‘EuroMaidan’ heroes honored

A“Panakhyda” (solemn requiem service), sponsored by Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans, was celebrated at the conclusion of last Sunday’s divine liturgy at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in North Port by the Rev. Dr. Severyn Kovalyshin, pastor, and the Rt. Rev. Mitrate Archpriest Wolodymyr Woloszczuk, pastor emeritus, for the repose of souls of four known and many unknown “EuroMaidan” heroes who died while participating in the peaceful demonstration against the oppressive regime of President Viktor Yanukovych in Kyiv, Ukraine. The church choir, under the direction of Lubow Ingram, sang the responses, and Post 40 veterans, led by National Commander Ihor W. Hron and Post Commander Eugene A. Tomashosky, formed the honor guard and rendered a hand salute during the singing of “Veechnaya Pamyat” (eternal memory).

    The following known victims of the oppressive regime (there are reportedly a number of demonstrators missing, some very likely also dead) were prayed for: Serhii Nihoyan, 20, an ethnic Armenian whose parents fled the war in Azerbaijan and settled in Ukraine where Serhii was born, killed by four shots from a sniper; Roman Senyk, 45, shot in the lung and shoulder by a sniper, he died in a hospital from loss of blood; Yurii Verbytskyi, 50, a leading engineer at the Institute of Physics at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, was taken to the hospital after being shot in the eye by a sniper, was kidnapped from the hospital by 10 plain-clothes men and his mutilated body was found in a forest outside Kyiv; and Mykhailo Zhyznevskyi, 25, a native of Belarus who fled from persecution to Ukraine at the age of 17.

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    Last Wednesday’s monthly membership meeting of the Ukrainian American Club of Southwest Florida, headed by Daria Tomashosky of North Port, was highlighted by a comprehensive and very interesting presentation on the Constitution of Ukraine by the Honorable Bohdan A. Futey, a federal judge serving on senior status for the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. During the business segment preceding Dr. Futey’s presentation, the members heard the reports of the secretary, treasurer, scholarship and other committees. Members approved a $500 humanitarian donation for the EuroMaidan Fund and activities for the next several weeks. New members Katya and George Steciuk, as well as several guests, were introduced and warmly greeted

    Due to the extensive involvement of the club in charitable activities, including food drives for the Salvation Army, homeless students, the “Didusi” (grandfathers) Project, etc., a special committee was formed to handle this aspect of the club’s activities. The committee will be chaired by Executive Board member Halya Lisnyczyj, with members Maria Kolesnichenko, Katya Steciuk, Roma Steckiw-Long and Alice Tercijonas.
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    St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center (known as the “Oseredok”) and the Ukrainian American Club of Southwest Florida are sponsoring a presentation and reading by translator Peter Fedynsky from his first-ever complete translation of Taras Shevchenko’s “Kobzar” at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Oseredok. A cocktail reception will follow. Copies of “Kobzar” will be available for purchase.

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    The monthly membership meeting of Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans will take place at 3 p.m. Friday 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