2002 Parliamentary Elections
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RCC Guide: News and analysis about Ukrainian politics on the Web
As Ukrainian politicians and parties of all stripes and colors prepare
to test the turgid parliamentary electoral waters, Internet site owners,
webmasters and journalists are right behind them. The coming months will
see both intelligent debate and outrageous mud-slinging in all media,
and the Internet promises to become a captive of circumstance.
Professional political observers, the international business community
in Ukraine, and armchair strategists will have their hands full
attempting to separate facts from hogwash as March 31, 2002 approaches.
RCC took a look at what the Internet has to offer in terms of Ukrainian
political news and analysis at the outset of the campaign. Below is a
list of websites with significant political news and analytical content
that will be primary sources of information during the campaign. This
guide includes web portals, print publications with substantial Net
presence, and Internet-only news, analysis and commentary sites.
As is typical for Ukrainian print and electronic media, most of the
sites described are Russian-only or heavily Russian-language. Several of
the highest quality sites are available in Ukrainian, however. There is,
however, a severe lack of quality English-language political news,
analysis and commentary, however.
Web Portals
Name: Bigmir
URL: www.bigmir.net
Languages: Russian
Updates: Daily
Executive Summary: This "horizontal portal" managed by Sputnik Media
(part of Kyiv Post publisher Jed Sunden's growing media fiefdom) is a
useful place to launch information forays into Ukraine. The portal
contains links to hundreds of news and other useful sites. There is also
a text browser with extensive Cyrillic capability.
Name: UKROP - Ukraine's United Portal
URL: www.ukrop.com
Languages: Ukrainian, English, Russian
Updates: Varies from hourly to several times daily
Executive Summary: Initially sponsored by Studio 1+1 TV, this portal
provides news, links and search capabilities that focus on
Ukrainian-language resources. One of its more useful features is a press
overview section with links to publications with solid political news
coverage. Occasional irregularity of updating is a bit of a drawback.
Name: Brama - Gateway Ukraine
URL: www.brama.com
Languages: English, Ukrainian
Updates: Several times daily
Executive Summary: This New York-based portal has excellent linkage to
Ukrainian political and general purpose sites worldwide. A solid media
links list, impressive press release section, and frequently updated
links to BBC and Financial Times Ukraine coverage, as well as a lively
discussion forum round out the package. The Brama site is a firm
believer in freedom of speech, and every view gets a fair hearing, as
long as its exponents choose to post to Brama. The site also features
news from Brama Press that is exclusive to the site, and tends to focus
on issues affecting New Yorkers and Americans of Ukrainian origin.
Wire Services Online
Name: UNIAN
URL: www.unian.net
Languages: Ukrainian, Russian
Updates: Hourly
Summary: The online headquarters of one of Ukraine's leading private
news agencies, this site contains extensive political coverage. A
variety of free and subscription-only options are available to users,
including a discussion forum and photo archive. UNIAN is also offering a
special pre-election weekly journal in Ukrainian and Russian that will
become a daily as election day draws nearer (subscription-only).
Name: Interfax Ukraine
URL: www.interfax.com.ua
Languages: Ukrainian, Russian, English
Updates: Several times daily
Summary: A comprehensive privately-owned news agency site, its
tri-lingual format with a variety of subscriber and general public
information options makes Interfax useful for general political news and
events coverage. The Russian version is most frequently updated, however
all three editions are quite usable.
Name: Ukrinform Ukrainian State News Agency
URL: www.dinau.com.ua
Languages: Ukrainian, Russian
Updates: Regular updates throughout the course of the day
Summary: This is the website of the official state news agency. It
provides a full range of services, including regularly updated news
coverage. As a state entity, however, it is at times editorially
constrained.
Name: UNIAR
URL: www.uniar.ukrnet.net
Languages: Russian, Ukrainian
Updates: Advertised as Daily
Summary: This subscription-only news agency provides daily comprehensive
news coverage, a daily clippings services, a variety of weekly digests,
and tailored paid research.
Major Print Publications with Online Editions
Name: Dzerkalo Tyzhnia (Zerkalo Nedeli, Mirror Weekly)
URL: www.zerkalo-nedeli.com
Languages: Ukrainian, Russian, English
Updates: Weekly (Saturday morning, Kyiv time)
Summary: Tri-lingual website of Ukraine's leading analytical weekly
newspaper, this is a powerful resource for analysts, journalists and all
sundry with an interest in the inner workings of Ukrainian political and
economic life. Selected articles are translated into English each week.
The site has a searchable archive that, however, is only partially
available in English and Ukrainian (at its startup, Zerkalo Nedeli was a
Russian-only publication), as well as a discussion forum.
Editor-in-Chief: Volodymyr Mostovii. Deputy Editor: Yulia Mostova.
Dzerkalo Tyzhnia works closely with the Razumkov Centre (see below),
with the latter providing in-depth expert analyses on a range of
economic, social and political issues to this newspaper. The Politics
editor is Serhiy Rakhmanin, whose writing is so influential that MPs
refer to it in order to better understand the bills before them in
parliament.
Name: Polityka i Kultura (PiK)
URL: www.pic.com.ua
Languages: Ukrainian
Updates: Weekly
Summary: Ukraine's only national Ukrainian-language popular journal of
politics and culture, PiK serves a relatively high-brow readership that
includes members of the political class, commentators and the
intelligentsia. It pulls relatively few punches and enjoys taking
irreverent, but generally well-grounded, shots at most of Ukraine's
politicians and many of its oligarchs. The print edition has experienced
distribution problems at times, owing to this willingness to criticize.
For those who prefer spicy political and social commentary in Ukrainian,
a logical choice. PiK only serves up the first few paragraphs of each
article on its site. To read the whole article, you have to buy the
print edition. Politics is covered diligently by Orest Sokhar. Ihor
Slisarenko, journalist professor and TV morning man, covers foreign
affairs. Each issue features former UNA-UNSO leader Dmytro Korchynsky's
warnings of impending revolution. PiK's project is managed by Zenoviy
Kulyk, who used to be the Minister of Information and run State TV.
Name: Postup
URL: http://postup.brama.com
Languages: Ukrainian
Updates: Daily
Executive Summary: The online version of this Lviv-based newspaper,
Postup provides a Western Ukrainian perspective on national news and
extensive local coverage. Editor-in-chief is former PiK deputy editor
Oleh Onysko. If all of Ukraine's newspapers practiced freedom of the
press like Postup does, then there would be no problems, literally
speaking.
Name: Den (The Day)
URL: www.day.kiev.ua
Languages: Ukrainian, Russian, English
Update: Daily, plus weekly English digest (Wednesdays)
Summary: This is one of the most influential of newspapers in Kyiv. Tied
to the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, General
Yevhen Marchuk, Den provides a loyal, though intelligent, interpretation
of the events of the day in politics. The English weekly digest The Day
is edited by the former Head of the U.S. Commission on the 1932-33
Ukraine Famine, Dr. James Mace. Mace graces the The Day's front page
with fresh commentary every week.
Name: Eastern Economist
URL: www.easterneconomist.com
www.brama.com/eastern-economist
Languages: English
Updates: Weekly (some items updated daily)
Summary: This is the Internet home of Ukraine's oldest group of
Western-owned English-language business publications. Publisher Lidia
Wolanskyj's Matlid Publications has served the international and local
business communities with economic and political news and analysis
through a variety of print and electronically distributed vehicles since
1994. Those interested can subscribe to Eastern Economist, a weekly
color magazine, and the Eastern Economist Daily, a news digest sent out
via email. The site menu includes links to Money Maker, a
Russian-language business journal as well as Dining Out in Kyiv, a
comprehensive tri-lingual (English-Ukrainian-Russian) handbook updated
annually.
Name: KP News (Kyiv Post)
URL: www.kpnews.com www.kyivpost.com www.thepost.kiev.ua
Languages: English
Updates: Hourly
Summary: This is the daily news site administered by Kyiv Post
Publications. Located in Ukraine's capital, KP News draws on the Kyiv
Post weekly print newspaper, Korrespondent.net, and a variety of other
working editorial resources at Kyiv Post Publications and Sputnik Media,
owned by Kyiv Post Publisher Jed Sunden. The site provides real-time
news, news analysis and commentary, including significant political and
economic content. Spicy political tidbits are provided by former
congressional aide, now Rada insider, Jim Davis. The site also offers a
subscription-based daily news service.
Name: The Ukrainian Weekly
URL: www.ukrweekly.com
Languages: English
Updates: Weekly
Summary: Published by the Ukrainian National Association since 1933, The
Weekly is a U.S.-based newspaper with extensive coverage of news and
events in or concerning Ukraine. The site offers full access to the
print publication's archive, with limited previews of current issues and
subscription information. The Weekly is read widely by North American
government audiences and is distributed outside the Ukrainian community
in academia and think tanks as well. The Weekly was the first Western
publication to open a press bureau in Kyiv, in early 1991. Today, that
bureau is run by veteran reporter Roman Woronowycz.
Name: Kievskii Telegraf
URL: www.k-telegraf.kiev.ua
Languages: Russian
Updates: Weekly
Summary: Did they know about the Internet at KGB school in Moscow? You
would think so, after visiting the site financed by one of their
students. KT is the Internet "face" of the Kyiv weekly newspaper owned
by Andrii Derkach (MP - Labor Ukraine, son of former SBU chief Leonid
Derkach). The publication offers a variety of news and commentary on
political events and personalities, and packages it all in a turn of the
20th century style that appeals to certain elements of the Ukrainian
national political elite and russified intelligentsia. Not bereft of
talented contributors nonetheless, including Victor Slyozko, and
experienced political reporter and commentator Oleksandr Yurchuk.
Name: Stolichniye Novosti
URL: http://cn.com.ua
Languages: Russian with occasional articles in Ukrainian
Updates: Weekly, plus daily news updates from MigNews
Summary: Website of the print weekly owned by der oligarch Vadym
Rabinovych. This publication provides a range of political news and
commentary, is well put together, and has already pulled out the stops
on certain of Mr. Rabinovych's political opponents, such as the Minister
for the Ecology and Green Party member Serhii Kurykin.
Name: Fakty i Kommentarii
URL: www.facts.kiev.ua
Languages: Russian
Updates: Daily
Executive Summary: Website of the low-brow Kyiv-based daily owned by
oligarch MP Viktor Pinchuk. The print edition's large nationwide
circulation and mass readership make it an excellent pipeline for
distributing questionable information about political opponents as the
election campaign progresses.
Web-only Political News, Analysis and Commentary Sites
Name: Korrespondent.net
URL: www.korrespondent.net www.korespondent.net for the Ukrainian edition (note - with one less "r")
Languages: Russian, Ukrainian
Updates: several times per hour
Summary: This Kyiv-based site, which recently celebrated its one-year
anniversary online, provides general news updated around the clock. It
gives extensive coverage to events in Parliament, the Government, and
the Presidential Administration, among others. While short on analysis,
it often reprints or translates foreign news media articles on Ukrainian
life and politics, particularly Russian publications such as Vremya
Novostei, Kommersant and Nezavisimaya Gazeta. The Ukrainian-language
edition is updated a bit less frequently than its Russian-language
"Older Brother" as a result of editorial human resource allocation. Both
are excellent choices for the language-capable foreigner with time for
one news site to browse. Part of the Sputnik Media fiefdom.
Name: Ukrayinska Pravda
URL: www.pravda.com.ua
Languages: Ukrainian, Russian
Updates: News - hourly; Analysis and Opinion Pieces - several times per day
Summary: Established by investigative reporter Heorhii Gongadze, whose
murder triggered a major political scandal in Fall 2000, that led to
months-long demonstrations against President Leonid Kuchma, this
Internet newspaper has consistently attacked Ukraine's oligarchs and
corruption since its inception in Spring 2000. One of the most
highly-rated such sites in Ukraine, this publication features a full
range of political and other news and commentary. It is by many accounts
the voice of the non-Communist opposition on the Internet. Currently
administered by Gongadze's colleague Olena Prytula. The site received a
much needed financial boost from outgoing U.S. ambassador Stephen Pifer,
which helped it survive.
Name: Forum
URL: www.for-ua.com
www.for.com.ua
http://ukr.for-ua.com/
http://eng.for-ua.com/
Languages: Russian, Ukrainian and English
Updates: Hourly
Summary: Comprehensive online political news, news analysis and analysis
publication. Visitors may subscribe to a free daily headlines list-serve
to keep abreast of developments. This site is a frequent source for
other Internet publications. Their ownership is unclear, and the site's
billing contact resides in Cyprus. Featuring political analysts like
Kost Bondarenko, the site tends not to be one-sided in their reporting
and analysis. Forum's correspondents are excellent in gathering
commentary from an extensive variety of sources on political issues.
Name: The Razumkov Centre (Ukrainian Centre for Economic and Political Studies)
URL: www.uceps.com.ua
Languages: Ukrainian, English, Russian
Updates: Monthly; certain sections updated more frequently
Summary: Website of one of Ukraine's premier think tanks, it is an
analysis-only site with a text search engine and archive of the journal
National Security & Defense. The Razumkov Centre conducts sociological
surveys and holds public policy roundtables on security, political,
economic and social issues.
Name: Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research (UCIPR)
URL: www.ucipr.kiev.ua
Languages: Ukrainian, English
Updates: Ukrainian updates weekly, English updates less frequently
Executive Summary: This site belongs to one of the oldest Ukrainian
think tanks in existence. Its long-time director was well-known TV
journalist Vyacheslav Pikhovshek, who recently disassociated himself
from this institution. The site offers up political and other analysis,
including a Research Update and Economic Reform Update, both of which
may be subscribed to via e-mail. The site archives past issues of these
updates, and has a search engine in excellent working order.
Name: UAToday
URL: www.uatoday.net
Languages: Russian, Ukrainian
Updates: Hourly (varies according to topic)
Summary: This is a solid comprehensive news and news analysis site
providing coverage of Ukrainian politics and with a plethora of other
topics as well. The site offers WAP news updates for mobile telephone
users.
Name: Part Org
URL: www.part.org.ua
Languages: Russian, English
Updates: Hourly
Summary: Near real-time political news and commentary site run by the
Agency for Humanitarian Technologies (www.aht.org) headed by Volodymyr
Hranovskii, Part Org provides top-level analysis on the entire gamut of
current political issues from an openly pro-Presidential perspective.
The site is said to be influenced by business heavyweight and MP Viktor
Pinchuk, who is close to Leonid Kuchma. The site offers free
subscriptions to news alerts. But careful - the Russian language alerts
will flood your inbox at a rate of 30-40 messages a day. Part Org
offers English language news alerts, also a free service. Subscribers
receive 10-15 alerts a day. The alerts contain links to the stories on
the site.
Name: MigNews
URL: www.MigNews.com.ua
Languages: Russian
Updates: Hourly
Summary: Part of Vadym Rabinovych's Media International Group's holdings
in Ukraine, this site provides news and a limited amount of political
analysis. Mr. Rabinovych is presently working to promote a variety of
Moscow-Kyiv political linkages through this and other media outlets in
Ukraine. See Stolichniye Novosti, above. Watch NTV-Ukraine in the near
future. The MigNews site is comprehensive and well-executed, and regular
observers may expect to see it promoting a particular political line as
the election draws nearer.
Name: Expert Center
URL: www.expert.org.ua
Languages: Russian, English (Ukrainian version no longer online)
Updates: Several times daily
Summary: This site surfaced in Fall 2000 as a quick-reaction news
analysis and political commentary site. It saw substantial traffic
during the height of the Ukraine Without Kuchma movement's activities in
Spring of this year. Its ownership is opaque, although it has featured
commentary of a decidedly pro-Moscow political orientation.
Name: Ukraina.Ru
URL: www.ukraine.ru
Languages: Russian
Updates: Several times daily
Summary: Published by media interests directed by Russian political
operative Gleb Pavlovskii, this site is being promoted in Russia and
Ukraine as a comprehensive news and commentary site bringing Ukrainian
politics to broad Russian audiences. Mr. Pavlovskii is the author of
numerous Russian Internet projects such as Strana.Ru, and is an
important adviser to the image of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The
site seeks to evince a Ukrainian flavor, and is pulling no punches in
"analyzing" the run-up to the coming Ukrainian parliamentary elections.
It is being positioned to become a propaganda pipeline for its Ukrainian
beneficiaries, rumored to be oligarchs of a social democratic flavor.
Journalists writing for this site are encouraged to use pseudonyms by
management. The site is updated frequently, and the journalists who
work for the site praise the speed with which their articles appear on
the 'Net, and payment in their pockets.
Name: Politychna Ukrayina
URL: www.polit.com.ua
Languages: Ukrainian, English
Updates: Daily
Summary: Published by the Committee of Voters of Ukraine, this site is
heavy on news, in particular on elections and political parties. The
analysis section contains articles written by CVU members from
throughout Ukraine as well as outside authors. The site also contains a
catalogue of political personalities, NGOs, media and related materials.
The Ukrainian version is better updated than its English counterpart.
Name: Ukrayina Kriminalnaya (Criminal Ukraine)
URL: www.cripo.com.ua
Languages: Russian
Updates: Daily
Summary: Specialized site run by Kyiv-based investigative journalist
Oleh Yeltsov, dedicated to exposing official corruption and exploring
brewing political scandals. The site has been particularly harsh on
certain former Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) figures, but Mr.
Yeltsov has never criticized National Security and Defense Council
Secretary and one-time SBU Head Yevhen Marchuk. The site also contains
the research, writing and analysis of one of the best
Melnychenkologists, Oleksiy Stepura.
Name: Defense Express
URL: www.defense-ua.com
Languages: Russian, English
Updates: Daily
Summary: Published by the Center for Army Conversion and Disarmament
Studies. Another specialized site, it regularly runs political news and
analysis as it relates to security, defense, military and strategic
issues.
Name: Avanport
URL: www.avanport.com
Languages: Russian (Ukrainian edition has limited content)
Updates: Hourly
Executive Summary: Avanport provides regular news updates, as well as a
variety of discussion forums and press review sections by subject,
including, of course, politics. A Cyrillic-text search engine is built
into the site, which relies heavily on such sites as Forum for its news
updates. This site is more of a portal than a dedicated analytical site.
We welcome comments and suggestions from our readers with regard to this
partial and, naturally, subjective, list. RCC does not necessarily
endorse anything appearing on the above websites, nor do we necessarily
disagree… Readers requiring in-depth information on Ukrainian media,
parties, politicians, the upcoming elections or other matters may
inquire about our comprehensive suite of research and analysis services.
Have a URL that you think should be on our list? info@rccpr.com.ua.
The above was provided by RCC Political Review
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