projects and the EBRD’s readiness to give credit to some perspective commercial projects in Ukraine is a good signal for attracting foreign investments to the Ukrainian trade real estate. Meanwhile, the main developing force of this trade real estate consists of domestic investors. The limit of entering to this market together with overhead charges and designing makes about 1000 dollars per square meter. A modern trade center costs to its investors an average of 50 mln dollars. That’s why only capital-intensive companies can afford the construction of a TC. There are only about five of such companies in Kiev; as for the regions, only big businessmen build there. The development of modern trade centers is a profitable and compensating business. It is a very good opportunity for an investor to diversify the risks. The investment attractiveness of this trade real estate is also conditioned by the fact that, in contrast to the residential real estate, a TC can be sold as a ready business, besides the operating income from the rent. At the same time, its main meaning lies not in the building cost of a TC but in its generated money flow. It is not a coincidence that in Europe investment and pension funds, large insurance companies and other institutional investors, possessing considerable resources, readily invest their money into such projects.
Rent rates in Kiev trade centers keep stability
Viktor Obnorsky, manager of the «Ukrainian Trade Guild» Company’s strategic consulting department In Kiev, in the latest 3-4 years, under the conditions of the realization of the announced projects, the provision of trade areas will be of 600-700m2 per 1 thousand residents. This is a high index, which indicates the market saturation. Currently, the consumers’ market in Ukraine is in a state of active development. Moreover, we have an insufficient amount of trade networks to fill all the trade objects. That’s why the process of development will stretch for several years, but anyway new trade centers will be filled gradually. The competition increase will, first of all, strike the low-quality and outdated objects, that’s why they have to do innovations and reconception in order to stay in the market. The share of vacant areas in Kiev’s trade centers today makes only 2.5%. This is a very low index, compared with the European average that is in the range of 10%. The rent rates remain on a high level that allows compensating trade
objects in the capital for five years. This is the best index, among all the other sectors of the trade real estate market of Ukraine. According to our estimates, the trade real estate business in the capital is going to actively develop for five years, unless it reaches its «peak». On the next stage the developers’ projects in these sectors will continue to grow, but their approach to the new objects will be more selective. It is worth to pay attention to the local projects that are oriented to servicing certain districts, where consumers visit TCs for their regular purchases. In the nearest future, when the Kiev’s market will be saturated, large capital companies will switch to development of TCs in regions, where there are enough cities that don’t have any modern trade centers. The main thing is to correctly select their formats and conceive trade objects able to maximally meet the consumers’ requirements and the lessees’ demands.
ECONOMY
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EURO-SCAFFOLD FOR UKRAINE The November summit in Vilnius is unavoidable, and the country is waiting to receive confirmation and approval for its long-suffered «European choice». But in reality, in Vilnius absolutely different actions are going to take place, and these actions are of no necessity and are dangerous for Ukraine. In Vilnius, under the pressure of the financial interests, the political oligarchs are going to surrender Ukraine’s interests, and Ukraine is voluntarily stepping upon the Euro-scaffold by Alexander Dudchak
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he media unleashes the informational war, led by the western world and pro-western Ukrainian mass-media. This war is being conducted sometimes under the motto «defend ours!», sometimes under the veil of preconceived commentaries by motivated political scientists, sometimes under the noise of Russian politicians’ statements, where one can find the signs of an anti-Ukrainian plot. The West and its partners in Ukraine strive to get an automatic negative reaction of the Ukrainians to the integration processes in the post-Soviet space. The western world undoubtedly needs Ukraine to look through «pink glasses» at everything that bears some relation to any Ukraine’s movement to the West. One of the distinctive episodes of the informational war includes problems of the Ukrainian company «Roshen», connected with its products sale on the territory of the Russian Federation. Technologies of events’ informational support are similar like twins. Just like in the war in South Ossetia, on «08.08.08», when the world mass-media started to report news only after the Russian tanks entered the country in defense of the local population. And these world mass-media criminally kept silence, while the Georgian tanks have been shooting down residential areas for two days. Or remember the information given by the world mass-media about the war in Syria. There mad killers became «fighters for democracy», and the legally elected President with the help of PR-technologists turned into a dictator, who «…fights against his own people». Hysteria in the case of Poroshenko’s «sweet» company is being prepared for the massmedia, using the same methods.
supranational regulating authority – started working. An agreement about the EurAsEC was signed on October, 10, 2000 in Astana, by the Presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia, Russia and Tajikistan. Ukraine was almost ready to take part in the mutual work at the end of 2004, exercising its rights as a co-founder! But the West appointed an outstanding Russophobe Yuschenko to the country’s President, breaking all the principles and foundations of democracy. Since then, Ukraine has been intensively working towards its own self-destruction. And it is watching an impetuous development of the Common economic space, in the territory of the EurAsEC member-countries, where there is already «…a common infrastructure as well as a system of coordinated taxation, money-and-credit, currency and finance, trade and customs policy that provides free movement of goods, services, capital and labor force». Ukraine hardly refuses to understand that the EurAsEC is an integrate association, created first of all for the protection of
of the modern strategic bombers Tu-160. In 1995, Ukraine refused to sell them to Russia at the price of $25 million per unit, but in 1999 it was ready to give up three units to the USA at the price of $20 million. And it preferred to destroy 11 bombers for American money, than to give them to the Russian Federation for the settlement of charges for energy products delivery, like it was done with eight similar planes. It is impossible not to remember two fighters Su27 (one of the basic planes of the Russian air force), sold by Ukraine to the United States. The planes were sold without their demilitarization. Owing to a «good», but criminal will, the USA received a unique opportunity to improve their methods of struggle against air force and air defense of Russia, as well as those of China and some countries of Asia and Africa. Nothing but a dirty trick can be called the sale to China (according to different fonts – in 2001 or in 2005) of one of two Т-10К’s – prototype of the Su-33, a shipboard fighter that was left
its member-countries’ interests. Any interaction of its membercountries is built on mutually developed rules. The member-countries work out the common rules of their foreign economic activity in relation to all the other countries that are not members of the association, not only in relation to Ukraine, like some politicized scientists are trying to prove to the country. The EurAsEC countries realize a policy of import substitution and creation of a closed cycle of production. In Ukraine this happens just verbally. On the
after the Unions’ collapse. China, as a famous master of replicas, by hook and crook tries to get only samples without buying large lots of equipment. Owing to this «assistance» of Ukraine to China, the fighter Shenyang J-15 (a copy of the Russian Su-33) landed on the deck of an aerocarrier «Liaoning» (former «Varyag») at the end of 2012. The J-15 was created on the basis of the properly studied Ukrainian «gift». Naturally, negotiations about the delivery of fifty items of Su-33’s from Russia to China came to nothing.
territory of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, the entrepreneurial activity of Ukraine, as a country that is not a member of the association, will be reduced. Although, according to the results of the first half of 2012, the market share of Russia in the common volume of the Ukrainian export made 24.7%. Many Ukrainian politicians firmly keep in their conscience the image of Russia as a family member, who, according to some brotherly conceptions, always owes something and always must fraternally forgive any trick by Ukraine. Without entering the economic association, Ukraine for some reason wishes to receive the energy products at the prices, established inside the association. Ukraine states about its aspiration for the NATO membership, and pretends that it doesn’t understand why the mutual hitech equipment development programs with Russia are being cut. This is a lack of intellect or some criminal activity by superpower representatives. One can hardly call friendly some actions of Ukraine in relation to Russia, which were fraternally ignored by Russia. Suffice it to recall the destruction
It will be hard to scrub away the shameful aiding of Ukraine to the Georgian aggressors during the war in South Ossetia. Assistance was rendered not only in the form of deliveries of volley fire systems and surface-to-air missile systems, but even by the training of Georgian soldiers by Ukrainian missile specialists… Russia will remember its planes, shot down by the Georgian air defenses, for long. And what about the foolish story of the memorable plane An-70? In 2000, the trade representatives of the Russian Federation received the order to promote this Russian-Ukrainian project everywhere. And they did it until Ukraine, «for charity» or as a result of criminal negligence, passed 43 volumes of this plane’s technical documentation to western specialists for «the study of its capabilities and possible subsequent orders». As known, there was not any order for An-70 from the West, but the project was closed. There is another episode related to Ukrainian-Russian relations that brightly characterizes the reflective behavior of the Ukrainian state machinery in response to any proposals from
the November summit in Vilnius. This is the number one question, taking place during my cadence». To translate diplomatic language into human language, this means not to allow the slightest chance for Ukraine’s participation in the integration processes on the post-Soviet territories, and thus it means not to allow any possible revival of that geopolitical pole which is able to independently develop and defense itself. The
a surrender of its interests by the authority. A popular proverb says: if a person is once was called a pig, he will grunt. The western massmedia rarely call the Ukrainian residents pigs, but the European propaganda is trying hard to turn people into an unconscious and resigned flock. Advantages from Ukraine collaboration with the EurAsEC countries (more advantageous
Thoughtless joining to the World Trade Organization has not taught us anything. Now Ukraine is madly and thoughtlessly trying to carry the Euro-collar, not wishing to note the EU problems, its growing unemployment and labor migration is rapidly passing to «Eurostandards», including food production. These standards differ from the State Standards, adopted in the EurAsEC. And our silly (according to the Ukrainian authority) population stably goes to «Belorussian foodstuffs» groceries to buy, by their honestly earned hryvnia, goods of real quality standards. After complete transition to the «Eurostandards», many Ukrainian manufacturers will experience
Under the dictate of the West, Ukraine, regardless of its ruling political forces, did its best to destroy any economic, military and cultural ties with Russia, which have been established for centuries
It is impossible not to remember two fighters Su-27 (one of the basic planes of the Russian air force), sold by Ukraine to the United States. The planes were sold without their demilitarization Everybody clearly understands that any economic problems between Ukraine and Russia are not the result of a momentary decision of some Russian highranking official. The trade war between the two former union republics is a demonstration of the destructive work performed by the Ukrainian political top, which for more than two decades selflessly followed their western advisers’ instructions. And under the dictate of the West, Ukraine, regardless of its ruling political forces, did its best to destroy any economic, military and cultural ties with Russia, which have been established for centuries. Ukraine broke everything, even regardless of any common sense and its own economic gain. The rules of the economic collaboration between Ukraine and the countries entering the Eurasian Economic Community are changing and going towards further change. In 2007, the Customs Union Commission started working. The Commission included the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation. In 2012, the Eurasian Economic Commission – the permanent
the Russian side. Some storage batteries for the submarine «Zaporozhye», the only submarine of the Ukrainian naval forces, were purchased in Greece at the price of $3.5, while Russia was ready to sell similar spares at the half of this price. The Ukrainian side refused to purchase storage batteries from Russia without motivating its refusal. As for the «Roshen»… This is only the first swallow. Ukraine
serious sale problems. Even at the domestic market. The European market will not open for them too soon; or maybe it will not open at all. Possibly, this is what is believed by the state chocolate leader – one of the main Euro-agitators in Ukraine – Poroshenko. Perhaps, the chocolate production is a hazardous production, if its largest manufacturer starts «to cast dirt into the fountain» and bite the feeding hand. At the International conference «Russian-Ukrainian relations: realities and perspectives», that took place on June, 25, 2013, in the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Petro Poroshenko energetically emphasized that in four months Ukraine and Russia would be inside new realities in view of the signing of the Association agreement between Ukraine and the EU. Does Petro Olexiyovych understand that this automatically will change his work conditions on the territory of the Russian Federation as well? Or does he hope that this will trigger not the Ukrainian but the Little Russian principle – «first we eat yours, and then everybody eats his own»? In April, that year, at the 6th Kiev forum about safety, Petro Olexiyovych, crying with poor man’s tears, turned to the foreign participants and told in good English: «Please…Take us to Europe…». The good democratic West does not ignore such request. And a new supervisor for Ukraine – the ambassador of the United States of America Geoffrey Pyatt (who replaced John Theft), called the signing of the Association agreement the priority direction of his activity in Ukraine: «Furthering work concerning Ukraine’s aspiration to become closer to Europe, to be institutionally a part of Europe. Particularly, the matter is about a successful signing of the Association agreement. We hope that it will be signed during
new US ambassador says that he «wishes to support the European choice of the Ukrainian people». That’s interesting: who told him that the Ukrainian people made the European choice? Mister Pyatt has already offered Ukraine to seek for the new outlets. But to lose the Customs Union’s market does not mean to find a new one at all. And Ukraine would hardly find it. But a scope of interests from the USA and the EU doesn’t include any provision of development opportunities for Ukraine. The main task is not to allow any integration of Ukraine and Russia that would bring both the countries to the so called synergistic effect – when addition «1+1» brings much more than «2» or even «3». A systematical forcing of brazen lies to the brains of Ukraine’s residents is a choice that is made for the Ukrainian people by foreign politicians and by some local authorities, as well as by their controlled mass-media. The ambassador should be well aware of such activity. His dossier says that a special attention is now paid to Ukraine. Geoffrey Pyatt formerly worked for USA diplomatic missions to Pakistan and India; he was the deputy head of Southern and Central Asia Bureau. All these are points of the heightened geopolitical pressure. The pressure, created under the USA direct efforts. How will the experience of a carrier diplomat be used in Ukraine? America is geographically far from Europe. And it is even further away from Ukraine. But in this modern globalized world, the United States care about
for Ukraine than for the EurAsEC countries) are tried to be presented as a pressure on Ukraine, a «constraint for brotherhood». Thoughtless joining to the World Trade Organization has not taught us anything. Now Ukraine is madly and thoughtlessly trying to carry the Euro-collar, not wishing to note the EU problems, its growing unemployment and labor migration. If Ukraine had entered the Customs Union in January 2012, for the last year it would have saved $9 billions. The chemical industry would receive a reduction of prices for hydrocarbons; there would be some perspectives for a serial launching of An-70 and An-148; the export of metallurgic and agricultural products would be increased. However, instead of this, according to the Statistic Committee, in the first quarter of 2013 the GDP reduced by 1.3% and the industrial production by 5%; the products of domestic manufacturers, because of the WTO enslaving conditions, continue to be forced out by import. The advantages of joining the Customs Union for Ukraine were proved and scientifically grounded not only by Ukrainian specialists. At the same time, there is no persuasive estimate that could demonstrate any advantages of its Eurointegration. The academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Valery Geec (who headed a group of the Ukrainian specialists that, together with the group of academician Sergey
In Vilnius, under the pressure of the financial interests, the political oligarchs are going to surrender Ukraine’s interests, and Ukraine is voluntarily stepping upon its Euro-scaffold everything. For instance, the USA roughly interferes in the trade wars between Ukraine and Russia that are skillfully promoted in the informational space, including American and European mediagiants. It is hard to remain capable of a sober assessment of the situation under such unobtrusive but constant pressure. Especially, if any alternative point of view is openly «banned» by almost all the mass-media. Now all the possible steps towards any Ukraine’s approachment to Russia will be examined with a magnifying glass. And any actions of Ukraine, directed to the consolidation of its interaction with the EurAsEC countries, will be presented by the world massmedia as a «defeat» of Ukraine, as a «concession to Russia» and
Glazyev, examined advantages and disadvantages of the Ukraine selection of different integration directions) was forbidden to speak about examination data that confirm the advantages of Ukraine’s joining to the CU. To completely drive nails to the cover of Ukraine’s coffin, it is necessary to allow the sale of agricultural land (which is going to be done in the nearest future) and to sign the Agreement of association with the EU and the Free Trade Zone with the EU. One feels really sorry for all parents with small children. Unlike their children, the parents understand that there is no future for the territory, still called Ukraine, if its actions will develop in the Western direction. To all appearances, the authority has already made a decision. The decision of destroying Ukraine.
THEME OF THE ISSUE
THE KIEV TIMES | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013
VACATION OF MILLIONS August is a tourists’ time and a hot period of vacations. At the beginning of the last month, the Ukrainian government adopted the conception of development of tourism and resorts up to 2022. By the end of the current year, the State agency of tourism and resorts must work out a target-oriented program of tourism development. According to these plans that are more than ambitious, up to 2022 Ukraine must increase its amount of tourists to 50 millions per year, and create up to 1 million of working places in the tourism sector. At the same time, officials hope for a lasting effect of the European football championship, conducted in Ukraine last year. Then, the country really got to the top positions in the international tourists’ ratings; however our country’s touristic sector didn’t manage to use an «exhaust» from the «Euro-2012». It’s been a year since the Euro-2012 – how the Ukrainian tourism is doing? by Olga Medvedeva
traveler has to pay at least 1795 euro. But would he like to pay for this? For this money a German citizen can comfortably take a vacation, for instance, in Cuba or Thailand. And vacation to Greece or Spain would be even cheaper. Of course, Ukraine will have fight for its guests from far abroad not for one year. But each year our resorts are filled by more Russians. Russia is the main supplier of tourists to Ukraine. Crimean direction in 2013 season allows the tour operators to hope for a stable growth, whose figures may vary from 10 to 30%, according to different touristic business experts. Despite the growth of hryvnia against ruble, the direction anyway wins the Krasnodar Territory by the amount of budgetary accommodation objects that are interesting for the Russian tourist. In general, the prices for Crimean hotels are 20-30% lower that those of the Krasnodar Territory. Foreign countries will help us While the Russian guests enjoy Crimean amenities, some Ukrainians turn their gazes to abroad. According to the president of the Association of touristic business leaders of Ukraine, Olexander Novykovsky, this year Ukrainians are spending about 7.5-8.5 thousand hryvnias for a foreign vacation of the average duration of 9 days. Prices for a weekly vacation in Turkey for Ukrainian tourists
with our tourists, are making several flights per day. More than a half of the tourists have little children. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine calls Ukrainians to abstain from trips to the «pyramids’ country»; tour operators and airlines continue selling tickets, as though nothing happened. They dissuade from buying new tours only verbally. Nobody is going to postpone flights or replace Egypt with more expensive Turkey, like it was done in Russia. Why Ukrainian people go to the country of a bloody jumble and become famous as the most fearless tourists in the world? Because wealthy compatriots a priori don’t go to Egypt for vacation. They are in Europe for a long time – in Ibiza, Azure coast or mysterious Sardinia. Egyptian hotels can be an alternative to Crimea and Odessa. And the contingent of people that goes there cannot allow itself to «tear and throw away» the paid vouchers. At the same time, tourists have extremely small chances to have their money paid back, even going through the court. This is absolutely openly stated by the representatives of any touristic associations and companies. So, can the tourists, who purchased a tour to Egypt, refuse it in connection with a sharpening situation, and require being refund of his money? «Only in case of a certain agreement, signed between touristic firm and customer – the sharpening
Russia is the main supplier of tourists to Ukraine. In general, the prices for Crimean hotels are 20-30% lower that those of the Krasnodar Territory
National vacation: sofa, dacha or sea? The «HeadHunter Ukraine» portal interviewed Ukrainians about their summer vacation locations. They found out that 11% of women and 13% of men
start from 5 thousand hryvnias per a couple – with flight, transfer and food. Obviously, for this money our compatriots cannot get a luxurious complex near the sea with all-inclusive service, but a three-star hotel with conditioner, standing on the second line, feeding its guests with breakfasts and dinners and providing rest not only on the beach but near a pool, is
of social and political situation in the place of vacation is considered as a force-majeure», the member of the Association of lawyers of Ukraine and the Lawyers Union of Ukraine, lawyer Andriy Verba, explained to journalists. «In general, a governmental change usually is not considered a force-majeure. The reason for paying back of an unused tour can be only the
guaranteed. Greece has a similar situation about prices. Two- or three-star hotels with breakfasts, including flight, transfers and services on the territory of the hotel, cost the same 4500-5000 UAH. Some resorts that formerly
case when a company suddenly refuses to perform a service, stated before. But tour operators don’t refuse to transport people to Egypt and don’t refuse to organize tours. So, there are no general reasons».
of citizens are ready to spend for their vacation not more than 3 thousand hryvnias, and only 5% say they can afford a sum of more than 15 thousand hryvnias. An intermediate audience includes the haunters of the Sea of Azov
While Egypt is experiencing bloody revolts and mass manifestations, the planes, filled with our tourists, are making several flights per day are not going on vacation at all. 5% women and 10% men more are having rest at home, «on the sofa». 6% of Ukrainian women and 9% of Ukrainian men prefer dacha. And the rest of the residents plan some trips, after all. Tour operators are fighting for their wallets, offering vacation packages to the most exotic corners of the globe! But is there anything worth fighting for? 32%
and the Black Sea, budgetary Turkey, Egypt and Greece. They can only dream about exotic places. The Black Sea and Azov – in the old fashion Ukrainians, on the whole, are not used to qualitative and comfortable rest. The lack of any service, excessively high prices and absolute insecurity
are realities of the Southern Crimean Coast that annually accepts hundreds of thousands people, who crave for sea. A weekly rest in Yalta costs a couple at least 3800-4500 UAH. With this sum they pay only for a dubious accommodation, some rest on the crowded beaches and «homemade» food. If you don’t want to stay at the cooker, you can turn your gaze to the Crimean sanatoriums. A place in a double room at «Donbass» sanatorium costs at least 430 UAH per day, in «Mishor» – 480 UAH per day. In «Gurzuf» boarding house one has to pay 500 UAH per day. For
shower with strangers! Resorts of the Sea of Azov are not too cheaper – one room in «Azov» hotel will cost at least 250 UAH per person plus 120 UAH for food! I.e. in general 370 UAH per person. Representatives of the tourism sector explain such wild prices with an excessive tax pressure. 20% VAT prevents to adequately assess vacation – neither Russia nor Europe have it. Plus the land tax. Moreover, hotels pay utility bills according to industrial enterprises’ tariffs. A short touristic season also doesn’t favor a reduction of prices for vacation. Our climate is not
This year Ukrainians are spending about 7.5-8.5 thousand hryvnias for a foreign vacation of the average duration of 9 days were considered too expensive – Croatia, Tunisia and Georgia – now can be afforded by a normal family with average level of income. In the last several years,
Representatives of the tourism sector explain such wild prices with an excessive tax pressure. 20% VAT prevents to adequately assess vacation – neither Russia nor Europe have it. Plus the land tax this money the holiday-makers are offered, let’s be frank, not too much: three meals a day, the use of the beach and a residence in a small room with one water closet for every two rooms! So, the tourists must pay for two weeks 14 thousand hryvnias per two persons and share closet and
Mediterranean, tourists come from May to September, but hotel must be kept in order all the year round! However, what a Ukrainian cannot afford to buy is quite salable for a foreign tourist! Or it is not? So, for a 15-days tour through Ukraine a German
Ukrainians discovered Israel. This is mostly connected with the launched visa-free regime with Ukraine. The possibility of resting in Egypt is a separate issue. While the country is experiencing bloody revolts and mass manifestations, the planes, filled
Summarizing all abovementioned, we may sadly conclude: the Black Sea coast and the Sea of Azov coast are actively used by our «neighbors», and Ukrainians are satisfied with a qualitative and at the same time cheap, and often dangerous, foreign country. Those of our compatriots, who cannot afford a voyage abroad, do not go on vacation to domestic resorts, but take their rest between the walls of their own flat and dacha. Maybe, this is not so bad. As, if we have to believe the abovementioned «HeadHunter»’s data, each fourth Ukrainian is dreaming about a quite banal thing – to get enough sleep!
Photographer Roman Grabezhov
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THEME OF THE ISSUE
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UKRAINIAN POLITICIANS’ VACATION: LUX, BUSINESS OR ECONOMICAL? Ukrainian top politicians have never felt shy about their luxurious life. Despite the fact that our country is ruled by not too poor people, this summer people’s deputies once more decided to please themselves: on the eve of vacation they adopted the estimate of the 2013 Verkhovna Rada, presenting themselves and their colleagues with 36 million hryvnias. As well as allowing themselves to have free vacation in any state sanatorium of the country. Deputies’ summer vacation amounts to 45 calendar days (including day-offs and holidays). This is almost twice the vacation amount of any ordinary Ukrainian citizen. According to the law, each deputy receives material aid for rehabilitation in the sum of double month’s wages, namely 17.425 hryvnias. To what resorts the politicians took their bodies, so crocked by the Verkhovna Rada blocking, fights and intrigues?
Photographer Roman Grabezhov
by Olga Medvedeva, Marina Frolova
Opposition on holiday Opposition is the most modest, on paper. No word about Maldives or Canaries, because a true and «canonic» oppositionist will never change his homeland’s expanses to some foreign country. Thus, Olexandra Kuzhel («Batkivschyna») decided to spend the whole summer at her villa in Vyshgorod. Representative of «UDAR» Valery Karpuntsov was going to have rest in Azov, near Genychesk, because he thinks he cannot afford vacation with his entire family abroad. Arseny Yatsenyuk, judging by his Facebook page, is not in a holiday mood at all – this
her social network page, users started to suspect her of a boast. The people’s deputy was also blamed for spending her vacation abroad, while the victim of the Vradievka rapists requires money for surgery. «Regional» vacation How things are going with the vacation of the representatives of the ruling Party of regions? Regional Vladyslav Lukyanov relaxed this summer, as well as last winter, at the Maldives. He enjoys windsurfing and fishing there. The deputy head of the parliamentary faction of the Party of regions, Oleg Tsarev,
It is possible to find out about the President Viktor Yanukovych’s vacations in his press-service. From year to year Viktor Federovych spends his day-offs in the Crimea summer he is busy with trips across Ukraine in the context of some opposition actions. But he tries not to fall behind the trend and shows his democracy, flying by economy-class on the state business. As for the leader of «UDAR» Vitaly Klitschko, he doesn’t feel shy about his foreign vacation and openly tells the mass-media, how he, his wife and their three children are spending their holidays in the USA. There Klitschko’s family jumped with a parachute. Meanwhile, his brother, the boxer Volodymyr Klitschko had vacation in company of … no, not his bride Hayden Panettiere, but the people’s deputy of the Party of regions Nestor Shufrych. A photo from Ibiza, where the two men are spending their time with beautiful girls looking like models, appeared on Klitschko’s official site. Iryna Geraschenko («UDAR») was not scared to tell about her foreign holidays: she is spending her deputy vacation on the western coast of the Istria peninsula, by the Adriatic Sea. However, as soon as Iryna published her photos in
rested with his wife and children in Netherlands. In the very first day of his vacation he wrote on his Facebook page that he was going to travel through the country by bicycle. The Regional Iryna Berezhna gave a treat to her social networks subscribers by publishing her photos on a foreign beach. She poses on them with her 4-years old daughter Daniella – the people’s deputy celebrated her birthday on the Italian resort in Forte dei Marmi, with other Ukrainian and Russian celebrities. The chairman of the Verkhovna Rada committee for tax and customs policy, regional Vitaly Homutynnyk published photos, made by the sea at the end of June, on his Facebook page. The
south-west of France. The singer and people’s deputy Taisia Povaliy also decided not to reveal her foreign vacation details and went to Spain, after informing that she has some real estate there. First persons It is possible to find out about the President Viktor Yanukovych’s vacations in his press-service.
During parliamentary vacation the Azure Coast in France, Sardinia and Monaco turn to the European Koncha-Zaspa people’s deputy poses on them in a swimming suit and with a windsurfing board. On one of the photos it is written: «Surfing is cool. I wish to learn!». The social network automatically marked his location – Biarritz, a city on the
From year to year Viktor Federovych spends his day-offs in the Crimea. This year he officially was on vacation in Crimea as well. His dislocation is traditional – the state residence Zarya or residence Muhalatka. Both objects
WHAT DO UKRAINIAN MILLIONAIRES EAT? It is easy to understand why absolutely different people, more and more often, ask me about restaurant business in Ukraine. What do ordinary Ukrainians and millionaires eat? Which kinds of Ukrainian restaurants meet the world standards? by Vladimir Yadlovsky
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oday Ukraine is at the top of a gastronomical boom. Many different restaurants opened; the stores’ stalls are filled with refined fresh products from Italy and France. Ukrainians more and more often leave for gastronomical tours around Europe, and on the Ukrainian TV culinary shows stably get the highest ratings. Not to mention all the social networks’ activity: Facebook and Instragram are dazzling with photos of culinary masterpieces! I cannot not to feel happy about such situation. The culture of cooking and servicing dishes is currently being formed in Ukraine. Many people are taking care of the quality of their
products. The ECO-fashion has reached the country! Now, those who formerly purchased products in mega-markets, more often order «homemade foodstuffs» in the Internet or bring food from Ukrainian or, for example, from Italian villages! Culinary trends The common tendency of the current year in the restaurant business is simplicity. But this doesn’t mean that this must be reflected on delicacy and taste! A person remembers his first and last impression – servicing and taste. In autumn I bet on such trends: 1. Molecular cuisine.This is what never stops to be trend;
are located near Foros. This year, Yanukovych preferred Zarya – a sanatorium that has three-storied building with a penthouse, tenniscourts, and an entertainment center with a movie theatre, a billiard room, a fitness center and a sauna. «The President visited ancient Chersonese where, together with Vladimir Putin, took part in the «Blessing of Prince Volodymyr» belfry… He tries to devote himself to an active rest, particularly, to some sports, first of all, to tennis, as it is the President’s favorite kind of sport», – the press-service informed. Prime-minister Mykola Azarov also had his vacation in Ukraine. «This vacation of Mykola Yanovych is his first in two years, – the Premier’s press-secretary, Valery Lukyanenko, said to the
media. – He spent his vacation in Crimea, on the south coast, with his family living in the state residence. His work was not interrupted during vacation». The head of the government told the media that he likes the peninsula very much, and for Azarov its combination of sea, mountain and forest air is the best. A small weekly vacation was also taken by the head of the KCSA Olexander Popov. The press-service told journalists that Olexander Pavlovych left for celebrating the birthday of a friend from his childhood originally from Komsomolsk (Poltava region). Several days after, Popov returned to Kiev and spent the rest of his vacation there. Some people involved in the organization of the
Ukrainian VIP’s entertainment, affirm that politicians’ vacations in their homeland are only a cover to safeguard them against citizens’ envy. In reality, during parliamentary vacation the Azure Coast in France, Sardinia and Monaco turn to the European Koncha-Zaspa. And not without some purpose: vacation of Ukrainian political élite is a sealed book. Phones of most of the politicians during summer vacations are unavailable. And if there is any chance to contact them, it will take a lot of time to wait for an answer to the question «Where are you planning to go on vacation?». Because politicians and their press-secretaries consider such question «indiscreet», «loaded» and «provoking».
at least, until something new is invented. But we are coming to understand that molecular cuisine is a show. You receive not only gustatory pleasure, but also emotions from what you’ve seen. 2. Eco-products. Against the background of the high growth rates of the world industry, people more and more often think about what they eat. 3. Carry-out food.The world trend of the moment: delicious, health-giving and qualitative food that can be taken to a picnic, to dacha and/or home.
who was brought up in England or Switzerland, they are not attached so much to the traditional Ukrainian cuisine. In their gustatory preferences they are true Europeans. But millionaires also count money. It is already out off fashion to spend incredible money for dinners and suppers. Food in a good restaurant of an average level doesn’t have to cost more than 500 hryvnias per person, and in a refined restaurant of the premium-class, for instance Sauvage – twice more expensive. But a «million dollar dinner» is not a myth. In Ukraine it is a rule to hold business negotiations at the restaurant at dinner or supper. Sometimes the place, where you make an appointment, strongly affects the fate of a million dollar contract.
The best of the best: ElCellerdeCanRoca– C/ deCanSunyer, 48, 17007 Girona, Spain Louis 15–HôteldeParis, PlaceduCasino, 9800 MonteCarlo, Monaco Odyssey– Hotel Metropole, Monaco EnotecaPinchiorri – ViaGhibellina, 87, 50122 Firenze, Italy Sauvage – Kiev, Kutuzova str., 12-B
A million dollar dinner Taste preferences come from childhood. No matter how much money you have on your account – it is impossible to eat only red caviar and truffle! In addition to gustatory innovations and fancies, the menu of a true Chief will always include traditional dishes that are well known to everybody from their childhood. You can easily experiment and try exotic dishes, but in the everyday life a person will always choose an ordinary dish. Ukrainian millionaires, who are basically politicians and businessmen of the old school, first of all prize the qualitative performance of traditional dishes. As for the representatives of Ukrainian «golden youth»,
The TOP of restaurants according to Yadlovsky The key role in a restaurant’s success is played by cuisine! If you don’t like the taste, no matter how good the interior is or how tactful the staff is, you will not go back to this place for dinner anymore. But the category of «favorite» is filled only by those restaurants where the unique author’s style of the Chef is multiplied by the perfection of all other components: interior, staff and atmosphere.
In Kiev I recommend to visit the self-service restaurant «PuzataHata» – in my opinion, this is one of the best examples of a qualitative national fast-food. It is no coincidence that many foreigners choose this restaurant to familiarize themselves with the Ukrainian cuisine! As for the middle level restaurants in the capital, I like two of them: «Olyva» and «Mafia». It’s a common opinion that while Ukraine doesn’t have Michelin stars restaurants yet, then there is nothing to surprise the taste experts. But this is wrong! Ukrainian restaurants are interesting; the national cuisine is the most delicious in the world, and the level of service, as a rule, is considerably higher than that in old good Europe… That’s why, if you’re planning to visit Kiev, you should plan to join a tasteful place for business meeting or dinner.
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INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS/UKRAINE-USA
THE KIEV TIMES | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013
HYPERACTIVE U.S. AMBASSADOR I’m interestedly watching the first steps of the new US ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt, who firstly demonstrated an unprecedented activity, and automatically comparing him with his much more experienced predecessor. Unlike the new ambassador, John Theft was not a very public person, more acting on the backstage and starting to talk only closer to his departure, having openly and extensively spoke before the students of the Kiev College by Vladimir Kornilov, director of the Center of Eurasian researches
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pon his arrival, mister Pyatt immediately established a video-blog, registered in Twitter and in Facebook and offered many interviews. What is most striking, when you assess the speech of the new US ambassador? There is some kind of – to say the least – mismatch of Geoffrey Pyatt’s priorities with the officially declared priorities of the State Department. I think it is no secret that for all
the generations of American diplomats the main and stable priority was the defense of the US citizens’ rights and interests abroad. Everything else was always pushed to the background. One can easily enter the Internetpage of the White House to make sure about that. In the section called «Foreign policy» Barak Obama and his administration declare that the main priority of this policy is the achievement of
«American people’ safety» and «restoration of the American leadership abroad». It is strange, but I read numerous statements made by mister Pyatt after his arrival in Ukraine, and I did not find any word about «American leadership» or about American citizens at all. His blog is an appeal to the Ukrainian people, not to the Americans. In his interview to «Svoboda» radio,
Pyatt unfolds a grandiose plan about the application of various social networks … not to receive addresses from American citizens, living in Ukraine, but to «help to connect with the Ukrainian people…, to see and feel Ukrainian expectations and Ukrainian hopes». In order to do what, excuse me?.. To consolidate the «American leadership abroad», I guess? In various interviews Pyatt states that he has three priorities, for some reason calling only two of them: «the promotion of Ukraine towards the European choice» and «support of Ukrainian aspirations to achieve a larger energetic independence». Wait… what about «safety of the Americans» and «American leadership»? Why the «Pyatt’s plan» reduces exceptionally to an appeal to the Ukrainians? Frankly speaking, it is hard for me to imagine the Russian or Ukrainian ambassador to the USA, reducing his activity to making appeals, directed exceptionally to the Americans, but not to the Russian or, correspondingly, Ukrainian citizens living in America. Judging by the new American ambassador’s statements, he decided that he is a «missionary of the good American will», who must convert the Ukrainians towards the right direction. That means, to that very notorious «European direction».
So, this is the function of the American ambassador in the signing of Association agreement of Ukraine with the European Union at the summit of the Eastern partnership? As far as we know, the agreement is not signed with Washington and is not on a platform created by the White House (as it was in the case of the GUAM creation). This issue seems to be a matter of relationships between the EU and Ukraine. So, the American diplomat’s statements that the №1 point in his agenda for the nearest months will be pushing Ukraine towards the signing of this document can be taken as a direct interference into Brussels/Kiev’s relations or into the domestic affairs of Ukraine. And this, actually, seems no too ethic from the point of view of a diplomat. Obviously, any American diplomat, including an ambassador, is only a screw in a complex and quite powerful mechanism of management of American foreign policy. Naturally, no matter what these diplomats and ambassadors say, but the true purpose of any of them reduces to the achievement of that very «American leadership abroad». A scandal around Snowden’s exposures has shown once more that in reality there are no and will not be any exceptions for the Americans, even among more or less constant allies. What to say about Ukraine, which
was and will be exceptionally examined by the States Statistics through a prism of relations with its much more serious «opponent partner» – with Russia! This state of the relations between Washington and Moscow determines the activation or, vice-versa, the subsiding of relations between the USA and Kiev. Remember, ever since the «reboot», declared by Obama and Putin, had started, American ambassadors and diplomats, with dramatic suddenness, almost completely disappeared from the TV broadcasts. While the name of Carlos Pascual was constantly mentioned on the screens in the news about domestic Ukrainian (!) political life, the name of John Theft is a less known to the Ukrainian audience. The hyperactivity of the new «missionary», who came to Kiev, to all the appearances, in order to exceptionally communicate with the Ukrainian citizens via social networks, was dictated not by his youth or lack of experience, but by the sharpening of the relations between Washington and Moscow. If this sharpening is going to grow – mind my words – very soon the name of Geoffrey Pyatt will be known by the Ukrainian audience as well as the names of the leaders of the many different Ukrainian parties. Do the Ukrainian citizens need to know the name of Geoffrey Pyatt?
a leather upholstery and a hole for servicing food. As I heard, every day the detained Yulia Tymoshenko got food from the nearest restaurant», the German publicist says. Then he compares what is today happening in Ukraine with what happened in the 80th in the West, when the German Economy minister Otto Graf Lamsdorff and his companion of the Free Democratic Party of Germany, Hans Friederichs, were charged of tax evasion. However, Graf Lamsdorff was sentenced with a penalty of 180 thousand German marks, not to seven years of imprisonment. In Tymoshenko’s case, the author specifies, it’s a matter of several hundred millions and other serious crimes, because of which Tymoshenko and her husband were arrested for the first time in 2001. Making an historic excursus of Ukraine political life, Shuman states: «According to their declarations, at least 400 of 450 deputies of the Verkhovna Rada have seven-digit numbers on their accounts». He also writes about Tymoshenko’s romance with the Zhitomir businessman Yuri Bober, that is unknown to the general public: «He (Bober) had a love affair with Tymoshenko ten years ago. It is known that she had been living apart with her husband Alexander for many years… Her
relation with Bober lasted for two years, until she became the head of the Ukrainian government. At that time, some revealing photos were done, for example in the forest or in the sauna, and these photos were kept by Bober. After the end of their romance, Bober was attacked and his apartment robbed – robbers took a safe, where the album with these
process as a witness in his father’s murder case. Was he pursued? Yes, of course, he said. Then he didn’t understand what was going on in details, and he still does not understand many things, even today: why his accounts were blocked in Ukraine and the United States – his father was a manufacturer in the metallurgic sector, he successfully worked in
A BOOK ABOUT TYMOSHENKO FOCUSED ATTENTION IN FRANCE Photo UNIAN
Over these recent years in various countries there were many books about Yulia Tymoshenko. They are her biographies as well as different researches concerning the Ukrainian ex-premier’s activity. Since she has been in prison, this subject was constantly spread by European mass-media by Marina Frolova
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n summer, these media paid great attention to the updated edition of the book by the German journalist Franc Shuman «Crook. Gas princess. Espionage, love and corruption», published by the French publishing house «Editions du Moment» last July. In this book its author affirms that the ex-premier of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko deserves a prison sentence as long as the sentence of the Italian expremier Silvio Berlusconi, who was sentenced for five years of reclusion not so long ago. However, the last was punished for having sex with an under aged girl, not for abuse of power. During the preparation of his book, Shuman managed to visit the Lukyanovo IIW, Kachanovsk colony and the state hospital of Kharkov, where the ex-premier has been cured since 2012. «Yulia Tymoshenko’s disease is quite suspect. She was treated for a long time but without any effect. Journalists enumerate the list of Tymoshenko’s diseases. However, she walks over her hospital room wearing high heels. And they don’t fit with a sick back», that’s how Franc Shuman commented his work to the French weekly magazine Paris Match. After publishing the book, the German press, which earlier protected the defendant, changed its tone to the opposite direction. According to Shuman,
even if Tymoshenko is going to be sent for treatment to Germany (according to some rumors referred by the press), Ukraine will continue investigating about her crime, because prosecution found unanswerable proves of Tymoshenko’s complicity in Scherban’s murder. The book itself was published last year. At the same time it was presented at the book fair in Frankfurt. After the parliamentary elections, the Kharkov’s publishing house «Folio» translated and published the book in Russian. Later, after the beginning of the process connected with the Donetsk deputy and businessman Evgen Scherban’s murder in 1996,
describes his impressions. «On December 23rd, 2011, the «Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung» newspaper quoted Nina Karpacheva, the Ombudsmen, elected by the Ukrainian parliament and the Verkhovna Rada: «The building stinks so much, that after every visit to Lukyanovo I have to give my cloths to the dry cleaners». The cell of Tymoshenko has a single toilet; the refrigerator and the bed of the second prisoner are on the left. We walk down the corridor and then go through one metal gate after the other. The smell is really quite intense. It is similar to that one, you can perceive in our farms after the emptying of containers of
According to their declarations, at least 400 of 450 deputies of the Verkhovna Rada have seven-digit numbers on their accounts ascribed to Tymoshenko, Shuman added another chapter, devoted to this case, and then published its updated edition. Moreover, three other publishing houses took interest in it, in U.K, Ireland and Canada, where it’s already been published or it’s planned to be published. The book counts 235 pages, half of which are filled with photos, and begins with the description of Lukyanovo IIW and the cell, where Tymoshenko was kept. Shuman
restaurant separators for fat cleaning… Furniture, chamber’s walls and even sits for toilet pans are of an innocent white color. The toilet was repaired much later than everything else; the tile slab is decorated with elements of fashionable ochre; doors are made of solid wood, like the doors of my hotel room. I ask my companion to close the door of the cell from outside, because there is no handle inside – only
In summer, these media paid great attention to the updated edition of the book by the German journalist Franc Shuman «Crook. Gas princess. Espionage, love and corruption» photos was kept. His bodyguard, who was bribed by the criminals, later confessed that they were interested not with money, but with the photos». Interviews with more than twenty heroes lay at the basis of the book, including the interview with Deputy Prosecutor General Renat Kuzmin, the son of the dead businessman Evgen Scherban Ruslan, the «Ukrzaliznytsia» hospital’s chief doctor Mikhail Afanasyev and others. The second chapter describes his meeting with Ruslan Scherban, who went to meet the author with four bodyguards. «Ruslan first left for Russia, then went to France and then fled to Italy. He has been running for seven years before coming back to Ukraine in 2003 to attend the
the United States, where he had a real estate and production site… Only later it was found out that his competitors systematically tried to push him off from all these spheres and that happened to his entire family… That would be shown by further investigations, henceforth more intensively conducted. Anyway, he calmed down only when Lazarenko was arrested and charged in the USA. After that, Ruslan came back to Ukraine», the German journalist writes. And he quotes Ruslan Scherban: «I’m convinced that Lazarenko, who was PrimeMinister in 1996, ordered to kill my father, and that was financed by Tymoshenko. Everything was run by Lazarenko’s assistant, the businessman Petro Kirychenko».
www.thekievtimes.ua
POLITICS
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Photo UNIAN
WHY DOES EUROPE NEED TYMOSHENKO RELEASED? The first Ukrainian Commissioner for Human Rights (ombudsman) Nina Karpacheva, who held this position between 1998-2012, addressed President Viktor Yanukovych with an official submission on August 5, 2013, where she asked him as the President of Ukraine to restore Yulia Tymoshenko’s rights to freedom and herewith to execute the European Court on Human Rights (ECHR)’ judgment passed under results of consideration of the case «Tymoshenko versus Ukraine» dated April 30, 2013. We would like to remind that on July 31, 2013 this judgment became final and entered into force by Yevhenii Morin
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ina Karpacheva also reminded that «immediately after Yulia Tymoshenko’s arrest in 2011, she officially addressed Pecherkyi District court’s judge Rodion Kireiev with the suggestion to reconsider the decision of this arrest, which couldn’t even be appealed before the appellate court, but she got a negative response. «The procedural violations mentioned
the Protection of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms and the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to display a good political will and to take all possible measures, including pardoning, for the immediate execution of the judgment of the European Court on Human Rights and the restoration of Yulia Tymoshenko’s violated rights, her releasing from serving penalty,
A legitimate question to Ms. Former ombudsman arises: how can it be combined with the Ukrainian law? in my application to judge Rodion Kireiev were later analyzed and reflected in the European Court on Human Rights’ judgment», the first Ukrainian ombudsman added. Karpacheva asserts that «... all possible violations, typical of the Ukrainian justice and law-enforcement system, were summed up in Yulia Tymoshenko’s case. They include an uninterrupted daily hearing of the case and deprivation of any possibly effective legal defense; the choice of an illegal arrest as a measure of restraint; interrogations in the cell of Kiev SIZO (pre-trial detention center), as a display of inhuman treatment; the conduction of «Assize Court» (final court) hearings on December 7-8, 2011 in her cell, with simultaneous rendering of medical assistance to the defendant; a 24 hours videosurveillance through hidden cameras by male officers and the illegal distribution of such videomaterial in the Internet aimed at her discrediting; and, finally, the use of violence against Yulia Tymoshenko and her beating on April 20, 2012 by the officers of the penitentiary service, during her forced transportation from Kachanovka correctional colony at night, the consequences of which were fixed personally by me». Nina Karpacheva thinks that only «the unconditional execution of the judgment of the European Court on Human Rights and Yulia Tymoshenko’s release will demonstrate the clear position of the leadership of the country in terms of irreversibility of an Ukraine approximation to the international standards of observance of human rights and freedoms. The illegal imprisonment of the former Prime Minister of Ukraine tarnishes the started longawaited reforms and remains one of the key problems in relation to the European Union, an unsurpassable barrier for Ukraine European integration. Yulia Tymoshenko’s release will mean refusal of any selective justice, and consolidation of the rule of law in the Ukrainian applicable practice of the Right, for the country and the world». Nina Karpacheva defined her main request to Viktor Yanukovych: «I address you as guarantor of the observance of human rights and freedoms in Ukraine and, finally, as a wise man, with a request: on the basis of the Ukraine Constitution, and the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine (entered into force in 2012), as well as referring to the Convention for
and ensuring a possibility to get her necessary medical treatments abroad». A legitimate question arises, to Ms. former ombudsman: how can it be combined with the Ukrainian law? Tymoshenko has either to plead guilty and ask the President of Ukraine for pardoning, the way Yuriy Lutsenko and his wife did, or to wait for a positive decision of the Ukrainian courts – which may never happen, because the evidentiary basis gathered by Tymoshenko’s defense team may be insufficient. Well, Nina
applied in respect of Ukraine and now nobody knows how it must be performed in Ukraine. Far not all politicians in Europe and even in Germany consider Tymoshenko being «a prisoner of conscience» and victim of the regime. Thus, newspaper «Berliner Tageszeitung/Berliner Tageblatt» informs in the article «Tymoshenko and BYUT Put on Deceitful Jackets of Regime Martyrs» that all PR of YuVT and her party in Europe was paid via the accounts of off-shore firms, behind which Grygoriy Nemyria stood. (See the story of scandal «NemyriaLeaks»). On this background, it seems rather scandalous, the following information, that (I’m citing): «Editorial stuff learned that neither Yulia Tymoshenko nor her BYUT party paid a single euro for her treatment in the Berlin clinic Charité by this time»! Moreover, that every German citizen has to pay taxes for federal clinic from his/her income». So why do German politicians, and Bundes Chancellor Merkel herself, support Yulia Tymoshenko’s release? The
Far not all politicians in Europe and even in Germany consider Tymoshenko being «a prisoner of conscience» and victim of the regime Karpacheva, as a well-informed about the European human rights institutions person, did everything right: she conveyed all her requests to all the Ukrainian authorities in 2010-2012 and keeps doing it now. As mass media earlier informed, the judgment of the European Court on Human Rights, dated April 30, 2013, and that acquired the status of final judgment on July 31, created a new juridical situation for Yulia Tymoshenko’s case. Her defense attorneys believe so, including Sergei Vlasenko. As her personal website informs, Yulia Tymoshenko addressed the Supreme Court of Ukraine through her defense attorneys with a new application – regarding reconsideration and cancellation of the sentence in the so called «gas case» based on the judgment of the ECHR, dated April 30, 2013. The mentioned application was registered at the Higher Specialized Court for Civil and Criminal Cases on August 1. According to the Law on Judiciary, now the Higher Specialized Court should determine the possibility of considering such an application by the Supreme Court, having 15 days for deciding on the issue. As Tymoshenko’s defense attorneys think, if the judgment of the European Court on Human Rights should not be executed, Yulia Tymoshenko’s defense team reserves a right to address the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, controlling the execution of the European Court’s judgments in compliance with Article 46 of the European Convention on Human Rights. According to paragraphs 4, 5 of the given article, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has the right and power to submit to the state a list of measures, compulsory for execution in a specific judgment. However, this procedure was not
answer is simple: elections to the German parliament in autumn 2013. Merkel needs the support of all those who are maximally concerned about the protection of human rights in the whole world and democracy in the Eastern Europe! But the Berlin citizens who pay taxes for Tymoshenko’s support by financing her correspondence treatment in clinic Charité are already dissatisfied: what are we paying our euros for? Unfortunately, the legendary German pragmatic approach plays here against YuVT.
Tymoshenko is not Benazir Bhutto
Apart from that, the canon created in mass media, and so well-known to the intellectuals of the West, makes Tymoshenko’s promotion easier. It goes about Benazir Bhutto – first woman and twice Prime Minister of Pakistan who was killed by local terrorists in December 2007. By the way, she also liked to pose in white for pictures very much. We’d like to remind of some moments of her biography. We will underline the most amusing moments drawing her closer to Tymoshenko. Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (19881990, 1993-1996), leader of the Pakistani People’s Party Benazir Bhutto was born on June 21, 1953 in Karachi, in the family of the influential politician and rich landowner Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, President (1971-1973) and Prime Minister (1973-1977) of Pakistan. She attended a Christian missionary school. She got her higher education at Radcliffe College at Harvard University in the USA, as well as at Oxford University in Great Britain, where she was the president of students’ discussion community Oxford
Union. In June 1977, after 7-year studies abroad, she returned to Pakistan. Benazir Bhutto started her political carrier as her father’s assistant, who was Prime Minister of Pakistan at that time. After the military coup of general Zia-ul-Haq in July 1977 Zulfiqar and Benazir Bhutto were arrested. In 1979 the former Prime Minister was executed, and Benazir spent several years in prison and under house arrest. In 1984 she and her mother were permitted to go abroad for treatments. Living in exile in London, Bhutto became the leader of the Pakistani People’s Party (PPP) that was founded by her father. In 1986, after the military government was cancelled, Bhutto returned to Pakistan and got involved into political struggle. In 1987 she married the politician and entrepreneur Asif Ali Zardari. After general Zia-ul-Haq death in a plane crash in August 1988, parliamentary elections were held in the country in November. The Pakistani People’s Party won the elections. On December 1, 1988 Benazir Bhutto was appointed Prime Minister of Pakistan, becoming the first woman-head of government in an Islamic state, and the youngest Prime Minister in the history of Pakistan. In 1990 the Pakistan president accused Bhutto’s government of corruption and removed the Prime Minister from her position, having appointed new elections, which led to PPP’s defeat. Bhutto managed to escape prosecution, but her husband Zardari spent 2 years in prison. In 1993 the PPP won again the elections and Bhutto assumed
the position of Prime Minister of Pakistan. The Second Bhutto’s government was in charge until 1996, then it was resigned. Zardari was arrested again and the former Prime Minister herself had to deal with several charges of corruption. At the beginning of 1998 Bhutto, her husband and mother were officially charged with corruption and their accounts in the British and Swiss banks were frozen. In 1999 Bhutto left Pakistan. The former Prime Minister of Pakistan spent the biggest part of her forced emigration in Great Britain and UAE. On October 18, 2007 Benazir Bhutto returned to her motherland, after eight years of forced exile. During the welcoming cortege, there were two blasts in a mob of her followers. 140 persons died, over 500 persons were wounded. Bhutto herself escaped injury. She declared her intention to run in the general parliamentary elections in January 2008 and to struggle for the position of Prime Minister. On December 27, 2007 Benazir Bhutto was killed during a preelection rally in Rawalpindi city. A 15-year-old suicide bomber started shooting the automobile, in which Bhutto was welcoming her followers and then detonated himself. During this terroristic act, Benazir (on her way to the hospital) and another 26 persons died, and nearly 100 persons were wounded. This is the canon that has already been written for the politician by mass media in Europe! Interestingly, will it be implemented in respect of Tymoshenko?
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MEDIA REVIEW
THE KIEV TIMES | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013
UKRAINIAN SUMMER IN WESTERN MASS-MEDIA Ukraine, and its socio-political landscape, as discussed by foreign journalists, has remained much the same over the past few years. As early as 2011, Western media were reporting on the evolution or decline of Ukrainian democracy, Yulia Tymoshenko’s imprisonment, Femen activist activity, trials, police corruption, and sex-tourism. Have any new priorities, topics, or tendencies appeared? How has Ukraine been represented in the Western press in the last few summer months? How does an international reader view our country? by Alisa Bielec
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hat are the political implications of the summer events in Ukraine, as seen through the lens of the Western media? Vradievka In the middle of June a small Ukrainian provincial town, Vradievka, became the center of attention for such important and influential news agencies as Reuters, Associated Press (AP), Russia Today (RT), Agence France-Presse (AFP), and Austrian Broadcasting (ORF). Such close media scrutiny was prompted by the brutal gang rape and attempted murder of Iryna Krashkova. For the crime two policemen were detained, who, as it became known later, have been terrorizing the villagers for the last decade, enjoying their impunity. At the same time, the AP remarked that government officers’ corruption had noticeably increased in the 3 years since Viktor Yanukovych came to power. By pointing out that the assault happened at a time when the European Union is pressing Ukraine to stamp out corruption, the French information agency AFP emphasizes the connection between the events in Vradievka and both EU integration and Tymoshenko's imprisonment. Thus, the events around the crime and a number of nationwide protests were considered in three contexts: as barriers to European integration, as oppositional activity in Ukraine, and in the context of the current government’s corruption. Femen The next topic – the provocative actions of the activist protest group Femen – is one of the well-known topics in the media, both in Ukraine and abroad. Along with the descriptions of their protests, whose photogenic images always draw increased attention, there were also critical remarks on their methods and the well-calculated character of their public appearances. New debates sparked out from the public presentation of a new French stamp on the 14th of July. The image on the stamp, Marianne, the national symbol of France, was modeled after Ukrainian Femen activist Inna Shevchenko. The reaction of the right-wing Christian Democratic
trade with Ukraine. The authors of the news about «the chocolate war» reminded his readers that, in the past, Russia often used food quality issues as a means to exert pressure on its regional opponents during various political debates.
Party of France, calling for the boycott of the stamp, brought on by the bare-chested radical feminist, was mentioned by the major information agencies, including Agence France Presse (AFP), Reuters, United Press International (UPI) and Associated Press (AP). A couple of days after the issue of the stamp, Inna Shevchenko caused another wave of anger – now not only among the religious and political forces, but also among a number of nongovernmental organizations and civic activists. The reason for the public outrage was Shevchenko’s previous twitter comment: «What can be more stupid than Ramadan? What can be uglier than this religion?» [sic]
in a phone interview to The New York Times, «More and more we become resembling Russia and Belarus». In this statement she rather unambiguously compared the events in Ukraine with the unacceptable, in her opinion, Russian politics. AFP abstained from any comments on these claims about abduction and beating; however in the news titles the word «abducted» appeared between quotation marks. Roshen During the first half of August, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, in which Russia declared a boycott of Roshen – the biggest confectionery producer in Ukraine – came to the
The choice In Western news, the tension continues to grow, since Ukraine has to define its political allies. The evidence for this is an abundance of research, presenting the benefits of the alliance with the EU. As a reminder, according to BBC, «Russia's disappointing decision to grant Mr. Snowden temporary asylum», as well as «a lack of progress on the issues ranging from missile defense to
The Information agency France 24 said that the activist practices systematic abuse of religious people, which contradicts the principles of the French civic society. The news review of the influential international information agency The Associated Press, mentioned several issues, related to the deliberate focus of the group to provoke and draw attention to themselves in front of onlooking journalists rather than highlighting the human rights concerns. The beating of the «sextremist» Femen activist, Anna Gutsol, and alleged beating of three other activists and their photographer in Kiev, right before the celebration of the 1025th anniversary of the Kiev Rus’ Christening were described by the group itself as a display of Russian aggression, in cooperation with the Security Service of Ukraine. «This is not possible in a normal, democratic country», Gutsol said
Western media foreground. This embargo served as a trigger for the unanimous condemnation of Russian economic blackmail and an increased number of articles in favor of the integration of Ukraine into the EU. Thus, American and European information resources considered the recent events in Ukraine in the context of the future geopolitical choice of Ukraine. BBC, Transitions Online (TOL), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Russia Today (RT), The Atlantic and others, wrote about the political motives lying behind the Rospotrebnadzor’s (the Russian equivalent of FDA) decision. Among the reasons for this economic boycott, the Western press named Russian discontent with Ukraine’s efforts towards EU membership, the increase of the Ukraine import car tax, the politically meaningless visit of Vladimir Putin to Ukraine for the Kiev Rus’ Christening ceremonies, and also the Russian dissatisfaction for the gas and oil
human rights» has caused Barack Obama to cancel his visit to Moscow. Against such a background, the Ukrainian choice in favor of European integration is presented by foreign media as a choice in favor of democracy and its orientation to the West. In recent articles, Reuters’ correspondent Richard Balmforth, a contributing writer of the New York Times, Judy Dempsey, and AFP news service, in addition to the advantages of the EU, also mentioned that Ukraine has been repeatedly playing on two fronts, since when Mr. Yanukovych became president, in 2010, its ultimate goal being to extract concessions from both – by forming closer ties with the EU and also remaining on good terms with Moscow. Specifically, Dempsey quotes the results of a survey, conducted on May 2013 by the Public Opinion and Market Research Company Baltic Surveys/The Gallup Organization, on behalf
of the International Republican Institute. The survey collected answers from 1.200 permanent residents of Ukraine, from different cities and towns all around the country, regardless to their population’s amount. The participants in this survey were aged 18 and older, and eligible to vote. 40% of the respondents supported the international union with the EU countries, and 37% thought it would be more beneficial for Ukraine to join the Customs Union with Russia. It should be noted that to the next question of the survey «What did you hear about the Association Agreement?» 25% answered «nothing», and 53% said they «had heard something». Around the same time, another survey appeared in press. It was conducted by the Public Opinion Research Institute IFAK in July 2013, commissioned by the information resource Deutsche Welle (DW), which published the results on its website last week, on the 8th of August. This time, one thousand people aged from 18 to 65, residing in settlements with more than 50 thousand people, were interviewed. Among them, 55% are «in favor of» EU integration and 26% are «against». To the question about possible ties with the Russian Customs Union, 40% said they would vote «for it» and for 38% it is «not their choice». Despite the fact that these two surveys used different methods of research and criteria for the respondents’ selection, their results show that most of the consulted lean towards European integration as the best political option for Ukraine. Western media mentioned also the main conditions that Ukraine must fulfill in order to join the EU, through different articles and news reports. Among many others, Reuters reported Brussels’s criticism about protectionism in Ukraine, the unresolved issue of the foreign trade deficit, as well as the persecution of political opponents. Yulia Tymoshenko’s imprisonment has always been presented in foreign press as a symbol of «selective justice». As is known, Ukraine in its attempt to overcome its foreign trade deficit decided to introduce new trade barriers for several goods, including cars and coke (the fuel used in steel production) as well as to raise the price of hundreds of other items. As it was mentioned above, the increased car import tariffs, according to Western information resources, is one of the reasons of the so-called «Russian chocolate war».
by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in Volyn and eastern Galicia, and the murder of around 20.000 Ukrainians between 1943 and 1944. Apart from these numbers, the article aims at explaining the complexity of the relations between the two peoples in the interwar period. Readers learn about the Polish economic and political repressions against Ukrainians until 1935, which stirred Ukrainian communists and nationalists to call for an ethnic cleansing of Poles from the Volyn region. The event was later called the Volyn massacre. The article notes that some steps have been made towards the two countries reconciliation; however more time is needed to overcome these historical matters. «But time is limited», states the article, «Ukraine still hopes to sign an Association Agreement with the EU this November». Some deterioration in the Ukrainian-Polish relations is also discussed in the article. Sluggish Ukrainian progress in «implementing pro-European reforms» and negligence of Ukrainian authorities in protecting Polish firms from corporate raiding were two of the main obstacles to any meaningful resolution between the two countries.
Ukrainian-Polish relations Apart from the ideological and trade wars ahead of the possible agreement with the European parliament, the topic of Ukrainian nationalism appeared in Western press twice – in the context of the Volyn massacre and in connection with the presence of Nazicriminals on American territory. However, a few references to the EU were scattered across the materials. In the middle of July the influential business journal The Economist published an article about Polish-Ukrainian relations, which received a lot of attention and sparked out a number of heated discussions. Its title was Tragic Massacre in Volyn Remembered. The topic referred to the visit of the Polish president Bronisław Komorowski to Lutsk (Ukraine) for the 70th anniversary of the Volyn tragedy, which was differently interpreted by the two countries. The article informs its readers about the massacre of up to 100.000 Poles
worldwide sources, saw images of Ukrainians in SS-uniforms, under the provocative title: «traitors or heroes». An analysis of the main Western articles, reports, surveys, and researches of the last two months brought into focus certain reporting tendencies. One of these tendencies is to report on a constant deterioration of the relationships between Ukraine and its neighbors – Russia, Poland, and the EU countries – and, at the same time, to emphasize the optimistic hope of the West that Ukraine will change soon. Often, events in Ukraine are presented by the Western press in this particular ideological frame. Again and again Western media write about the «last chance» for Ukraine to define its political identity and allegiances. The idea that Ukraine is hindered by a lack of political will or is at the stage of a so-called «young incipient democracy» is eye-catching, but does not go far enough in addressing the economic complexity of the situation.
Nationalism Another discussion concerning Ukrainian nationalism broke out after the sensational investigation of the international information agency Associated Press (AP) about an Ukrainian, Michael Karkoc, who participated in the murder of some civilians, as part of the SS-led Ukrainian Self Defense Legion and later of the SS Galician Division, during the Second World War, and then migrated to the USA. The AP investigation led to several other publications about former Nazi criminals who found asylum in the States and for years could not be returned to their original countries. The reason is that every single European country, including Ukraine, refuses accepting people with Nazi past. However, the most controversial article on this topic was a report about Ukrainian nationalists, with the images of swastikas, celebrating the anniversary of the SS Galician Division establishment. This event took place on the 21st of July, not far from the village Chervone (Lvovska Oblast). The English-speaking readers of The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, NBC, Star Tribune, Dailymail, ABC News, Fox News, The Bellingham Herald, The Charlotte Observer and other
www.thekievtimes.ua
UKRAINE/SOCIETY
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ORTHODOXY IN BIG POLITICS The Orthodox Church was stably trusted by people for centuries. The reason of this trust is most likely not the Church’s piety and not even some spiritual requirements of citizens, but rather distrust towards political institutions. But to what extent the Orthodox Church is really separated from the State, as it must be according to the Constitution, and does not depend on the processes that take place in power elites of Ukraine and Russia? by Matvey Levin
Photo UNIAN
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hat is political Orthodoxy? Can Orthodoxy, in principle, be non-political? History offers many evidences of this interaction between power and religion. Unlike its western sister, the Orthodox Church has lost its independence long ago, and for many centuries depends on the will of secular princes. Political Orthodoxy, which is currently talked over a lot in the church circles, represents some kind of organizations, semiprofile formations, often taking the form of communities, ardently lobbying non-standard ideas, inside the church environment. Such ideas are intended to change society and state with the help of church. The official church openly dissociates itself from them, and recalls those hyperactive believers to humility and obedience. Among them there are defenders of monarchical ideas, who hang out posters with Nicholas II and inscriptions like «Forgive us, Lord!» along the roads; there are followers of pastoral traditions and originality; pseudo-Cossacks, who award each other with imaginary rewards; crazy fighters against the JudeoMasonic conspiracy theory, waiting for the Antichrist coming from day to day, and recognizing him in anybody – from Zuckerberg to Yulia Tymoshenko. All these groups are marginal and naturally funny, but they don’t politicize Orthodoxy, and it is not their fault if actually the Church has turned to one of the Ministers who are pursuing strictly political purposes. Church Authority and Church Opposition The Church Split is a Ukrainian trouble. That’s what the hierarchs of both conflicting sides – Moscow and Kiev Patriarchies of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – affirm. However, secular people stick to a different point of view.
today. Recently, many of our compatriots – recalling the words of the old good writer Leonyd Kuchma «Ukraine is not Russia» affirm that Viktor Yanukovych is so scared by the Maydan-2004 that he will not dare to restrict the legal field by any by-law. However, reality impresses by its new «can’t be true» events, and it seems quite reasonable to look closely to the activity of the ROC (Russian Orthodox Church), whose branch is the most influential on today’s Ukrainian Church. The most influential Church of Ukraine – the UOC MP (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchy), headed by the old and
Both Patriarch Kirill and Putin want a United Orthodox Empire, with a sole governor at the head. What place in this system can be taken by Yanukovych? Watching a clericalization that is getting faster in our neighbor Russia, where civil rights are cut at the expense of believers’ rights, secular people and, moreover, atheists can be happy of the fact that the largest Ukrainian Churches are busy with quarrels and are not able to properly concentrate on the conversion of all the country’s residents into their flock. Some experts affirm that the situation in Ukraine simply cannot become the same as in Russia, because of the mentality differences between Ukrainians and Russians; and the relations of Ukrainian priests with their
very sick Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan), is not an integral structure, too, being conditionally divided into two parties, one of which – the Russophile – includes, for instance, Donetsk’s Metropolitan Illaryon and Odessa’s Metropolitan Agaphangel. This party defends the «Russian World», the famous concept of Patriarch Kirill. One of the main tasks of the conditional Russian block is the inner-church work, directed to the restriction of the UOC MP Autocephalous rights and freedoms, and to the refusal of any contacts of its hierarchy with the «dissenters» of the Kiev Patriarchy.
The Church Split is a Ukrainian trouble. That’s what the hierarchs of both conflicting sides – Moscow and Kiev Patriarchies of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – affirm flock were slightly different and provincially simpler. Russian religiousness was traditionally different from the Ukrainian one, because of the presence of some messianic idea (where Moscow – the Third Rome – is considered the last true faith bulwark), its mystic constituent (there were much more saints, ascetics, old monks, as well as God’s fools, hysteric men and false messiahs on the territory of Russia) and inextricable connection with the authority, whose decisions (whether by a monarch or a SG) determined the appointment of Church bishops. I’d like to remember that only three years ago most of us didn’t believe that Yanukovych was able to stand for such rough measures, as we can see
But, during the last celebration of Rus’ Christening – one of the main political events of the year – the Metropolitan Volodymyr had a public meeting with the head of these «dissenters» – the Patriarch Philaret (Denysenko). The heads of the conflicting churches exchanged kisses and cheers under the clicks of the cameras and that was taken by many people as a threat to Patriarch Kirill from the «Ukrainian party» UOC MP: if you continue offending our rights, a split will be overpassed. It is not hard to suppose, what the result of the unification of the two Ukrainian Churches could be for Patriarch Kirill, especially if it’s going to happen not at his conditions: the entire Orthodox Church of Ukraine would be de
facto – and soon also de jure – out of his control. The matter is that the UOC KP – although not the most influential, but the most multiple church in Ukraine – in merging the Kiev Patriarchy, will assimilate the one of Moscow. And considering the fact that even in the UOC MP the so called «Ukrainophile party» is quite large, only small groups of those «political Orthodox» and, in fact, city madmen in self-sewed military uniforms, today disowned by the Church, will stay under the influence of Patriarch Kirill. In case of such merging, the recognition of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as an independent structure and the creation of the Manorial Church will become more real. Don’t forget that Ukraine is the largest orthodox country of Europe and the lack of any own Manorial Church on the territory of such country is a pure misunderstanding. Thus, the deal between authority and opposition in the Orthodox Church is quite strange: the authority represents a minority that is actively supported by the Presidents of the two countries – both Viktor Yanukovych and Vladimir Putin.
The Third Way Relations between Russia and Ukraine today are as far from any positive assessments as the authority representative’s actions are far from the Commandments of God. And the Moscow Patriarchy interests are the little tie that binds Viktor Yanukovych to his Moscow colleagues. Nobody
a harmonious church and state conception. Patriarch Kirill and Vladimir Putin actually talked about this; the only difference is that Putin calls the Holy Rus’ – in his own way – the USSR or the Customs Union. But this doesn’t change the essence: both Patriarch Kirill and Putin want a United Orthodox Empire, with a sole governor at the head. What place in this system can be taken by Yanukovych? Perhaps, that one, taken by Metropolitan Volodymyr – to be a deputy, predictable and controllable. And, most likely, Yanukovych does not really like such perspective. Within such system, the Orthodoxy, even without a too large flock (like it happens today in Russia), becomes, actually, a very comfortable ideological platform for a state with a centuries-developed system of argumentation, called to justify any actions of its authorities – both in domestic and foreign policy. To let the reader clearly imagine the scale of this Russian orthodox field, I’d merely say that not only Nicolas II, who was called the Bloody, was canonized, but also Ivan the Terrible, who wasn’t officially recognized as the saint, but was reckoned as the saint in many canonic books, and the date of his relics discovery falls on June, the 10th. There is an entire movement within Russian political Orthodoxy. This movement considers as the object of its existence to persuade the hierarchs that the Terrible is in fact a saint. Yes, it is extensively a marginal movement; however,
the nations of a rotten West, a mansion of Sodom sinners and «hypertrophied rights», where the World Government is in power and controls its population with the help of biometric passports and genetically modified food. Such picture of the world seems absolutely paranoid to us, provoking laugh and sympathy, but such views are becoming more and more popular within the church believers, who not only gladly take part in religious processions, but also actively disperse gay-parades. The orthodox ideology is also comfortable for the authorities, because the Civil Community, such as it is depicted in the political science books and so actively defended by the American charitable funds, is absolutely impossible in an orthodox state, since it is a form of self-will. Everything requires the blessing of a confessor or at least an official. To do something by oneself, to support the civil rights or to attempt improving society, to structure social activity around oneself – this is an ideal of citizens’ self-organization according to the western pattern, absolutely redundant and inadmissible for an orthodox conscience. Disobedience, pride and self-will – that’s what are true attempts to build a civil society, in the eyes of the Orthodox Church bishops. Actually, there is no non-political orthodoxy today. This is big politics, politics in the true sense of this word. Since it is a matter is, first of all, not of money, but of power over the
There is no non-political orthodoxy today. This is a big politics, politics in the true sense of this word. Since it is a matter first of all, not of money, but of power over the minds of millions of people knows for sure, what are the real reasons of Viktor Yanukovych’s support to the «Russian party» in the UOC MP; however, there are reasons to consider that they are absolutely irrational. Many people from the President’s environment say that Viktor Yanukovych still keeps in his heart the image of his spiritual father – the very old monk Zosima, who was an active representative of the Political Orthodoxy, and fought for the eternal union of the triune Slavonic nation and called to the revival of the Holy Rus’. They say he was a charismatic person and that he inclined many Donetsk officials to the «Russian World» before its formation into
it has high protectors. And, besides that, recently the Cossacks were funny marginals, and now these people, invested with power and weapons – on behalf of the church authorities watching the believers’ rights respect – stop their propaganda of homosexuality (whatever that means) and sow fear in the defenseless national’s souls. It is also comfortable that Ideological Orthodoxy traditionally divides the world into friends and aliens, where friends are us – a triune orthodox nation that lives according to the Gospel covenants, the last bulwark of morality and commons sense; and aliens are
minds of millions of people. Yes, it will finally bring to figures and accounts, amount of parishes, donations, rites; to the sale of jewelry in the temples, to tax and custom privileges and free distribution of land. The entire church activity is very simply monetized. But this is a banal accountant routine (although it allows the priests to drive Lexuses and wear watches of a half a million price). Today the purpose of the Church’s activity lies in embodying a big geopolitical dream that will spread all over the territory of Europe and Asia, crowned by golden domes. A dream that will be poor, but very obedient.
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UKRAINE/NATIONAL POLITICS
THE KIEV TIMES | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013
REDUCTION OF HISTORY PERFORMED BY CRIMEANTATAR MAJLIS Photo UNIAN
The Crimean-Tatar case is a «long-playing record» of the Ukrainian politics. And it’s a matter not of the case itself but of the way of its discussion: a priori it does not have any solution, because those who provoke its discussion don’t aim at the achievement of Crimean stability by Vladislav Gulevich
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o matter what concessions the Ukrainian authorities would make to the Crimean-Tatar leaders, new claims will appear again and again, as well as some other occasion for discontent. It’s a never-ending epic. The United States, Europe and Turkey have been supporting this case for several decades not to hourly throw it overboard. And huge financial resources have been brought to this project not to roll up and forget about everything tomorrow. The wide-spread thesis about the fact that the Crimea is the Crimean Tatars’ homeland is not actually reliable. In XIII century, Crimea was conquered by Mongols and became a possession of the Golden Horde. Just during the Horde period, on the peninsula several noble families appeared, which later formed the Crimean-Tatar aristocracy. Approximately in the same period – in XIII century – the ethnonym «Tatars» appeared. By the name «Tatars» were called all the Turkic population of the peninsula, of a mixed character, consisting of issues of the Tauri, Scythians, Sarmatians, Bulgars, Khazars, Greeks, Pechenegs and Cumans. Later, as a result of the Golden Horde break-up in 1441, the Crimean Khanate was formed. In 1475, some part of the peninsula passed from the hands
of the Genoese and the Greek principality of Theodoro to the hands of the Ottoman Empire. This capture became the reference point for a cardinal change in the cultural image of the peninsula. If the Crimea was formerly a center of the Christian culture (according to one of the versions, Prince Volodymyr was baptized in the Chersonese; and by the year 1212, seven cloisters were built around Sudak), then – with the Turks’ arrival – the islamization
chose the thesis of the CrimeanTatar people’s genocide. This is convenient and advantageous: one always owes something to those who are offended, both financially and morally. There is a wide field open to verbal manipulations and fleecing. A new notion of justice is created acquiring ethnic shade. From now on, the leaders of the nation exposed to genocide, decide what is fair and what is not. They determine limits and volume of this justice.
In 1475, some part of the peninsula passed from the hands of the Genoese and the Greek principality of Theodoro to the hands of the Ottoman Empire of the peninsula began. By the end of the XVII century almost the whole non-Turkic population of the peninsula was assimilated, gaining the composition of a young Crimean-Tatar nation. That’s why the Crimea was, first of all, one of the Christianity cradles, falling under the pressure of an aggressive Islamization. That’s why any statements saying that the only indigenous people of the peninsula are the Crimean Tatars, are too biased and historically unaware of the local appearance of the Crimean-Tatar nation, which was not peaceful at all. As their main method of «ideological struggle», the Majlis
But, first of all, genocide in relation to a definite nation implies the aspiration for its total destruction by those who organized that genocide. But from their exile in Central Asia, the Crimean Tatars coming back were more than those who left. And how can this be called a genocide, when victims show an increased fertility? Can you imagine such genocide in relation to the Jews, if they, being pursued by the Nazis, had continue to expand? Besides that, the Crimean Tatars deportation was not an extraordinary accident in those times. The US and Canada authorities, fearing that
their own citizens of Japanese origin could cooperate with the Japanese secret service, deported more than a hundred thousand of Northern Americans and Canadians having even the slightest dash of Japanese blood. Those, who had just 1/8 of such dash, were subjected to deportation! Japanese – US/ Canada citizens were forbidden to possess radio sets, boats, weapon and many other items with any double function. American newspapers compared their local Japanese people to vipers and called to get rid of them. But no Japanese soldiers step onto the American land! What did the Soviet authority have to do under the hardest conditions of the German offensive in the Crimea, and the Crimean Tatars’ mass deportation by the Wehrmacht? The CrimeanTatar people experienced so many sufferings and trials during their deportation, embracing even the families of those who were fighting in the Red Army. But those who were destroyed by the Wehrmacht Crimean-Tatar battalions knew the same trials. Like, for example, the residents of the Greek village Laki, called the «Crimean Khatyn». The Crimean-Tatar Majlis categorically opposes any recognition by Kiev of the 1915 genocide of the Armenians,
otherwise threatening mass protests. What is the reason for such selectivity against the incessant mottos about the Crimean Tatars’ genocide? The matter is that the Crimean Tatars, resettled after the Crimea annexation by Russia to the Ottoman Empire, were joining the Turkish army irregular troops, and were used by the Turks for the suppression of any national liberation offensives of the indigenous people – Bulgars, Armenians and Serbs. Hristo Botev, the Bulgarian national hero, wrote about this period of Bulgarian history: «Our history, since the Turkish conquest till nowadays, is dark and sad; Bulgarian people’s life, formerly so freedom-loving, is so hard and disgusting!.. Their fetters, rusty with blood and tears, are heavy… Misdeeds, abasements, pickets, gallows, tortures, prisons… Circassians and Tatars – in short, evil, the wildest evil, that could be invented only by Asian imagination…», and called the Crimean Tatars the «Turks’ mercenary brothers». Modern author Georgi Voynov in his book «Bulgarians’ Genocide and Holocaust» writes about the «Turkish, Circassian and Tatar predatory gangs» that flooded the country: «Koprivshtitsa, Panagyurishte, Kalofer, Arbanasi
and other prosperous cities have been sacked and burnt». A concrete description of what was going on has been given in XIX century by Zahari Stoyanov, a witness of those events, in his famous «Commentaries about Bulgarian revolts»: «The picture was the most heartrending. A white-bearded old man bowed down at the feet of a predatory bashibazouk, roaring for mercy… a young mother thrown herself on a bloody knife to let her lovely child stay alive, but the cruel turban with a human figure seen under it, cut both mothers and children…». The same happened in Armenia in 1915. Today nobody claims neither for the Crimean Tatars’ participation in mass depopulation of Bulgarians and Armenians, nor for the fact that Turkey settled them in the abandoned houses of those Bulgarians, who escaped the Turkish yoke from Sliven, Yambol, Vyrvitsa to Russian Bessarabia. Any attempts to see the history only «from one angle» are unacceptable, and this is the sin of the Crimean-Tatar Majlis. Crimean-Tatar Majlis should consider that these dark pages of the Crimean Tatars’ history could be reopened, and then they will have to explain to the whole world many things, so thoroughly hidden by the Crimean-Tatar Majlis.
MODERN UNIONISM – COURSE FOR RADICALIZATION Ukraine is a civilizationally torn state. Like a healthy person doesn’t feel his skeleton, a healthy and stable empire doesn’t feel its «inter-civilizational seams». Ukraine cannot boast about its healthy political condition, and it is not a coincidence that the day of unification of two territories (Ukrainian People’s Republic and Western Ukrainian People’s Republic – UPR and WUPR) into one state was proclaimed on the day of the State holiday by Vladislav Gulevich
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his is an evident marker of a peculiar to Ukraine psychological state, namely the perception and comprehension of a state body’s «disintegration», the presence of a break between Polish-Catholic and RussianOrthodox areas, and the border between these areas is located on Ukraine territory. Western Ukraine is within the Polish-Catholic area. Here the topping religion is Greek Catholicism (Unionism). French
the contrary – mind – there is not any «Roman Orthodoxy» at all. It is no coincidence that the Pontifical Oriental Institute was functioning in Rome in 1917, and that since 1929 it was created the Pontifical Collegium Russicum, specialized in the Byzantine rite’s Catholicism. This means that it was not the Orthodoxy that strove to run out of its limits and «intrude» into the Catholic lands, but vice versa. The Uniate subject is important
The Uniate subject is important because of the fact that the Unionism has turned into a religion protecting the Ukrainian nationalistic movement geopolitician Francois Thual in his book «Orthodoxy geopolitics» absolutely fairly notes that the appearance of the Greek Catholicism in native Orthodoxy’s lands facilitates Vatican’s geopolitical tasks – to extend its ascendancy deeper into the west and undermine the Orthodox Church’s authority. Actually, even in the very term «Greek Catholicism» there is a reference to the Roman Catholicism. On
because of the fact that the Unionism has turned into a religion protecting the Ukrainian nationalistic movement. Polish historians fairly reproach the Western Ukrainian Uniate clergy in the 40s’ for the spiritual services rendered to the OUNUPA soldiers and the Ukrainian formations being parts of the S.S. troops, spiritually preparing them before their punitive actions. And this is the Greek
Catholicism, from which the Ukrainian nationalism draws «metaphysical» excuses for its deeds. But the Unionism wasn’t always a bulwark of Ukrainian nationalism. It is now hard to believe, but 150-200 years ago most of the Western Ukrainian Greek Catholics were the bearers of all-Russian self-consciousness, and actively supported the Carpathian Russian movement, proclaiming a thesis about the Russian people tri-personality (Great Russians, Little Russians and Belarusians). Several outstanding Carpathian Russian figures had Uniate priests’ dignity: Alexander Duhnovich, Vasiliy Zalozetsky, Antoniy Mogilnitsky, Vladimir Hilyak, and Tit Blonsky. They were fighting for the proscription of Polish-Austrian occupants and the returning of Galician people to their ancestors’ allRussian roots. They wrote both in Russian and local Ukrainian languages, trying to introduce their flock with Gogol’s and Pushkin’s, Turgenev’s and Tutchev’s works, and pleaded
for the purification of the Uniate riot – as far as they could – from its Catholic beddings. In those years that was a dangerous plan. The territory of Carpathian Rus’ (that’s how the Carpathian Russians called modern Western Ukraine) was divided among several conquerors: in Bukovina the Austrians and the Romanians were the masters; in Galicia – the Austrians and the Poles; in Transcarpathia – the Hungarians. The Habsburg Empire’s punitive machinery was mercilessly punishing the most active Carpathian Russian patriots (they left many memories about this), and the top of this
course for the Russians division into Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians. The author is far from wishing to critically «attack» the Ukrainian Greek Catholics but he considers it necessary drawing attention to one significant problem: Ukrainian Unionism requires some inner rehabilitation. There is not only a social radicalization in Ukraine but also a religious structure that supports this radicalization. It is not a coincidence that the motto «Bandera will come and add some order» is popular just among the Greek Catholics, and the guru of the integral Ukrainian nationalism Dmytro Dontsov
is the degree of its extreme right sentiment. The more numerous are Ukrainian ties with Russian language, culture and traditions, the smaller are its chances to finally slide down to the abyss of neo-banderism. It should be noted that none of the public organizations with Russian Orthodox views was noticed to take part in the destruction of the monuments to the World War II heroes. We cannot say the same about Ukrainian Uniate organizations. Arthur Schopenhauer said: «The cheapest pride is the national pride. Any person having great personal merits,
But the Unionism wasn’t always a bulwark of Ukrainian nationalism. It is now hard to believe, but 150-200 years ago most of the Western Ukrainian Greek Catholics were the bearers of allRussian self-consciousness, and actively supported the Carpathian Russian movement was the Thalerhof concentration camp (1914-1917), where most of the Carpathian Russian consciousness bearers died. After the Thalerhof, the Carpathian Russian conception led a dog’s life and was finally killed during the Soviet dominance, which set
invited Ukrainians to leave the Orthodox «Moscow» Faith and convert to Unionism, as an intermediate point on the way to the Roman Catholicism. A psychological nuance: the lower is the use of Russian language in Ukraine, the higher
constantly watching about his nation notices, first of all, its imperfections and tries to eliminate them». Let’s follow this wise man’s example and so not pretend, against reality, that everything is OK with our national and religious matters.
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EU/INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
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MARIJE CORNELISSEN: INFORMATION IS A WEAPON AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA Half a year ago the question about the protection of representatives’ rights provoked puzzled half-smiles in the Ukrainian authority’s representatives. As the date of the Vilnius summit approaches, Brussels not doubly makes understand that problems in the sphere of sexual minorities’ rights protection can seriously harm Kiev at the final stage of its negotiations about the signing of the agreement of Association with the EU. And the last scandal around the Sochi Olympics, which was promised to be ignored by foreign gay sportsmen, protesting against the Russian Law for the prohibition of homosexuality propaganda, confirmed it: any democratic community considers the sexual minorities’ rights as an integral part of the original human rights’ comprehension. The Netherlands deputy of the European Parliament, Marije Cornelissen, member of the political group «Green/European free alliance», in her interview to The Kiev Times, told about what would happen if Ukraine ignores the LGBT-community’s problems by Victoria Vlasenko
anybody, but only harm. Those Ukrainian politicians, who violate the LGBT rights and support the adoption of such law against the homosexuality propaganda, must realize that their actions can lead to their refusal of entry visa to the territory of the EU.
Mrs. Cornelissen, do you know the cases of LGBT-community’s discrimination in Ukraine? Yes, of course. It is still hard for lesbians, homosexuals and bisexuals to be open about their sexual orientation, in Ukraine. Often they become victims of domestic violence; it is difficult for them to find a job. I visited Kiev during the last gay-parade at the end of May and saw with my own eyes how much opposition and aversion they met from society, various hooligan groups and politicians. That’s why it is obvious that the discrimination of LGBT in Ukraine is on a very high level. Did you meet with the Ukrainian authority’s representatives during your visit to Kiev? No, I didn’t. But in Brussels I can communicate with some representatives of Ukraine’s authority, when they come in official visits; I support good contacts with Ukraine ambassadors to Netherlands and the EU. But, in my opinion, judging by the Ukrainian authority’s actions, they would feel much more comfortable if there wasn’t any LGBT in their country at all; this would make their lives much simpler and easier. Official representatives behave themselves as if there were really no sexual minorities in Ukraine. Of course, they wish to look better in the eyes of their international partners, but it is pretty hard to call them friends of the gay-community. Kiev tries to keep in balance: not irritating the feelings of religious
Can this situation about LGBT rights protection affect the signing of the Association agreement between Ukraine and the European Union? If such law should be adopted, this, undoubtedly, would affect the signing of the Association agreement. Because human rights protection is a main part of this document. And if Ukraine wishes to move towards Europe, it has to respect LGBT rights as entering the sphere of the basic human rights. How do matters stand with the LGBT-community’s rights protection in the EU member countries? How many of them have already adopted the law about unisexual marriages? The Great Britain in the near future will have such law; France has recently adopted it as well as Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, Belgium and that’s all. But in most of the EU countries the representatives of sexual minorities have the possibility to legally register their marriages are stronger on the territory of the former Soviet Union that in Western Europe? Yes, it is obvious. Besides, such demonstrations are stronger in those countries, where there is a high percent of religious people
Potential investors consider that, if a country’s authority demonstrates any aversion to sexual minorities, most likely their relation to foreign businessmen will not be too friendly or conservative people, and, at the same time, demonstrating respect to LGBT rights. But this way cannot be called an easy one, since such balance is very unsteady, and difficult to be kept. Can we affirm that demonstrations of homophobia
and a low common level of education among the population. Recently I came to know of some very interesting data from a research, which confirmed that the more tolerant is the relation to LGBT in a country, the more foreign investments it attracts. Potential investors
consider that, if a country’s authority demonstrates any aversion to sexual minorities, most likely their relation to foreign businessmen will not be too friendly. That’s a kind of an indicator. Ukraine has a reason to think about, I guess if it wants to follow the way of progress and sees its future in the EU. How, in your opinion, the situation about LGBTcommunity’s rights protection can be changed in Ukraine? Information is the main and the most powerful weapon against homophobia. Many people in Ukraine still think that homosexuality is a disease and its recognition in society will lead to a birth-rate falling, and that
Those Ukrainian politicians, who violate the LGBT rights and support the adoption of such law against the homosexuality propaganda, must realize that their actions can lead to their refusal of entry visa to the territory of the EU family, as institution, will lose its value. But that is not true. For instance, in Netherlands and some other countries of the world, homosexuality is an integral part of their society’s everyday life, where unisexual families can grow up children in a loving and caring atmosphere. Last researches in Netherlands showed that a child brought up by a homosexual couple has better progress at school, his state of health is more sound and he feels happier that his peers from heterosexual families. That’s why it is very important to explain
that representatives of sexual minorities are ordinary and normal people, who equally dream to have a family, but they wish to marry a person of the same sex. How do you evaluate the bill of law against the so called homosexuality propaganda, initiated by the Ukrainian parliament? I hope that the final adoption of this law in Ukraine will not be taken. Because it breaks more than one human right. That’s why such law adoption will be nonsense; it will not help
and living together. By the way, the law about unisexual marriages is not included into the legislation of every EU member country. – Capitals have to solve the question about the adoption of such law, by their own. But they must be ready to officially recognize any homosexual conjugal union, concluded in an EU country where it is legal. This means that if a homosexual married couple from Holland comes to get a job, for instance, in Italy, their marriage must be recognized by the local authorities.
14
HISTORY/THE 1025TH ANNIVERSARY OF RUS’ CHRISTENING
THE KIEV TIMES | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013
CHRISTIANITY: FIRST STEPS ON Under the rule of Volodymyr Svyatoslavych, our ancestors embraced a new dogma: Christian religion according to the eastern Orthodox rite that was quite corresponding to their level of historical development. After that, the Kievan Rus’ finally entered the circle of the developed states and it gave rise to the process of the Eastern Slavonic society’s further development under new civilization conditions by Alexander Motsya
he 1025th anniversary of Kievan Rus’ conversion to Christianity cannot be ignored. Let’s note that, in Europe, Christianity had been marching to victory for a long time. It took it 800 years to strengthen its prevalent position in western, central and northern parts of Europe. Here are specific figures: on the territory of modern Spain, the Western Goths converted to the new religion in VI century. That time, another German tribe was Christianized: the Franks, by the name of which a large modern country later was called – France. In VІІІ century the new religion consolidated itself on the territory of modern England and Saxony. In ІХ century the Great Moravia – one of the first Slavonic states – was Christianized as well as Bulgaria and in – Х century – Poland and Hungary. At the beginning of the ІІ millennium, Christianity was adopted by Scandinavian countries – Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (in ХІ century). In ХІІ century, Christianity reached Pomerania and, through Obodrite, the Western Slavonic tribal union (which at that time settled on the territory of modern Germany), then it moved to Prussia and – in ХІІІ century – to the Eastern Baltic’s lands. This expansion didn’t pass by the Eastern Slavs. According to the common annalistic version, Kiev’s Christening took place in 988. And after that, the new faith spread «through towns and villages» of Rus’. Its introduction was a natural act, conditioned by the historical development of the Eastern Slavonic society. And it had been preceded only by the so called paganism, with its centuries-old traditions. Problems in the analysis of Eastern Slavs’ Christianization Scholars and researchers of this global spiritual phenomenon only exceptionally can rely upon written sources. That’s why they have to somewhat notionally interpret historical issues and this is the often reason of discrepant judgments appearance. For instance, the disputes about who of the Old Russian Princes was christened under the rule of Photios, patriarch of Constantinople; the presence in «The Primary Chronicle» of at least three versions about the christening place of the Great Prince of Kiev Volodymyr Svyatoslavych – the Rus’ capital, Vasilev (modern Vasilkov, in Kiev region), the medieval Korsun (the ancient Chersonese, in the outskirts of modern Sevastopol); some gossips about the year of the abovementioned Prince’s christening and the official introduction of Christianity in Rus’, in its eastern (Orthodox) version. Examining the role played by the Christian Church in the Kievan Rus’, it must be considered an important detail: the whole matter is not, first of all, about religion in general and its role in the medieval society’s progressive development, but substantially about its ideology. The religious «veil» could hide the destruction of old illusions about the world outlook, the accumulation of new «moments of truth», and a significant shift in spiritual orientation. Strictly speaking, the everyday life of any nation was going by through this religious ideology, including the Eastern Slavonic people’s life. Nowadays, complex applications of written, ethnographic and archeological sources allow scholars to set up new hypotheses, check them back from different points of view and put forward innovative ideas. The Kiev Christening in 988 virtually meant the most
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remarkable historical fact: the official introduction of the new era in Kiev’s young state. This event was preceded by a long period of Christian intrusion, not yet divided into two Orthodox and Catholic parts (it will come to the Protestantism only several centuries later). The dissemination of most of the religious outlooks is a much longer process than the recognition of this or that religion as the State religion. We recall that at the end of the І millennium, on the Eastern Slavs’ lands, they formed their first empire – the Kievan Rus’ (after the name of its first capital – the city of Kiev). Their contemporaries called it «Russian land» or simply «Rus’». But further strengthening of the new feudal relations – like
Chronicle», in 980 he began to «reign in Kiev by himself, and placed some idols on a hill behind the tower court: the wooden Perun, with silver head and golden mustaches, and Hors, Dazhbog, Stribog, Simagrl, and Mokosh. People made sacrifices to them, calling them gods, and brought their sons and daughters, and made sacrifices to these demons, desecrating their land by these offerings. And the Russian land was desecrated with blood, as well as that hill. But God did not want the sinners’ death, and now the church of St. Vasil stands on that hill». This place, according to the scientists’ hypothesis, was located in the area of the Andriivska Church, built by architect Rastrelli on Podol’s top in Kiev. However, this attempt did not
The paganism as a form of tribal ideology was not fitting the new socio-economic system in many European countries in medieval time – required not only economic, administrative and military measures, but also an ideological support, able to introduce the new system from the point of view of the Divine, as well as a protection by the divine powers of the new authority. Confrontation and choice of faith Fathers and grand-fathers’ traditional pagan believes substantially conflicted with central authority in considerable territories. The idea of a feudal state organization was rejected, as it favored the preservation of tribal groups, each one with their own particular worshiped god. The paganism as a form of tribal ideology was not fitting the new socio-economic system. The feudal epoch required an ideological system, consolidating autocracy and centralization. During that historical period, such ideological system could only be a religious one. So, «the issue of State faith unification was put on the agenda». Paganism, as a form of tribal ideology, was not fitting the new socio-economic system. From the beginning, Volodymyr Svyatoslavych tried to undertake a religious reform by the creation of an Eastern Slavonic Pantheon, collecting the most popular of them in one place. According to «The Primary
meet any success – every big tribe continued honoring «its own» god, far away from the ideological influence of the new pagan pantheon’s priests, consecrating the policy of the feudal state. Then Volodymyr (who later was made equal to the apostles) chose Orthodox Christianity as national religion. But not everything was simple and single-valued. Time for determined actions The Prince was alternately visited by Volga Bulgarians, Catholics from Rome, Khazar Jews, who presented to him their dogmas. After due deliberations, they all were rejected. Then the Byzantine Greeks came, and their
the river he will be my enemy». Hearing this, people went with joy, exulted and said: «If it wasn’t a good thing, our Prince and the boyars would not embrace it». The following day, Volodymyr went to the Dnieper with the priests of Tsaritsyno and Korsun, to find out that many people welcomed his invitation. They came into the water and stood there – some with water up to their necks, others to their chests; young people stood near the bank with the water up to their chests; some people were holding babies; some were wandering, and the priests were saying their prayers». The Prince «ordered to build churches in the places where idols stood before… And in other cities they started building churches and appointing priests in them, and people were gathering for being christened from cities and villages all around. He ordered to take children from the best families and send them to get book education. The mothers of those children were crying, since they were not convinced about the new faith and cried on them as if they were dead. But Volodymyr was enlightened, as well as his sons and their land», the annalist commented. Stages of Christianization and problems arising from the process In general, scholars distinguish two stages in Rus’ church’s history from the end of Х century (the time of conversion to Orthodoxy as State religion) until the Mongol Tatar hordes’ invasion of Baty Khan in the first half of ХІІІ century: end of Х – second half of ХІ century,
their direct functions, carrying them according to the principle: «Render unto Caesar». Since the introduction of Christianity in Rus’ until the 40’s of ХІІІ century sixteen eparchies were established. The whole country was covered by a thick net of parishes (they suppose that about 10 thousand temples were built). This huge Church machinery was based on local stuff, although in its highest management (first of all, within metropolitan areas) there was a large amount of Constantinople Patriarch’s representatives. Sixteen eparchies were established in Rus’. But for the Kievan Rus’, since the time of Volodymyr’s reign, it was not the rivalry with the Byzantine Empire in the religious sphere that was important, but the provision of autonomy to the new Christian State within the orthodox priority of the Emperor Basileus, who was above the whole Christian world. It is no coincidence that the Old Russian literature’s monuments constantly emphasize the Kiev Prince’s independent role in his adoption of the new faith in Rus’ and his deep comprehension of such choice. This struggle for an honorable place of the «Russian land» in Christian ecumenist hierarchy continued after Volodymyr’s death and was headed by his son Yaroslav (later called «the Wise»). In such conditions, the very important action of the new governor and his presbyters was the posthumous christening of the pagan princes, particularly Yaropolk and Oleg Svyatoslavyches. It seems that this christening of
The religious «veil» could hide the destruction of old illusions about the world outlook, the accumulation of new «moments of truth», and a significant shift in spiritual orientation faith interested the Kiev Lord the most. The «religious experiment» went on: Volodymyr sent his «experts» to different countries for studying their religious service. They also chose the Orthodox variant. It was time for determined actions. In 988 the Kiev Prince’s troops moved to Korsun, and the Prince himself, after its seizure, was christened and married the Byzantine Princess. Back to Kiev, he overthrew the yesterday’s idols and proclaimed: «If tomorrow somebody – whether rich, poor or a slave – does not come to
when the main income of the young church organization was the «tithe» – the tenth of the income received by the Prince; end of ХІ-ХІІ – beginning of ХІІІ century, when the Church established its landed property and became a full-fledged member of the feudal society. From that time, Kiev Pechersk and other monasteries started their wide-ranging trades and economic operations, and became owners of extensive large estates, as well as centers of considerable tangible wealth accumulation. Of course, in order not to jeopardize
the ruling dynasty’s pagans was realized even against the will of Kiev’s Metropolitan and Constantinople’s Patriarch. At first, the canonization of the innocently killed Boris and Gleb did not even cause much exultation in the Bosporus Orthodox Church. The matter was that the Byzantine Church was not inclined to recognize the Slavic saints and receive them into the common Orthodox pantheon. Since that was the way, the local princely family became famous, and Rus’ was able to testify its strength and power to
its neighbors, even in the new religion’s sphere… The same idea runs through the well-known «Sermon of Law and Grace» of the first metropolitan of Rusyn origin, Hilarion, in 1049. In this «Sermon» Hilarion compares Volodymyr with the Byzantine Emperor Constantine the Great, by whom Christianity became Byzantium’s State religion: «Let’s praise with little praises the great and glorious that created our teacher and preceptor, the great prince of our land Vladimir, the grandson of old Igor, the son of the glorious Svyatoslav… Oh, like great Constantine, equally wise, equally Christ loving, equally honoring the man of Him! He, with the holy fathers of the Council of Nicaea, established the law for people, and you humbly conferred with our new bishop fathers, how to establish the law in those people, who newly learnt to know God. He subdued the Hellenes and Romans’ Empire to God, and you are Rus’». A similar comparison is used by Jacob the Monk in his «Memory and praise to Russian Prince Volodymyr» – one of the earliest monuments of the Old Russian book-learning: «This is the new Constantine of the Great Rome, as he christened himself and christened his people». Orthodox Influence on the Eastern Slavonic culture Having actively «entered» the everyday life of the Western Slavs, Christianity first of all positively influenced their cultural development, in the widest sense of this notion. Byzantine masters brought their skill to Rus’, and significantly enriched the local art; Cyrillic alphabet was introduced, as main alphabet for education and diplomatic documents, as well as literary works, including the chronicles. That’s why any positive meaning of such faith conversion is doubtless. Some concerns arise only about what areas of people’ everyday life was most affected by this dogma – national life, moral life, or other important aspects. The positive meaning of such
www.thekievtimes.ua
HISTORY/THE 1025TH ANNIVERSARY OF RUS’ CHRISTENING
15
UKRAINIAN LAND faith conversion is doubtless. But it should be noted that such influence was one-sided. In particular, some scholars noted that the first stone monumental constructions had peculiar features, that belonged only to the Old Russian architecture – which was developing in the course of the common world architecture process – like the architecture of other nations of the West and the East of that
Zhytomyr region – at the turn of the millennium. Rus’ medieval architects did not blindly copy the Byzantine architecture rules, but creatively adapted them to the local conditions. About half of all the churches, of South Rus’ territory, are located in Kiev – the religious capital of the Old Russian state during all its existence. It should be pointed out an interesting fact: the amount of constructions
what authentically stood up to nowadays, and this has been done already. Any modern intervention on this monument of worldwide importance, is inappropriate, and breaches the obligations accepted by Ukraine, about the preservation of its national cultural inheritance. The flourishing of temples architecture in Rus’ concerns ХІІ-ХІІІ centuries. At that time, in many cities – first of all in
One of the earliest temples was the Church of the Tithes. In 990 (according to other sources – in 989, 991, and 993) the Baptist of Rus’ Vladimir Svyatoslavich «decided to build the Church of the Holy Mother of God and ordered to bring Greek masters» in Х-ХІ centuries is almost to the same than today’s Kiev temple constructions dating to ХІІ-ХІІІ centuries. This fact undoubtedly points out the constant and comprehensive State’s and Church’s influence (including through architecture) on the ideological views of the residents in Rus’ capital – «Mother of all Russian cities», according to the definition of the «Prophetic» Prince Oleg. One of the earliest temples was the Church of the Tithes. In 990
the capitals of independent principalities – various cathedrals were erected, having both common features from the Old Russian architecture, and some specific ones. That, on the one hand, can be explained by the specificity of the feudal lack of unity, when the local princes were trying to oppose themselves to the old Kievan Rus’ capital; but, on the other hand, it can also be explained by the widening and strengthening of the Church and its institutes, in more remote
According to the common annalistic version, Kiev’s Christening took place in 988 (according to other sources – in 989, 991, and 993) the Baptist of Rus’ Volodymyr Svyatoslavych «decided to build the Church of the Holy Mother of God and ordered to bring Greek masters». It was the Christian – domical temple with three naves and several premises, surrounded by galleries, possibly with two towers. It was crowned with several tops. The church was luxuriously decorated by icons, precious chalices and crosses that were brought by the great Prince to his capital, after conquering the abovementioned Korsun. Volodymyr gave the tenth part of his income for its maintenance, and that’s why it was called the Church of Tithes. It took a special place among the church relics of Rus’. Even after the building of St. Sophia Cathedral – the metropolitan’s residence – solemn ceremonies went on to be celebrated and some princes were buried here. In 1240, when the Mongol Tatars’ hordes, commanded by Baty Khan, conquered the city, this church was one of the last centers of defense. The conquerors brought battering machines and the last Kiev defenders died under its ruins. Later they were offered many variants of its reconstruction, but these are only hypotheses without any convincing factual ground. That’s why it’s better to leave the «poor Church of the Tithes» alone and conserve
regions far from the Center Dnieper Ukraine – i.e. from the location of the initial center of Christianization. The mysteries of Yaroslav’s sarcophagus Another real fact points out that the spreading of Christianity is a mortuary rite – a ritual, tightly connected with ideological views of any human collective settlement. According to the Orthodox canons, the dead must be buried in the ground, without any accompanying inventory or mound («one must leave this world exactly as he came in»). But from the very beginning of Christian conversion, in Rus’ the Byzantine burial rite was basically changed by the Eastern Slavonic customs and psychological influence: the overwhelming majority of Slavs buried the dead once and for all, while in Greece the bones, at due time, were re-buried in special premises – the kimitiries (burial-vaults). The Byzantine canons of this mournful ritual were detected only in several places of Southern Rus’. Representatives of the social top (princes and boyars) were buried in stone or (much rarely) in wooden sarcophaguses, mostly near churches or inside a temple. One of such burial places is the grave of Yaroslav the Wise, in St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, although there are still some disputes about the human
remains found here. The great Kiev’s Prince was buried on February 20, 1054, in a white stone sarcophagus, where his wife Irina (the originally Scandinavian Ingegerd, who died four years before her husband) was already resting. After exploring this tomb in different occasions, the archeologists Makarenko and Vysotsky told an interesting story about the sarcophagus itself. It was made in VІ-VІІ centuries somewhere in the Asia Minor territory, for the burial of some
from there, as a trade article or a Volodymyr’s military trophy, was sent to Kiev. The great Kiev Prince was laid on the right of his wife. It is also known that the stone tomb was lined by thick red cloth inside. Yaroslav wore a hryvnia necklace – symbol of power and wealth – and Iryna was dressed in a shawlubrus (these details are stated in some engravings at the bottom of the sarcophagus). Unfortunately it was robbed, most likely during the city invasion by Baty Khan’s troops. However, these data
From the very beginning of Christianity conversion in Rus’, the Byzantine burial rite was basically changed by the Eastern Slavonic customs and psychologal influence noble official of the Byzantine Empire. With the time these lands went out of Byzantium’s control and the tomb was robbed and eventually deserted. Later it was even used for economic needs (possibly, even as a reservoir for production or storing of wine). Then, the future tomb of Yaroslav Volodymyrovych was sold on the Northern Black Sea littoral and
about the Prince’s burial place are evidence of some peculiarities in the Old Russian religion and its Orthodox variant: since burial in churches wasn’t prescribed by the Christian dogma, it was not reflected in the so called «burial rank» and was not even approved by many Orthodox theologians. Finishing the examination of the antiquities in St. Sophia
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period – and had its specific peculiarities, based on local traditions and the socioeconomic development of this European region. Undoubtedly, the Byzantine architecture that came to Rus’ with Christianity much affected the Kievan Rus’ architecture; however this process wasn’t commonly directed. Culture coming from the South-Eastern Europe, including architecture, underwent considerable changes during its exposure to the Old Russian culture. Those traditions were, first of all, expressed in wooden architecture: Old Russian «wood masters» were smart and skillful. The matter became more complex in stone buildings – almost entirely undeveloped in the Eastern Slavs’ regions before being built by the State, during the last quarter of the І millennium. The necessity of monumental stone constructions was caused by the young State’s need: this new architecture aimed to show the whole world the power and greatness of the Eastern Slavs’ first State formation, and to convey to its own people the significance and power of the Prince rule, the stability of the new system’s foundations, the victory of the Christian Church over the recently destroyed pre-Christian pagan temples, and the entire pagan religion. Stone constructions in Rus’ were built of brick and stone. Their flat brick (plinfa) was the same as it was in Byzantium and Rome. Their walls were erected by the Old Russian mixed method: by stone and plinfa layers. But unlike Byzantium, in Rus’ the stone was not hewed, but laid shattered to build the walls. The irregular and uneven surface of the stonework was evened with the help of bricks. This was because the stone mines were not everywhere and stones had to be brought from far away. In building they also widely made use of pink roofing slate – the slate that had begun to be extracted in large scales in the area of Ovruch – the modern
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Cathedral in Kiev (of course, without considering its architectural peculiarities and gorgeous paintings on the walls), we are going to consider its only inscription. In its St. Michael’s side-chapel it was found an «important» message: «Wrote singing Halleluiah». The author of this inscription had undoubtedly some direct relation to the local clergy, and was present in the altar part of the cathedral during the divine service. Probably, he was «somewhat far» from the appropriate state religion and that’s why he scratched this inscription of rather prosaic content (by the way, such actions were supposed to be correspondingly punished). That’s why it is possible to state that real archeological and architectural materials considerably confirm any information that came to us from the written sources. A comprehensive research about Rus’ religious world continues today. And it will be undoubtedly favored by the celebrations of the 1025th anniversary of this epochal event.
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CULTURE
THE KIEV TIMES | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013
CULTURAL POLITICS, OR HOW TO AVOID SMART BUSINESS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT VYSHIVANKAS TRIP PACKAGE FROM THE CITYHOTEL
At the beginning of summer, the most significant literary event of Ukraine – The Third International Festival «Book Arsenal» – took place in Kiev. This year, more than 200 publishing houses from 40 countries presented their books and projects. Around 40 thousand people participated in the festival’s events: public dialogues, a book fair, printing workshops and exhibitions of graphic art, illustrations and fonts. Despite this high attendance, the Ukrainian book market has seen better days – according to the national daily ForUm. What prevents Ukrainian publishing houses from making high-quality products? Why is Ukrainian literature underrepresented in the world and why is Ukrainian translation such an underdeveloped field? All of these questions were addressed to Nelia Vakhovska, who, among other things, has translated works by Josef Winkler, Christoph Simon, Birgit Vanderbeke into Ukrainian, compiled an anthology of contemporary German literature, and initiated The Creative Union of Writers and Translators in Ukraine
A business trip to the capital has to be effective and pleasant. For a business tourist the capital starts from a hotel. Major role while choosing hotel is played by combination of its reputation, smart pricing and wise service packaging
by Mariana Pryven
Is our Ukrainian literature translated into foreign languages and in what scope? Yes, it is translated; however, inconsistently. For example, due to historical ties and interest of the German-speaking public in Ukraine, quite a few books have been translated into German, but still hardly enough. Those included fiction novels by Zhadan and Andruchovich, Malarchuk and young poets. Very few works have been translated into English and French: a bit of Kurkov, something by Denisenko, if I am not mistaken. And these are the languages with the largest readerships! Statistics for Spanish and Portuguese/Brazilian are even worse. Why there is such scarce representation of Ukrainian literature in the West? In my opinion, it is related to the absence of an Ukrainian cultural policy directed at the promotion of its literature abroad. Here, one example: in the ‘60s Austrian literature literally conquered the book market of its neighbor Germany with a large capacity of complex intellectual, experimental, and critical literature. But this breakthrough was only possible due to the huge investments of Austria into the publishing of its authors and their promotion into the big markets. Clearly, the Ukrainian government does not even think about it, because to show vyshivankas abroad and harp on the elevated Ukrainian soul and traditional values is so much easier than to create a «Books Institute» and consistently promote and develop its literature. Another problem is the publishers’ misconception – not to mention public officers’ and oligarchs’ – that an emigrant, who still has a decent command of Russian and Ukrainian, but without any qualification or contact with other translators, could be a translator of literature! Who is engaged in professional translation in Ukraine? What is it needed in order to make high-quality translations? Education? Special talents? Professional education in literary translation practically does not exist. It is the same as teaching university students to write poetry: they can learn how to write, but only very few of them can become good poets. Undoubtedly, some education about translation basics is necessary, but unfortunately is missing in our universities. However, real professionalization, I believe, is only possible in collegial exchange – work with literary editors (an extremely significant professional group, which has almost disappeared in Ukraine) and a constant dialogue with experienced, critical, and skilled colleagues. Today there are brilliant translators, and also many enthusiastic young people who want to be engaged in the process. They need to be guided, but there is no infrastructure for their interaction, as there is no institution, which would create and support formal and informal networks of translators and literary editors, seminars, translation education workshops and so on. You have initiated and launched The Creative Union of Writers and Translators in Kiev. Has it become a similar kind of network for translators? Our union, in fact, is a kind of voluntary, trade-union organization, created by us one year ago. It tries to professionally and legally support translators, and we hope to see some results. But that is
impossible without a consistent financial support, if we really want to change the situation. In Germany there is a private initiative, The Robert Bosch Foundation, which does this kind of work, and also supports similar organizations and initiatives, like the Union of Literary Translators for example. In Ukraine, Open Ukraine Foundation tries to support translation – but only from Ukrainian into foreign languages. We, translators to Ukrainian, still have to fight to secure funding. Does it mean that, provided the existence of such institutions, the problem of literary translation would be solved? The problem of literary translation is also a problem of Ukrainian language. In Ukraine, we have a so-called plural orthography, so that every publishing house con choose whether to publish books according to the 80’s rules (when the largest Soviet dictionaries of Ukrainian language were printed), or the 1926’ rules, dismissing all the «Soviet» changes, or even «diasporic» spelling. That confuses the reader, not versed in Ukrainian linguistics, and disorients the translators as well. Ukrainian language in the last 20 years has radically changed and it continues to rapidly develop. This is why we are in desperate need of new dictionaries and professional literary editors. Why not to hold seminars or workshops for translators and editors, so that we all can better understand this situation? Why not to engage Ukrainian linguists, who’d professionally deal with this?
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eginning from October, 2013, CITYHOTEL offers a special package Smart Business Trip specially created for business travellers. A unique 15% discount for accommodation, offered within the package, formerly was available only for the large corporate customers. A 15% discount for the conference rooms rent allows holding the business meetings and events in the most efficient
Given the situation you described, could Ukrainian translations ever compete with Russian translations in sales? Ukrainian translations can compete with the Russian ones, unless they are badly done or poorly published. For example, books of the Folio publishing house are renowned for their abundance of mistakes, bad layout, and terrible design – even though the translation itself is excellent! And Ukraine does have its own market of Ukrainian language books, readers who prefer reading in Ukrainian, and good translators. Whining about the rivalry with Russian books and the absence of motivated readers simply conceals the inability of Ukrainian publishers to make a good product and sell it. Another question is Ukrainian books written in Russian: at some point in the ‘90s they were commercially viable, even in Russia. Now, the situation is different, although the governmental regulation most certainly would be able to support it. What could be changed in government legislation to support Ukrainian books? You’d better ask publishers about that –, after all, I translate literature, do not sell it. However, for Ukrainian translation, a change in the tax code could be very useful: for a translator, trudging from one book to the other every six months, it does not make sense to register as a Private Company. But without it, the translator and the publisher would also have to pay huge taxes for the translator’s remuneration. It is rare to find a publisher who would agree to this. So, our translator remains in a gray zone, without a contract, and thus, without any legal guarantee of right remuneration and work conditions, hoping for the honesty of the publisher or the grace of god. This is called precarity. Legislative understanding of this fact can significantly influence the translators’ work conditions and, therefore, the level of the translation quality in our country.
manner. A 15% discount for transportation services makes daily business activity more comfortable. Within the Smart Business Trip package, panoramic restaurant Matisse offers delicious and sophisticated gastronomy only for 15 euros per a business lunch. The Smart Business Trip travellers are offered modern business center and fitness center services free of charge. «The capital’s market analysis has shown that Smart Business Trip is an exceptional product within Ukrainian hospitality market. The Smart Business Trip package considerably simplifies daily routine of a business tourist, makes his business trip more effective. Thorough financial examination gave us obvious vision of adequate pricing strategy: price-qualitycomfort!» – the general manager of CITYHOTEL Ruslan Buchel shared his opinion. He is a successful manager, possessing a long-term hospitality experience of working in Spain and Latin America.
Reference CITYHOTEL – is a business hotel at the very heart of the capital. 87 comfortable rooms with panoramic view open the whole beauty of Kiev. The hotel’s design makes the guests’ stay maximally cozy, creating pleasant atmosphere for work and rest. The main feature of CITYHOTEL is an attentive service and individual approach
to every guest. Luxurious panoramic restaurant Matisse on the 15th floor, which is fairly considered hotel’s crown, offers its guests exquisite variety of French and Italian cuisine dishes. Taste, peace and delight – this is the atmosphere that is equally good for business meetings, family dinner or romantic date.
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