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Ukrainian World Congress' Statement
Press Release - On Observance of the Pereyaslav Treaty
New York, New York, 3 July, 2002
In January 1654 in the City of Pereyaslav, Bohdan Khmelnycky
convened a Cossack council, summoning the officers' corps from
generals to colonels, to ratify the protectorate of the Russian czar. On
that day, January 18, the residents of Pereyaslav , the Cossack
leadership and Cossacks themselves gathered at the main square and
learned of Hetman Khmelnytsky's decision.
Many renowned Ukrainian historians and scholars have concluded
that this treaty brought Ukraine no good and much ill. Because of this
treaty Ukraine lost its independence and suffered a multitude of wrongs
which lasted 337 years - enslavement, deportation and exile, terror,
amines, the deprivation of the Ukrainian language. From the start,
initially, in czarist Russia, and then the Soviet Union the events of 1654
were portrayed inaccurately and subjectively. Russians refer to the
Pereyslav treaty, as the "eternal reunification of Ukraine with Russia."
Taras Shevchenko in his "Kobzar" often referred to this decision
of Khmelnytsky to create the alliance, calling Khmelnytsky "an
irresponsible son." One of many examples may be found in the poem
"Subotiv" where Shevchenko wrote: "And so Bohdan, you abused
poor, orphan Ukraine."
Today, in independent Ukraine, we still feel the negative
repercussions of this shameful treaty. There is no doubt that because
of it, Ukraine lost its independence and was enslaved until 1991.
On March 13 of this year, Ukraine's President Kuchma issued
a decree on the "observance of the 350th anniversary of the Pereyaslav
Cossack Council of 1654." Volodymyr Lytvyn, who today chairs
Ukraine's parliament, was named chair of the Organizing Committee.
The "observance" is to include scholarly conferences, round tables.
In April of this year, the President of the UWC met with Volodymyr
Lytvyn, then chief of the presidential staff and discussed the subject of
the presidential decree. Mr. Lytvyn assured the UWC President that the
observances will be limited to historical-academic discussion, and,
certainly, not an acclamation of the event.
Nonetheless, this presidential decree is a striking example of
national irresponsibility. The government of an independent country has
decreed to officially observe an event, which resulted in its people's
enslavement and loss of statehood. Such events should be studied
seriously and learned from - certainly not "observed."
The UWC Secretariat plenary session held on June 1 of this year,
decided that the UWC should intervene so that this "observance"
become a forum for genuinely objective study of the Pereyaslav Treaty
and its long standing and painful results for Ukraine. The UWC through
its Scholarly Council plans to publish a monograph on the Pereyaslav
Treaty as well as the tragic history that ensued.
The UWC will seek to include Ukrainian historians in the diaspora in
planned scholarly conferences, round tables, radio andtelevision
programs in order to expose this tragic event in Ukraine's history.
The UWC dare not stand on the sidelines when issues of Ukraine's
history are addressed. We must exert substantial effort so that future
generations of Ukrainians study from history texts, which accurately
portray, the past of our people, our accomplishments and longings as
well as bright and tragic pages of that past. It is imperative to conclude
that the Pereyaslav Treaty was not a "voluntary reunification" but the
beginning of a long period of enslavement of Ukraine by Russia.
The UWC urges all Ukrainian scholarly societies and institutions,
as well as Ukrainian historians in the diaspora to join in this process.
Only in this manner, through dynamic and informed participation, will
we succeed in healing our nation's wounds, which, unfortunately, will
be reopened inevitably as a result of this "observance".
May all our Ukrainian people recognize "whose truth, whose
pain and whose children we are."
For the Secretariat Presidium of the Ukrainian World Congress
Askold S. Lozynskyj, President
Victor Pedenko, Secretary General
Ukrainian World Congress
225 E. 11 Street. New York NY 10003, USA
(212) 254-2260, (212) 979-1011
congress@look.ca
Ukrainian World Congress Office
295 College Street, 3rd Floor
Toronto, ON M5T 1S2, Canada
(416) 323-3020, (416) 323-3050 (fax)
www.ukrainianworldcongress.org
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