BRAMA, June 9, 2004, 9:00 am ET
Press Release
40th Anniversary Commemoration of Shevchenko Monument to take place in Washington, DC
Washington, D.C. — Four decades ago, on June 27, 1964, the Ukrainian American community marked a significant event - the unveiling of a monument to the Great Kobzar, Taras Shevchenko. Dedicated by former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the hard work and generosity of the Ukrainian American community bore fruit with a monument to the great Ukrainian bard in the nation's capital. The Ukrainian American community is fortunate to celebrate this significant milestone forty years later. Over 100,000 attendees participated in the festivities forty years ago dedicated to the unveiling of the Taras Shevchenko monument. This multi-thousand forum was able to direct international attention to the violations of human rights and freedoms by the former Soviet regime and political repressions against those who struggled for Ukraine's liberation.
This year, on the initiative of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), a national commemorative committee was formed with the participation of the Ukrainian Catholic and Orthodox Churches; Ukrainian National Association (UNA); the Ukrainian National Women's League of America (UNWLA); The Washington Group (TWG); the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council; the US-Ukrainian Foundation; TWG Cultural Fund; youth organizations of CYM and Plast; the Ukrainian federal credit unions; Ukrainian Saturday school system, as well as other Ukrainian civic organizations to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the dedication of the Taras Shevchenko Monument. In addition to the national commemorative committee, an Honorary Committee comprised of the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Churches, the Ukrainian ambassador to United States Mykhajlo Reznik, and the president of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) has been formed. Members of the U.S. Congress and representatives from the U.S. Administration, as well as members of the Parliament and the Government of Ukraine have been invited to participate in the commemoration.
The manifestation will take place in the square near the Shevchenko monument located at 22nd and P Streets, NW on Saturday, June 26, 2004, at 4 pm. The commemoration will begin with the laying of the flowers at the foot of the monument followed by an ecumenical prayer service (panakhyda) concelebrated by the Ukrainian Catholic and Orthodox hierarchy. Performances by artists from Ukraine and the United States (Dumka Chorus - confirmed) will follow opening remarks and an introduction of honored guests. During the festivities, the square near the monument will be closed to traffic.
The 40th jubilee commemoration is an opportunity to proclaim unity within our Ukrainian American community, as well as to point to our strength as a politically, culturally, and civic-minded part of American society. As this is a significant event in our community, the Shevchenko 40th Anniversary Memorial Committee urges everyone to attend, in particularly the younger generation and the newly-arrived immigrants from Ukraine. Let us continue our tradition of preserving our national identity and cultural heritage for future generations.
Further inquiries should be addressed to Bohdanna Urbanovych, chairman of the Shevchenko 40th Anniversary Memorial Committee at Bohdana7@cs.com or to the Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS) at unis@ucca.org.
|
![[BRAMA Client Websites]](http://www.brama.com/banners/miniads23.gif){kind=small}
Foto I
