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New York - No, we don't mean the "Slavutych" of Ukrainian beer fame, and not the city in Ukraine either - we are referring to the Ukrainian naval vessel by the same name that joined the other ships participating in the week-long OpSail2000 festivities in New York City.
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"Slavutych" is also the ancient name for the Dnipro River
in Ukraine (as recorded in the 12th century epic poem
"Slovo o Polku Ihorevi").
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Coverage of the event focused heavily on the more than 100 participating Tall Ships, in particular the Ukrainian vessel "Bat'kivshchyna," and the spectacular Parade of Sail which took place on July 4th. The other major attraction on Independence Day was the presence of the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy, from which President Clinton reviewed nearly 40 naval ships from 24 nations, including Ukraine's command ship "Slavutych."
About the "Slavutych"
Launched: 1992
Displacement: 5,700 tons full load
Dimensions: 106 x 16 x 6 meters/347.7 x 525 x 19.7 feet
Propulsion: 2 diesels, 2 shafts, 6,800 bhp, 16.5 knots
Crew: 150
EW: 2 PK-10 decoy
Armament: 2 30 mm AA, 2 SA-N-8 SAM positions
Concept/Program: Laid down as a Soviet intelligence ship (sister to Russian Kamchatka) but completed as a communications/command ship.
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Berthed at Pier 7 in Brooklyn after the parade, the "Slavutych" hosted many area visitors during the week. At an evening reception organized by the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations last week, Captain Ihor Teniuch welcomed members of the New York/New Jersey Ukrainian community on board ship (photos right). In addition to Diasporan community guests, attending the informal gathering were representatives from the Permanent Mission of Ukraine including Second Secretary Dina Neskorozhanna, and Mr. Serhiy Pohorel'tsev, Acting Consul General of Ukraine (New York).
About Opsail
Operation Sail, Inc. is a national non-profit corporation founded in 1961 by President Kennedy. Operation Sail, Inc. and its programs have had the support of every President since President Kennedy.
For more information about OpSail2000, visit the official website at www.opsail2000.org
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Captain Ihor Teniuch
(standing, l-r)
Oles Berezhny, Ukrainian-American U.S. Sailor, member of Naval Reserve unit assigned to OpSail;
Taras Szczur, Post Commander UAV Post 301, Yonkers;
Col. Victor Hvozd - Military Advisor to Ukraine's UN Mission;
Mrs. Emily Shchur and Mr. Walter Shchur of Yonkers;
(seated center)
Stephen Rudyk, US51606395, drafted in May of 1966, Vietnam-Class
of 1967, U.S. Taxpayer (reluctant), presently Vice Commander-Post 301 UAV Yonkers; in search of sources for Slavutych and Obolon beer, Hetman vodka and other traditional Ukrainian natural medications.
(l) Myroslaw Shmigel (Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, New York Div.), (r) Andrij Lastowecky (Ukrainian American Coordinating Council, New York)
The Captain poses with a group of tourists
(l) Andrij Milavsky (musical director, "Cheres"), (r) M. Shmigel
(l) Nadia Matkivsky (Director, Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund), (r) Larissa Paschuk
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