Andriye Demydenko, ademydenko@gluk.org
CH-340
Bilthoven, 27 mei 2003
To: jon.kahn@environment.ministry.se; ademydenko@gluk.org; eldrid.nordbo@md.dep.no; annago@ukr.net; Kaj.Barlund@unece.org; Cc: mf-van.es@minbuza.nl; Teresa Fogelberg
Dear Friends,
I’m looking back on a very satisfying Kyïv Conference. Especially I want to thank Anna and Andriy for all their efforts in connection with their national front.
One year ago three priorities were of special interest to me: (1) EECCA Strategy, (2) Implementation Guidelines and (3) Simplify our architecture. Looking back there is not too much to complain about. Before leaving the ECE-scene, I will help trying to bring these and other results of Kyïv into the work programme of CEP, to decide on the next conference and my successor as chairman of the CEP. I’m open for suggestions.
Since it became clear on Friday night that Pieter van Geel will continue to be my political boss, I was suddenly free on Saturday. Of course I didn’t bother Anna or Andriy, and then suddenly the deputy head of our mission, Ms. Marie Florence van Es, was very kind to travel with me to Poltava. I promised to write a report to you all.
The journey takes 3,5 hours by car, the road is in a quite good condition and the country side is flat (even for a Dutchman) with huge parcels of agricultural land in use. The battle field lies some 7 km north of the city of Poltava (325.000 people). There is a statue of Peter the Great, one memorial for the dead Russian soldiers and one memorial for the 6,000 dead Swedish soldiers. The Museum was the most interesting part. There were no flyers, pictures or other items to buy or take along, so I can only give you this eye-witness impression. It costs you 3 grivna to get in. The Museum contains some 8 nicely composed rooms, with a lot of visual information: clothes, weapons, maps, paintings and rebuilt mini-battlefield. Most of the information is in Russian and here and there a few English words. The “Lonely Planet” guide complains that the Swedish version of the battle is not very present, but I would rather say the the Ukrainian (Kozac) version is missing. I’m saying this, because guided groups of local school boys and girls were coming and going in the Museum. Andriy, perhaps your next project, with Swedish assistance?
My great-great-grandfather is not mentioned anywhere, but I was not expecting that. Nevertheless I’m still looking for a Russian journal of his mission after Poltava from Charles XII to Peter the Great and back. I attach an English summary of the relevant chapter of my book to make you even more sleepy and one photograph of me at the monument for the 6,000 killed Swedish soldiers.
Hope to see you all somewhere in Europe,
Hugo
Kyiv, 8 juni 2003
Dear Hugo,
Thank you very much for your report.
It is so pity that I couldn’t be with you! There is another road to Poltava which goes through such mentioned by you cities like Lochvitsa and Veprik. By the way, there are still two Vepriks: Veprik and Moscow Veprik, which means that these Vepriks were in the beginning divided by the border between Ukraine and Moscovia (the word “Russia” came to use after Peter the Great). My mother purchased small dacha near Vepriks in 1987 (it was the only part of Ukraine not influenced by Chernobyl fallout) and I know now these places rather well.
Unfortunately you are right, the real history of this land is still dominated by Russian version. Russian Orthodox Church is still pronouncing an anathema against Hetman Mazeppa while you could find now his face at new Ukrainian 10 Hrivna banknote. Right across the river Psyol from my mother’s dacha is the village of Zhary (suburb of city of Hadiach) where the agreement (which, in particular, denounced Ukraine‑Moscovia treaty of 1654) was signed by Mazeppa predecessor. This denouncation was strictly forbidden to mention in Russian and Soviet “historical” books and now I couldn’t find any one person there (even among teachers) who knows anything about this very important fact which took place at their land! Things are getting better now, these books are not forbidden anymore. But it will take a lot of time (if we will have it) to change the memory of people which was very specially formed for centuries.
I fully agree with you that this type of education is badly needed, not less than ecological education. By the way, “oikos” means “home” in Greek. And if kids will not feel that it is THEIR home, will not know it and its history ‑ there will be no chances for the success of oiko‑logical education (which Sweden is so much supported in preparation to Kyiv Conference!). So, I am ready for such project! And I know very good people who will be happy to participate as well.
Thank you also for your proposal to share with you thoughts regarding the implementation of Kyiv decisions (EECCA Strategy, first of all). I had some discussions already with Teresa and others and will be happy to share it with you (in separate message).
I am looking forward to see you in Ukraine again for more substantial study of the roots of Ukrainian‑Swedish (or rather Scandinavian) cooperation during the last more than thousand years.
Regards,
Andriy
Kyiv, 13 juni 2003
Dear Hugo,
Below please find article from Kyiv Post which shows that we are on the right track with “Ukrainian version”. At least for rock music funs.
Regards,
Andriy
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Hetman Mazepa offers name as prayer for first annual Poltava rock festival
By Daniel MacIsaac, Kyiv Post Staff Writer Jun 12, 2003 17:04
Some of the 10,000 fans at the Pevchee Polye in Poltava look down to where the Pikardiyska Tertsiya ensemble are playing, one of the many bands that helped kick off the inaugural Mazepa-Fest music festival June 6. Considered a traitor by the Russians and a hooligan by the Soviets,
independence-minded 18th-century Cossack Hetman Ivan Mazepa has been experiencing a revival in contemporary Ukraine. First there was Mazepa’s mustachioed appearance on the Hr 10 banknote, and then there was director Yury Illenko’s 2002 feature film “A Prayer for Hetman Mazepa.” Now there is the first annual Mazepa-Fest, which debuted June 6 in Poltava, the historic site of Mazepa’s ultimate undoing, when in 1709 he broke with Russian Tsar Peter the Great to ally himself with Swedish King Charles XII just in time for the fateful Battle of Poltava. “Mazepa was a hero,” said music critic, producer and festival co-organizer Oleksandr Yevtushenko. “Mazepa was a leader who did a lot for Ukrainian independence, but who fell between the fire and sword of Russia and Sweden.” Acting up About a dozen mainly local acts took part in the five-hour concert, warming up a boisterous crowd of 10,000 in the early evening hours for the headliners to follow: nationally known bands Haydamaky and Plach Yeremyi in particular. Russian-language groups need not apply for this show. “It’s the first music festival since independence dedicated to Mazepa, the Cossacks and freedom,” explained Mykola Kulchinsky, a former Rada deputy and member of the regional branch of the Rukh political party which, along with the Our Ukraine opposition bloc and Prosvita, a culture fund, co-sponsored the free-admission festival. “We didn’t invite any Russian-language groups to participate,” Kulchinsky continued. “The inner structure of music is connected to some extent to language and it was our intention to showcase real Ukrainian music.”
The result proved to be an incredibly smooth inaugural Mazepa-Fest, as pleasing to the eye as it was to the ear. The concert was held at Pevchee Polye, an open-air concert bowl set in a wooded dale just below the city center. Thousands of Poltavans visited the show, many younger ones ancing at the foot of the stage while security maintained a visible but not overbearing profile. And the bands stuck to their schedules, with barely a pause between one act finishing and the next one starting.
Language issues
While the Ukrainian-language and rock music were the common denominators at Mazepa-Fest I, there was also a good deal of variety in the music on display. Poltava band Bavovna were of the rocking-blues tradition; Pikar-diyska Tertsiya, an a cappella ensemble; Nezvychaini Tak Otozh, a young hip-hop group; Arachnophobia, more of the punk-rock variety; Komu Vnyz, heavy-metal veterans; and Haydamaky served up an all-too-short set of their energetic, trademark Carpathian ska. Plach Yeremyi closed out the concert with some classic Ukrainian rock under the stars. Festival director Serhy Arkharchuk was all smiles. The National Opera music director came to lead Mazepa-Fest and explained how he’s come to be more involved in such outdoor festival performances. “I’ve become involved in the festival movement since independence, such as the Chernova Ruta festival in Chernivtsi and Taras Bulba in Dubno,” Arkharchuk said. “When I was a student I was torn between classical music and putting together performances. And because I’m also interested in contemporary youth culture and music, these festivals allow me to combine my ambitions.” Before Haydamaky took to the stage on this hot summer night, front man Oleksandr Yarmola explained that the only ambition the band harbored was to cool down, and he reported mission-accomplished, thanks to a dip in the Vorskla River. He also gave the thumbs-up to the format of Mazepa-Fest, despite what he mentioned regarding the danger of politicizing the event. “There is only one political aspect to the festival for me; that it brings together Ukrainian groups,” Yarmola said. “Poltava is an Eastern Ukrainian city and there’s been too much expansion of Russian-language music in the region. “Maybe it’s also not right to have only Ukrainian-language groups play together – like a reverse form of discrimination – but there are times when
you need to say that English and Russian music are OK. But now, at this time, we’ve got Ukrainian music, and it’s not any worse than the others.”
Rock solid?
And Poltava’s not any worse a city than the others in Ukraine, either. That appeared to be another message delivered by Mazepa-Fest organizers. While Kulchinsky said a fund has been created to finance an annual Mazepa-Fest, it ’s not yet clear if Poltava will be the permanent festival venue or whether it will be a traveling attraction, potentially visiting different regional capitals on a rotating basis. The latter would be a pity, according to Yevgeny, a 20-year-old student who attended the concert with his girlfriend. “I’m not even a big fan of rock music, but in principle it was a very interesting concert with interesting musicians,” he said. “From the beginning I heard there might be some politics involved, but that’s always the case anytime you’ve got a free concert. “The fact is that such a concert represents a great chance for young people to get together, and Mazepa-Fest should take place every year at least, maybe even two or three times a year,” he said. The positive feedback from the public placated the fears of festival organizers including Arkharchuk, who said hey didn’t know quite what to expect when they were putting the festival together. “We were afraid it might turn out to be a private concert for us alone, but now we can see there are a few more people who view it as something necessary, too,” he said, pointing to the large, energetic crowd.