Halyna Kymuk to speak on ‘Euromaidan’

      The Ukrainian American Club of Southwest Florida, headed by Daria Tomashosky of North Port, will meet at 6 tonight at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center (known as the “Oseredok”) in North Port. The brief business meeting, with reports of Secretary Doris Horbachevsky, Treasurer Nancy Wosny, Corresponding Secretary Halya Lisnyczyj, Scholarship Committee Chair Victor Lisnyczyj and other committee chairs will be followed by an interesting presentation by Halyna Kymuk.

    Mrs. Kymuk, a Southwest Florida resident and community activist, will speak about her personal experience and observation of events, including tragic, while participating in “Euromaidan,” the Ukrainian “Revolution of Dignity,” which began on Nov. 23, 2013, as the peaceful protest of Ukrainians, mostly students, against former president Yanukovych’s refusal to sign an agreement of cooperation with the European Union and turning toward Putin’s Russia. At Yanukovych’s order, the “Berkut” special security units and Russian Special Forces sharpshooters began to shoot the peaceful, unarmed demonstrators, and by the time Yanukovych fled to Russia on Feb. 22, 2014, more than 100 young people had been killed, with many hundreds wounded. The innocent heroes, now known and honored as “The Heavenly Hundred,” included members of Ukrainian ethnic minorities who believed it was their obligation to demonstrate for the democratic and Western-leaning Ukrainian Fatherland.

    Since the end of the demonstrations at the Maidan (“maidan” in Ukrainian is “plaza”), which was followed by the election of a Western-oriented, democratic “Verkhovna Rada” (parliament) and President Petro Poroshenko, Mrs. Kymuk also visited the Ukrainian military units now engaged in anti- terrorist operations in the southeastern regions of Ukraine.

    The meeting and Mrs. Kymuk’s presentation will be followed by a social hour with coffee and pastries. All are welcome. One does not have to be a member of the club or be of Ukrainian descent to attend and be welcomed.
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    The monthly member- ship meeting of North Port Branch 56 of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, known as “Soyuz Ukrayinok” (union of Ukrainian ladies), headed by President Ann-Marie Susla of Englewood, will take place at 10 a.m. March 3 at the Oseredok. The agenda will include a report by Olya Hron of Osprey, branch vice president and chair of the committee of the very successful fundraiser “Vyshyvani Vechernytsi” (“Embroidered Ball”) on Feb. 14.

    Following all reports, there will be a brief, solemn commemoration program honoring all Ukrainian heroines.

    Prior to the meeting there will be requiem divine liturgy and “Panakhyda” (special prayer service for the dead) at 9 a.m. at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church for the repose of souls of all departed members of UNWLA Branch 56.
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    The monthly membership meeting of North Port’s Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post 40 of Ukrainian American Veterans, headed by Col. Roman Rondiak, USA (Ret.) of Osprey, will take place at 3 p.m. March 6 at the Oseredok.

    Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun. He can be emailed at atanask@aol.com. 

Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians

by Atanas Kobryn